Bad Doctor Experiences?

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I just had surgery on Thursday, it was my first one. I loved the staff I that worked with me, except my anesthisiologist. First he smelled heavily of cigarette smoke. He came into the surgery waiting room where my husband and I were, it was a small room maybe 7x8 with just a sink and a couple of chiars. He walked in and introduced himself and I was so grossed out by the smell of cigaretts on his scrubs.

Then in the OR as I was laying on the table and getting hooked up the the heart monitor and blood pressure machine I could still smell him in that large, well-ventilated room. He sat down beside me and started my IV, and commened on how small my veins were. Well yeah, I hadn't had anything to drink for about 14 hours, you can pretty much expect my veins to be less that ideal. Then he blew my vein out, which despite a numbing shot still hurt. He had not started administering the proprofol (spelling?) yet, and was just letting the IV flow. Then he started having a conversation with one of the nurses.

Doctor: *lauging* "you won't believe what I was just doing at home. I had lunch then..." *looks down at me* "Oh I will tell you once she's out, I can't say right now." *laughs*

The nurse said nothing, not even a smile cracked.

Then he goes and tells me you won't mind a thing because you'll be out in about 30 seconds. He didn't tell me what he was doing, then I felt this terrible stinging in my hand and knew that was the proprofol leaking into my hand outside of the vein. In reaction my arm jerked and he yelled at me to stop moving my arm.

I called the surgery center today to talk about my experience, but got only a nurse on the phone and she obviously didn't know what to say to me.

 

[Capvin]

Your experience sounds horrible. It is certainly bad enough having surgery to begin with but with that type of experience it just makes it horrible. I really would suggest to you that you forget about calling anyone as it is too easy to just push you off to the side. Write a letter to the hospital administrator with a copy to you personal doctor, the surgeon and the head nurse at the hopital. The more people you send the letter too the more likely it will be that you will get some responsive action. If the doctor was as bad as you describe then it is certainly something that is known to the nursing staff. They miss nothing and believe me they will appreciate someone who makes a valid complaint because, in general, they are fairless helpless in making those types of complaints themselves. You will not be doing this just for yourself, because your ordeal is hopefully over, but you will be helping out others in the future.

 

[Glenmar]

Yep. I hate Dr's. I really try not to go to them.

 

[flgardengirl]

Are you sure he was a doctor? About 70% of anesthesia in this country is performed by a certified registered nurse anesthetist and up to 90-100% of anesthesia is performed by certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) in rural hospitals. They are advanced practice nurses some with Masters or some will have PhD or DNPs plus the anesthesia certification. It would probably be rare for a routine surgery now to be performed by a anesthesiologist (Dr) being that they can make up to twice as much as a CRNA and many hospitals are on the cheap with the economy the way it is. CRNAs make about 120-200 grand depending on experience and where they work in the country. An anesthesiologist (Dr) usually run the dept or work for very specialized areas but this varies.

Sorry you had a bad experience. Whomever it was, did not seem very professional especially yelling at you and also with the comment about waiting for you to pass out, right in front of you. Maybe he thought he was being funny on (the comment part), but it doesn't facilitate trust when you have someone's life in your hands.
Remember you have rights as a patient and a consumer. You can always file a written complaint to the state board once you find out which one the person is working under (nursing or medical) and also to the Medical Director of the hospital. Even better do not give them your business. I worked in food service before I went into health care and always had the philosophy of the customer being right. They know what they want and how they want to be treated, they will go elsewhere if they don't get treated with respect.
Most of the big chain hospitals are requiring thier employees to be tobacco free. They aren't doing this for the patients however, it is because of the health insurance on thier employees is cheaper but I think the patients who don't smoke probably appreciate not having to be exposed to "smelly scrubs" as you mentioned lol. Maybe the smaller hospitals will also start going tobacco free soon.

