Topic: Dr. Maurice Garcia at Cedars Sinai, California

[AllieSF]

Hello all,

I rarely start new threads unless I can't find what I am looking for.  I need your assistance now.  Does anyone have or know someone who has had any experience with Dr. Garcia for GCS.  I live in the San Francisco Bay area in California and have Medicare plus Anthem Blue Cross as my MediGap supplement insurance.  I am having a hard time getting information on him.  I would probably opt for someone else who I know more about from these pages here, but so far, he is the only one in CA accepting Medicare whose reimbursements for medical costs are very low compared to what the medical service providers can get through non-Medicare insurances.

Also, if someone knows of a good doctor doing the peritoneal pull through or colon type procedures and who accepts Medicare, please tell me here, even if out of State.  I would like to go to Dr. Stiller in Washington, but they think my case may be more complicated than what they want to deal with, and I am not sure if he accepts Medicare.  anyone know?

Any assistance anyone can give me will be most greatly appreciated.

Allie

[Shawnna]

Don’t know if she takes your insurance,but Dr Wittenberg is AMAZING!

I’m three weeks post-op for PPT and feel great!

Cali....

[Nadine Spirit]

I never met him, but I tried.  When I was searching for someone to do my orchiectomy his name was the first someone suggested for me to try.  I called the office and left a message.  I never got a call back, not unusual, so I called again.  That time I actually got a person and they were very happy to speak with me until I informed them that I was not covered by insurance even though I do live in California.  She argued with me for awhile about it, and I don't think I ever actually got her to understand ERISA and why I don't have coverage.  Anywho..... she stopped the conversation by telling me that they did not have a cash pay option at that point.  This was about 1.5 years ago.  She told me their unit was too new and they had no non-insurance payment options available to discuss with me.  She was going to do research and then call me back.  Do I need to say that they never called me back nor did they ever again accept my phone call?  Yeah they never did.

Other than that I have heard mixed results coming from Dr. Garcia's.  I don't personally know anyone who has had any procedures done by him, but I have heard that they are doing lots of business, seeing lots of patients, getting them in and out pretty quick.  Maybe that's a good thing, maybe it's not? 

Good luck Allie!

[EllenW]

I agree with Nadine they are hard to connect with. However I have managed to get a tenitive consultation with Dr. Garcia for next month. My last one was cancelled, back in June, due to a restriction on the number of people that were allowed in due to COVID

Another option could be the program at UCLA. I have a zoom call with then next week to do an intake interview. They said I should have my first consultation shortly after that. I would assume UCLA takes Medicare

Ellen

[AllieSF]

Thanks for the info so far.  I called and left a message and their answering message was to expect a call back within 3 days.  Bibi called me the next morning bright and early.  I have send them copies of my insurances and Driver's License.  I expect a call maybe Tuesday since Monday is Labor Day holiday.  Bibi didn't say anything when I sent her a copy of my Medicare card.  Their website mentions a colon procedure for transgender surgeries and I will find out which one.  I do not want to dilate as much as most have to. I know me and that will be a tall task for me!

Please keep the replies coming and if anyone knows of a review site for his surgeries, that would be good too.

Allie

[EllenW]

Allie

Did Bibi get back to you? FYI, my first consultation is the 21st of this month, not next month.

Ellen

[AllieSF]

Hi Ellen,

Sorry for the very late reply.  Bibi never got back to me.  I had called 3 weeks ago and received no answer.  I called just recently and Caitlyn called me back because she was filling in for Bibi who is out for 1 week.  We talked for over 45 minutes and I asked her all the questions I could think of.  I have scheduled an appointment with the doctor for February 22, 2021, being the soonest they could see me.  The scheduling with him for the actual surgery is about 1 1/2 years after  the appointment assuming I agree to use him and he agrees to do my surgery.

I did ask about what procedure the doctor uses.  According to her, he does the colo-rectal one, having several years experience with that and now the peritoneal pull through, which he has been doing for about a year.  She explained that the post-op hospital stay is 5-7 days, with another follow-up a week after that and then scheduled periodically after that.  They do have arrangements at nearby hotels for special rates for their patients.

Allie

[EllenW]

Allie,

Thanks for the update. I have a video conference with Dr. Garcia late last month ( or mainly with his fellowship assistance). Although it went well he said work with Bibi. She never returned my call or responded to my emails.

That is one of the reasons I chose to go with Dr. Ng at UCLA. If you cannot get a person on a phone or email response, you have to wonder what the after surgery care will be like.

Ellen

[AutumnLeaves]

Hello all,

I rarely start new threads unless I can't find what I am looking for.  I need your assistance now.  Does anyone have or know someone who has had any experience with Dr. Garcia for GCS.  I live in the San Francisco Bay area in California and have Medicare plus Anthem Blue Cross as my MediGap supplement insurance.  I am having a hard time getting information on him.  I would probably opt for someone else who I know more about from these pages here, but so far, he is the only one in CA accepting Medicare whose reimbursements for medical costs are very low compared to what the medical service providers can get through non-Medicare insurances.

Also, if someone knows of a good doctor doing the peritoneal pull through or colon type procedures and who accepts Medicare, please tell me here, even if out of State.  I would like to go to Dr. Stiller in Washington, but they think my case may be more complicated than what they want to deal with, and I am not sure if he accepts Medicare.  anyone know?

Any assistance anyone can give me will be most greatly appreciated.

Allie

Not sure if you ever got fixed up, but Dr. Stiller DOES accept Medicare. I know he does, because he did my surgery and Medicare paid for it. I just had a minor revision from him. He's great. Don't quote me, but I think he learned the colon vaginoplasty FROM Dr. Garcia, though he had a lot of previous colon surgery experience in general.

[AllieSF]

Thanks Autumn for the info.  I think I will retry with Dr. Stiller.  He or Dr. Heidi Wittenberg would be my choices for the peritoneal pull through technique.  I did finally talk to Dr. Thomas Satterwhite who I had met during my friends post op follow-ups in his previous office.  Since I had my prostate removed he did not want to do the full depth procedure (penile inversion) because of potential scar tissue issues that could interfere with the results of his surgery.  However, he did say that he could and would do the minimum depth procedure if I wanted that, which I am considering.  Dr. Stiller's assistant told me that Dr. Stiller recommended I call Dr. Garcia.  Nice way of saying he did not like the details of my case, I am guessing.

I still Have my appointment early next year with Dr. Garcia and I will fly down there to see what he has to say and then see how I feel about him.

Thanks again for the input,

Allie