Referral for Skull Base Institute or Endo Dr. on East Coast

[irish211]

Hello to All:

I posted for the first time in another category and found much support already.

 I was wondering if anyone has had first hand experience with Skull Base Institute and dealing with the uncovered medical cost.

The cost is 62,500....less any insurance payment....that is only the doctor.  The procedure seems like the way to go.   Any opinions?

Anyone on the East coast doing this that you all know of?

I am in  a very specific occupation requiring me to use magnification ...vision and balance disability would put me out of work. 

I am  divorced with no one to assist me financially...my two kids are too young to run a household....both parents act like this will go away and my brother thinks I just want to see  LA/Hollywood ....to quote him...so I am depressed.

For some reason SBI seems like the right fit for me but I have not met the doctor ...he has done the most endoscopic surgeries... from my research....

 
As mentioned previously, the an is 1.3 by 1.5 by 1.9 in width...cm that is.  No bad symptoms except jaw tightness...

I cannot stop working...but feel I need to deal with this...
 
What is the recovery like for SBI ...anyone had hearing preserved and is it normal?

Please let me know...anyone willing to fly out there? 

Connecticut resident

By the way Delata is 227 round trip from Hartford....$600 for the consult.

Worried. 

[jerseygirl]

Hi,

We have a number of people who used SBI. Look in Microsurgical options section for Skull Base possibilities. There is an enormous amount of info there. CEECEEK is awaiting a surgery with Dr. Field for her facial neuroma. She posted an incredible amount of info as well. I am having surgery at SBI sometime at the end of June. I have a recurrence, decided that radiation is not for me and neither is traditional surgery again, so I am trying the endoscopic route this time. I live in NJ and had my first surgery at NYU. Whom did you see there?  Hope it helps. Best wishes.

                      Eve

[Obita]

Hi Irish:

I know ixta, chopper and eronrabun went to Skull Base for endo -

I know there are more .....just can't remember who else.

Kathy

ps: write to them - I am pretty sure they had to give SBI something like $25,000.00 up front in case insurance didn't cover some of it.

[irish211]

Hi Obita...

Thanks for other referrals...

I was told 65,200 for the dr only....hosp  was covered 100% after deductinble is met but when you get the new patient info packet you are signing for anything not covered....too risky without figures for a single parent..or anyone for that matter.

I will contact the others and really find it hard to believe no one covers this. 
I cannot figure why insurance would not push it  because SBI   really saves them money involving only one dr and a 2 day hospital stay as opposed to two surgeons, the risk, and 7 days of intensive care at Yale and other east coast hospitals.   

There has to be a way to deal with insurance on this one.

Thanks

[goinbatty]

That surgeon fee seems extremely high.  Sounds like that would be the hospital charges, but I have no idea.  I knew about the $600 up front for the consult. 
Jerseygirl, was your consult telephonic?  I've spoken with Matt a few times, but haven't gotten to the formal consult stage.  I sent my MRI to Terry with Dr. Field and am awaiting word on that also. 
Does anyone know if these charges sound accurate? 

[jerseygirl]

Yes, $600 is right. SBI is very expensive, no doubt about it. The consult was over the phone. If you plan to go for SBI then my suggestion is to talk as many doctors as you can before that and look at his website so you can ask the most relevant to your case questions.

           Eve