Dr. Amish M Patel, DO

During my recent stay at a rehab facility following total knee replacement, Dr. Patel was assigned to me. My pain specialist, at the request of my surgeon, sent a letter which was in my files directing my pain medication instructions. I have several issues, some of them genetic, including Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Severe Osteoarthritis, and Fibromyalgia. In addition, I have had to have 7 major surgeries in the past 5 years. Following this surgery, my speech turned into gibberish after the first few words and I had hallucinations coming from my right eye. I was very frightened and thought I might have had a mini-stroke. When Dr. Patel came to my room, I tried to ask him if the anesthesia might have had anything to do with what happened. He became rather angry, raised his voice (my husband was also in the room) and told me NOT TO TRY TO BLAME THIS ON THE ANESTHESIA! It was the pain medicine! If I didn't want my head to be messed up, I shouldn't take so much medicine! … Then, he started to leave the room. I called him back, said I wasn't trying to blame anything, that I was frightened about what happened and was trying to understand. He again told me it was the pain medication. I then asked about the excruciating pain on each side of my knee and if there was anything to relieve it. He explained that it was nerve pain from moving the nerves to put in the prosthesis. He mentioned some meds that could help but did not offer to change the dose of one that I was already on. He simply left he room. I called my private rheumatologist and my sister-in-law, who has been an anesthesiologist and a critical care anesthesiologist for 30+ years and heads the pediatric department at UCLA MED. CNTR.. Both agreed, after reviewing my medications, there was room to increase the drug that would help with nerve pain. I asked the nurse to tell Dr. Patel the next day that I wanted to talk to him. I was going to ask if I could eliminate one dose of pain medication and a double the evening dose of nerve medication, per my rheumatologist and my sister-in-law. Dr. Patel NEVER CAME TO SEE ME. Instead, he told the nurse that I was already on too much medicine and left the building. I would NEVER recommend Dr. Patel to anyone. He made no effort to find out anything about me, why I had to be on so much medication, if something serious might have been going on when I had the 6 days of confused speech and hallucinations. He was very rude to my husband and me, though we did not even know him. He made a decision about me based on the long list of medication that I have to take. He told the administrator of the rehab facility that he figured since my surgeon and my pain specialist were handling the pain medicine, I didn't need his services. Those are not the qualities of a doctor that I would want to use, nor would I EVER want a friend or relative to see him. He has a lot to learn about showing respect and professionalism towards his patients!