Dr. Eric M. Pittelkow, MD

I would not trust Dr. Eric Pittelkow with a breast reduction surgery. After months of needless postponements and reschedules, his office called four days before a scheduled surgery to inform me I would *need to see a specialist* and that he could not perform this procedure, in 4 days. Upon seeing the specialist, Dr. Thais Fortes, she explained to me of the need for a biopsy before a surgeon would typically consider doing this procedure. At no point over the last eight months had Dr. Pittelkow mentioned this to me. If I had known this, the biopsy would’ve been done by this second rescheduling. Instead, however, I had to rearrange my life on two different occasions in order to allow for the recovery time needed for this procedure. That included days of unpaid labor to cover work responsibilities, childcare, pre-anesthesia and pre-op appointments, FMLA documentation, two separate pausings of gym memberships and prescribed medications. As a full-time teacher and mother, many wheels had to… be put in motion for me to have two weeks recovery time. Dr. Pittelkow had no forethought or consideration for how multiple postponements and rescheduling would affect my life, not to mention simply omitting the fact I needed a biopsy - it felt like I was enduring unnecessary PTSD. At our final pre-op appointment where he had the *same mammogram and ultrasound findings* in front of him as he did previously, he said we would be good to go in four days’ time. Not once did he mention that these findings required me to have a biopsy. I find his thoughtless actions to be extremely disrespectful and unprofessional. He did not even have the decency to call me himself to explain why this final postponement indeed meant a biopsy was needed and he would not be proceeding with this surgery. His office staff were in charge of informing me of all of these changes. Though his office said he would call me “after I met with the Specialist,” this never happened, as I suspected it wouldn’t. There are other surgeons, and I certainly will not be trusting him to do my procedure.

To a young Dr E. Matt Pittelkow. Professional appreciation. Present in two huge surgeries performed in myself, show a big love for patient, pre and post operatory eventually leading to a surgery's success and recovering .Personally and as a real life patient. Thanks for everything. A. De Pinedo