I never imagined I would have to write something like this, but after watching my sister suffer…read morethrough a horrific experience with Dr. Michael Bradford, I feel it is my responsibility -- not only as her sister but as a concerned member of the community -- to speak out. This isn't just about a surgery gone wrong. This is about a patient being harmed, abandoned, and treated with a shocking lack of care and professionalism by a doctor who should have never been allowed to operate in the first place.
Earlier this year, my sister went into what was supposed to be a routine hip replacement surgery, performed by Dr. Michael Bradford. She had prepared for this procedure like any responsible patient would. She met with the surgical team, asked the right questions, and was assured -- multiple times -- that she would receive a nerve block to help manage her post-operative pain. Every single member of the surgical team confirmed this with her. It gave her some comfort going into the procedure.
But that's not what happened.
Not only was the nerve block never administered, but the surgery itself became the start of a nightmare that hasn't ended. From the moment my sister woke up, she was in unbearable pain. Worse, she was met with silence. Dr. Bradford, the very person who had performed the surgery, never came to see her after the procedure. He never checked in on her. He never spoke with her again -- not at the hospital, not after discharge, not when she or her other doctors tried to contact him.
He completely abandoned her.
As her sister, I stood by helplessly as she struggled with pain, fear, and confusion. She kept asking, "What happened to me?" -- a question no patient should have to ask after surgery. Yet no answers came. Dr. Bradford refused all communication, leaving her and her medical team guessing about the most basic details of her surgery. Was the hip replacement even done properly? Did something go wrong? Why wasn't the nerve block administered? We still don't have answers.
My sister is not the type to sit quietly and accept mistreatment. She took the time to document everything -- a full timeline of events, supported by photos of her surgical wound as it worsened over time. She prepared lists of unanswered questions and compiled other patients' complaints, reviews, and reports about Dr. Bradford. Shockingly, there is a long history of similar behavior connected to him, Nevada Orthopedic & Spine, and Sunrise Hospital. This isn't an isolated incident.
As her family, we have watched her endure physical pain, emotional trauma, and the overwhelming stress of fighting for basic information that any patient should be entitled to. Instead of being treated with compassion and care, she was met with disregard and abandonment.
In my opinion, this goes far beyond malpractice. This is outright negligence -- a complete violation of the trust patients place in their doctors. It's also a violation of Nevada law. Under NRS 200.495 -- Criminal Neglect of Patients, what Dr. Bradford did (or failed to do) rises to the level of criminal conduct. When a doctor walks away from a patient with no explanation and refuses to communicate with them or their medical team, knowing they are suffering, that isn't just bad practice -- it's dangerous and unacceptable.
I strongly believe a formal investigation needs to be launched into Dr. Bradford's actions, his medical practice, and his history with patients. I believe he should be issued a Cease and Desist Order to stop him from performing surgeries until this matter is fully investigated and resolved. No other patient should be put at risk.
This situation has opened my eyes to just how vulnerable patients really are -- especially when a doctor thinks they can act without accountability. My sister did everything right. She prepared, she asked questions, she trusted the medical system. And instead, she was harmed, ignored, and left to pick up the pieces on her own.
This isn't just her story. It's a warning.
I'm speaking out because I don't want another family to go through what we've gone through. No patient deserves to be treated like this -- to be left in pain and fear, wondering if their doctor even cared whether they lived or died. My sister's trust was betrayed. Our family's trust was betrayed. And from what we've seen in her research, countless other patients' trust has been betrayed, too.
I am calling on medical boards, legal authorities, and anyone responsible for patient safety to take this seriously. Investigate Dr. Michael Bradford. Hold him accountable. Protect future patients from going through what my sister endured.
We want answers. We want accountability. And most of all, we want this kind of reckless behavior to stop -- now.