Before finding Dr. Seton, I had spent several frustrating months searching for a hernia repair surgeon. I was on the phone for countless hours, calling doctors and having them tell me that they didn't accept my apparently exotic insurance. I attended an appointment with one doctor in Murray Hill who absolutely gave me the creeps, and whose waiting room seemed to be a hotbed of misery. I went in for another appointment at a hospital, and felt hopeful because the waiting room was decidedly more cheery and professional, and then I was told at the front desk that they had stopped accepting my insurance three weeks earlier. I went into the hall and cried on the phone to my mom, and started thinking about going outside of my insurance providers.
I found Dr. Seton's name through the Lenox Hill physician's list -- it was confirmed that Lenox Hill was a hospital who accepted my insurance, so if I could find a doctor who operated from there, at least my hospital bills could be covered. I spoke with his receptionist, and she let me know that Dr. Seton does not partner with anyone's insurance, but he can be flexible about his fee, and he charged me the same amount that my insurance would be willing to pay to an in network providor. From what I understand about the way that doctors tend to bill, this is totally rare and special.
Beyond the matter of billing, Dr. Seton is just a spectacular doctor. He has been performing hernia surgeries for decades, and is a teaching doctor, I think through Lenox Hill. He invented a medical device used in hernia surgeries, and just has an excellent manner in explaining what he is going to do. I was very nervous about the surgery, because it's really a pretty big deal to let someone stick a knife into your body, but his calm, friendly and knowledgable manner completely gained my trust. I felt so happy that I had trusted my instincts and walked out of that first weird doctor's office! Anyhow, Dr. Seton performs various types of hernia surgeries, (though none laproscopic), and I couldn't give him any higher of a recommendation. As well, the staff at Lenox Hill Ambulatory Hospital were INCREDIBLE. They actually made having a surgery into a pleasant experience. read more