Do mainland Europeans not know how to use e-mail? No concept of professionalism?

[Optimistic]

I am seriously ready to go on a rampage here. Literally every single mainland European surgeon I've ever contacted has either a) not responded b) taken months to respond c) not even had a working e-mail... probably more I just can't think of it now

- Saw surgeon in Holland. Moulds and photos taken, long consultation. When I left I never received any further correspondence. I paid money for NOTHING. I've e-mailed several times and been completely ignored.

- Spanish surgeon (Alfaro). Had online consult and he agreed to send through his recommendations in writing based on what he'd seen, along with morphs etc. Never came through. Never responded to my e-mails. Again, my money was taken and nothing was gained.

- Mommaerts: You simply will NOT get a response. Don't try. Total incompetence and the primary reason I won't get surgery with him, despite me thinking he's a good guy. How can any surgeon operate amongst an army of incompetent fools? If they can't do e-mail they sure as hell can't do world-class surgery.

- Triaca: E-mailed a few days ago and still no response.

- Sailer: No response either (E-mailed last year)

- A few others who I can't ever remember, but I know I've sent out a LOT to European surgeons. In almost all cases I get no response. Alfaro I ended up having to call, likewise in Holland. Mommearts clinic did respond to me initially but then jsut sort of gave up and ignored me.

----

I don't understand it. If they're that busy then surely they can afford another person to handle enquiries? And they make it harder on themselves because when you do get a response it's a one word, poorly formatted piece of crap that invariably leads to the need to FOLLOW-UP with more e-mails. Whereas whenever I deal with Americans, British, or Australian surgeons I'm given detailed responses, the opportunity to telephone in, all of which conveniently occurs WITHIN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AT THE MOST!!!!!!

I AM SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW!!!!1


 

[notrain]

there are reasons for this:

1. most surgeons - if they are any good - are extremely busy and operate out of several hospitals. 99.9% of the time someone contacts them by e-mail and lives far away, any consultation they do will be a waste of time

2. dealing with someone who doesn't speak your native language (POV of surgeon) is a huge hassle. especially if the patient is from overseas.

3. dealing with an unknown ortho is inconvenient. most surgeons have 2-3 orthos they work with because then they can discuss all their cases on a weekly basis at once.


my advice would be to try and find someone closer to you who has a decent reputation.

[Optimistic]

there are reasons for this:

1. most surgeons - if they are any good - are extremely busy and operate out of several hospitals. 99.9% of the time someone contacts them by e-mail and lives far away, any consultation they do will be a waste of time

2. dealing with someone who doesn't speak your native language (POV of surgeon) is a huge hassle. especially if the patient is from overseas.

3. dealing with an unknown ortho is inconvenient. most surgeons have 2-3 orthos they work with because then they can discuss all their cases on a weekly basis at once.


my advice would be to try and find someone closer to you who has a decent reputation.

1. E-mail 'an extremely busy' surgeon from America, Australia, or the UK. You WILL get a response, even if it's just saying "Sorry he's really busy and not taking anyone currently. we have a waiting list X long you can join". You will never, under no circumstances have an e-mail simply be ignored.

2. Yes but when most top surgeons have a website in English and publish studies in English, and do study in America (mandatory for Germans) your point is yet again moot.

3. This is highly dependent on the individual case, and not a reason to IGNORE e-mails.

[Gregor Samsa]

Did you contact Mommaerts directly? Say what you will about him but he usually answered me extremely fast when I e-mailed him on his personal e-mail address. The answers were a bit lacking most of the time but at least he took the time to answer me unlike his department that is completely disorganized and don't know what's going on most of the time. I'm still feeling the pain of dealing with them since they keep sending me bills that are far from what we agreed upon.

One of the things I like the most about Paul Johnson is that he actually has someone working full time on doing all the administrative tasks so it's easy to get in touch with someone that knows what's going on. I received a full written report just days after having had a consultation with him. He's definitely the best consultation experience I've ever had.

[PloskoPlus]

3. dealing with an unknown ortho is inconvenient. most surgeons have 2-3 orthos they work with because then they can discuss all their cases on a weekly basis at once.

And vice versa.  Most certainly the case here in Melbourne.  You've started treatment with an ortho, you pretty much have to got with his surgeons (at most 2).

[Optimistic]

Did you contact Mommaerts directly? Say what you will about him but he usually answered me extremely fast when I e-mailed him on his personal e-mail address. The answers were a bit lacking most of the time but at least he took the time to answer me unlike his department that is completely disorganized and don't know what's going on most of the time. I'm still feeling the pain of dealing with them since they keep sending me bills that are far from what we agreed upon.

One of the things I like the most about Paul Johnson is that he actually has someone working full time on doing all the administrative tasks so it's easy to get in touch with someone that knows what's going on. I received a full written report just days after having had a consultation with him. He's definitely the best consultation experience I've ever had.

