Thursday, September 27, 2012
A Thankful Thanksgiving
I have a date! November 29 will be my revision, or transcanal approach, on my right (Esteem) ear. Happy dance!!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Changes Ahead!
Envoy has changed their business model. That is what all the fuss and anxiety was about. The CEO has been replaced, and many staff/customer service reps have been let go. I have 2 familiar contacts left with Envoy, so that is a comfort somewhat.
Envoy has decided to cut back out of the picture and let the implanting surgeons take the lead on recruiting appropriate candidates for the device. They will no longer sell the device to the consumer, nor place a consumer with a doctor. It is up to any new patient/consumer to find the doctor and have the doctor decide if the Esteem will work for them. The docs are loving this part. I agree that it makes so much more sense to go through the surgeon vs going through a medical device manufacturer for important medical questions/advice and doctor match up.
One thing Envoy has done to cause a bit of a stir is to follow their LOU (letter of understanding) that all patients signed, to a T. That means only the activation and one adjustment are included in the purchase agreement of the device. All else (further adjustments, revisions, etc) will be the responsibility of the patient now, which had not been the case before. There were many of us (including me) who were promised much more than what the LOU stated. Some promises were in writing, most verbal. While Envoy has remained elusive about these promises, stating they cannot be upheld, they have come through for me one last time before I believe I will be responsible for everything else.
They have agreed to let Dr. S do my revision at their expense! It is a transcanal procedure which involves peeling back the eardrum and scrapping scar tissue and bone dust out of the ear and doing a little exploratory work. I'm told to expect about 2 hrs under general anesthesia and approximately 6-8 weeks with the device turned off to allow for healing/fluid drainage. He will not have to cut the original incision behind my ear on my head, which means no hair will be shaved! I'm so thankful that Envoy has decided to help me out and I'm also very happy to be able to stay with my implanting surgeon.
Next step is scheduling surgery, which should be right around Thanksgiving d/t other unavoidable circumstances...I'll be spending the holidays in quiet observance!
Envoy has decided to cut back out of the picture and let the implanting surgeons take the lead on recruiting appropriate candidates for the device. They will no longer sell the device to the consumer, nor place a consumer with a doctor. It is up to any new patient/consumer to find the doctor and have the doctor decide if the Esteem will work for them. The docs are loving this part. I agree that it makes so much more sense to go through the surgeon vs going through a medical device manufacturer for important medical questions/advice and doctor match up.
One thing Envoy has done to cause a bit of a stir is to follow their LOU (letter of understanding) that all patients signed, to a T. That means only the activation and one adjustment are included in the purchase agreement of the device. All else (further adjustments, revisions, etc) will be the responsibility of the patient now, which had not been the case before. There were many of us (including me) who were promised much more than what the LOU stated. Some promises were in writing, most verbal. While Envoy has remained elusive about these promises, stating they cannot be upheld, they have come through for me one last time before I believe I will be responsible for everything else.
They have agreed to let Dr. S do my revision at their expense! It is a transcanal procedure which involves peeling back the eardrum and scrapping scar tissue and bone dust out of the ear and doing a little exploratory work. I'm told to expect about 2 hrs under general anesthesia and approximately 6-8 weeks with the device turned off to allow for healing/fluid drainage. He will not have to cut the original incision behind my ear on my head, which means no hair will be shaved! I'm so thankful that Envoy has decided to help me out and I'm also very happy to be able to stay with my implanting surgeon.
Next step is scheduling surgery, which should be right around Thanksgiving d/t other unavoidable circumstances...I'll be spending the holidays in quiet observance!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)