Abdul Latif Bikak

I am a 50-year-old male with Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy (HOCM) and I do not recommend Dr. Bikak. I saw Dr. Bikak in the Heart Failure Clinic for many months prior to my recent hospital visit. On Sunday, September 3, 2023, prior to Labor Day, I went to the ED at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Georgia complaining of shortness of breath and irregular heartbeats. I was in the ED for 8 hours and on the bipap machine for several hours. The ED ordered many tests and radiographs and determined that I had bilateral pleural effusions and was in atrial fibrillation (afib) with rapid ventricular response (RVR). I was in bad shape and worse, considering my heart failure and previous medical history. Early Monday morning, Dr. Bikak saw me in my triage room, as I was waiting to be moved to the cardiac floor. He stated that they (the medical team) would convert my rhythm on the Tuesday after Monday's Labor Day and consider a heart ablation the following Wednesday. He… stated that I had to wait for Tuesday as, "no one works on Labor Day." Around 2pm, I continued to have difficulty breathing due to the bilateral pleural effusions. The RN in charge of my triage room called the Hospitalist who refused to prescribe any medication or care and recommended that she call the Cardiologist on call. The RN called the on-call Cardiology at the Heart Failure Clinic and was berated by the Doctor on call - so much that I could hear him yelling as I lay in my hospital bed. The on-call Doctor told the RN to call Dr. Bikak who saw me that morning, but the RN and Hospital did not have access to his cell and their protocol is to call the Cardiologist on call. The RN told the on-call Doctor that if he was not going to provide treatment or guidance to please be so kind and to text Dr. Bikak to call the hospital. After this request, the on-call Doctor continued yelling at the RN, again loud enough for me to hear and further delaying my care. I worried that the RN did not have enough power to make things happen and I requested the Charge Nurse come to my room. Through my labored "fish out of water breathing," I explained to the Charge Nurse what I was experiencing medically and asked her to contact Dr. Bikak or anyone else to treat my medical conditions. The Charge Nurse reached Dr. Bikak and sent the RN to my triage room. The RN stated to me that Dr. Bikak did would only prescribe one round of diuretics and no other medical assistance. She stated that she was told that I would have to wait until morning as nothing happens on Labor Day. Seeing that proper care was not going to happen at Wellstar or through Dr. Bikak, I waivered out of Wellstar and went to Emory St. Joseph's Hospital's Emergency Department. I was immediately moved to a room in the Emergency Department for tests and treatment. The Doctors learned that the tests conducted at Wellstar revealed that in addition to bilateral pleural edema, and afib with RVR, I was suffering from pericarditis. I was quickly moved to the Critical Care Unit (CCU) where I remained for three and a half days. I was later moved to a cardiac room for an additional four days. The attending Doctors at Emory St. Joseph's Hosptial were very assertive and provided the necessary medical intervention address my serious cardiac conditions and difficulty breathing. While some may feel that a simple one-star rating is sufficient, I wanted to share my experience with Dr. Bikak and Wellstar to help prospective patients in their search for competent medical care. In my opinion, Dr. Bikak was negligent in his medical duties, and I would never recommend him.