Results Not Worth the Lack of Patient Care - Atlanta, GA

Completely disappointed and still in shock at the lack of patient care. After my procedure, I had an incision that would not heal after numerous weeks. I went back multiple times to have them check as I was afraid it was infected since the skin had not closed and I had about a 1.5 inch gash in my skin. Every visit with a nurse (not a doctor) they kept saying “it’s fine”, “just give it another week”. Flash forward 3 months to my 3 month post-op appointment (which was only with a nurse NOT with my surgery doctor). The nurse sees that the gash is still there and hasn’t healed and THEN decided it was worth a doctor’s visit. The doctor comes in and takes one look, saying that I need to have the wound excised by my surgery doctor as soon as possible to avoid permanent damage. The nurse explained to me what an excision meant and I immediately told her that I would not be able to handle that type of procedure without something to relax because of my intense fear of needles. She responded, that it was “no big deal” and that “I shouldn’t need anything”—completely ignoring what I had just told her. The night before the procedure I was called by a front desk person to confirm my appointment time which was an hour past what I had been told. After I told her I had already made arrangements and that I needed it to be the original time she, responded “I had no choice and that the appointment could not be rescheduled under any circumstances”. I immediately asked to speak to the practice manager and was told she would have to call me back. I get a call back from the nurse not the practice manager who told me, “ I understand that you had some questions about your appointment…” . After the nurse again told me that I wouldn’t need anything for surgical procedure I got off the phone. I then called back and asked to speak to the practice manager who assured me that they would take care of me the following day during my procedure and not to worry.

I arrived with my driver to my appointment and I get handed 10 + pieces of paper to sign for a procedure that was “no big deal” and “didn’t require any type of pain medication”. I fill it out and then get called back to a room where my surgery doc and his nurse are waiting ready to just start the procedure. I am in shock since I had already spoken to the manager about my concerns regarding pain and anxiety with needles and the doctor hadn’t even been spoken to. The doctor began to inject lidocaine and immediately started shaking and crying from the pain (as I had no medication given to me to help). The doctor keep trying to get the needle in and then said it was the wrong gauge and he needed a different gauge after around 4-5 injections. After the nurse got him the correct gauge needle he continued to inject me as I was vocal about my pain. The doctor left the room to go see other patients. At this point I am so upset I feel like my body is in complete shock. While I am on the table a different nurse comes in and asks why I am crying (first person to actually seem like she cares about my pain)—so I tell her and she gets the practice manager. The practice manager said she would talk to my doctor about giving me something before they started the actual procedure. She left the room and came back and said a different nurse would be back to give me something for the pain before my doctor began the excision. I waited for 20 minutes and then my surgery doctor comes back in and just begins the procedure without any concern. I was so in shock and felt so violated that I couldn’t even speak when the doctor asked how I felt. It’s hard to form words when you can feel someone sewing your skin together. In the middle of the excision one of the nurses finally returned with pain medication that was supposed to be given to me prior to my procedure. What happened to me is completely wrong and is an example of extremely poor patient care. I hope no one has to experience what I went through. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Results do not matter if patient care is non-existent.