Dr. Nelson and his staff are amazing and compassionate. He's extensively experienced, knows what…read morehe's doing. Nurse Charlotte is someone I'd describe as, "Aggressively compassionate." Reminds me of my time in the Navy as a field medic. Same level as my fellow corpsmen. Attentive, respectful, listens to what's going on, as well as diagnosing and evaluating, because a lot of these conditions are, at least initially, by touch-and-feel. Then go for the further diagnoses, to narrow it down.
The bottom line is, they aren't a "churn them out as fast as you can," clinic, like larger hospitals like Evergreen (which does have excellent staff as well, they can just get overwhelmed).
They do have an on-site surgery ward. They may have to pull in anesthesiology from out-of-house, but they know some of the best, so they pull in the best.
My condition was compounded, bilateral Morton's Neuroma, with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. It was a nightmare. They literally saved my life. The pain was to the point of suicidal.
The benefit I had, was knowing medical terminology, anatomy, and being able discuss everything on, maybe not quite equal terms, but near-to.
Dr. Nelson and his staff are a dream-team.
When I say they don't, "churn them out as fast as they can," it doesn't mean they waste effort. They're just very experience. Do what needs to be done, without making you wait. Large hospitals, like I said, Evergreen, which is great, can have you on a waiting list for a month, where as Issaquah Foot and Ankle will have you in the next week, or as soon as available.
If I were to compare them to anything, it'd be a frontier clinic, where the best go to treat people the best they can, treat their patients on a personal level, without having to deal with an overwhelming client base.
As for surgical scheduling. As I mentioned, they bring in anesthesiologists from other clinics, as far away as southern California, so they have to schedule around their schedules. Other hospitals, it can take months.
Another reviewer mentioned how they were referred to diagnosis specialists. There's one I went to in Tacoma. Electrical Skeletal-Muscular Diagnosis, wherein, it's like having a car electronics diagnostic given, which shows where there's impedance, or anomalies in the nerves. Nailed it.
In any case, they're a little out-of-the-way, not too far, but if you want a team that knows what they're doing, go with them, before having to wait a month just to get an exam.
This is, a bit long, as reviews go, I guess, but they're worth it.
As to the complications of surgery involving general sedation, of *course* they'll require you to have someone to pick you up. You're pretty out-of-it for awhile after. Driving in those conditions would be dangerous to both yourself, and others, not to mention risking all the work done on the feet afterwards. I suppose there's medical transportation as an option. In my case, I had a friend who drove me from the clinic to home, and I needed some help.