Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Patient # 48




Today was the surgery consultation with Dr. Wayne Koch, Director of the JHU Division of Head and Neck Surgery. It was a 30-minute pre-op consultation at the JHU Outpatient Center. Check-in was automated and efficient - as I am getting used to. One thing you notice right away are the small posters showing the US News hospital rankings that place the JHU Head and Neck surgery Center at #1. That's a good start!

I arrived early and was shown to an exam room almost immediately, before my scheduled appointment time.  Dr. Geoff Young, on a one-year fellowship / clinical experience, arrived shortly thereafter.  He went through my history, asked several questions, and examined the lymph nodes. I asked about his backround and education - he's a PhD and MD (Duke undergrad, UAB, and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School). He then left the room, presumably to consult with Dr. Koch.

Dr. Wayne Koch came in with Dr. Young promptly at 1pm. He also performed an examination of candidate lymph node. He explained why the supraclavical is less optimal due to its proximity to a nerve that runs into the shoulder.  The enlarged cervical lymph node was the best candidate given that is on top of the muscle. Dr Koch also explained his preference for performing the procedure at the surgery center in the Weinberg Building as opposed to the Outpatient Center building. Dr. Koch put me at ease immediately, which was reassuring  given my previous experience. He is the consummate professional who looks you in the eye when he speaks. Terminology and procedures were explained in terms I understood and he is well spoken with attention to detail.

At the end of our appotinment he was going to have Dr. Young work with me to get the surgery scheduled. When I told him that we were on for tomorrow he remarked that it was good that the system was working smoothly. I told him that Katie Gresdo, his medical office coordinator, was phenomenal at getting things scheduled so quickly.

I left the appointment with the full confidence that the surgery was going to be a complete success.

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