Any recommendations for local surgeons/hospitals?

David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
Has anyone had any personal experience with any of these surgeons?

Dr. Tushar Satish Samdani, MD
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctor/dr-tushar-satish-samdani-md/#q={}

Dr. Mahaffey
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctor/dr-w-michael-mahaffey-md/#q={}

Any opinions on the the local hospitals in the tri-county area?

It seems to me that St. Mary's was a good hospital until the board sold out to MedStar. Now it is just one big, overpriced bureaucracy.

Always heard good things about Calvert and it seems that Charles would be good since they are part of the Univ. of Md. system. Is there any real point in shopping around---as difficult as they make it?
 
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kickstand

De omnibus dubitandum est
I have had two procedures with Dr Mahaffey. Both were positive. Open, honest, and informative. Not sure about what he charges for what as I have insurance that takes care of all that.

With regards to St. Mary's I can tell you this. When I first moved here in 2006, my daughter (4 at the time), dropped a very heavy object on her bare foot. It looked broken to me, so I whisked her off the the ER at St. Mary's. We were last in a very long line of patients of which one was a lady I'd say was in her late 70's early 80's who was in obvious distress. Her husband was speaking with the nurse at the desk about the wait when we walked up. The nurse, who was an older woman that seemed more interested in the book she was reading than anything else, asked him to to sit back down and they would call on him when they were ready. After checking in, we sat and waited just like everyone else. Within about 15 minutes, the gentlemen rushed to the nurse to again ask about the wait and was again brushed off right as his wife slumped to the floor right there in the ER waiting room. I later found out she had a heart attack. After the woman was taken to a room, another younger nurse came out to each patient and performed what I could only describe as "triage". When I related this story to coworkers who were local, they informed me that St. Mary's was like that and that I should never go there. From what I understand this was pre-Medstar and is a lot better since when it comes to actual patient care. I've had shoulder surgery, MRI's, CT Scans, a colonoscopy since then. My wife had her gall bladder removed. My daughter was treated for major burns there. I have a grandson that was born there and I have at least 3 good friends who have had children there. All good experiences, and all since MedStar took over.

Maybe they are over priced. But my experience with them has been good...
 

nutz

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had any personal experience with any of these surgeons?

Dr. Samdani
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctor/dr-tushar-satish-samdani-md/#q={}

Dr. Mahaffey
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctor/dr-w-michael-mahaffey-md/#q={}

Any opinions on the the local hospitals in the tri-county area?

It seems to me that St. Mary's was a good hospital until the board sold out to MedStar. Now it is just one big, overpriced bureaucracy.

Always heard good things about Calvert and it seems that Charles would be good since they are part of the Univ. of Md. system. Is there any real point in shopping around---as difficult as they make it?

not tri-county, but definitely one of the best. Civista still sucks, maybe growing pains

Dr. Mario Golocovsky, MD
202-877-3785
 

Christy

b*tch rocket
Samdani. :yay:

Overall experience at St. Mary's was good, but there are a few lousy nurses and staff members who need to find other careers.
 

Roman

Active Member
You hear stories about every hospital, good & bad. Having worked in the medical field I would suggest staying here for something minor. But go elsewhere for the major stuff. Our hospitals are getting better, but the major stuff is best suited for Doctors that see it every day. Dr. Mahaffey is a good Doctor. I've never heard anything bad about him, and that's saying something considering we hear stuff all the time.
 

spr1975wshs

Mostly settled in...
Ad Free Experience
Patron
I've been happy with the care I have received at Saint Marys/Medstar Hospital, both as an inpatient and as an out patient.

Very happy when they admitted that what I needed, they could not do, which is how I ended up at the Uni MD Med Center in Baltimore and got an early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, and almost immediate (within 3 weeks) surgery. Saturday will make 27 months since the surgery, which was followed by chemo at the Medstar/Wildwood Cancer Recovery center. Am still cancer free as I type.
 
