H. Atwood's Online Review Report Card

Dr. Atwood is so easy-going, charming, with an excellent bedside manner-as long as you are the perfect patient. Which I was, until I wasn’t.I was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma Feb 17th, 2016. Dr. Atwood recommended a latissimus dorsi flap surgery, which takes the largest muscle in the upper back and loops it under the skin to the chest wall, improving blood flow and allowing faster healing after bilateral mastectomy. When asked what the side effects of this were, he smiled in response and stated “you won’t be able to row a canoe as well, or drive a golf ball as far”. Which sounded fine to me! The concept of not having breast reconstruction at all was never mentioned. And Dr. Atwood’s considerable easiness and charm made me trust him.Months later, in agony of severe chronic nerve pain, I found a medical journal from the UK showing a statistic of 74% of women who have a latissimus dorsi flap surgery end up in chronic life-altering pain.At my one year follow up, I was crying and begging for his help, asking when the pain would go away. He smiled and lied to me again. “It will,” he says.It took me 18 months of my own research to discover a condition called CRPS, nicknamed The Suicide Disease, due to the powerful levels of pain, graded at about amputation level. I was diagnosed with this condition by a pain management doctor. I also learned that other women who have had this procedure done also suffer greatly, and this practice is considered barbaric.When in discussion with Dr. Atwood regarding reconstructive surgery, if you ask him if implants are safe, he will say unequivocally “yes!”.Ah, but what he doesn’t offer you is the information regarding the ingredients in breast implants (even saline have silicone shells).The heavy metals and toxins on breast implants are pesticide level poisons. But women are not given this basic information, like a warning that we get with any prescription drug and its side effects.And don’t dare go see Dr. Atwood again, complaining of not only extreme pain, but also illnesses that gradually pile up and weigh you down until you cannot speak for the brain fog, and you cannot walk for the pain in your bones, joints, muscles. The autoimmune disorders that pile up like dirty laundry around you. The complete inability to take care of yourself, depending on others to bring you food and water and even to help you sit in the shower and wash your hair for you. And yet, you still go see this doctor, hoping he has some insight to what turned your slender, beautiful 42 year old body into a mass of useless bone and tendon, glowing with pain.When you cry in his office, he leaves the room without speaking, questions unanswered.Somehow, through the pain and the fog, you find other women suffering in online forums about breast cancer, reconstruction, and BREAST IMPLANT ILLNESS. When you mention those 3 words in yet another appointment, hoping for answers, Dr. Atwood will deny it is real. And leave the room again.Then you discover a gene called the HLA-B27 gene that rejects silicone. You ask your oncologist to test for this. You find out that you test positive. At this point those toxic bags of pesticide chemicals have been in your body for 4 years. They have caused lesions on your spleen, pancreas, liver, kidneys, and lungs. Your lymphatic system glows like a lit Christmas tree in MRI’s, showing sarcoidosis (inflammation). Your brain, spinal cord, lungs and heart have also accumulated damages. You even show Dr. Atwood the angry red skin around your reconstructed breasts, and he mumbles “that’s just blood flow” and vacated the room without answering your questions, yet again.Ladies, do your research. Get on social media forums and discussions about your health. Find women who live in huge urban areas where the “Good” doctors are. Find out what the procedures they suggest could do to your life, and don’t trust the doctors to answer you honestly. It might save your life.

Dr. Atwood has done a Tummy Tuck, Breast Lift and my arms and him and his team are so amazing!! I wouldn’t go anywhere else!! Best best plastic surgeon!!

I am 4 weeks post op and I couldn't be any happier with my results. I had blepharoplasty, fat graphs and an endoscopic brow lift. It looks fantastic!!! Dr. Atwood & his staff are simply the best, very kind, caring, Top notch and professional. I would never go anywhere else.

So thankful for Dr. Atwood and his staff.

I had bilateral mastectomies with reconstruction due to breast cancer.  Dr. Atwood did the reconstruction.  Rather than doing all in one surgery, he put me through three surgeries within eight months.  The second surgery was such a botched up mess I had to have the third surgery.  Which is still uneven with indentions plus he choose to put a larger implant in my right breast without my permission which is noticeably larger & causes pressure on the nerve he damaged. His scheduling secretary was very unfeeling & rude when asking for an appointment.  Dr. Atwood, himself, absolutely lied to me multiple times to cover up his poor work.  He also would ask you to return unnecessary times for followup visits which was difficult since I couldn't drive yet.  The pre-op hour long seminar ran 3 hours and gave incorrect information.  Since the nurse has never experienced this surgery...she was way off base with details which caused pain & expense of picking up items never used.  Overall .... I walked away never to go back after my third surgery and they never called to followup or inquire why which confirmed they really don't care about their patients as much as our money.  Very disappointed.

Very caring doctor and staff.

Doctor and staff are amazing!!! He truely cares for his patients.

Dr Atwood is great. He's spent the amount of time to help me understand what his plan was for treatment and ensured I was comfortable with our decisions. My drawback to using Dr Atwood is his extremely rude scheduling assistant. When I placed a call to inquire a when my next appointment was, she spent 2 minutes telling me how busy she was and why she had not made time to call with a schedule. My assessment is she could have had the schedule completed in the time she took to complain. She snapped at me for calling (it was my first time to call and ask a simple question. I had waited over 3 months to get the scheduling call and had never heard back). It's unprofessional of her to take her frustrations of her mismanagement of time out on the patient. Going into surgery is stressful enough without being talked down to by rude staff. The person in that position should have some people skills, which it seemed like she's lacking

Words cannot express how happy I am with the results of my surgery! The experience had me so nervous, but Dr. Atwood's staff eased my anxiety and made sure I was as comfortable as possible. Thank you for helping me feel comfortable again!

Dr. Atwood and his staff pay close attention to detail and are very personable. They know everyone as they walk through the door on a first name basis (no need to check in, right...lol) Regardless to any complicica5ions you may experience, Dr. Atwood has made himself available to his patients 24/7 And will walk you through journey hand in hand. I absolutely loved the experience and care received with Dr. Atwood and his team of care professionals!

Dr. Atwood did a scar revision on my neck several years ago after I had cervical disc surgery. It looks like nothing ever happened there now and I'm about to have him do another scar revision for me, knowing I'll get the same wonderful results by a nice doctor who put me totally at ease about and during the procedure.

I have known Dr Atwood since my first surgery in 1988, he has always been the best!

Been in constant pain since my surgery 3 years ago, plus the results were horrible! Dr Atwood's response: "well that's certainly not the results we would have hoped for". !?! And regarding the pain, he hoped it would get better in a year or two. My surgery was for replacement breast implants and breast lift (my original surgery - by a now retired plastic surgeon over 20 years earlier - was perfect! Completely natural results and recovery was about 2 weeks) - I had to sleep propped up on the couch for over 7 months was unable to lay flat for over a year! Stay away!

Dr. Atwood is honest about expectations and will tell you if you do not need a procedure.

I was very disappointed with my facelift from Dr. Atwood. He punched a blood vessel in my face with a needle and left me with a hematoma scar and nerve damage. Watch out!