Miroslav Uchal, MD FACS

Im Slovak-American. Member of largest (at the time of the posti) private mutlispecialty general surgeons' group in US. North Florida Surgeons is a leading force of surgeons practicing in Florida and prooving that private practice style might have more perks that being employed and being run by VC/PE group. I am minimally invasive and bariatric trained surgeon certified in Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA; with extensive experience. Director of bariatric surgery, working in Ascension Hospitals in Jacksonville, Florida. Chief of Surgery at Riverside Campus. Busiest bariatric program in the North Florida. Performing all approved bariatric interventions in US, performing all revisional procedures, center accepts referrals for complicated cases, endoscopy interventions. Using micro instruments for gastric sleeves, has largest cohort of these cases in the world, over 1000. Comprehensive bariatric program incorporated into hospital structures offering the excellence of care and support, that bari patients do require after surgery. Center posses all certifications and distinctions by all major insurers so we maintaing to be preferred bariatric center by most plans, honored by Blue Distinction and by Optum annualy after thotough audit. Also active general surgeon performing eTEPs that I learned in Colombia, was mentored by Dr Jorge Diaz, colectomies, and all general surgery emergencies that come via ER. I study every day and my aspiration is to give every patient the best the most appropriate advice and treatment/intervention. I like living in Florida. I love time with my family, and a dog. I love skiing (in Utah), all fun on the water, I love windsurfing, riding bike, playing with my big dog. Dont have time for Playstation that much, but enjoy it, when I can. Its easy to burn out, its easy to get atacked by greedy lawyers who feed of unfortuned population and they dont understand that surgeon is a very second victim. Entire malpractice system benefits only lawyers pockets on both sides of an isle. Wake up, surgeons, create system where standard deviation is used to compare us. Because all of us do have complications, sepsis, bleeding, blood clots, perforations, and deaths. Difference is how statistically different am I worse or better than my peers. If im within those limits, it is statistical inevitability for occurence to happen. But if I have doubbled occurence rate, then via proper M&M meetings im being analyzed and then redirected to higher up center for more training. What lawyers did to us - cannot have MM meeting in Florida btw, as all that doscussion is discoverable (how ridiculous, how should you learn if not from tough cases and mistakes made....), and all caps for damages are unconstitutional. OK, so treating hernia will make me $325.00 , but complication or death is 1 M+. Not fair, Supreme court, not cool. Then cost of hernia should be at least half of that malpractice punishmenet, under current unreasonable rules! And more to discuss with experts who dont understand why surgeons are the most punished group of specialties and same time have 75% burn out rate, just check surgeons QOL questionare and we can read why. Our Board Body should take strong action and change malpractice practice, e.g. money printing industry for lawyer enrichment to practice where docs and patients do get educated and invest time and resources into that activity. There rather should be fund created for patients with distastorous outcome. Direct help from multiple sources fund would help real people immediately, without middle men. Healthcare could save billions to fund insurance for all. I believe that every society member should contribute and should have equal access to hospital and medicine. I belive more to be spent on prevention of disease than on their treatment.