I developed cataracts and required surgery. Up until the day of surgery, Dec. 18, everything went smoothly. On the day of surgery, I arrived 15 minutes before the scheduled arrival time. It took less than 15 minutes to complete registration. Five (5) hours later, and excuses that the docotr had problems with the first surgery and it took a "little longer", I was finally taken to pre-op. Since I had followed instructions and not had anything to eat or drink for 14 hours, I was dehydrated. After sticking me five (5) times to get the IV started, they were finally successful. Now that the right eye had been completed, it was time to schedule the left eye. BIG MISTAKE! On the day of surgery, January 8, they changed my arrival time from 7:45 AM to 8:45 AM. I arrived at 8:20 AM and was registered within 5 minutes. When 10:00 AM rolled around, I started getting worried. A nurse came out and said the same thing they told me on Dec. 18 (which I had already found out was a lie) that the first surgery ran overtime. I told her to get me the scheduling nurse for the doctor and she said she would be "right back". We never saw her again. At 10:30 AM, I decided enough is enough, told the front desk I was leaving and did so. Now it has been six (6) days since that "surgery" and I have not even had so much as a call from Houston Eye Associates, even though I called them on January 10 and have sent them two emails. On January 11, the surgical hospital called to see how I was doing. I told them as well as can be expected considering that the surgery was not done. They did not know that I had not had the surgery! As far a Houston Eye Associates is concerned, they have not called or tried to contact me at all. I can only assume they couldn't care less that I am walking around with one lens in my glasses and half of the surgery completed.
I am willing to allow HEA to do what they contracted to do, but I will not wait for hours in the surgical waiting room. I Have had numerous outpatient surgeries and never had more than a 30 minute wait for any of them... Except for these two disasterous incidents.
In my last email, I told HEA that if they do not contact me and schedule, I will file a chargeback on my credit card and notify my insurance company that the pre-op exam and surgery are not to be paid as the servies were not performed in a timely manner and I will have to seek surgery elsewhere with a more reputable firm.
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