Why Dr Birkholtz?
I had consulted with over four to five different surgeons, and even had my surgery booked with one of them. However, in my year or two of research, I began to realise that this was a very unregulated field. I am not here to name any surgeons directly, but I will instead focus on what I looked for, and why I found it in Dr Birkholtz.
|Surgeon competence and ethics|
He wasn’t just an orthopaedic surgeon who qualified and then went into CLL. He has extensive experience in trauma, research, teaching. In fact, he is one of the surgeons people often go to when they are botched/butchered in other countries. That is the caliber of surgeon I wanted, someone whose breadth, depth, and expertise expanded far deeper than CLL, but still retained a significant and long standing body of work in both medical and cosmetic limb lengthening.
To put this in perspective, during my time in the waiting area before viewing X-rays, I saw patients of his of all ages. I then consulted with him and he discussed research. The next morning he came to see me first thing before anyone else, suited up, and about to go lecture/support at a university facility. Anyone in the medical field will tell you that a doctor of high caliber does exactly this - operates, researches, teaches and grows.
He is regarded as world class by respected peers in the US and abroad, and has partaken in training some of the doctors. You can verify this for yourself.
Ethically, he has had to deal with many cases of botched surgeries. During my meetings with him, it was clear how saddened he was by adverse outcomes, and aside from his obvious skill and experience, I could sense the empathy and genuine desire to put safety at the absolute forefront. Of course this is ultimately a business - but this is not a surgeon with money at the forefront of his mind. This is a surgeon who wants to provide quality , safe, and world class treatment - and if money comes as a result of providing value, then that is accepted.
And ultimately, when you’ve left your family and flown half way across the world, I can’t express the peace it beings to my heart to see him walk in - very tall, but extremely personable and friendly, and a truly calming presence.
|After care and MDT approach|
He in someways, is ultra protective over every single patient. This to me was critical. Some surgeons will happily perform the surgery and have you fly home after a few weeks. Dr Birkholtz follows the same model as elite US surgeons - he wants you to remain for the lengthening period minimum / has a 3 month package.
You will get X-rays every 2 weeks, he will meet you right after in person and extensively discuss them. While in hospital , I was there for 3-4 weeks and he came to see me almost twice a day, sometimes three times, to the extent we joked that we were running out of topics to say to each other.
I recall how he once said to me that if there was an adverse outcome, he would look after me - he was not one to refer me elsewhere or add on a big bill. There’s a personal sense of pride and true value here.
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Topic: Dr Birkholtz - The road to new heights | { 175 --> 181-182}| PRECISE FEMURS (Read 5544 times)