I left my first, and only visit, feeling like I left a used car lot. Nothing about this felt like a medical visit. This was the worst medical experience I've ever had. My concerns center around privacy issues, cleanliness, staff abilities/knowledge and ultimately felt like filling the surgeons surgery schedule took preference over the patients needs. I was being seen for a fractured clavicle, which I later to come to find out needs surgery in vary few circumstances. Jump to my visit... X-Rays taken first. I notice dirty, chewed up dog toys on the floor of the X-ray room. Gross! Is this my mechanic's or my surgeon's' office. But yes, a dog was roaming the facility freely - never have I seen this at a medical facility. I was brought back to the room where the PA would see me. The door was left open, which is also a first for a medical visit. I was able to witness that the PA was busy seeing a few patients before me, whose doors were also open. While I could hear all the conversations, the one that was most concerning was in the room next door. That patient had a fever and their skin, where surgery had been performed some month's earlier, was hot to the touch. After conferring with the surgeon via messaging, the PA told the patient was told to go directly to the ER. The PA called the ER and gave them all of his personal information which I easily could hear. It's not supposed to be like this, right? I had been waiting some time, maybe 25-30 minutes at this point when the PA comes in asks me about my injury; how it happened, how I'm feeling, etc. I tell him how the clavicle actually has no pain at this point, it had been about 10 days since the injury occurred, but I was having some back pain along the shoulder blade. No interest was ever given to the pain I was describing, instead we just discussed the clavicle. The PA tells me he's going to go look at the X-rays. The PA comes back and brings me out to a common area to show me images of the X-rays, one taken at the ER on the day the injury occurred and the ones they had taken that day. The one from the original date shows the bone nice and straight with little to no displacement. I'm shown one they took that day, and the bone appears to have shifted some. I later come to find out that the two x-rays I was shown were actually from different angles, one straight-on from the ER, and the other from underneath taken that day. Was I shown different angles because they wanted it appear to me that the bone had shifted or because the PA didn't know what he was looking at? In any event, the PA told me that he sent images of the X-rays to the surgeon via messaging and the surgeon recommends surgery based on how quickly the bone appears to be shifting. Surgery? I honestly wasn't expecting that. I started to ask medical based questions about the pros/cons of surgery, about the degree of shifting, etc.The PA didn't want to answer them, simply stating that Becky, the office manager, would be in to answer all my questions. I could see her waiting outside the doorway and he was obviously trying to get out of the room as quickly as possible. Becky enters in and tells me that she has already scheduled me for surgery, it will be in less than 36 hours and I'll need a Covid test beforehand, and I'll need to arrange for a ride to and from the hospital, and that she "could" arrange for me to meet the surgeon before the surgery if I "really" needed to meet him (and they wouldn't charge me extra to do so), but most people are okay meeting their surgeon at the pre-op meeting right before surgery. Wait, what??? You've already schedule it??? My mind is blowin', racing... what is my schedule like that morning... or the days after while recovering? My 2nd COVID vaccine appt is the day after... will I be able to go? Is anyone available to drive me/pick me up? Surgery... the ER doctor said surgery wouldn't be necessary? THIS is where I became VERY uncomfortable and felt like I had just been introduced to the "the closer" at the used car lot. You know that moment at the dealership... they've been evaluating your car for a trade a little too long and they have your keys type of feeling. Alas, I ask Becky, "WHY does it need to be so soon?" Her response "The surgeon has time available at the hospital that day". Oh! This has me thinking that this might have more to do with filling a schedule than my actual injury or in consideration of convenience to me. I left with surgery scheduled but feeling apprehensive about this visit. In the parking lot, I call a friend who also recently had to see a surgeon as well. He convinces me to get a second opinion, that this is not what a visit to an orthopedic surgeon should be like, and that I should definitely be concerned about surgery being scheduled without seeing the surgeon. Second opinion received two days later and surgery avoided. Surgery is actually required in very few instances and often done as an optional procedure. read more
