Are doctors hard up for business?

[labman]

Were some of you relieved to see little of me yesterday and the day before? I was having a stent put in my one coronary artery. It was a miserable 2 days, but I will spare you the details. I figure some of us will eventually get a nice new body, but others will end up else where filled with fat, old people endlessly reciting all the disgusting details of their decrepit bodies.

I hadn't been having that much trouble, mostly cold and tired all the time. Well yes a little pain in my chest while walking vigorously once in a while. So after my physical and high cholesterol and high blood pressure, my doctor sends me off for a stress test. Well you may have a blockage. Next a catherization. It turns out I do have a blockage. Ah, but that hospital can't do stents. So they haul me 50 miles down the road in an ambulance tube into my big leg artery, electrodes hooked to a heat monitor, saline drip,etc. So if the doctor knew I might have a blockage and he couldn't fix it, why did he start?

 

[duaneb9729]

I am glad they caught it for you before the blockage moved and caused a stroke!

I sure hope you heal fast and spring comes early!

 

[ddrumman2004]

I'm glad that they caught it also!

I went through this almost 2 years ago. Had all the tests and they did a stress test then the heart cath and found that I have 3 blockages....worst is 35%....other 2 at 30%. No stints put in either! Doc told me that mine have been in there a while...the blockages that is.

Good luck and take care of yourself.

 

[NJC]

Labman;

That does not sound like much fun, but glad you were able to get medical help. Hope you recover quickly and are good for another 100K miles.

 

[CivicFan]

Here's a little not-so-well-known fact. Stents do not do anything to prevent issues arising from blocked arteries. They are effective in emergency situations. otherwise, it's just a cash cow for the makers and installers.

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
Were some of you relieved to see little of me yesterday and the day before?


(at first

..then

appears on face)

No, not relieved, but I did miss you. Then again, I missed athletes foot fungus too

Now that you've had your vessels nurrel'd and sleeved ..you should be set for another 250k worth of posting.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

One more reason why I proactively maintain my health.

 

[rshaw125]

Hospitals and other medical facilities are regulated as to what procedures they can perform. Want to install an MRI machine? You have to get permission from your state regulator.

 

[CivicFan]

Not here.

 

[LAGA]

Your level and amount of care you receive is directly proportional to what your insurance will pay for.

 

[labman]

My doctors go ahead and bill me for more yet.

 

[Gary Allan]

Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Hospitals and other medical facilities are regulated as to what procedures they can perform. Want to install an MRI machine? You have to get permission from your state regulator.


Which totally overlooks that they then just assure that there's need for another MRI machine. When you can have your own beneficiaries of the installation pencil whip demand, it's an easy hurdle to overcome ..albeit inconvenient. The insurance approval boards on insurance companies just include more MRI scans as "routine".

Regulators are merely a speed bump in the process.

 

[ryansride2017]

Originally Posted By: ddrumman2004
I'm glad that they caught it also!

I went through this almost 2 years ago. Had all the tests and they did a stress test then the heart cath and found that I have 3 blockages....worst is 35%....other 2 at 30%. No stints put in either! Doc told me that mine have been in there a while...the blockages that is.

Good luck and take care of yourself.


What did they do to treat you? What conditions were you having to suspect something?

 

[ryansride2017]

Originally Posted By: labman
Were some of you relieved to see little of me yesterday and the day before? I was having a stent put in my one coronary artery. It was a miserable 2 days, but I will spare you the details. I figure some of us will eventually get a nice new body, but others will end up else where filled with fat, old people endlessly reciting all the disgusting details of their decrepit bodies.

I hadn't been having that much trouble, mostly cold and tired all the time. Well yes a little pain in my chest while walking vigorously once in a while. So after my physical and high cholesterol and high blood pressure, my doctor sends me off for a stress test. Well you may have a blockage. Next a catherization. It turns out I do have a blockage. Ah, but that hospital can't do stents. So they haul me 50 miles down the road in an ambulance tube into my big leg artery, electrodes hooked to a heat monitor, saline drip,etc. So if the doctor knew I might have a blockage and he couldn't fix it, why did he start?


What's your age?

 

[CivicFan]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Originally Posted By: rshaw125
Hospitals and other medical facilities are regulated as to what procedures they can perform. Want to install an MRI machine? You have to get permission from your state regulator.


Which totally overlooks that they then just assure that there's need for another MRI machine. When you can have your own beneficiaries of the installation pencil whip demand, it's an easy hurdle to overcome ..albeit inconvenient. The insurance approval boards on insurance companies just include more MRI scans as "routine".

Regulators are merely a speed bump in the process.


Some states require a Certificate of Need before major investments are made in H.C facilities. This is the first time I am hearing that they require this for an MRI machine.

 

[Gary Allan]

In the past (80's) there was "competition" for allocation of machines in a given metro area. 3 hospitals ...and only enough "work" for one machine?? ..each hospital competed for "need" for the machine. This ended up being a race to see who had the most patient demand to warrant the allowance. Now everyone has one ..and outsourced imagining "companies" are collective ventures in investments.

Hospitals are "rent a bay" repair and diagnostic facilities for humans. The more well equipped the facility, the more money the mechanic/diagnostician/technologist/service writer/parts man can make.

 

[labman]

The more I think about this, the more I wonder if the guy is doing it all the time. I realize my time would be seen as little value, but more resources were consumed getting done what I feel was very likely would have to be done. I also think hauling me around with a tube down into a main artery added to the risks. It just seems to me the guy made sure he got his cut even though it came out of a larger pie.

The doctor that finished up the job didn't sound like he felt it would help my main complaint, being cold and tired all the time. It seems since the doctors can't find the cause of the real problem, they work on whatever they can find.

 

[benjamming]

parts changers/adders! shadetree doctors

 

[andyd]

Ever notice how more doctoring and meds leads to more doctoring and meds?

 

[daves87rs]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Ever notice how more doctoring and meds leads to more doctoring and meds?



Meds? I try and avoid those...