In order to be efficient, patients are often sent by referring gastroenterologists, primary physicians, surgeons and oncologist directly for a particular procedure without a prior office visit by the performing endoscopist. This pattern of practice expedites the care patients immensely but potentially can be a cause for anxiety for patients meeting the performing endoscopist moments before having their procedure for the first time. Some individuals search the internet to learn about the procedure that they are about to have and find out the answers to some of their procedure-related questions. This often results in gathering of contradictory information that not only does not reassure the patient but also can lead to increase anxiety.
This website is designed to assist patients who are referred to me directly for endoscopic procedures. Here, you can learn about me and some of the procedures that I perform. In addition, I will try to answer some of the common questions that I get in regards to each procedure.
In instances that this information is not sufficient, I encourage the patients to make an office appointment with me for consultation before their upcoming procedure. For patients that are referred from distant geographical locations and specially for those that are interested in procedures that are not widely available, such as anti-reflux MUSE procedure, an e-consult on a case-by-case basis is available. E-consults are generally conducted via phone or Skype, are strictly for answering the patient’s questions about a particular procedure, and are not meant to be a substitute for an office visit with a provider, diagnosis or treatment recommendations. This service is not covered by health plans or insurance companies and patients are directly responsible for the consultation fees. Please use the “contact me” form if you are interested to learn more about e-consult and to setup such appointments.