 

[breezy]

I went into the hospital in July with a heart issue. I had a truly awful experience with the cardiologist on call. I won't bore anyone with the details as Im sure no one cares but I will share how I handled it. I went to the patient representative and lodged a formal complaint against him. She was shocked by what I had to say. She took down the details of my complaint then opened an investigation into the doctor and what he had done. He had to go thru a peer review due to my complaint. I wont be informed of the results of the peer review but was told in confidence by someone who works at the hospital that he would have to attend ethics class.
I filed the complaint because I found myself awaking and thinking about it in the middle of the night every night for 2 weeks after my hospital stay. I couldnt let how badly I was treated pass.
I dont file complaints nor do I complain just to complain. This was serious and the doctor needed to be held accountable. Im truly sorry you had a bad experience and I hope you can get someone to listen to you and take it seriously. You entrust your life to these people and so do others. If this man acted that unprofessional with you he is doing that to others as well. He needs to be held accountable for his own actions.
best wishes

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I called my Gyn/RE office today and spoke with the receptionist there, he was the Dr. that did the surgery. No, I am not certain the man who dealt with my anethstisia was a "real" medical dr. but he introduced himself as Dr. _______.

When I called my Gyn/RE office they were very responsive. One of the Doctors in that practice is part owner of the surgery center I went to. It its in their best interest to keep the patience happy and comfortable.

The odor of cigarettes wouldn't have bothered me if he wasn't a key player in a surgery. I am not a smoker-hater, but I feel it was just another low in his professionalism to not have changed scrubs. It made him smell dirty-- certainly not the impression that you want to give anyone if you about to potentially introduce infection into their body.

Our previous family physician was much worse. She prescribed a medication to my husband that prevented us from getting pregnant for over a year -- and she fully well knew we were very concerned at why I wasn't getting pregnant. When I informed her of the problem she had her nurse argue with me on the phone in denial that the medication would do such a thing. Ugh.

I have several nurses in my family, one Doctor and one family member in medical school. I know how patients should be treated and find it so frustrating when there's such a blatant neglect of how things should be.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

I had an equally horrible experience with the anesthesiologist when my elder son was born. Yes, she was a doctor. Another bad experience with ER personel when same son was 18 months old with croup. Bad experiences with a couple of pulmonologists and a physical therapist; I also fired a couple of eye doctors. But, for the most part the medical personel I deal with are excellent. We've used the same pediatrician for 26.5 years, and I think I will cry when my youngest outgrows him. Older son was very sad when he reached 21 and they would no longer see him. I very much like and trust my pulmonologist, my general practice doctor and my eye doctor. I am picky, and expect to be treated as an intelligent person whose questions deserve to be fully addressed.

If I were to go in for non-emergency surgery and any of the assigned personnel smelled of smoking, I would demand that they replace that person. Ditto for unprofessional behavior.

 

[silkiechicken]

Like any other profession, doctors are people... and not all people are the best people. I would also file a complaint and be sure not to use that doctor/person again. You can be a doctor... and not a medical doctor.

What I don't understand about the med profession is why they still make doctors do 24 hour on-call in-hospital stays.... anyone would be cranky if you had to work with them 22 hours into their 24 hour shift!

It really does make a huge difference if you can find doctors you trust.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Silkiechicken -- that is a very valid point. Doctors are human and we all make mistakes

Aside from the really bad doctors I've dealt wtih in the last three years I also have some of the best right now too. I love my Reproductive Endocrinologist/Gyn, he's a gem and so was his partner who was my RE/Gyn before his recent death. My daughters Pediatrician is also a wonderful, caring and competent doctor.

Its a frustrating situation when you have been treated badly or are witness to such unprofessionalism.

 

[SallyF]

I dealt with an unprofessional doctor once, and will never do it again. Do not ever hesitate to complain or to demand to speak to someone in charge. I will NEVER put myself in the position of having to put up with what you had to deal with. I have since complained about experiences at medical clinics, surgery centers, x-ray offices and emergency rooms. There are many good caring professionals in the medical field, but if they don't know what is wrong, they can't correct it. Good for you for letting your MD know what happened. And don't EVER put up with a medical situation in which you are uncomfortable.