Review by
L. L.
on
April 10, 2016
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Practice At 2001 Vail Ave Suite 200 - 2001 Vail Ave Suite 200
Office & Staff Evaluation
Practice Evaluation
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Ease of Getting an Appointment
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Courtesy of Practice Staff
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Appearance & Atmosphere of Office
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Handling of Billing & Insurance
- Average Wait Time 31 minutes or more
Provider Evaluation
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Willingness to Spend Time with You
- Listening Skills Not rated
- Clear explanations Not rated
- Trust in Decision Making Not rated
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Accuracy of Diagnosis
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Post-Visit Follow-Up
“Left me crippled”
Dr Jeremy Gililland totally blew my knee replacement in September 2014 fracturing my tibia taking 4 hours to complete and caused substantial nerve damage and large bone infarct (irreversible bone death from starvation of blood ect) to my femur. The joint was very loose and would fail sending me to the ground without notice. Dr Erik Kubiak also with the University of Utah looked me straight in the eyes on two different occasions and promised he will fix it. January 2015 4 months later Dr Kubiak removed the implant and replaced it with extensive hardware that included huge rods driven into my tibia and femur. Now the leg is almost two inches longer than the other. Dr Kubiak used undersized hardware and raised my joint line to the point where my leg would have never worked. He installed it completely wrong. When asking what happened Dr Kubiak offered no explanation other than Dr Gililland really blew it and he did the best he could with what He had to work with. He said to go see Hanger Prosthetics and pick out a new leg because amputation was my only option. I told him that I felt if I had come to him first wouldn't be in this position and he replied that if I had come to him first he would not have done a knee replacement because I didn't need it. Not willing to accept amputation as my only option I repeatedly asked Dr Kubiak for additional X-rays and MRI but was told that I didn't need them. He refused to order images that would show how bad they screwed up. I had to go out of network to get X-rays and they showed my patella is 2.5 inches low (patella baja) and tilted laterally more than an inch. The top of my knee cap often gets wedged between my femur and tibia and cracks hard when it happens. My knee is so loose it sounds like truck that threw a rod when I walk.
These guys know they are protected by the state of Utah and if they can put you off for 1 year then your statue of limitations expired unlike the other providers where it's 2 years. They also don't seemed concerned about lawsuits because they have what is referred to as their "firewall" which is a hearing conducted at the Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL) an informal confidential closed hearing where they have a lawyer chairperson who went to school at the University of Utah oversee the hearing and its findings, two people in their 80's who never say a word and one of their peers along with a team of risk management personnel from the hospital. Before any court proceedings are allowed one must get merited certificate of compliance. The report from the chairperson following the hearing sounded like a nominations for surgeon of the year. So unfair how the lobbyists work in Utah legislation to protect their interests.
So, they tell you nothing is wrong and it's going to get better and refuse ordering tests showing they blew it because they want to get past one year so they can't be sued.
After 6 months waiting for an appointment to see my new Dr he said it can be fixed but there are no guarantees and everything has to be replaced. The surgery is expected to take 8 hours.
Here are a few suggestions.
Ask for a printout at the end of each Dr visit stating what took place.
Get a second opinion outside the U of U.
If they make you promises about your outcome ask for it in writing. They will deny they promised you anything and will ask you to sign a consent stating you were NOT promised anything the day your scheduled for surgery. The consent states they covered all your concerns and informed you about all the risks involved. It also states that they can elect anyone they want to do the procedure and not tell you.
Don't expect that you will be ready to go back to work 6-8 weeks following the surgery as stated in their "jointcamp" because in my case they said it takes along time to recover from surgery as they kept telling me 1 year. I find that convenient for them because the U of U no longer fears litigation after 1 year.
Don't allow them to schedule the surgery until you do your homework and take home a copy of their consent form to read and discuss with family. They treated me like I was shopping for a car and after I agreed they stuck me in with the finance manager to sign papers, sell me clear coat protection and extended warranty. Don't feel pressured.
Ask about the manufacturer and model of joint replacement hardware they plan to use. Some surgeons only use one type and it may not be what's best for your situation. Ask them why they plan to use that brand and if they offer other options. Do some online research to see what history the joint has and any recall history.
