Dr. Joanne B Votel, MD

I saw Dr. Votel for some ovarian cysts. I needed surgery to remove the cysts and to start birth control pills after the surgery to prevent the formation of more cysts. The week before surgery my regular doc asked why she hadn't put me on birth control right away since she'd told me I should go on birth control at our first appointment, a month before the surgery. My response: I trusted she knew what she was doing. Surgery went well, no problem. In the weeks following the surgery I had severe abdominal pain that the med she prescribed did nothing to alleviate. She refused to give me a different one that might actually help, with the clear attitude that she'd done her job in removing the cysts and that was it. When I saw her at my 2 week post-op she told me a pre-existing health condition was likely the reason the cysts had grown so large and had not gone away on their own. I asked about the possibility of another cyst forming during the menstrual cycle I'd had between the surgery and… when she wanted me to start birth control. She admitted it was possible and that if another one had formed, the birth control pills would do nothing to help it dissolve on its own. Two weeks after that, a CT scan revealed the source of my continued abdominal pain: another cyst had indeed formed during the menstrual cycle I had between the surgery and starting birth control, so in fact the pain she'd refused to treat because "it wasn't related to her work" actually was related to her work.

I have been seeing her since 1989! Absolutely trust her and would recommend her to everyone. She is always understanding and has a fantastic bedside manor.

She has been my Doctor for over 20 years! Love her! I recommend her to everyone I know....women of all ages.....