Dr. Mark Thomas Toyama, MD

I had a double inguinal hernia surgery with Dr Toyama. Most excellent doctor. Inspiring level of confidence. Excellent communication (I thought I was having a problem post surgery. Left message with answering service, and Dr Toyama called me back very quickly to discuss the issue). As good an experience as having surgery can be. And the staff of Northwestern was equally professional, skilled and attentive. Therefore, so far, so good. Surgery was one month ago, and I have been very satisfied with the experience with Dr Toyama to this point.

I am a retired physician and was fortunate to be referred to Dr. Toyama for surgery. All went well. He is an excellent surgeon with polished bedside manners. What more can a patient ask for?

Very professional, compassionate and trustworthy doctor. Despite my phobia of hospitals, I felt very comfortable having Dr. Toyama perform my laparoscopic cholecystectomy and trusted him 100%. He explained everything to me throughly and was very understanding and nonjudgemental. Overall he strikes me as an experienced doctor, who truly cares about his patients' physical as well as mental wellbeing.

I'm writing to warn people about getting a hernia operation done by Dr. Toyama. I'm a male in my 40's, very athletic, and was in real good shape prior to my recent operation with Dr. Toyama. My stomach was even in good shape, besides the small hernia. I was only about 10 lbs overweight. I have had 2 previous hernia surgeries, that were done that "old fashioned way", and they were simple and they worked well. One was done in 1976, and the other was done in 1991. No problems, easy.. So, I "assumed" that this would be an even easier fix, and was stupid and rushed into it, as there was a surgical appointment available within a few days. I didn't ask how it would be done, I just figured they'd sew it shut, I'd be sore for a week or so, take it easy, and gradually get back in shape. Dr. Toyama is arrogant, even for a surgeon, and didn't even tell me that he was going to put a "mesh" into my stomach! He didn't once go over the details of the procedure, (and it's my fault for… not asking questions), and his whole demeanor screams, "don't talk to me.. don't ask your stupid questions." (I have since tried to ask questions, and don't get any concrete answers.. his surgery was terrible, ala Frankenstein, and, his post surgical plan, follow up, and pain management have been non-existent.) I basically forced my way into the office a week after the surgery, and told him of the excruciating pain I was in, my respiratory condition (almost pneumonia from the surgery), and he only touched my stomach, after I said, "gee, can you humor me and feel it for a minute?". I didn't receive any answers, solutions, or prognosis that I felt confident in. For my lungs, he just looked at me, and said, "nah.. you don't have anything wrong with your lungs.." So, basically, my stomach is mis-shaped now, I've had incredible pain ever since the operation, I have a foreign object inside of me that I didn't sign up for, I have a large "seroma" or fluid sac filled with post op crud, and air, behind the mesh, and get this.. HE ALSO GAVE ME ANOTHER HERNIA IN THE OPERATION ITSELF. So, I'll have to have that fixed as well! All for the price of over $32,000 which was even billed by their office incorrectly. Part of the procedure, involved pumping my stomach cavity full of air, and putting a catheter in my unit. (I figure I should have been made aware of this prior..?). When I woke up, I felt like I was going to pop, and have been incredibly bloated with a distended, misshaped stomach ever since. (today is 37 days after the surgery) I went to Northwestern ER about a month after the surgery, to find out why I have been in so much pain, and his residents came to see me after a while, and they didn't even inform me of the new hernia (present in the cat scan they took), after conferring with Dr. Toyama. I had to read about it later, in the notes the hospital gave me. Their best answer for the large fluid sac, (that's pressing into my intestines and organs) is to wait and see what happens. I emailed the office yesterday, kindly, imploring them for help, and over 30 hours later, I still haven't heard a thing, let alone a phone call. In short, I hate writing this kind of thing, however, I feel it is my duty to warn people about going to see this doctor. It's been a real bad move for me, and I still have a long way to go, to recover from this incredibly unwise surgery and the decision I made to have it. And, to anyone reading that might think I'm just whining.. I've had 10 other surgeries in my life (mostly sports related), and this has been the most disappointing experience, and worst "customer service" I've ever had.. I'm in significantly worse shape now, after service by Dr. Toyama, than I was before the operation. He seems to have great credentials, and I imagine he's done lots of exceptional work, yet to me, it seems he's just burned out and doesn't care anymore, or at least, that's been my experience. ____ Update about 2 weeks later.. I have since found out that Dr. Toyama put in a 10 cm x 15 cm (4" x 6") "mesh" of "grade c" quality (which there are several class action law suits brewing as the material used is "biologically incompatible with human tissue"), into my abdomen for a dubious 1.5 cm hernia tear. He read my CT-Scan incorrectly (from my ER visit a month after the surgery) and has advised me not to do anything with a "softball sized" seroma which is causing incredible discomfort. I met with him after my initial post, and he just boldfaced lied to me about having "gone over the procedure in detail with me". When I showed him my abdominal wall swelling, extra fluid in my left quadrant, and strange diagonal wrinkle, he just shrugged it off and said it was my waistline. (it definitely wasn't my waistline before the surgery!) I told him how my quality of life has suffered and it seemed to me that he could care less. I asked Connie, his assistant for a copy of my records and it took her over 9 days to get them to me. Summary: Do not see this "doctor."

I have visited several doctors in my life while being treated for cancer. Dr. Toyama is at the top of my list for professionalism, intelligence, compassion, flexibility, and overall demeanor. He is the kind of doctor that all patients hope for, that all doctors should try to emulate, and that all students admire.