Trish, do you still have your colon? Most of the folks here who’ve seen Dr. Shen have had their colons removed.

Hi Scott, 

Thank you for your reply. I do still have it - just. I note that his needle knife therapy is gaining traction for the treatment of strictures. I understand that most people in this discussion group are au fait with him with for Pouchitis. Just looking for testimony / insights really. 

Thanks so much 

I just had it done by Bo Shen It is VERY hard to judge cost in the US. My impression is that Columbia charges A LOT but my insurance negotiated a much lower rate. I think it was about 5,000 for Dr Shen for the surgery and then the hospital charged about 6,000. My insurance is paying Dr Shen 2500 and I don't know what they will pay the hospital because it is still being processed. I expect they will pay closer to 3,000. The preliminary visit was billed as 820.00 and but he was actually only paid 120.00. I would expect to pay 20% of 5-6K for the procedure assuming you don't have anything that needs follow up. 

My procedure went great I had minor soreness from the scope and no bleeding. I was able to eat normally within a day and had no discomfort a week later but I had ongoing pouch issues before the procedure. 

If you decide to travel to NYC, look into getting an AirBnB in the area instead of staying at the hotels they suggest. We found a great place for less than half the price of a hotel room and we had a kitchen and two bedrooms. Feel free to message me for more info if you want it  

Good luck

Thank you! That is so helpful. Broadly speaking the cost if as you describe is doable. Its just unfortunate that I cannot complete any initial consultations via FaceTime or email as I am based in Hong Kong and it will involve 2 trips minimum. However, if it saves my colon, could well be worth it. Ideally I'd love to be able to email Dr Bo Shen just to introduce myself first! However I am not sure we live in an 'ideal' world! 

Very encouraging to hear it all went well for you and your recovery was smooth. I wish all good health and happiness for 2020!

I did everything in one visit. I did my initial consult the day before the procedure. I don't know if he would agree to do this for a case like yours but his nurse is very helpful over the phone and can tell you what they need. I was referred to him by the head of a big IBD clinic who knew him personally so that might have helped. Before I had my appointment, Dr Shen had my medical records, radiology reports, and I brought disks with my last MRI images to my consult with him so he could review them before my procedure. I spent 4 nights in NYC. 

Trish Helen, I was able to email Dr. Shen (and he responded!) but was also able to have full conversations with his nurse who answered questions before going for the consult. That was at the Cleveland Clinic however.