As background, I have spent my entire career in healthcare in both the clinical and legal settings. I've seen horrific outcomes that would make your toes curl. Suffice it to say I'm generally paranoid and do extensive research before choosing a provider. Sites such as Yelp are a good resource to get an idea of the bedside manner you'll encounter, but most patients equate this with competence. Trust me, the two are not necessarily related as some of the worst docs out have great reviews because their patients like them. Conversely, some fabulous clinicians have terrible reviews because patients dislike them. If you find a doctor who is excellent clinically, while having a fabulous bedside manner, you've struck gold. In my opinion, Dr. Loidolt is gold.
Before my first appointment with Dr. Loidolt, I spent a good deal of time researching reviews from other patients, as well as information on his license, malpractice history, etc. I knew before my appointment that patients had great things to say about him.
I had been experiencing severe leg pain for two years prior to my initial appointment. I'm talking the kind of pain that literally takes your breath away. Ten steps and that pain would hit hard, impacting my quality of life in ways I could not have imagined. After undergoing different imaging studies, I discussed potential surgical options with Dr. Loidolt. I had severe spinal compression at L5-S-1 that was compressing the spinal nerve at that level. After discussing the various options, I elected to undergo a laminectomy and foraminotomy, the least invasive procedure, full well knowing the surgery may not be successful. Unfortunately, the pain was relieved for only a short time before returning.
Dr. Loidolt referred me to a pain management specialist and I underwent several procedures, including epidural steroid injections. While these procedures did not provide relief, they did isolate the source of the pain, and as expected, it was the L5-S1 spinal nerve.
I met with Dr. Loidolt again to discuss options. His opinion was that the best option would be an L5-S1 titanium disc replacement and spinal fusion, a surgery I was terrified to undergo. That said, living with the kind of pain I was experiencing was an intolerable idea. I'm happy to report that the surgery has been wildly successful. I still get up every morning and am shocked that I can walk without any pain. I'm currently 6 weeks postop. These are my observations I believe are most important for you to consider.
1. Bedside manner. Dr. Loidolt's bedside manner is excellent. He sits down, looks me in the eye, and takes his time explaining everything. At every appointment he asks, "What questions do you have?" He then answers the questions, if I have any. I've never had the impression he was rushed or anxious to move on to the next patient. He is sincere in his concern for his patients. After my first surgery was unsuccessful, he actually said he was sorry my outcome hadn't been better. I can tell you this is rare as most surgeons seem to view empathy and compassion as a potential reason for a malpractice case. I can't tell you how many times I've heard surgeons say, "I can't apologize, the patient will think I made a mistake." The opposite is true. Can there be a more human connection than saying, "I'm so sorry this didn't work for you?" Especially when a patient is told ahead of time that the procedure may not help? I think not.
2. Clinical competence. During our discussions of potential surgical options, I asked Dr. Loidolt's about his surgical outcomes. He was open about the success rates while always emphasizing that he would do his very best, but could not guarantee the outcome. (If a surgeon tells you the surgery will cure your condition, run the other way. It may sound nice, but it's an outright lie.) He took time to explain the recovery process for various surgeries and did not sugar coat anything. The recovery from the fusion is going great, but it is a long recovery and to achieve the best outcome, it's important to comply with all restrictions.
3. Access. Following my surgeries, Dr. Loidolt was always available to address any concerns. If I called him, he called me back in a prompt fashion.
4. Staff. His office staff is fabulous. They are friendly, concerned, and always willing to assist with any issues that arise.
5. Office appointments. I'm usually seen within 10-30 minutes of scheduled appointment times. It's unreasonable to expect doctors to be more timely than that as there are too many variables that impact schedules, such as patients arriving late, unexpected delays in the time allotted for appointments, etc. That said, if he is running later, he always apologizes. My impression is that if he's running late, it's probably because another patient had a lot of questions.
I can't give Dr. Loidolt a higher review, and am so grateful for the excellent outcome I've had. read more