His nurses know VERY well about PT and what is needed. When there's a doctor with as many TRAUMA surgeries as he has all day and night it isn't always easy to get back to a patient that's why doctor's like himself rely on the nurses to help out.

If the patient expects the doctor in any field of surgery to call when any patient wants them too or needs them too the doctor would never have time to do what he has to do, save lives. If the other docs call you back, maybe they just aren't as busy as Doc B is.

Sometimes it depends on the patient and what was done. If it isn't an emergency issue, it may take longer to get back to them.

I work in medicine and I would never, and have never expected Doc B or any surgeon to call back patients. I would expect the nurses to do so. If that isn't something a patient wants to have happen then he isn't the doc to see. If you want terrific results post op, YES see him! He has the best number for post op success stories.

Phone skills isn't the thing I want in any doctor I see. It's there medical and surgical skills that impress most people.

So, are you saying that if a person follows the protocol that is reccommended, and problems arise, you are out of luck? I spoke to a nurse who told me i would get a call back.

No. What I'm saying is; if a person goes out of town for care, and has issues no matter what they are, the patient cannot and should not expect a doctor to take care of those issues over the phone. It wouldn't be fair to the patient or the doctor. Maybe the nurse never gave him the message. I've seen that happen where I work. By the way, I heard he never answers medical questions in email.

There are some docs I know of in Cleveland, OH, not TOS docs, that will not see a patient from out of state unless they guarantee to stay in town until the docs want to see them post op, and for a follow up if it's within the month.

If not, the patient has to come back for a 6 week follow up. If they do not, the doc refuses to see them let alone call them. That's up to the doctor, it could jeopardize the patient otherwise to not come back when the doc needs them too.

Same thing with other docs, if you want to see a doc out of state, then you have to do what they say. Too many docs in different states cause more issues then one doc out of state.

Also, it's just the way it is in medicine more often then not. The busier the doc the harder to get back to the patient.

Sorry that happened to you, but I would not give up on such a great doctor just because of the lack of a phone call.

This is my opinion.

There is no excuse for a doctor not respond to a patient's phone call in my opinion (and yes I have worked in healthcare for over 20 years as a R.N.)

If the doctor can't call the patient back then someone else should call the patient back and advise them if the doctor is willing to help them or not.

Of course, messages can get lost and things can get busy and things get forgotton.

Ihtos said that several phone calls were made and went unanswered for 3 months.

With a disgnosis like tos you do feel very alone, like no one understands what is wrong with you and you basically feel like you care for yourself.

It helps to have a supportive network of doctors at home to help you. They may not be experts in tos, but if it is a big time problem your doc at home can call Dr Annest.

I called Dr Annests office several times after surgery. He has a great nurse that is extremely helpful and if I don't hear from her I hear from Dr Annest.

I also see a counselor regularly to help me in sorting out the very stressful and confusing problems of tos.

Best wishes,
Martha

I'm not sure where you are but I had my surgery in Towson, Maryland. The name of the hospital escapes me now. The dr. was Dr. Karass. Man I can't type tonight, sorry. Any way, he went in under my armpit and did scalenectomies and took out a rib. I had the initial visit and about four weeks later the surgery. I lived about two hours away. My home pain management was very good. He was Dr. Mike Kaplan, also in MD. I moved to PA not long after the surgery. My new PCP looked at all my paperwork (which I always get copies of) and continued with my med treatment. She also followed up on other tests. There wasn't much need for many phone calls because Dr. Kaplan was very knowledgeable.