I needed a colon resection, Mahaffey was supposed to be my surgeon as he was one of the few internal surgeons at MedStar. However, he could not do the procedure via laparoscopy, not trained on it. This was back in 2014. I opted to have my surgery done in Arkansas with surgeons from the Mercy Hospital system. Best choice I could have made. Traditional surgery would have kept me in the hospital for at least a week with 4-6 recovery. I had my resection, discharged next day, drove home to MD from AR in a week, no restrictions whatever on diet, physical exercise as I felt good enough to do it.
 

mitzi

Well-Known Member
I've had 2 "minor" surgeries at St. Mary's and was very pleased with the care I received.
 
I had Gall bladder removed last year with Dr. Samdani...went well with no issues at all...well there was 1. The only issue I had, with this being my first surgery, is that no one briefed me on how painful it is when you wake up in recovery! Pain relievers kicked in afterwards, but for about 10 minutes was very uncomfortable!!
 

BernieP

Resident PIA
My 2 cents, ignore every recommendation you have read up until now.
Talk to your primary care physician and the specialist. Let them recommend the surgeon, which will more or less dictate the hospital.
Doctors, particularly the better specialists, know their limitations and that of other physicians in the area. Georgetown has some excellent surgeons and is also in the MedStar Health Care network, as is Washington Hospital Center.
 

Urbanite

Member
Has anyone had any personal experience with any of these surgeons?

Dr. Samdani
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctor/dr-tushar-satish-samdani-md/#q={}

Dr. Mahaffey
https://www.medstarhealth.org/doctor/dr-w-michael-mahaffey-md/#q={}

Any opinions on the the local hospitals in the tri-county area?

It seems to me that St. Mary's was a good hospital until the board sold out to MedStar. Now it is just one big, overpriced bureaucracy.

Always heard good things about Calvert and it seems that Charles would be good since they are part of the Univ. of Md. system. Is there any real point in shopping around---as difficult as they make it?


Just my opinion as I am not familar with the above mentioned Doctors, but being that I am one of those people who get super anxious regarding surgeries I wanted to let you know that I have procedures /surgeries done at Mercy Hospital in Baltimore (friends in the medical field recommended this hospital) and I must say it was an absolutely wonderful experience both the Doctors and the Staff couldn't have been any better. I had to do a little research to find a Doctor at Mercy and believe me when I say it was well worth it. I can highly recommend the Doctors and the Hospital.
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
My 2 cents, ignore every recommendation you have read up until now.
Talk to your primary care physician and the specialist. Let them recommend the surgeon, which will more or less dictate the hospital.
Doctors, particularly the better specialists, know their limitations and that of other physicians in the area. Georgetown has some excellent surgeons and is also in the MedStar Health Care network, as is Washington Hospital Center.

Often your local doc in SoMD will refer you to the surgeon within his system (eg medstar) whether that surgeon is the best one for you or not. For any kind of elective surgery you want to do your own research and anonymous recommendations from the internet can be part of that.
 

David

Opinions are my own...
PREMO Member
Often your local doc in SoMD will refer you to the surgeon within his system (eg medstar) whether that surgeon is the best one for you or not. For any kind of elective surgery you want to do your own research and anonymous recommendations from the internet can be part of that.

You hit the nail on the head. At MedStar (the only real provider in the area), they basically give you a printout of every MedStar doctor that practices in that field and its up to you to ennie-meenine-miny-moe.

I had the 1st of 2 done Friday at St. Mary's with Dr. Tushar Samdani. The 2nd next week with same. My only gripe is with the hospital itself. I specifically asked the person who called to schedule HOW MUCH TOTAL TIME IS THIS GOING TO TAKE; FROM THE TIME I GET THERE TO THE TIME I LEAVE. 90 minutes was the answer and she told me what TIME THEY WANTED ME THERE at 0905. This is mainly because I am imposing on a friend to take me there and babysit me, per the hospital's requirements, and I wanted them to know exactly how much of their time I needed.

Well, I get there before 0900 and go in pretty quickly, do the undress and answer the same questions I've already been asked 3 times before. I also double-check with the admitting nurse about they time. "They told me this whole thing is going to take about 90 minutes. Is that right?" "That sounds about right."

