I love a business that can welcome feedback and provides a place for listening to their customer's concerns. Personally, I did not have a great experience with the service I received here.
Getting the diagnosis was quick and efficient, but Dr. Thomas was in a rush every time I came in. She saw me for about 10 minutes and would back out of the room while answering questions. At one visit, she grabbed my injured foot without warning or care.
I came in with a sesamoid fracture / sesamoiditis injury. She told me she didn't think it was healing, and I should consider surgery if it still hurt in two months. The negative prognosis didn't give me any hope, and put me in a negative place.
I asked her if removing the bone would cause any problems with my gait, and she replied, "You have a problem with your gait right now." This felt short-sighted, and I felt pressured into considering a surgery that I later learned I did not need. The sesamoid is a vital part of the biomechanics of walking. Removing it can cause a cascade of problems up the body and should only be removed as a last resort.
When we looked over my MRI, she told me it was still fractured. Later, in the parking lot right after I left the office, I read the radiologist's summary which said, "No fracture was detected."
I went back to clear up the confusion. The only way to communicate with Dr. Thomas is informally through her assistant. Her assistant told me I was being difficult. I should trust the doctor's opinion, and to please leave. She called me later to tell me she passed along my question, and Dr. Thomas is not concerned.
Overall, I did not feel that Dr. Thomas was concerned about me as a patient. She was rushed, not open to discussion, and unavailable to her patients for communication beyond the brief office visit. This could be due to the hectic nature of the clinic rather than her personal disposition.
I would recommend getting a second or third opinion from a sports medicine podiatrist, or physical therapist who will try conservative methods before resorting to surgery.
It turns out my injury needed conservative care: time, rest, ice, orthotics, good shoes, diet & positive outlook. The best thing I did for myself was to get a wheelchair and off-load both my feet for two months. I used a lot of the methods sports medicine podiatrist Dr. Richard Blake has shared on his website. I fully recovered in 5 months!
If you go to a mechanic, you'll need work done on your car. If you go to a plumber, you'll need work done on your pipes. If you go to a surgeon, you'll surely need surgery.
With something as important and irreplaceable as your body, I would hope a surgeon can recognize when their services are too overpowered for the problem and refer their patients elsewhere. read more