Look into rehabilitation facilities and if possible try and schedule two weeks of appointments prior to surgery. The good ones are harder to get appointments with and keep in mind the U of U therapist are going to protect their own. They didn't mention anything to me what happened post surgery either time when I repeatedly ask for their opinion.
Comment - “ Left me crippled ”
Dr Jeremy Gililland totally blew my knee replacement in September 2014 fracturing my tibia taking 4 hours to complete and caused substantial nerve damage and large bone infarct (irreversible bone death from starvation of blood ect) to my femur. The joint was very loose and would fail sending me to the ground without notice. Dr Erik Kubiak also with the University of Utah looked me straight in the eyes on two different occasions and promised he will fix it. January 2015 4 months later Dr Kubiak removed the implant and replaced it with extensive hardware that included huge rods driven into my tibia and femur. Now the leg is almost two inches longer than the other. Dr Kubiak used undersized hardware and raised my joint line to the point where my leg would have never worked. He installed it completely wrong. When asking what happened Dr Kubiak offered no explanation other than Dr Gililland really blew it and he did the best he could with what He had to work with. He said to go see Hanger Prosthetics and pick out a new leg because amputation was my only option. I told him that I felt if I had come to him first wouldn't be in this position and he replied that if I had come to him first he would not have done a knee replacement because I didn't need it. Not willing to accept amputation as my only option I repeatedly asked Dr Kubiak for additional X-rays and MRI but was told that I didn't need them. He refused to order images that would show how bad they screwed up. I had to go out of network to get X-rays and they showed my patella is 2.5 inches low (patella baja) and tilted laterally more than an inch. The top of my knee cap often gets wedged between my femur and tibia and cracks hard when it happens. My knee is so loose it sounds like truck that threw a rod when I walk. These guys know they are protected by the state of Utah and if they can put you off for 1 year then your statue of limitations expired unlike the other providers where it's 2 years. They also don't seemed concerned about lawsuits because they have what is referred to as their "firewall" which is a hearing conducted at the Department of Professional Licensing (DOPL) an informal confidential closed hearing where they have a lawyer chairperson who went to school at the University of Utah oversee the hearing and its findings, two people in their 80's who never say a word and one of their peers along with a team of risk management personnel from the hospital. Before any court proceedings are allowed one must get merited certificate of compliance. The report from the chairperson following the hearing sounded like a nominations for surgeon of the year. So unfair how the lobbyists work in Utah legislation to protect their interests. So, they tell you nothing is wrong and it's going to get better and refuse ordering tests showing they blew it because they want to get past one year so they can't be sued. After 6 months waiting for an appointment to see my new Dr he said it can be fixed but there are no guarantees and everything has to be replaced. The surgery is expected to take 8 hours. Here are a few suggestions. Ask for a printout at the end of each Dr visit stating what took place. Get a second opinion outside the U of U. If they make you promises about your outcome ask for it in writing. They will deny they promised you anything and will ask you to sign a consent stating you were NOT promised anything the day your scheduled for surgery. The consent states they covered all your concerns and informed you about all the risks involved. It also states that they can elect anyone they want to do the procedure and not tell you. Don't expect that you will be ready to go back to work 6-8 weeks following the surgery as stated in their "jointcamp" because in my case they said it takes along time to recover from surgery as they kept telling me 1 year. I find that convenient for them because the U of U no longer fears litigation after 1 year. Don't allow them to schedule the surgery until you do your homework and take home a copy of their consent form to read and discuss with family. They treated me like I was shopping for a car and after I agreed they stuck me in with the finance manager to sign papers, sell me clear coat protection and extended warranty. Don't feel pressured. Ask about the manufacturer and model of joint replacement hardware they plan to use. Some surgeons only use one type and it may not be what's best for your situation. Ask them why they plan to use that brand and if they offer other options. Do some online research to see what history the joint has and any recall history. Look into rehabilitation facilities and if possible try and schedule two weeks of appointments prior to surgery. The good ones are harder to get appointments with and keep in mind the U of U therapist are going to protect their own. They didn't mention anything to me what happened post surgery either time when I repeatedly ask for their opinion.