More machinations with Dick and Jane. Or.. er Dr X. These comments are from sites that are favorable to surgery. There are only about 8 or so docs in the world doing the vast majority of the PNE-type procedures. Unlike other surgeons I have never read of anyone receiving improvement from Dr. X. If this man is the darling of the 8 as the site mod states I'd prefer not meeting the ones out of favor.
--jjf
by E » Mon Sep 2, 11:53 pm
I saw Dr. Filler a few years back. He accepted absolutely no insurance. However, depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get some reimbursement from your insurance company. Dr. Filler is extremely expensive. I wish the old posts from the other forum were available so you could read people's comments on their experiences with Dr. Filler.
I did not have a good experience. I think the initial appointment was $500. For that, his assistant came in and took all my information, followed by a brief visit with Dr. Filler himself. From that point onward, it was impossible to see Dr. Filler again. They told me he is too busy to see patients or talk to them on the phone unless they are post-surgery. No direct access to the doc!
I went ahead with the MRN. Instead of the pudendal nerve, they focused on my sciatic nerve. I have NO sciatic symptoms. The report mentioned nothing about my pudendal nerve, which was the whole reason why I spent so much money. When I really made a fuss, the assistant finally called me back and said Dr. Filler reviewed the MRN and he was able to see part of the pudendal nerve and didn't see anything wrong. I think that was a whole lotta hooie.
Nevertheless, he (through his assistant) INSISTED I needed injections into my piriformis. One injection on one side was $10,000!!! When I said there was no way we could afford that, the office person asked if I owned my house. When I said yes, she told me, "Many of our patients take out a home equity loan to pay for the injections."
It seems that Dr. Filler's "thing" for pudendal nerve patients is piriformis injections. I do believe that at one time, Dr. Filler may have been a good doctor. Now, I believe his focus is $money, not helping patients. Also, he claims to have a 90% success rate with his pudendal surgery. If that were true, his near-certain cure would be written up in medical journals and all other doctors would be copying his success.
Perhaps some other PN patients have had a better experience with Dr. Filler and his office, but from what I remember from the old forum, most people had similar experiences.
I'm not saying not to go see Dr. Filler if you think he's right for you. Just proceed with caution and ask lots of questions and don't be pressured to spend money you don't have.
Hope that helped,
Reby Ka » Tue Sep 28,
Thank you for your responses. My dear sister, in her efforts to be supportive of me, came across his site and thought she struck a gold mine with finding "the best of the best" of PN doctors. While thanking her profusely for her good intentions, I quickly set her straight. I was however, very surprised to see the website claim of how accomodating his insurance options were. As mentioned in my original post, I hadn't heard of one single person being covered by insurance with him. I also appreciate your concern, but please rest assure that I'm not considering Dr. Filler for treatment.
Warm regards,
Ms p .. 2 pne surgeries , one by DR. F, one in France. No go. Considered a
2nd surgery with filler
Re: Does Dr. Filler accept insurance?
by p » Wed Sep 2, 7:20 am
Oh K
I'm so relieved you've come to that conclusion.
I had a surgery with Dr. Filler, and have visited his office often.
Let me tell you that it is a complete waste of money.
His success rates are not true. I know this because I read his reports on me, and he was writing that I was doing well post surgery when I was not doing well. If he can't accurately document his own patients, how can he possible have an accurate success rate?
He has given himself the title of "world leader" in nerve care, with no one having bestowed it upon himself.
He is a sour little man who spends little time diagnosing, little physical exam of pertinent body parts (like he'll tap your knee and look at your butt while you're in jeans!) He'll charge an arm and a leg for procedures, and then for me, he decided because we were uncertain of one surgery, to switch to another one in 3 seconds flat. Then, refused to go back to his old idea which was so grand seconds ago. Like there was no rationale to my surgery and I was just his guinea pig. He has done multiple surgeries on many people...like 4 surgeries on a person!
You wait like 2-3 hours past your set time for an appointment that lasts 5 minutes, all the while he's in his office happily typing away.
His injections alone can run 10-20,000
Now, I got lucky in that my HMO paid for the crappy treatment I received. But it wasted years of my life and left me with sciatica and plantar fascitis in my feet for 3 years. (it took me one year to get approval, and they sent me to him.)
I will never ever recommend him, although I'm sure from time to time he gets lucky and helps people, otherwise how could he remain in business?-
by K» Wed Sep 2, 1:40 pm
Hi P and E,
I am so, so, very sorry about your Filler experience. Each new post I read in regards to him and his treatments just breaks my heart. Clearly, this is not a man who is trying to help people. I hope he's enjoying whatever tide he's currently riding.
It can't last. It's very sad and unfortunate there are so many desperate people out there who would fall prey to his grandiose claims. I was almost one of them, as when I first started researching this problem, who comes up first? Filler! And if you don't know any better, he comes across as the solution to all of your problems. I'm eternally grateful to the wonderful people from pudendal.info and HOPE. Without all of you, I could've made the biggest mistake of my life!
