After Dr. Dinu Mistry performed surgery on me years ago, I chose to consult with her about reconstructive surgery after recently being diagnosed with breast cancer, undergoing bilateral mastectomies, followed by 30 difficult cancer treatments. I BEAT breast cancer!
I had no reason not to believe that #1 as a woman and #2 as my physician, Dr. Dinu Mistry would be compassionate and happy to help me. Up until this encounter, every other healthcare professional along my cancer 'journey' has been absolutely amazing.
I called her office to schedule an appointment but her office staff told me that Dr. Mistry told them to tell me "find another surgeon" siting the following two reasons:
1) "There was 'some kind' of past money issue."
The history from my past encounter with Dr. Mistry is I was absolutely told by her staff that I would not be charged for an initial consultation; however, I was subsequently billed. I questioned it but ultimately paid in full in a timely manner even though a friend of mine had the same type of consultation and was not charged and an online reviewer patient indicated the same.
2) "You failed to schedule your final follow-up appointment that you were instructed to do within 3 weeks after your last follow-up visit."
I was shocked, heartbroken and confused. Later that day, I called the office and explained to the staff member that I would like to at least have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Mistry in order to clear up my confusion and any misunderstandings. The reply was an empathetic but firm, "I can tell you right now, that is NOT going to happen." I was in tears when I got off the phone. I could not believe how poorly I was being treated.
A couple of days later, I received a letter from Dr. Mistry (standard business practice to document/formalize a physician's dismissal of patients from their practice.)
She stated in the letter that dismissing me from her practice was not "punitive" but in fact, that's exactly how it feels due to the fact that she coldly severed our doctor/patient relationship based on her incorrect assumption (see below), followed by her refusal to grant me the decency and respect of a few minutes of her time.
She said in the letter that she had "no choice but to ASSUME that I was displeased and sought care elsewhere" simply because I did not reschedule that final appointment with her. She certainly had a choice not to make that wrong assumption; she could have simply talked with me. At NO time was it explained to me that I could be dismissed if I didn't schedule my last follow-up appointment. I found out years later when I called her office and she shut the door on me.
I did not "seek medical care elsewhere" and I did not schedule a final appointment with her because I was confident that I was fully recovered; had I not been, I certainly would have scheduled time with her. There would have been no reason not to.
Dr. Mistry's unyielding refusal to spend a few minutes with me is heartless. This is especially painful during this most difficult time of my life when I am trying to put the pieces back together as a woman, mother and wife after fighting so hard to beat the cancer.
In a sense, I feel kicked to the curb, disrespected and discarded.
She suggested to me to contact Dr. Mark Wigod or Dr. Sue Hegstad for my medical needs, as she said said are both excellent reconstructive surgeons.
On a side but much more important note - please check your breasts regularly, I promise it is worth it :0). I hope that you will never join me as a Pink Ribbon sister and I also hope that you are always compassionately treated by all healthcare professionals, as the genuinely loving support that was and continues to be extended to me makes a huge difference. read more