1100 comes and I'm still sitting there freezing 2 hour later. I call the nurse and ask what time the procedure is scheduled for. 11:35. So, why did you ask me to get here 2.5 hours early and tell me the whole thing would take 90 minutes? Well, we have to admit you and ask the questions. Well back at ya, that took all of 15 minutes! Sometime after noon they finally roll me in. Keep in mind that this is a routine procedure that they said would actually last for about 15 minutes (Time in the op room, not recovery and all that).

I asked her to go tell my friend what the realistic time schedule was since she had been expecting to leave 30 minutes ago. They never did.

When they call to schedule next week's procedure, I am going to specifically ask what time the procedure is scheduled to start and I'll be there an hour before, regardless of what time they want me there.

From what I've experienced, my conclusion is that the health care industry is a bit of a joke as far as consumerism goes. There is no real way to comparatively shop for a doctor other than anecdotal recommendations from other people and anonymous comments on the internet, if there even are any. The Medstar site lists customer ratings for the doctor, but they are cumulative, nothing more than xx out of 5 stars based on inputs from anonymous people. You can't even read any specific comments from any of the supposed people providing these ratings; maybe the whole thing is gamed.

Then there is trying to find out what this stuff is going to cost. I asked the surgeon for a ball park estimate. He had no idea, he doesn't handle that part of the business. I asked his coordinator, she had no idea, told me to call my insurance company. I asked her why I would call them when her company is the service provider. Silence. Basically, you pay whatever they say it costs. End of story.

A few years ago, I had planned to lose weight and go back to my righteous weight. I wanted to get a body density scan to determine by body fat ratio. The book I was reading said it should cost from $50-100 based on the author's personal experience. No way was I going to go in blind and then end up with a $2000 bill. So, I called MedStar to get a cost estimate. I had the exact medical name for the procedure. At first the operator sent me to billing. They told me I had the wrong dept. On the 3rd call I had to raise my voice to this same operator and make her listen to what I needed. I finally got to the right person after an hour or so. She knew exactly the procedure I wanted but couldn't find the price because there was more than one "CODE" for it. She promised to call me back the next day. I never heard from MedStar again.

We need a Jeff Bezos to get in there and revolutionize the medical industry. We should be able to have an Amazon-like system to shop for doctors and do price comparison shopping for basic services. Unfortunately, there are too many barriers right now to allow the consumer to win. First of all, there is insufficient competition. I have NEVER SEEN my primary care physician because every time I call for an appointment, the 1st available date is 30 days away. Secondly, we have the insurance companies, and now the government, standing in between us and the providers. Too many people get their insurance provided free by their company or the government and this essentially destroys the free market system.

</RANT>
 
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Popster

Member
You need more information. Answer depends on the surgery you need. There is a lot that can be done in county. However, find out if your surgery can be done laparoscopically. If so go where it can be performed. A hernia via laparoscopy is a breeze, via old fashion cut through your stomach muscles, not so much.

Had a 5.5 hour surgery with the da Vinci surgery (robitic assisted laproscopy) and walked out of the hospital (GW Hosp Center) the next day with no pain. Had a standard hernia repair at St. Mary's years ago and pain for weeks. It took months to heal.

So, depending on what you need carefully select the right hospital and surgeon.

Good luck.
 

littlelady

God bless the USA
You need more information. Answer depends on the surgery you need. There is a lot that can be done in county. However, find out if your surgery can be done laparoscopically. If so go where it can be performed. A hernia via laparoscopy is a breeze, via old fashion cut through your stomach muscles, not so much.

Had a 5.5 hour surgery with the da Vinci surgery (robitic assisted laproscopy) and walked out of the hospital (GW Hosp Center) the next day with no pain. Had a standard hernia repair at St. Mary's years ago and pain for weeks. It took months to heal.

So, depending on what you need carefully select the right hospital and surgeon.

Good luck.

Wow. That is a huge difference in procedure. I am sure people will appreciate your post. Glad you are ok, and I know Hattie is, too! :huggy:
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
Then there is trying to find out what this stuff is going to cost. I asked the surgeon for a ball park estimate. He had no idea, he doesn't handle that part of the business. I asked his coordinator, she had no idea, told me to call my insurance company. I asked her why I would call them when her company is the service provider. Silence. Basically, you pay whatever they say it costs. End of story.

