A word to the wise to anyone who is facing surgery – call the Department of Health Disciplinary Board and ask about your doctor. Ask if he or she has any outstanding complaints or disciplinary actions. Ask what the nature of these complaints and disciplinary actions are. Be very specific about the information you are requesting. The DOH will volunteer nothing. The number to call is 360-236-4701. You might be surprised to find that your doctor has been caught lying to the DOH about mandatory ongoing education and has had restrictions placed on his or her license to perform surgeries. You might find out that your doctor has a long history of complaints.
If your doctor decides that cutting bone is the corrective surgery required, get a second opinion, preferably from an orthopedic surgeon.
Be wary of doctors who tout “in clinic surgical facilities.” In the event of an emergency during surgery, the surgical staff’s decision to call 911 will likely be your only chance for survival as most of the surgery clinics are not prepared to deal with life-threatening emergencies that can and do occur during “routine procedures.”
My wife and I found out the hard way. She will be crippled and in pain for the rest of her life. Through the skill and care of an Everett podiatrist and a truly amazing orthopedic surgeon at Harborview Hospital, her suffering has been minimized as best it can. Her life, our life, will be forever changed.
Bothell
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