At Thu, 3 Apr 2003, Jenny wrote:
>WOW... It seems like Germany has all the answers. It appears that it
would be less expensive to have the surgery in Germany versus the US. I
am going
to see Dr. Reich on the 8th and see what he suggests.
Thank you so much and good luck with your fund raising,
Irene
>Dear Irene, > >I am working on going to Germany to have surgery with Dr. Kruschinski. >I have been told by two people who recently went over there that their >total expenses were between $11,000-13,000. Still this is not that bad, >even though it sounds outrageous. Not many people have that kind of >money laying around. But my family is pulling together (husband and >kids) and we are working on ways to raise the money to go. If there is >a will, there is a way.(bake sales, garage sales, sponsors) I'm sure >others have some more ideas. I surely would like to know them too! >Anyway, to be pain and adhesion free, it is totally worth the money. >That amount covers airfare, a flat for 10 days, first surgery with 3 >days in hospital, second surgery is a second look and done as an >outpatient to make sure no new adhesions are forming, and also the >doctor and nurse checking on you at the flat. You really can't beat >that. Hope this helps! > >Love and hugs, >Jenny > >At Wed, 2 Apr 2003, cathy:- wrote: >> >>Irene, honey, there are definitely people who have been totally cured of >>adhesions by surgery with Dr. Reich. Bev Douchette is one, and you can >>find her story on the quilt I'm sure, as well as doing a search on the >>message board archives for "Bev" (There's only one Bev -- one in a >>million! After being cured of ARD she became a tireless crusader for >>other ARD patients.) >> >>Other people had surgery with Dr. Reich that failed, but they are >>nonetheless impressed that they got the very best surgery from the very >>best surgeon in the world. >> >>There is an adhesion barrier which was approved 15 months ago for use in >>Europe, the UK and Australia called spray gel. It is in clinical trials >>in the US. Some of our members have tracked down a couple of the best >>laporoscopic surgeons in the world who practice in Germany, and they >>have been travelling to Germany to have surgery. Several times per year >>Dr. Reich has been going to the Emma Klinic and doing adhesiolysis >>surgeries there with one of the 2 surgeons that our members have been >>travelling to. In the last 14 months approximately 2 dozen of our >>members have travelled to Germany for surgery with spray-gel, and a >>couple others who are citizens of the UK and Australia have had spray >>gel applied in surgeries close to home. This is of course not a >>scientific study, and not a scientific sample, blah, blah, blah. But on >>the other hand these are people who have had histories of 5, 10, 20, 30 >>failed adhesiolysis surgeries, so you would actually expect a BETTER >>success rate from a scientific study than from the likes of of us. Well, >>in fact you couldn't get a better success rate -- every single solitary >>person that we know personally (through this group) has ended their >>surgery adhesion (and adhesion-pain) free. If spray gel were having a >>50% or 75% success rate, then you could argue about what your chances >>are. But 100% is 100%!!!! Those are just astonshingly good results. >> >>That's the good news... The bad news is about money. First of all, if >>you have extensive adhesions that will require extensive surgery to >>remove, then your insurance won't cover it. An adhesions expert knows >>that it will take 8, 10, 12 hours of grueling and incredibly meticulous >>work to have the slightest chance of leaving you adhesion free. Your >>insurance company will pay roughly $2500 for it. They will pay the >>hospital, nurses and anesthesiologists for an hour of operating room >>time. So even if you could find a doctor AND hospital willing, you need >>to understand that they would be doing this out of the goodness of their >>hearts because the insurance company sure won't be paying them. Dr. >>Reich does not accept insurance. Dr. Gerhart and Dr. Redan, who are >>his collegues in PA do accept some insurance, and sometimes Dr. Reich >>will assist and then you pay his fee out of your own pocket. On the >>other hand, there are lots of clueless meatball surgeons out there happy >>to take $2500 to spend an hour or so doing a hack job on your innards >>that will leave you worse off. >> >>So the deal with going to Germany is that you are on your own. It's >>much more reasonable than it sounds, though, because medical care in >>Germany works differently. In the US when you have any sort of medical >>procedure done a big part of the price is "overhead." You are paying for >>part of everybody's malpractice insurance. You are paying to pay off >>their student loans. You are paying for the salaries of all of those >>people who push paper to and from your insurance company. In Germany, >>both by law and custom, there are few malpractice cases. The government >>builds hospitals and trains doctors and nurses. They don't have all of >>the paperwork to push from place to place. When the Germans set the >>price for the surgery, they basically only charge for the things that >>you actually consume. People have reported that the total cost of the >>trip, including airfare for the ARD sufferer and a companion, and even >>some touristing on the side, is about $5000-$7000. Sheesh -- even for a >>"covered" operation in the US you could easily spend half that on >>deductibles and co-pays! >> >>Think about it -- suppose you have 5 surgeries in 8 years and pay >>deductibles and co-pays. And you pay thousands for drugs because all of >>the surgeries fail and leave you worse off than before. You could >>easily be out $20,000 AND be in constant intractible pain. As opposed >>to having your life back AND spending 1/3 the amount of money. >> >>Dr. Reich is absolutely the best, and you are a lucky person to be >>getting a consult with him. Since he practices with the docs at the >>Emma Klinic he can even give you more information about them. >> >>At Wed, 2 Apr 2003, I and J wrote: >>> >>>Hello: I was just wondering did anybody have total relief from adhesions >>>after their surgery with Dr. Riech? I really hope so. I keep reading >>>and all >>>I read is suffering. I know the type of suffering, and I guess people >>>cannot >>>understand it unless they have experienced it themselves. I do not wish >>>it on >>>anyone. >>>I decided to take a walk today,it defintely was up there with one of the >>>worst >>>decisions I have made. My pain today is horrible, the meds are just not >>>working >>>anymore. Have I just acquired a tolerance for them or is the pain >>>worse? I really do not know. My appointment with Dr. Reich is on the >>>8th. In reality it is only a week away, but that week of pain feels >>>like it could be a lifetime away. I guess I am just venting. I really >>>want to know if Dr. Riech has helped anybody????? >>>Thanks for listening, >>>Irene >> >>-- >>cathy :-) >>