Dr. Stephen Walker Hipp

I wasn't even able to explain my symptoms because I was cut off by him saying he had heard th is same story many times before. After being drilled with a few basic questions and a brief exam he made me feel felt like my problem wasn't worth his time.

Dr. hipp is a tell it like it is doctor. And I like that. I don't want any sugar coating. Just tell me the truth and say it like it is. That is what I like about him. Good job Dr. Hipp.

My appointment with this doctor was a waste of time. He acted in a hurry and didn't listen to what I was trying to explain to him about my symptoms. He told me I needed surgery without even looking at any MRI of my spine. He was also rude and very arrogant during the appointment. Total Spine has a reputation of employing the worst doctors and this is totally true. Never going back.

Dear Dr. Hipp, I wanted to let you know that I started PT today and that the reason my gait and balance are off is because my right hip sets up higher than my left, causing the muscles (i.e. piriformis muscle) to extremely tight, which (I am sure you know) is most likely the cause of the severe pain I continue to have post-op. I had been researching causes of continued sciatic nerve pain prior to even meeting with the PT. I immediately realized that the piriformis muscle could be putting pressure on my sciatic nerve. Come to find out, I was right to a certain extent--hip malalignment --> piriformis tense -->pseudosciatica. I knew something wasn't right and that what I was feeling wasn't just post-op pain as you continued to state. It wasn't my cerebellum (as I over heard to tell Jennifer during our first meeting) that was causing the imbalance. It is my body structure. It also explains why the muscle relaxer helped with my pain more than the oxycodone (which I didn't want to take).… I had mentioned to Sherry that the muscle relaxer was helping more than oxycodone. She told me that it wasn't possible because I was experiencing only post-op nerve pain. But, it wasn't just post-op nerve pain, which was what I was trying to tell you and your staff, but no one listened. I am not going to report you or your staff to any agencies. But, I hope that you will use our failed physician-patient relationship as a learning tool in that you need to listen to your patients when they are telling you that something isn't right, whether or not it offends you. (I feel that when a patient tells you he/she isn't feeling right and are worse than before, you take offense because you "like to go home with your chest puffed up" as you stated during my final post-op appointment with you. It is apparent that your self-esteem is based on how well you perform your duties surgeon--(patient post-op recovery) which isn't fair to the patient. Putting your feelings first isn't what you were taught in medical school. Instead of bragging about being a surgeon for 27 years and few days, maybe you should be compassionate and listen to your patients. I think that you need to take a step back and do a self-evaluation on how well you perform being a compassoniate human-being to another human-being. If you had been in my shoes that day, you would have walked out too. You repeatedly told me that you didn't care about what your P.A. or assistant told me. You told me to go ask the radiologist for clarification on the post-op MRI narrative. And ,that you don't need know everything about the patients you operate on during their recovery, and that you don't write everything down. You disregarded me throughout our "relationship" as just another person trying to get pain medication. I think that when a medical professional gets to the point that he/she is able to tell their patients that they "don't care," without blinking, there is a clear problem. And, to state that you believe you "are a vessel to do God's work" is over-reaching because as a strong Christian (who grew up in Central Church of God--Pastor Livingston) myself, the Lord would not and does tell me that HE doesn't care. Best Regards,

Terrible surgeon, terrible bedside manner, and disrespectful to patients. Before choosing this surgeon to take care of your medical needs make sure he is your last resort.

Dr. Hipp is a wolf in sheep clothing. So nice at my first appt, encouraged me to get surgery, after surgery accused me of being a drug addict and ignored all follow up calls. He is like a puppy mill. Get as many surgeries as possible and can't keep up with his litter because he has too many patients. He didn't even correct the problem accurately!

a wonderful dr he has helped me so very much

I have had pain for 7 years. A year ago an MRI showed a tear in my L4:L5 & L5:S1. That was the worst doctors appointment I have ever been to. I have had doctors that I have not liked but he was HORRIBLE. As soon as doctor Hipp entered the room I reached out to shake his hand and said "hello Dr. Hipp" he shakes my hand and says "do I know you??" in a off putting tone. He starts asking me immediately what I do for a living. After I tell him he interrogated me more about exactly what I do for a living. Before I even finish he cuts me off and starts asking me questions about my back. He has me go do two quick x-rays. They are done quickly and I am back in the room. He comes back in to see me and starts off by asking "So have you been on opiates your entire adult life?" I say for the past 4 years off and on. He says "there is nothing wrong with you and my parting recommendation to you is to get off all pain meds. You can get by on Advil. Your pain can't be as bad as you think." My jaw… almost dropped to the floor. I don't think he ever saw my MRI. To all of you who have been in bad pain you know that it is NOT an Advil fix. Stay AWAY from Stephen Hipp! You have been warned!

Dr. Hipp Operated on me knowing it was not the right way to treat my condition. His operation notes state he had a hard time getting the shut into my ventricles and pumped out blood and brain matter. However, he went ahead and did the brain shut twice (the first stuck up a bit). When I found out I had MS I asked him why did he installed the shunts (one in head doesn't work so I have one in my spine also). His answer blew me away and I'll never forget his smug statement, "Just because you have a active neurological disease, in progress, does not mean I can't place a shunt, in your head". After telling him that I would have liked to have been informed - prior, to surgery, he looked at me as if I was an idiot. Guess who's was a bit stupid I trusted him. I now have seizures and nonretractable migraines. I did not suffer from chronic pain, seizures, and now 9 autoimmune diseases. HE PUMPED OUT BRAIN MATTER. I have to wonder if some of this is due to him. … Think about it - before picking him as your neurosurgeon. I know I picked him because I didn't want to pay the 10% insurance would not cover. If - someone had told me 'don't pick him', - 20/20 hindsight. Maybe I can save someone from my fate........

He explained everything to me Dr.Hipp spend a lot of time with me I would and have recommended him to others.