Dr. Anthony John Gerard Alastra, MD

Dr. Alastra refused to dispense antibiotics immediately after my surgery after a RASH appeared above the area of neuro-stim battery. Upon my 1st post-surgery appointment after Boston Scientific spinal cord stimulation device had been implanted... a skin irritation appeared beneath the healing incision for bump for implanted battery/brain for stim hardware; As he inspected the healing incision on my right side, I asked Dr. Alastra if the irritated skin appeared like a rash might be an infection and he immediately dismissed that idea. Alastra said he thought it was a rash from my boxers, which was his excuse for it. He could have dispensed antibiotics or referred me to another physician/specialist yet he simply dismissed it. Instead he said “we’ll keep an eye on it”. I was maxed out in pain, so I trusted him as the expert, yet I don’t understand why he backed out from his original statement that if evidence of an infection appeared he would dispense antibiotics. After 7 months of… intense pains and repeatedly refusing to prescribe antibiotics it was to late, according to a infectious disease specialist after the 1st month, she continued that after 30 days a bacterial biofilm forms and at that point the hardware implant should certainly be removed. It was deeply frustrating to discover how simple it could have been for Dr. Alastra to save my spinal cord stimulation device and I don’t understand why he refused to dispense to me antibiotics... until it was too late! A few other neurosurgeons said they always prescribe antibiotics after a implanted device surgery as a precaution for at least 4 weeks. Dr. Alastra always had his Neurosurgery residents talk to me 1st for 15-20 minutes then he’d show up for the last few minutes of each of my appointments, after I had asked all of my questions to his residents, then he’s ask me if I had questions... didn’t he talk to the resident about me 1st, before entering the consultation room? He reluctantly prescribed antibiotics only when it was too late, the infection disease expert said last than 28 days is insufficient... Alastra removed my spinal cord stimulation device that was implanted due to my severe pain experiences, and Alastra surgically removed my implanted devices only when my LIFE was in danger due to bacterial infection. He or his staff never contacted my other doctors including my infectious disease specialist! This caused me to have about 3x the antibiotics combined over 18 months only because Alastra refused to prescribe after my 1st surgery and for less than 14 days after my 2nd surgery and the 3rd Device removal surgery he prescribed the incorrect antibiotic because he/his office never contacted my infectious disease specialist. If only he had he would have seen it in my chart notes from the infection specialist. I am sad that I went through 18 months of pain and suffering from 3 surgeries resulting in zero neuro-stimulation device. It’s been so heartbreaking for me, yet family/friends are simply glad I survived the aggressive pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial infection. Many people become paralyzed or die due to infection every year! Only Rated 1 star because Alastra is a fantastic surgeon (I’m still walking + survived), yet Alastra lacks humility to immediately prescribe ample antibiotics that would have prevented +2x my pain and I’d still have my highly effective stimulation device to empower me to let go of opioids as a result of neuro-stim by implanted Device, I loved it and I REALLY MISS that device!

I found Dr. Alastra himself to be an excellent surgeon and diagnostician, and to have an excellent bedside manor. However, after my surgery, every time I had need to get in touch with his office, I found them to be unprofessional, irresponsible and generally wanting. They did not return my phone calls in a timely fashion, the PA in charge of my case left to get a jump start on the weekend despite having made an appointment with me earlier in the day to have my husband bring medical records for her review, I felt that I was spoken to and treated in less than a respectful manner; in short, if I had it to do over again, I might think twice ... while you do want an excellent surgeon, you also want to be able to receive adequate post-operative care.