Thursday, May 13, 2004
No Wonder Reform Comes so Hard
The posting below on Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer prompts me to report that Mrs. Wittrup (Marilyn) underwent the same type of surgery last month to repair a torn rotator cuff.
The damage was apparently done some 18 months ago when she fell on some wet leaves and fractured a bone in her arm. The orthopedist who took care of her then was not clever enough to pick up the shoulder problem. When it was diagnosed earlier this year, there was concern that the muscles might have atrophied from disuse, making repair impossible.
But, apparently, she lucked out. The surgeon reports that he was able to accomplish a great deal and that she should recover nearly full use of her shoulder.
The operation was performed using the minimally invasive technique. She was under the knife for nearly two hours (under general anesthesia) beginning at 7:30 in the morning (surgeons being congenitally unable to sleep late). By 6:00 p.m. that same day she was resting in bed at home, about an hour’s drive from the hospital. She had three, one-inch incisions around her shoulder. They have now nearly disappeared.
The orthopedist was personable, attentive, and, according to anything we can learn, highly competent (he does nothing but shoulders). The hospital was organized and its staff members were also attentive and competent. If there were inefficiencies, they were not ones of which a patient would be aware (except that I thought she should have been able to register on line rather than take the time of a registration clerk).
In other words, she had a significant encounter with the health care system and came away pleased with the people who cared for her, mightily impressed with the high technology of which she was the beneficiary, and pleased with the outcome. The procedure was scheduled to suit her convenience. The facilities were modern and attractive.
What with Medicare and a supplemental health insurance policy, what we paid was a pittance.
In other words, she is what all doctors and hospitals hope for – a satisfied patient. Furthermore, her experience is probably pretty common.
No wonder it is so hard to get people excited about reforming the health care system!!!
The posting below on Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer prompts me to report that Mrs. Wittrup (Marilyn) underwent the same type of surgery last month to repair a torn rotator cuff.
The damage was apparently done some 18 months ago when she fell on some wet leaves and fractured a bone in her arm. The orthopedist who took care of her then was not clever enough to pick up the shoulder problem. When it was diagnosed earlier this year, there was concern that the muscles might have atrophied from disuse, making repair impossible.
But, apparently, she lucked out. The surgeon reports that he was able to accomplish a great deal and that she should recover nearly full use of her shoulder.
The operation was performed using the minimally invasive technique. She was under the knife for nearly two hours (under general anesthesia) beginning at 7:30 in the morning (surgeons being congenitally unable to sleep late). By 6:00 p.m. that same day she was resting in bed at home, about an hour’s drive from the hospital. She had three, one-inch incisions around her shoulder. They have now nearly disappeared.
The orthopedist was personable, attentive, and, according to anything we can learn, highly competent (he does nothing but shoulders). The hospital was organized and its staff members were also attentive and competent. If there were inefficiencies, they were not ones of which a patient would be aware (except that I thought she should have been able to register on line rather than take the time of a registration clerk).
In other words, she had a significant encounter with the health care system and came away pleased with the people who cared for her, mightily impressed with the high technology of which she was the beneficiary, and pleased with the outcome. The procedure was scheduled to suit her convenience. The facilities were modern and attractive.
What with Medicare and a supplemental health insurance policy, what we paid was a pittance.
In other words, she is what all doctors and hospitals hope for – a satisfied patient. Furthermore, her experience is probably pretty common.
No wonder it is so hard to get people excited about reforming the health care system!!!