Exactly. Mommaerts does respond quickly I'll give him that, but the responses are far too lacky to get much value out of the exchanges. His actual clinics and hospitals are god awful as you say though.

[jorgelueza]

Hernandez Alfaro is a great professional, but very busy though. I had an appointment with him (at his office in Barcelona) and he had an outstanding comprehension of my problems and really attentive.
However this is just my first impression with him, I hope it doesn't change quite when I have done my surgery in mid 2015.
I recommend you to come over and see him at his office, by the way you can visit Barcelona.

[Tiny]

One of the things I like the most about Paul Johnson is that he actually has someone working full time on doing all the administrative tasks so it's easy to get in touch with someone that knows what's going on. I received a full written report just days after having had a consultation with him. He's definitely the best consultation experience I've ever had.

You're lucky - I didn't.  I also got a surprise 220GBP bill because they hadn't told me that the Xrays would cost extra (even though I asked several times!)

A lot of European surgeons aren't just private surgeons - they also do teaching and public work.   So, I think it's a time thing and the hassle of taking an overseas patient.  Why don't they do emails?  Because they don't need to.  However, if you've paid for a consult then it's very poor of them not to follow up

I emailed Schendel - twice - and got no response - and he is in the US

[Gregor Samsa]

You're lucky - I didn't.  I also got a surprise 220GBP bill because they hadn't told me that the Xrays would cost extra (even though I asked several times!)

A lot of European surgeons aren't just private surgeons - they also do teaching and public work.   So, I think it's a time thing and the hassle of taking an overseas patient.  Why don't they do emails?  Because they don't need to.  However, if you've paid for a consult then it's very poor of them not to follow up

I emailed Schendel - twice - and got no response - and he is in the US

I suppose it was different for me since the letter I got was all about why I shouldn't do the surgery so it was easier for him to write. I'm still waiting for an actual surgery plan or to at least have him answer if he wants to offer me the surgery or not. It's been over two weeks now since I asked and I don't expect a reply at this point. I get the feeling that he doesn't want to commit to surgery and I'm not the only one who has that feeling about him.

The part with the x-rays is also something I noticed. I had asked his office manager Tina about it before I came to the consultation so I knew what the x-rays would cost, but no one said anything about any costs while I was there. It was the same bulls**t with Mommaerts where a consultation would suddenly cost 170 euros even though it was supposed to be free and then I was forced to pay for it because "it said in the system that I had to pay".

What did you think of your consultation with Sandro Pelo? Did he follow up with a surgery plan?

[Optimistic]

Hernandez Alfaro is a great professional, but very busy though. I had an appointment with him (at his office in Barcelona) and he had an outstanding comprehension of my problems and really attentive.
However this is just my first impression with him, I hope it doesn't change quite when I have done my surgery in mid 2015.
I recommend you to come over and see him at his office, by the way you can visit Barcelona.

LOL clinic shill much???

Even Mommaerts was baffled at how Alfaro stopped doing the ZSO after he claimed it kept relapsing. He said so in a publication of his. Moreover, he does his operations super quick.

No chance I'd let that guy touch me.

There are better guys out there. Plus, not that I'd know since I didn't ever get a response, but I hear he's very expensive.

[ticktickatick]

I asked Mommaerts for an online consult complete with pictures and xrays. No response so a month later I followed up. Mommaerts apologized and said they had secretarial issues. Sort of responded to my questions, but wanted different pictures, a different type of xray, and also wanted me to mail molds in. I never ended up following up to that.

That doesn't really answer your question but I find that a lot of doctors here in the U.S. do not respond to email very well either. Sometimes their staff just doesn't inform them. I have started out many emails with a I NEED THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE DOCTOR DIRECTLY, because otherwise I get no response or the "come in for a consult" or "come in to ask these questions (to the tune of $200 for the appointment!)"

[Optimistic]

I asked Mommaerts for an online consult complete with pictures and xrays. No response so a month later I followed up. Mommaerts apologized and said they had secretarial issues. Sort of responded to my questions, but wanted different pictures, a different type of xray, and also wanted me to mail molds in. I never ended up following up to that.

That doesn't really answer your question but I find that a lot of doctors here in the U.S. do not respond to email very well either. Sometimes their staff just doesn't inform them. I have started out many emails with a I NEED THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE DOCTOR DIRECTLY, because otherwise I get no response or the "come in for a consult" or "come in to ask these questions (to the tune of $200 for the appointment!)"

Yep MM is totally incompetent. I have cut him off completely. I have no confidence in him or his clinic based on our correspondence. Plus the fact a few here have had surgery, gone over in painstaking detail what they want, only to get something completely different just puts me off him.

I hate the ones who push for a consult too. Why would I pay $200 to ask a basic question? What if I spend all that money, ask him, and he goes "nope, can't do it". I prefer it when they we can correspond for a little bit just to establish what I want can be done and in roughly what fashion, then I'll gladly pay more to go over it in detail and nut out the finer details.