Dr. Kenneth Lamar Smith, MD

Although most physicians would like to receive a 5 rating for their services, I can give Dr. Kenneth Smith a 3. He did breast cancer surgery on both of my mother’s breast on the same day. Prior to and during her bilateral breast surgery, he was awesome. After my mother’s surgery, she developed a seroma in her right breast. Because I a RN, MSN, and I’d worked over 16 years in Breast Imaging/Radiology with breast cancer patients, I knew it was a seroma. I did all but beg Dr. Smith to refer my Mother to radiology for an ultrasound of the lump in her right breastthat he insisted was a hematoma after her surgery, that would go away in a few months. On her return visit, he and I went through this same dance again. He again insisted it was a hematoma and had her come back in a month. Another doctor, indirectly involved in managing her care, called him to questions him about the seroma where he pulled the “god” card and said “he is in charge of her care, not you”. A few weeks later,… the seroma in my Mom’s breast opened up. She was left with several Wound Clinic appointments, twice day wound packings, antibiotics, etc. all because a seroma was not drained when it should have been. It was not a hematoma. They don’t open up like that. Now she has an ugly scar from the slow and poor healing of her wound. I don’t know the providers in Columbus, Ga. Dr Smith was referred to me by a nurse at my Mother’s Primary Care MD’s office. I’ve been a registered nurse, with a masters degree in nursing for over 45 years. Also, I am a retired Army Nurse Corps Officer and a retired GS-12 Civil Service Nurse. This I know to be true: The BEST doctors are the ones who listens to nurses!