Dr. Karen A Rizzo, MD

I originally saw dr Jamie and she was amazing, she told me my glands were swollen and it would be a huge benefit to have surgery to shrink them to help with my breathing. When I came in the 2nd time she told me she was going to forward me to dr.Rizzo and I was like ok what can go wrong, EVERYTHING! She told me I didn’t need surgery and my glands were fine, but that’s because I take these meds every day to help with the swelling and to help with the stuffiness. Like you should’ve told me to not take my meds that morning to get a better look like Dr.Jamie did. I would not recommend this place, she had an attitude, was rushing us, and seemed like she didn’t care at all. Then I asked for Xertec because Claritin no longer works but Xertec does, and she said “I don’t prescribe over the counter medication, you can just buy it” like excuse me? I’m not going to pay MONEY for meds you can prescribe me to help with MY breathing. If I could rate 0 for her, I would definitely do so. But Dr.Jamie… is amazing

Staff are rude at her office, long wait times and finally see the Dr and she spends like 5 minutes in the room, orders a bunch of lab tests and imaging. On the 2nd visit it, it's all about surgery all in a 5 minute visit after waiting a hour. I didn't trust the Dr opinions, staff is rude at her office and it's a weird vibe in the office.

One of the most unprofessional doctor's visits I've ever experienced. Rushed me through. No detailed explanation. Nothing given to me in hand after diagnosing me with hearing loss. Nothing in depth about my hearing loss on the LGH portal. Cold demeanor. Disinterested in discussion of any kind, though I was had sophisticated questions and n obvious desire for answers. Doctors, nurses and staff were waiting to go home and I could feel it. Will not return and would not recommend to those who want a compassionate doctor and fully detailed diagnosis.

Listened to my problem and gave me solutions. Very energetic and very thorough. Office was clean and all the staff were friendly.

Excellent, thorough care of a pediatric patient with severe special needs. Wonderful physician.

Excellent care.

I recently went in to this office, my first thought was it was so small and crowded. I have had dizziness for over a year and no one can figure out why so someone suggested an ENT to rule out my equilibrium. First they wanted to do an ear test but couldn't because of a blockage of ear wax in one ear, Dr Rizzo attempted to dig it out with a long metal instrument, immediately I jumped in pain, she tried two more times with me jumping each time, she seemed very annoyed with me. They (her and two nurses) stared at me like I was in idiot making me even more uncomfortable, the nurse says take debrox twice a day and the other also twice a day...I look at her bewildered, what is debrox?....she tells me ear was softener, like I should already know that....it took everything for me to get to my car before bawling my eyes out in pain.....Ithey say come back next week.....I don't think so...75 dollars later they never even discussed my dizziness or even want to know anything about what I have been… through.....I need a doctor with a little more compassion and personality than that treating me......thanks for tasking my money for nothing Lancaster ear nose and throat......

I asked Dr. Rizzo before surgery if my parathyroids would be injured. I was told no. During my surgery, 2 of my parathyroids were accidentally removed and the circulation to the other 2 cut leaving me with very little parathyroid function and the resulting life-threatening illness of hypoparathyroidism which is permanent. Dr. Rizzo never informed me that I would have life-long problems with my heart rhythms, muscle health, kidney function, skeletal remodeling, and nervous system function because of this disease. I actually went into a full-blown tetany attack of the body in the hospital a few hours after the surgery and had to be administered a calcium gluconate drip to start breathing normally again. I could have died. A week later in her office, she actually became angry with me as she read the pathology report that she had removed 2 of the glands. She never apologized to me and then went on to mock me when I told her that I also had problems with my singing voice as a result of the… surgery, in addition to the muscular tetany, cramping, dizziness, cloudy urine, and extreme fatigue that I was now experiencing. A year and a half later, my last child was also born quite sick with transient hyperparathyroidism due to my surgical complication. My daughter is lucky to be alive today with no resulting skeletal deformities, but I will not be having any more children despite still being a young woman. I also lost my career as a physical therapist because I am too sick to work and I am in pain a lot due to the lack of calcium in my feet and hands, and throughout my muscles, and the calcifications forming throughout my body because of this surgical complication. I have advanced arthritis for my age of 36. The current approved treatments for the disease do not take the place of the glands that she removed and damaged. I am in a study at a major research facility in the US to get the parathyroid hormone replaced, but there are many side effects to these injections such as high calcium levels which have caused me even more calcifications. Many of the drs. in the Lancaster, PA area try to protect Dr. Rizzo and I have to travel outside of the area to get any decent medical care. I have been to 4 lawyers and have reported this to the ATA but no one wants to help me and get involved because everything that I am suffering with and the experience of my daughter is supposedly difficult to prove and I signed a waiver understanding the risks. Permanent hypoparathyroidism was never discussed with me as a risk of this surgery. Beware of this surgeon and others who want to perform total thyroidectomies to remove large goiters, most of which turn up benign. Thousands are suffering with this surgical complication and the ATA will not do anything to urge surgeons to give true informed consent to patients before this surgery in an apparent attempt to protect many thyroid surgeons from getting sued. The ATA needs to change thyroidectomy protocols, there are several easy ways to protect the glands during removal of the thyroid or to save them if they have been removed. They can be transplanted back into the patient's body and usually take quite well because they are very vascular. No one did that during my surgery and I will suffer now until stem cell transplants hopefully become available some years from now. In the meanwhile, I am starting to suffer some permanent damage throughout my body since living with this condition for 6 years.

She paid no attention to the reason I went in for a visit. All she wanted was to get me tested for sleep apnea. It did not help my problem. The problem itself was ignored.

I've been suffering from chronic sinus infections for most of my life. I recently consulted with Dr. Rizzo and had surgery this week and I feel so much better already. I really like Dr. Rizzo, her assistant, and the office staff. I highly recommend.