Still waiting for medical records. What recourse do I have if they never provide the records?

A visit to your doctors office with another written request in hand can be helpful as it’s more difficult for them to ignore you standing in front of them. A complaint to the Board of Medicine in your state can also help. Finally, although this costs you money, a demand letter from an attorney also is effective. Best wishes.

Call them again and inform them that they have a limited amount of time to produce and deliver the records to you before you make a formal complaint with the state medical board.

You are entitled to receive your records. Call the office and tell them you will go to the office to pick them up. Withholding medical records is illegal

Contact your state medical board. This is the agency that license physicians. They are a consumer agency. Generally state law will specify how much time a physician or surgeon has to respond to a request for medical record. In California that time frame is 7 days. If a physician fails to provide the records the consumer can file a complaint with the medical board and the board will contact the physician and take other action if they are noncompliant. I also suggest you report the unwillingness of the surgeon to provide medical records on surgeon review sites like Realself, Yelp, etc. If you choose to do this, stick with he facts. Don't embellish and don't engage in defamation.

You can contact the medical board of your state and discuss the issue you are having. If the office is still open and the surgeon is still in practice, the board can submit a request on your behalf. However, I would submit another request to the office by certified mail so you know they did receive the request.

Important question in medical ethics and patient care. Each state has differing requirements regarding release of medical records to patients. In Illinois, best to call the Illinois Medical board to ask the timing requirements for receiving your medical records. On average usually 10 business days is the acceptable time limits. Might go in person to the office to demand copies.....

Your experience is unfortunate.
Try sending a formal letter, including a signed release using registered mail.
When the office receives registered mail, they usually take things more seriously.
The other option is to call the office on a daily basis until you get your documents.
Let them know you have a legal right to the documents, and if they don’t comply, tell them you’ll ask an attorney to request the records which should get their attention.
Good luck,
Mats Hagstrom MD