They were not wrong to refer you to your insurance. They should have given you the procedure code and your insurance should be able to tell you what it is going to cost. The way it works with medical bills is that the provider submits a moon number as 'charge' that has nothing to do with what it 'costs' to do the procedure. It may be $200, 400, 2000, it really doesn't matter. Once the procedure gets billed, the price gets adjusted based on the contract between the insurance/medicare and the provider. So unless it is an 'out of network' situation, the insurance company customer service are the only ones who can tell you A. what it will cost B. what your co-pay, co-insurance or deductible is going to be.

A few years ago, I had planned to lose weight and go back to my righteous weight. I wanted to get a body density scan to determine by body fat ratio. The book I was reading said it should cost from $50-100 based on the author's personal experience. No way was I going to go in blind and then end up with a $2000 bill. So, I called MedStar to get a cost estimate. I had the exact medical name for the procedure. At first the operator sent me to billing. They told me I had the wrong dept. On the 3rd call I had to raise my voice to this same operator and make her listen to what I needed. I finally got to the right person after an hour or so. She knew exactly the procedure I wanted but couldn't find the price because there was more than one "CODE" for it. She promised to call me back the next day. I never heard from MedStar again.

We need a Jeff Bezos to get in there and revolutionize the medical industry. We should be able to have an Amazon-like system to shop for doctors and do price comparison shopping for basic services. Unfortunately, there are too many barriers right now to allow the consumer to win. First of all, there is insufficient competition. I have NEVER SEEN my primary care physician because every time I call for an appointment, the 1st available date is 30 days away. Secondly, we have the insurance companies, and now the government, standing in between us and the providers. Too many people get their insurance provided free by their company or the government and this essentially destroys the free market system.

</RANT>

The underlined is your problem. If it wasn't for mandatory repricing by medicare and the system of insurance contracts, every provider could post a schedule of prices that everyone pays regardless of payor. You as the consumer would then be in a position to decide whether you want the $499 colonoscopy or whether you go with the guy who offers the $325 special.
 

littlelady

God bless the USA
They were not wrong to refer you to your insurance. They should have given you the procedure code and your insurance should be able to tell you what it is going to cost. The way it works with medical bills is that the provider submits a moon number as 'charge' that has nothing to do with what it 'costs' to do the procedure. It may be $200, 400, 2000, it really doesn't matter. Once the procedure gets billed, the price gets adjusted based on the contract between the insurance/medicare and the provider. So unless it is an 'out of network' situation, the insurance company customer service are the only ones who can tell you A. what it will cost B. what your co-pay, co-insurance or deductible is going to be.



The underlined is your problem. If it wasn't for mandatory repricing by medicare and the system of insurance contracts, every provider could post a schedule of prices that everyone pays regardless of payor. You as the consumer would then be in a position to decide whether you want the $499 colonoscopy or whether you go with the guy who offers the $325 special.

You are way off. I say that because we are now under Obamacare, due to the fact that USBank does not insure x employees, anymore. Why? Because of Obamacare. We scrambled to get all our 'preventive' done before our insurance ended July31. We still got charged through the butt for what was supposed to be 'preventative'. Now, we are under true Obamacare and we chose the cheapest way out. We are healthy so only doing for catastrophic. We are paying 200/mo for nothing, with 16,000 deductible. And, the cheapest plan we chose was Kaiser Permante, and the closest docs are in Kensington, instead of right here in Olney. None of the docs in Olney take KP. What a bunch of crap. Go, Middle Class!
 

officeguy

Well-Known Member
You are way off. I say that because we are now under Obamacare, due to the fact that USBank does not insure x employees, anymore. Why? Because of Obamacare. We scrambled to get all our 'preventive' done before our insurance ended July31. We still got charged through the butt for what was supposed to be 'preventative'. Now, we are under true Obamacare and we chose the cheapest way out. We are healthy so only doing for catastrophic. We are paying 200/mo for nothing, with 16,000 deductible. And, the cheapest plan we chose was Kaiser Permante, and the closest docs are in Kensington, instead of right here in Olney. None of the docs in Olney take KP. What a bunch of crap. Go, Middle Class!

What in the world are your rambling on about ? Nothing in your post addresses or disproves the points I made.
 
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