ER Warning - Do you just basically go to an Urgent Care Center instead?

[Anonymous]

I was recently in the ER at Shady Grove, my DD needed stitches. The hospital insisted on having their PA sew up her forehead, saying it was not so bad. While the wound may have not been significant to call for a Plastic Surgeon, the scarring from the stitches will be. They tried to convince me that the Plastic Surgeon only comes in for true emergencies. I was giving them a hard time to call one for me (I apologize) I overheard some PA's or nurses (can't always tell). Come to find out that in an area so saturated with Plastic Surgeons, only FOUR of them will take call at Shady Grove. I happen to know a Plastic Surgeon and was on the phone with his wife in minutes (should have called in the first place, I didn't want to bother). This because they are only called for patients WITHOUT insurance. These doctors do not get paid by the hospitals to be on call, nor by the patients? No wonder none of them are around anymore. The hospital does not want to treat the uninsured. We have great insurance and thus, they insisted on treating us.

Is this the way of "Big Business" Hospitals?

I've been asking around, and it seems Sibley does the same or else will call "one of their good ol' boys" .

Suburban seems to have a few doctors around.

Do you prefer to go to an Urgent Care Center instead? If so, which one?

TIA

PS -- I ended up taking DD to my friends office the next day

[Anonymous]

huh?

[Anonymous]

I don't really understand your post, but I think we all know that people with insurance get better medical care than people without. I also think most people know that most of the time, doctors are not employees of the hospital and if there is not a way to pay them, they are not obligated to treat for free. You are lucky - you have great insurance and can get the best of medical care and you have access through personal relationships.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

[Anonymous]

Your kid needed a couple stitches and you expected the ER to call a plastic surgeon?? How out of touch are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid needed a couple stitches and you expected the ER to call a plastic surgeon?? How out of touch are you?

+1 WTF it's not even the face

[Anonymous]

Not the OP but a plastic surgeon or resident in plastics is usually called in to evaluate facial lacerations that need stitches. How they stitch it can make a difference for scarring or more importantly not needing to have it re-opened and a scar corrected later, which for a child is a huge deal. The hospital doesn't care about how many times the kid gets cut open and screams so I can see this happening.

You do need to self advocate.

[Anonymous]

OP, I would have done the same. I call for a plastic surgeon anytime my kids get injured on the face, including forehead. The plastic surgeon has much better skills. If you ask for a plastic surgeon and refuse treatment by the PA, the hospital must comply.

BTW, I would never let a PA (a physician's assistant) sew up anything on my DCs face. Their skills are nothing like a plastic surgeon's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I would have done the same. I call for a plastic surgeon anytime my kids get injured on the face, including forehead. The plastic surgeon has much better skills. If you ask for a plastic surgeon and refuse treatment by the PA, the hospital must comply.

BTW, I would never let a PA (a physician's assistant) sew up anything on my DCs face. Their skills are nothing like a plastic surgeon's.

this.

[Anonymous]

I have been in this situation many times.

If it is normal office hours I go straight to a plastic surgeon for face stitches.

I have been in this situation when it is not during office hours and the pediatric nurses at Shady Grove that stitch are very good, often as good as the plastic surgeon.

There will be a scar, their faces are young. It is not the end of the world. The plastic surgeon's work has not proved to be much better, but it made me feel better. I am talking about small cuts on the face <15 stitches.

ERs do not call plastic surgeons in this situation. They are for EMERGENCIES. Not having a scar is not an emergency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been in this situation many times.

If it is normal office hours I go straight to a plastic surgeon for face stitches.

OK, sorry, I just have to know what lifestyle choices lead to this type of expertise in facial stitches. Soccer? Boxing? I'm genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

LOL this area is full of some fucked up parents

[Anonymous]

CRNA here who previously worked in ER when I was an RN. PA's and MD's stitching skills are interchangeable. They both stitch just as frequently. A good care provider will know when a plastic surgeon needs to be called. If they said it wasn't necessary I would tend to agree. You are always allowed to leave and pursue a plastic surgeon yourself either by making an appointment or whatever avenues are available to you. However in my experience you can't call plastics too often (like unless its really needed) or else they will stop serving the ER all together because it is too time consuming.

[Anonymous]

DS has needed attention to his face twice (eyebrow and cheek). Both times he was evaluated by a plastic surgeon. Stitches in the cheek, glue on the eyebrow. Wasn't a big deal at all to have the plastic surgeon take a look.

I'm not sure why you mention urgent care. They won't have a plastic surgeon to call...

[Anonymous]

urgent care certainly won't have plastics on call???