Warm regards,
Re: Does Dr. Filler accept insurance?
by H» Thu Sep 31:43 am
Hi ,
I have not done jack, been too busy with work & family. This whole process is going slooowly right now & unlike most times that it goes slooowly, it is really my fault for not having 4 arms and 2 heads and for insisting on doing dumb useless stuff like sleeping and eating. So I have not followed up appropriately yet.
Yes, Dr. Filler is out of network for EVERYONE.
Some people have out of network benefits, and some do not. You have to ask your insurence provider. For me, my in-network providers are the ones who are contracted with my insurance company, and they collect a copay from me at a rate set by the insurance. the only reimbursement they are allowed, is my preset copay plus their contracted insurance rate for the particular procedure.
Out-of-Network, I can see whomever I please, and the deal is always the same: $250 deductible followed by my insurance paying 70% of "usual and customary" charges, and me paying the other 30%. The MRN was considered "usual and "customary" (and BTW DID require a prior authorization code although it was out of network), so they paid 70%. The problem with Dr. Filler's other procedures is, he charges well above usual and customary. So say he does a procedure and charges $10,000...insurance can determine usual and customary for that procedure is $3,000, and pay me 70% of $3.000, and I would be stuck with all the rest. Hence the whole "Financing Department" at Dr. Filler's office.
by H » Wed Nov 03, 12:00 am
C,
Have you watched Dr. Filler's pudendal youtube sales pitch in its entirety? It is in my opinion very carefully crafted to suggest, without stating, that upwards of 90% of his patients are cured.
by b » Tue Nov 09, 2010 7:39 am
I thought I wanted to see Dr. Filler until I read this I am undiagnosed as yet but have had 8 months of burning, stinging sensation near my right "sitting bone" following bladder surgery. I'll be gettng a referral for an MRN soon from my gynecologist. But I have no PNE doctor to show it to! Does anyone have a doctor that they'd recommend
This is a $30000-$60000 procedure....
?
by K » Tue Mar 01, 7:09 pm
n this issue
Exclusive: FaceTime with Dr. Filler and his staff
Welcome to the March Newsletter
The entire staff of the Institute for Nerve Medicine welcomes you to our March 2011 Case Study and Newsletter.
Well, I thought this was kinda interesting! No wonder he charges so much! How else could he possibly afford iPod for his patients?!?
INM FaceTime Program for Surgical Patients
As you can see to the right, we are launching our FaceTime Program for surgical patients.
Every patient who completes a surgery with Dr. Aaron G. Filler will receive a specially configured Apple iPod Touch with FaceTime video chat software. This will allow the patient to schedule and receive video chats with Dr. Filler and his surgical staff throughout the post-operative recovery period.
INM provides the best level of care, before, during and after surgery. The FaceTime Program for surgical patients is one more example of how we place patient care above all else.
Call us today at 310-314-6410 to learn more, or click here to inquire with our Surgery Coordinator.
Again....
?
by C » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:34 pm
K wrote:
No wonder he charges so much! How else could he possibly afford iPod for his patients?!?
Every patient who completes a surgery with Dr. Aaron G. Filler will receive a specially configured Apple iPod Touch with FaceTime video chat software.
It might only be the $229 8GB model...but still, the patient definitely pays for it, wouldn't you say? Makes me wonder if he gets a price break for defacto advertisement of a brand like that. I'm also sure that the patient has to cover their own internet service as well. Maybe not such a gift when you think about it.
C
Re: Does Dr. Filler accept insurance?
by p » Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:38 pm
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-
by e » Wed Mar 02, 1:24 am
This iPod is so unbelievably tacky. It almost trivializes our painful nerve conditions and makes surgery like something fun to look forward to.Fall in 2000 + chemical burn in 2002 = start of PNE symptoms
Diagnosed with PNE by Dr.Weiss and Dr.Anderson in 2004. Confirmed by PNMLT Dr.Mann. 3 nerve blocks Dr.Weiss (no help). Stanford/Wise-Anderson Protocol 2004 (no help). Botox Dr.Jordan 2006 (severe negative reaction). PNE Surgery 2010 Dr.Filler.
e
?
by C » Wed Mar 02, 2011 2:01 am
e wrote:
This iPod is so unbelievably tacky. It almost trivializes our painful nerve conditions and makes surgery like something fun to look forward to.
Absolutely. What marketing genius dreamt this up.
Tried numerous medications as well as a long period of myofascial physical therapy combined with meditation/relaxation. My pelvic floor muscles are now normal on exam. Deciding on next treatment.
C
Re: Does Dr. Filler accept insurance?
by Al » Wed Mar 02, 7:08
hahahahhahahahaha. K,AM and Pl I can't stop laughing.
Diagnosed for PNE by Dr. Jerome Weiss in June 2007.Started PT with Amy Stein in NYC.
