Dr. Ronald Douglas Smith JR., MD

I had surgery performed by Dr. Smith to remove a thoracic cyst in 2018. A surgery that should have been a "relatively easy surgery" with only a 2-day hospital stay and two week recovery time. I ended up staying in the cardiac unit for a week and my recovery was months long. I am left with a damaged phrenic nerve which renders my the lower part of my left lung incapacitated for the rest of my life. Not only was the surgery performed by Dr. Smith sub-par, he was belittling and dismissive and even suggested that he should have never done the surgery. I have had to learn to live with being winded when walking at a brisk pace or walking up a flight of stairs or even laying down every night to sleep. I do not understand how this man has received so many glowing reviews. Certainly I am not the only person whose life he has ruined.

Told my husband he had lung cancer. Didn't do a biopsy until after he removed the lung. NO CANCER.... left my husband crippled for life.

Even though talk and walk is professional with this doctor i feel that i was a guenia pig with my first bypass surgery that was really not nessesary by my heart surgeon, was told that my heart and lungs were in bad shape, so being that i was told that and was in the hospital already for angina attack from a stressfull marrage that i was in at the time, felt confident at first to go ahead with the triple bypass surgery that Dr. smith recommended. After the surgery i was put on zannax and ambient for rest and had halucinations which resulting in me trying to remove drainage tubes twice before i was taken off that medications. Second i had an allergic reaction to the metal wire that Dr. Smith used to close my chest, inwhich i had to have 10 following surgeries for a so-called infection. The results of cultures for a period on 18 months were inconclusive, ( no bacteria) was grown. After the 8th surgery Dr. Smith had referred me to another surgeon in Tampa that finalized… my suffering. Dr. Aveara concluded that it was a curculation issue and not an infection. after his surgery on me i have not had an issue with the final closure of a 3.5 inch wide and 18.0 inch lenth and 9 by 15 in skin graph scare that i have had to and still do have movement issues and site pain. Unfortunatly since govener Scott changed laws on sueing doctors especially with a claimed infection, its hard to find a lawyer that would have taken this case. Even though it would have been a suit for pain and suffering for the rest of my life.

I miss you man, you helped train me. How to look at a patient. How to sit back and watch everything going around the patient. How to stay calm. You are a good surgeon. In every way. I wish you the best of luck. The best this life has to offer for you.