@hodinator
Robert, Thank you for your wonderful response. I am touched by your words of appreciation, and receiving those words makes my time volunteering here very meaningful, so thank you.

For your scheduling question about if you can make one trip to Mayo for an evaluation and surgery during the same trip, Mayo will need to answer that question. Mayo does reserve some capacity for emergency patients, and patients are flown in from around the country. I do not know how your condition will addressed, but I think you are being given some priority if they have mentioned an appointment in a few weeks. The wait is usually long to get in for an evaluation with a well respected specialist. They do give priority based on medical need. I was told it would be about 3 months when I applied. I actually got an appointment in 6 weeks because of a cancellation, and in accepting, I had 5 days notice to get there, and I did. I understand that your concerns are an effort in cost savings which I understand, but hospitals can't operate like that, and must be able to know how to schedule staff members and not overload their capacity and to efficiently cover operating expenses. After my consult at Mayo, I was scheduled for surgery 5 weeks later, and then because of a cancellation, I could have had surgery in 2 weeks, but I felt I wasn't ready at home with getting clothing organized and accessible and cleaning etc, because I knew I would be recovering for months and not be able to do much.

My consult at Mayo was scheduled for 2 days with the first day meeting a neurologist who works with the surgeon. I had nerve conduction studies and muscle function tests, and blood work all based on the evaluation from the neurologist. They contact other departments and schedule tests and give you a printed schedule. My neurology test was scheduled for the next day, but I was able to wait standby, and had that test at the end of day 1. The other test scheduled for early on day 2 was a vascular lab study about thoracic outlet syndrome (which I have), and a consult with a vascular surgeon about the overlap in symptoms between TOS and a spine problem. I had seen the vascular surgeon only the hour before, and I was in the consult with the spine neurosurgeon when his phone rang, and it was the vascular surgeon reporting my evaluation to him. That is the magic in how a team approach at an interdisciplinary medical center works or should work. Doctors actually communicate with each other the same day for the benefit of the patient.

Since you are interested in Dr. Bydon, I thought you might like to see these links of him speaking about his research and practice at Mayo Clinic.

It sounds like you have all your ducks in a row. Do you have other questions about care at Mayo?