PT for almost 3 years now without any results.
Pudendal Nerve blocks in August,2007 by Dr. Q left me with sitting pain.
Had TIR approach with Dr. Bautrant on left side with no major improvements and sitting is much worse.Surgery revealed entrapment in the AC.
MRI By Dr. Potter reveals nerve entrapment in the Sacrotuberous ligament and the dorsal branch.
Redo surgery by Dr. S on 25th A
by K » Wed Mar 0, 2:00
e wrote:
This iPod is so unbelievably tacky. It almost trivializes our painful nerve conditions and makes surgery like something fun to look forward to.
That's what I was thinking, too!
Al wrote:
hahahahhahahahaha. Karyn,AM and Pionogal I can't stop laughing.
I thought it was pretty funny, too! I'm glad I could share the humor!
I've never had any experience with the man but you've gotta check out his site which shows his face filling up the screen on the iPad. I tried to create a link to the newsletter, but it's not working out for me.
Ultra Sound in 03/08 showed severely retroverted, detaching uterus with mulitple fibroids and ovarian cysts.
Uterus swelled within a 1 week period in 04/08 - . Pressure and pain in lower abdomen and groin area was unspeakable and devastating.
K
by p» Wed Mar 02, 6:00 pm
why can't he smile normally? he looks like a super villain. (I've been watching too much of Despicable Me) And yet, every time I return to his site, the marketing makes me want to believe he can help me, when I went through a surgery and know from experience he didn't have a clue what he was doing! Operated on me, and came out saying he found some "fascia".... Fascia is normal! I just want to hear that real people get better w/him... lots... from their mouths, not from his site.-
straddle fall age 4-7 w/bleeding labia, tampons hurt in teens, papsmere started annoying pelvic 'tingling' & pne in 02
-obturator surgery w/ Filler in 05 (useless, created sciatic & plantar fascitis pain)
-TIR surgery w/ Bin 08 and vestibulectomy in 08 in France (vest. removed pain w/intercourse, pain w/sitting increased post surgery)
by p » Fri Oct 08, 10:49 pm
e,
how much did you pay filler? when I had surgery w/filler, he billed insurance about 60,000 USD. My Bautrant surgery was 11,000 USD. A friend recently had Botox w/filler and it was 20,000.
Looking forward to your reply.
Re: Does Dr. Filler accept insurance?
by g» Fri Mar 0, 7:00 am
i am so sorry that you had to go to him PG, he is a fraud, we should get the word out to absolutely not go to him at all....this is one doctor who we can all say NO to!
G
by F» Sat Mar 02, 3:07 a
Is this only in the newsletter because I can't find anything about it on Filler's website. I know someone who is considering having his surgery. I have tried to warm her and told her to talk to people on this forum, but I think she just wants to be cured so bad and that's all she can think of right now. I asked her about the ipod facetime, but she said he didn't say anything about it at their appointment last week. I wanted a link to be able to show her.-
Re: Does Dr. Filler accept insurance?
by K » Sat Mar 03, 3:39 pm
Hi F,
Yes, that info is from the newsletter. I signed up for it via email a few months ago, not because I'm interested in Filler but because, well, it's info. No other reason, really. I also tried to view the newsletter via his site but was unsuccessful
I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Is she having PN decompression surgery or is it his famous obturator surgery? Either way, I wish her the best. Maybe you could copy the URL to this topic and send it to her in an email?
Warm regards,
K
by l » Mon Dec 20, 10: pm
I am 5 months post surgery for pudendal and arbitrator intern us damage. surgeon is suggesting this injectable drug for one month trial. Drug is for RA treatment, drug depletes your immune system, so cannot take at same time with any other sickness symtoms. Has anyone tried this drug with any success whatever?l
Re: Enbrel for post surgery pain
by e» Tue Dec 2, 5:17 am
There is a pilot study showing that Enbrel is efficacious for sciatica.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/537922 (registration required)
Sep 16, 2004
Geneva, Switzerland - A pilot study of the TNF inhibitor etanercept (Enbrel, Wyeth) in patients with severe sciatica has shown that the drug appears to be effective, prompting further calls for randomized controlled trials in this potential new indication [ 1 ].
The side effects are a bit scary though especially with the flu season approaching.
The medication is horribly expensive (something like $3,000 for a month supply) and I am not sure if many insurance plans pay for it
.
e
Re: Enbrel for post surgery pain
by l » Tue Dec 2, 4:4 pm
Thanks for your reply. I see you also had surgery by Dr. Filler in 2010, did it work??
by l» Tue Dec 28, 2010 1:27 am
I think 5 months is too early also. I do intend to take it further at the one year mark. Filler is the one who suggested Enbrel. I have a PNE buddy who had her "redo" with another dr. than Filler and is excited with the results, she is one week out from her proceedure, I hope she keeps making progress. Other dr. did mention "redos" that he recognized as Fillers work.