Dr. Brian Douglas Shames, MD

***DO NOT...DO NOT...DO NOT..... even CONSIDER booking an APPOINTMENT with DR. BRIAN JAMES*** He was Unbelievably RUDE and CONDESCENDING right from the start. He had papers rolled up in one hand, which I could/can only assume were records that were sent to him, regarding my case. He asked me I think one, open-ended question about why I was there and then proceeded to cut me off and mock the amount of "work-ups" I have had done. He had this unnerving permagrin while doing so. While rushing me through the appointment, he would make all of these assumptions, that when I tried to correct him on and or fill in the blanks that test results alone cannot do, he talked over me and made little of them. It appeared he had CLEARLY already made his mind up about my case before I got there. When I called him on certain things (when I could get a word in) he would backpedal on some of what he had previously said. He CLEARLY did not expect that I knew as much about what was going on with me, as I… did. He did not seem ready to have a conversation about my symptoms and tests. The best I can describe him as would be...a BULLY. It was so evident that he was in a rush, I made a comment alluding to that fact to which he just starred at me with that ugly permagrin. I have been sick for a long time with this, but it took me a while to get into a GI specialist so it got drawn out. And this isn't a case where I am disgruntled bc I had gone in there expecting something and didnt get it. No. I didn't recommend I see a surgeon. My GI provider did! I don't want to lose my gallbladder! It's actually a vital organ! I think a lot of people don't realize this. Anyways, it was my GI provider whom looked at the results of scans and coupled them with my symptoms and suggested i see one for my gallbladder/ducts. I rue the day I went online and chose to call Dr. BRIAN JAMES on the Uconn website. The main reason I chose him was bc under his name and picture on UCONN's website, it mentions his specialty are bile ducts. And part of my testing shows issues with them. BUT I WOULDN'T LET HIM PUT A BAND-AID ON MY PINKY FINGER LET ALONE HAVE HIM PERFORM SURGERY ON ME. To the best of my knowledge, he exhibited enormous amounts of ineptitude regarding the gallbladder and bile ducts. Oh, and he will likely shut you down if you say you have passed gallstones. So if you, like me, have done so....don't count on him believing you. My GI doctor did believe me. Obviously. But this guy said it was "nearly impossible." UN. REAL. I felt gutted during the appointment and after. It is of my opinion that he had his mind made up before I got there, regarding what he thought it was and what to do. How can you practice surgery that way? He didn't have any scans I had, pulled up on the PC to go over them. He just sat there, like I said, with a rolled-up stack of papers in one hand. BOTTOMLINE: THINK TWICE BEFORE CONSIDERING DR. BRIAN JAMES (SURGEON). PLEASE! He rushed me, insulted my intelligence, was condescending, and seemingly very inept in the area he is supposed to "specialize in." I was there for gallbladder / bile duct abnormalities accompanied by extreme discomfort and such. So, if you are needing a surgeon for any of that, I would NOT choose him. NO WONDER there was an appointment open within I believe about 2 weeks from when I made it. WASTE OF TIME!

I never doubted that i was going to be ok. Of course he did not let me down. Thank you I would recommend him to anybody