KNEE ARTHRITIS - Cartilage plug transfer :
Doctors in New England? - - Posted by jackpowell (jackpowell), 25 July 2004
Can people please give me the names of doctors in New England that do OATs surgery?
Posted by hmaxwell (Heather M.), 25 July 2004
Dr. Tom Minas in Boston has one of the best reputations out there for cartilage restoration. I think he does ACI/Carticel, but can't remember for sure.
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/mdSearch/SearchResults.asp
The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City also has cutting edge treatments for cartilage restoration. I think MJ/USA who posts in this section had surgery there, or at least in NYC.
Heather
Posted by dhalem (QBknee), 26 July 2004
Dr. Minas performed my bone graft in Septmeber 03. I came in from out of state as Dr. Minas is one of the best cartilage repair experts in the country. Dr. Minas repaired my defect in the lat femoral/trochlear groove. The post-op stay at Brigham Hospital is excellent as well. They have a great staff there as Dr. Minas typically keeps you in several days post-op.
My bone graft is doing great, however I had arthrofibrosis going into the open incision bone graft which I am still dealing with today. I may need one more clean up in early 2005.
I would strongly recommend you get an opinion from Dr. Minas. He is at www.cartilagerepaircenter.org.
Dan
Posted by hmaxwell (Heather M.), 26 July 2004
Dan,
Where was your defect, if you don't mind my asking?
And did you have good knee mechanics, or did Dr. Minas have to do some kind of realignment procedure as well?
I'm in kind of the opposite situation...I had a patellar realignment, developed severe arthrofibrosis which was inadequately dealt with and made worse by multiple surgeries, and now because of the scar tissue I have even worse knee mechanics and an osteochondral defect (grade II OA).
Kind of ironic, eh? You get the arthrofibrosis from your cartilage restoration, and I need cartilage restoration because of severe arthrofibrosis. So I was curious if Dr. Minas handled mechanical/patellar realignments as well.
I've only heard good things about him, regardless. You're in good hands up in Boston.
Heather
Posted by dhalem (QBknee), 26 July 2004
Heather,
I have had the OCD in the Lateral Femoral Groove, partial trochlear since I was a young teenager. I am pretty sure we have chatted before on this site. I just have not been on in while. My lesion is just bigger than a nickle. Dr. Minas had to go pretty deep to repair the subcondral bone.
Dr. Minas can do it all. He was going to do a TTT back in September along with the bone graft but decided not to. My knee mechanics are pretty good. The defect is doing good. After my open procedure in September my knee scarred down heavily and I had the MUA/scope/lateral release 6 weeks later in October.
I am in a phase of just trying to keep the knee as loose as possible going to the gym 3-4 days per week. I think I will have another clean up in Jan or Feb. Hopefully this will end the scar tissue.
Dan
Posted by JG (JG), 2 August 2004
Jack,
Did you get anywhere with Dr. Minas' office giving you help with Fed Blue Cross? I may be confused, but what procedure are you having problems getting pre-authorized? I was assuming OATS (either with autograft or allograft) or ACI? I sent you an private email but didn't hear back from you. I have found my OS's office very helpful with my surgery pre-auth and I didn't have mine pre-authorized until I got the call the graft was ready, so 3 days pre-op. This was standard practice for my OS office because the wait for the allograft could be months.
Please let us know...Janice
Posted by jackpowell (jackpowell), 4 August 2004
Hi Janice,
Sorry for not getting back to you. I have been so bummed out about the situation with Dr Minas office, I didn't want to log onto the computer.
Basically Dr Minas' office assistant won't pursue getting working with Federal Blue Cross even though they have Federal Blue Cross preferred provider status.
Dr Minas said a need a single 1 cm autograph (OATs) to repair my defect. He says he won't do the surgery unless he gets pre-authorization from Federal Blue Cross.
Federal Blue Cross does not pre-approve any surgery. If it is medically necessary, you have the surgery done by a Federal Blue Cross preferred provider, the doctor submits the claim, and if Blue Cross agrees it was medically necessary they pay the claim.
Dr Minas's office assistant told me she doesn't want to do this because it "could tie her up for months" processing the claim.
What makes this even more frustrating is that I am with Federal Blue Cross and the claims are processed by the state affiliate which is Massachusetts and they have a policy statement saying that effective 1/1/04 they cover OATs surgery!!! Their policy is here:
http://www.bcbsma.com/common/en_US/medical_policies/374.htm
So I am at a standstill and I am now trying to find another surgeon in the New England area who will do the surgery.
Does anyone else know who the other doctors are?
Posted by kathleenj (kathleenj), 4 August 2004
Hey Jack,
Sorry to hear about the frustrations with the insurance.
I am about an hour north of Boston..Nashua. I had the Oats done by an OS up here who is absolutely wonderful. Young guy who is very ambitious and knowledgable. Great bedside manner too. Really knows his stuff. He even trained down in Boston at the New England Baptist Bone and Joint Center and is considered by many other OS's up here to be on the cutting edge of cartilage issues. If you would like I can forward you the practice info and what not.
Let me know....
Kathy
Posted by JG (JG), 4 August 2004
Thanks Jack,
I still don't understand how/why Fed BC has a relationship with Minas and vice versa. If Minas requires pre-auth and Fed BC doesn't pre-auth than what the point other than to provide non-surgical benefits. Very strange. Basically it means that Dr. Minas doesn't do surgery on Fed BC patients. Ask his assistant about that.
Good luck...Janice
Posted by jackpowell (jackpowell), 5 August 2004
Hi Kathleen,
Yes please give me his name.
Posted by kathleenj (kathleenj), 6 August 2004
Jack,
I was not really sure what I can and can't post here about doctors names and phone numbers so I sent you a private message with my docs name, address and phone number.
Kathy
Updated Tue Dec 2 2008