Clark R. Mckenzie, MD

Dr. Mckenzie basically ruined my life. He railroaded me into a cardiac catheterization that I did not need. I had been a runner all my life. I had low cholesterol, excellent blood pressure, and no evidence of heart disease in my family. I had mild chest pain symptoms but that was not the problem that brought me to the hospital (word to the wise - never mention chest pain at a hospital unless you want a cardiac cath). My chief symptom was ignored and I was put on a pathway towards a cardiac cath. This was the first time I had ever been a patient in a hospital so I did not have a clue how things were supposed to work, or who was who. I was repeatedly told I needed to have the cath because I could die. I thought that was ridiculus, but they would not do any other tests until the cath was done they said. As I suspected, the cath revealed a very healthy heart and zero coronary artery narrowing. I was told by a subsequent doctor that I had the heart of an 18 year old (I was 52 at… the time). What ruined my life? Blood clots from the procedure. The clots basically scarred the deep veins in my legs so severely that I have to take anticoagulants for the rest of my life to keep from having more deep vein clots. Further, I now suffer from post thrombotic syndrome that makes it impossible for me to run anymore. The risks of the cath were never adequately explained to me. All I received from bozo McKenzie was a 30 sec explaination of the risks which basically was "less than 1% of patients (I should say victims) experience complications". It turns out the complication rate is much higher than that. I was not even given a consent form, which explained some of the risks (far from all), until I was laying on the table waiting for the nurse to give me the sedative. I thought this is bizzare! I should have been given this consent form the night before and the doctor should have spent at least a half hour with me going over it explaining the risks. After the cath I was told I could go home. They did not put me back on an IV or tell me to drink lots of fluid - normal steps to prevent blood clots after the procedure (which I found out after the fact). The real problem that brought me to the hospital was never addressed - they supposedly did not know what else to test. When I saw bozo McKenzie later he acted like the cath had nothing to do with the clots. I believed him at first, but later discovered that blood clots are a common "complication". EVERY PATIENT SHOULD BE TOLD IN GREAT DETAIL THE RISKS OF A PROCEDURE BEFOREHAND!! I was stupid because I had never been in a hospital before, but that does not excuse the doctor or the hospital. I didn't know all that I know now about how truly incompetent doctors and hospitals can be. All I wanted to do was get to the tests to address my chief complaint - that was my only incentive for doing the cath since I was so very confident I had nothing wrong with my coronary arteries. My thinking was that if this procedure presented any real risks, the doctor certainly would have explained them to me. I thought, "let's just get it over so I can get the doctors focused on my real problem". Boy was I wrong there, and that is a lesson learned that I will never forget. I should sue, but I frankly don't have the stomach for it. Winning money isn't going to give me my health back and that's all I care about. The fall out of this event has been a nightmare in many many ways that go way beyond financial concerns. No amount of money can ever compensate me for the damage done by this bozo.

Most memorable thing: I was right, he was wrong. He ignored my concerns, was unwillingly to discuss things, set off on the wrong path in diagnosing my symptoms. I ended up having a cardiac catheterization which I believed to be totally unnecessary. I believed my symptoms pointed to a heart pacing problem and wanted to skip the Cath. He insisted I have the Cath and said he would followup with other tests if necessary. The test caused a pulmonary embolism due to a reaction to the contrast media. The Cath revealed clear arteries as I expected it would. He eventually gave me a heart event monitor which did not reveal any arrhythmias. He declared me healthy even though I continued to have the same symptoms. I tried hard to get him to listen to me, but had to go elsewhere to get the care I needed. Subsequent heart monitors of a different variety revealed that my heartbeat was pausing for long periods of time. Why it is so hard to get doctors to listen to patients is a complete… mystery to me.

I have many chronic health conditions that force me to interact with the medical system and a panoply of providers. Dr Mackenzie is simply put a paragon of professionalism and clinical competence. I truly lucked out on this one. It also helps that he is eye candy!!

Dr. McKenzie always spends time making sure I understand what is happening with my condition. He also calls me personally with test results and goes over them with me to make sure I know what is happening. I never feel rushed by him or his office staff, even at the end of a day appointment.

Did not listen very well, condensending, uninterested in my health issue, basically was no help. Nurses and reception people were very nice and helpful.

Dr. Mckenzie is a sharp guy with a terrific bedside manner. His ability to connect with the patient and leave you feeling like you are partnered with him in your care is an important and empowering feeling.Dr. Mackenzie likes to have fun in the Operating Room (as do I!) and his calm and confident aura/personality really put me at ease as I underwent a rather serious Cardiac Catheterization. He told me exactly what he was doing while he did it and managed to maintain an entertaining dialog with his supporting cast at the same time. These are all indicators of confidence and intelligence, the two most important things I look for in a Surgeon/Cardiologist.I can see why Dr McKenzie is so highly regarded in his area of specialty. Cool guy, highly competent and compassionate. Great doc. Highly Recommend.