I'm writing this review as I often find it very helpful to read reviews of doctors when trying to choose one who best suits me.
I have a rheumatological disease that requires me to see a cardiologist every other year or so as a preventative measure. I am TERRIFIED of cardiologists (long, personal story), so I thought it'd be best to choose one close to home so I didn't chicken out. I live fairly close to O'Connor Hospital, so off I went.
I'm a regular patient at PAMF, so at first glance, this office seemed a bit...old. The front desk people were nice enough, but, again, it was old. I met Dr. Avula, who seemed to be pretty personable, and she recommended that I get an EKG, a stress test, and an ultrasound of the heart to make sure everything was working as it should.
I went through the stress test fine (the machinery was past its prime, however) and then did the ultrasound. I came back to get the results about a week later. Dr. Avula said that everything looked "fine", but when I got back to work, I read through the report. First of all, the ultrasound report stated that I had a mitral valve prolapse in addition to a mitral valve calcification, both which are typically found in those in the 60's (I'm 27), and can require surgery. Dr. Avula also said that I may have a small hole in my heart, and that she might think about doing an endoscopy-type test to see if it was really legitimate. Needless to say, I was pretty worried, and I called the front desk to ask them to give a message to the doctor, asking her to explain what the report said more thoroughly. I never received a call back.
At the advice of my partner, I scheduled a second opinion. This was done in a facility with much younger, more advanced equipment, and with a doctor that had superior credentials. After the test was finished, he stated that I had a very healthy heart and that there was NO prolapse and NO mitral valve calcification, stating that the other cardiologists's findings were a bit...out there.
I then received a bill for about $100 in the mail. I wrote them a very polite letter as to the reason I didn't feel comfortable in paying the balance, only to receive one back saying that this was a "completely different test" (um, no, very much the same) that the other cardiologist ran, and that I was still responsible for the bill.
Yeah, Dr. Avula. Not happening. read more