Dr. Guy Joseph Sciortino, MD

I was at Lahey BurlIngton for an upper endoscopy. For a reference, I have been hospitalized on an off through all of my adult years, so I am not a novice when it comes to hospital procedures. I do tell anyone who is going to stick me with a needle that I have fragile veins like spider webs that are easily blown out. but, given a good tech, I have had many IVs set with no problems. The nurses in the procedure room knew my spider web veins as I had been there before, and sent for the IV team to set the needle. Dr. Sciortino walked by and said he would put it in, even when the nurse told him that I was a hard stick, and that the IV people were sending someone. Dr. Sciortino took the needle, and started to insert it into the inside of my wrist.I don't know if he hit a nerve, but I felt an explosion of pain and yelled out "no, not that vein, it hurts too much!" He didn't even look up. The pain was so great, that I was soaked with a sheet of perspiration, although just minutes before,… the nurses were bundling me with blankets, since the procedure room was very cold. I cried out again, through tears, "absolutely not that vein- take that needle out now!" He paid no attention as he kept digging for a vein and I thought I would faint from the pain. My nurse came over and said, "hold my hand," I did and began to cry from rage. I told him again to stop and to pull out the needle but he wouldn't listen, or even acknowledge my presence. Dr.SciortIno was hard, callous and cocky. Whatever happened to a patient's rights? Or to Lahey's commitment to the patient having a good experience while at the hospital and clinic. My experience is that I will never return to Lahey. Life is too short to put up with the total disrespect with which I was treated by this "doctor."