Michael Petro

Get ready for this one — STAY AWAY FROM GENERAL SURGEONS, LOUIS THIBODEAUX AND MICHAEL PETRO!!! Short version: I had a full hysterectomy 5 weeks prior to this — 4 ER visits for gallbladder turned in to an admit and last minute surgery with Dr. LOUIS THIBODEAUX. I said something was wrong and I wanted imaging because the pain was so bad from the moment I woke up out of surgery. My OUTPATIENT surgery turned in to a 6 DAY hospital stay with DR. MICHAEL PETRO as the new general surgeon and his team, where I was told I needed to walk more, compared to a drug addict multiple times to my face, I didn’t need imaging, and a constant change in meds until I demanded a single person listen to me. Day 5 of my admission was when they finally did a CT and asked an anesthesiologist (which was evidently too expensive prior) to do a nerve block to just “get me under control”. He said it wouldn’t help and told Petro his concerns but he was pushed to do it anyway. You guessed it, it didn’t help because… the pain was too high in my abdomen. CT came back to show that nerves had been caught and I was stitched too tight so I had to have ANOTHER procedure to adjust the sutures. Under local anesthesia, Petro said I began to cry as soon as he touched me and they had to put me under more and give additional pain blockers. I was discharged before I was even done in the OR. 3 weeks later, I was having more intense pain. 3 more ER visits and I was finally moved to a room they typically keep patients to essentially shut them up (I worked in the ER at UC West Chester and my husband is a paramedic — we’re not stupid). And when I asked the nurse, TOMMY, to speak to the admitting doctor, I was shoved a phone given dilaudid in less then 5 seconds, and then had my door slammed. Come to find out I was jaundice, my liver was failing, and I was in beginning stages of pancreatitis. 4 days went by before they did anything and even then, endoscopy changed my scope to an ERCP because I was a “classic case for a stone being left in my bile duct”. They were correct and we later found out that there is NO RECORD of a flush or check of my duct during any of my procedures. Over the course of this nightmare, I had to take WEEKS WITHOUT PAY, leave my classroom and teaching partner constantly, and I couldn’t be with my 2 young kids (3 and 1). I was traumatized. We had a FORMAL INVESTIGATION and they found everything to be fine and accurate. There was no medical explanation or reasoning and no one cared to call and explain it. And because I didn’t die on the table and there is no outward physical harm done to me, I can’t sue them. Now I’m dealing with trauma, nightmares, a giant belly with my core strength because of their screw ups, in need of muscle repairs from all my procedures, and I’m STILL having pain! Sometimes I wish I had died so they would be held accountable for their actions and words. I have to wear shape wear every day just to keep the pain away from the amount of fat in my abdomen that is just hanging there. They owe me a whole lot and I got nothing. DO NOT GO TO DR. THIBODEAUX OR DR. PETRO (OR THEIR ENTIRE PRACTICE FOR THAT MATTER). SAVE YOURSELF THE TRAUMA!!!

Extremely friendly and informative, puts things in layman’s terms making it easy to understand. Data driven and welcoming of any and all questions. Great bedside manner, couldn’t have asked for a better surgeon!

As far as having to have surgery goes I couldn’t have asked for a better doctor. He was thorough and made me comfortable and at ease as much as possible about everything. He was even patient with all my annoying questions about when I could work out again. 2 thumbs up!!!