United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

Mom,
Become very quiet, take a deep breathe and Trust your instinct ..(read gut).

"bossy gramma" Carolyn J
LOBPI/73+

I agree with Carolyn. Just let what you feel is best.

Always check with at least 2 doctors preferably more...

We got our first opinion from a Doctor in Birmingham, AL and he suggested a nerve transfer. We then saw Dr. Nath and he said she didn't need the transfer because there was probably just scar tissue on the nerve that needed to be removed. I went with my gut, I felt Dr. Nath was more educated, performed thousands of surgeries and his staff is very friendly.
I have used Dr. Nath for my daughter and we LOVE him. He has performed 2 surgeries on her. Mod Quad @ 6 months and Triangle Tilt @ 2 years. She went in with no more than the ability to open and close her hand...otherwise she had no use of her shoulder, elbow or wrist. The day of her Mod Quad she was able to lift her arm by herself for the 1st time and has made nothing but progress over the past 5 years.

He does charge $5000.00 upfront. He does not bill you for the difference. I have NEVER received a bill for the difference of the upfront cost and what my insurance paid him. I was told he accepts those 2 and his staff continues to appeal insurance for 2 years for more money and he then writes off the balance. He is not all about the money...if you can't pay the upfront cost, that is what he will work out a payment plan on. I felt the $5000.00 that I had to take out of 401K was well spent and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Almost no one can tell my daughter had a birth injury and she looks almost completely normal...with some limitations (supination). That alone is invaluable.

With that being said, every child and injury is different. It is still better to get several opinions and make an educated decision. Never take 1 doctors word as the truth.

I would love to talk to any other parents who may have questions or anything =)

I havet seen him as a doctor largely because every person tht goes down there seems to be reccommended mod quad and triangle tilt. As a therapist, I understand the idea behind mod quad however, the triangle tilt seems as though it would cause more harm than good in the long run... And it makes me question why the majority are all suggested the same surgery when every injury is so incredibly different? This makes me very nervous. Also seeing how severely teen seem to be regressing that initially had mod quad with him scares me! I have seen several cases if kids that had great motion that had one of the two surgeries MQ or TT and have regressed so severly that they are much worse off than prior to surgery. That being said, if my parents would have sacrificed my sister and brother and my home or ability to participate in activities because of a surgery for me, that woul ave hurt my heart so much more than any gains would have been worth. My siblings have suffered enough through my injury. Talking to them one, they were always very keloid of the attention I got (mom tking me to doctors appointments and therapy appointments, getting new clothes to fit over the splints and casts...) if my parents would have spent every thing they had to beet me a surgery, that would have hurt the relationship I have with my siblings. It's hard enough as it is withou losing everything we had to pay for a surgery too. I would never recommend paying that kind of money for any surgery when I could get the same quality care for free at Shriners

Being a persnt of three now I understand what it feels like to want the best for your childen but the best does not always have to cost an arm and a leg, sometimes, the best things are free.
Hugs,
Amy 24 years old ROBPI from MN

Another second opinion would be Dr. Waters at Boston Children's Hospital. They do A LOT of research and Dr. Waters is very nice. He has been an awesome Dr. for our daughter with her left arm OBPI.

http://www.childrenshospital.org/cfapps ... 72P25.html

First off, go get another opinion, if you are wondering if you are doing the right thing. the next... it is a rare thing to find a SURGEON who does not want to cut. Most will cut the air out of a balloon. If Kozin, a SURGEON, does not want to cut, I would really take that to heart.

Remember, bpi's are life changing, not life ending.... if your son is okay now, then it is probably okay.

We have used Nath and never will again.

claudia

KBlackburn wrote:Always check with at least 2 doctors preferably more...
He does charge $5000.00 upfront. He does not bill you for the difference. I have NEVER received a bill for the difference of the upfront cost and what my insurance paid him.

That may be your experience, but no one grosses several million dollars every year by taking $5k per surgery. The evidence is a matter of public record, courtesy of Dr. Nath's own failed defamation lawsuit against Baylor and TCH, which provided significant insights into his billing practices. Dr. Nath's billing practices, along with other accusations such as performing experimental surgery without informed consent and prescribing surgery based on MRI scans which don't even show the relevant anatomy, are part of an ongoing case against Nath by the Texas Medical Board. http://www.chron.com/default/article/Ri ... 080830.php

I agree that the choice comes down to a personal opinion on whether you feel comfortable with the doctor or not. My only experience with Dr. Nath didn't go very well. My parents and I went to an appointment with him when I was seven just to see different options. I remember the appointment pretty well. I was bored and sitting on the window ledge because he was only talking to my parents and not to me. Then I heard him tell my parents that if they didn't get me surgery, I would be depressed and suicidal as a teenager. I was not happy that he would assume something like that and from my spot on the ledge I said "well then why don't I just jump now then huh?" Haha he was not amused, but my parents were . He tried to pressure my parents into surgery by scaring them, but it had the opposite effect.

I am sure he is an awesome surgeon, and it sounds like a lot of people on here have had great experiences with him. I would just say don't let surgeons tell you, you have to get surgery! There are always options! Every injury is different. I don't think I needed surgery and I still don't. However, if my arm ever starts to hurt or I decide I want to raise it a few more inches who knows?

-Brittney, 19
LOBPI

I have had questions about Dr. Nath as well. My OT went to his site and got his book. After reading ( it is very technical) it I was not convinced. We currently our being seen by the BPI team at Children's Mercy Hospital in KC, MO. After talking to them (and they do encourage other opinions) we decided to stick with doctors that work with other medical disciplines in order to monitor several areas of concern. I agree with others that Dr. Nath seems to recommend the same surgeries for all patients and this is not a one size fits all injury. Again, I have not had any personal interactions with him, just going by what I found online and read in his book. I do not know where your are located but I have heard good things about Kozin, we just can't get there. DJ is now 16 months old and has had botox injections in his subscabularus and pectoral muscle ( at 10 months) He is daily gaining height in raising his afftected arm. He has, even from birth, had the use of his hand and he continues to use both hands in play.

I do not want to tell you NOT to see Nath, just be wary.