Thomas A. Simpson's Online Review Report Card

Dr. Simpson was great at listening and explaining everything

I really love Dr. Simpson and his team. He has helped me with my many allergy, asthma, and sinus issues. I have been in his care for over 2 years and have had several surgeries with him. I had a tonsillectomy 2 years ago, and recently I had a septoplasty, sinus surgery, turbinate reduction, etc. He is a very kind person and a great surgeon. I go to his office weekly for allergy shots. I have always had a great experience and would recommend Dr. Simpson.

I had an appointment with Dr Simpson because of ringing in the ears. The first thing that he told me was that there was nothing they could do for this condition. I asked him why they let me make an appointment for this condition if there was nothing they could do. He didn't have an answer for that and pushed me off to another person who gave me a hearing test that I didn't need. I had an appointment for ringing in the ears and didn't need a hearing test.

He is the only doctor I know that can prescribe the right meds to get rid of any sinusitis that I have. Also, would highly recommend him for sinus surgery. He is gentle and doesn't use much packing.

Can say enough good things about Dr. Simpson and his staff. Give them A++

My son had an ear infection with a punctured eardrum, so we went to Dr. Simpson. There was a lot of drainage in his ear that needed suctioned out before antibiotic drops could be put in. My son was scared and was fighting so much that it took my husband, the nurse, and myself to hold him down while the ear was being suctioned. My son freed his head for a moment and lifted his head off the table. Dr. Simpson shoved his head back down to the table very forcefully. When I said he didn't need to be so rough, he replied that my son just needed to quit fighting. I don't believe this was an appropriate way to deal with a scared 4 year old. I don't think he should be working with children at all. He also seems to push surgeries before they may be necessary. He recommended a tonsillectomy after my son had had strep throat twice in about 9 months. When I declined and said I wanted to wait it out, he seemed upset that I didn't just blindly agree. After the punctured eardrum incident, he said my son would need a third set of tubes, even though this is his first ear infection in more than two years. We will be taking our son to the University of Iowa for ENT care from now on.

I have been having problems with ear aches and headaches for a year my ent DR I have been seeing put me on meds and no help. Then he put tubes in my ear and still no help.they did a ct scan and said I had a infection in my mastoid bones ,more meds but no help.l went to DR Simpson for a second opinion and he saw the csf leak on my ct scan and he sent me to DR Hasen at the university of Iowa who confirmed DR Simpson findings. I'm now scheduled for surgery.

Dr. Thomas Simpson is an excellent doctor and has been my ENT specialist for over 13 years and the only one I go to or would consider going to. I have chronic sinusitis and other sinus/allergy issues and he is the only doctor I trust to evaluate and treat me. He’s performed two sinus surgeries (outpatient at an Iowa City care center) and numerous delicate in-office endoscopic sinus procedures (usually at least twice a year due to my chronic conditions) and has always used care and precision with outstanding results. He takes steps and time to make sure there is no pain and minimum discomfort during these in-office operations. He travels weekly from Iowa City to Muscatine, which is a major convenience and time saver for me. Hope, his office administrator and Mary Beth, his nurse, both travel down to Muscatine with him and are superb and always treat me with kindness and compassion. His nurse always returns my calls or phones in meds to the pharmacy when appropriate and needed. My son had several bouts of strep many years ago and his pediatrician at the time referred us to a different ENT who’s at Unity hospital in Muscatine. This particular ENT doctor at Unity told us that a tonsillectomy for my son would be “elective surgery”, which was absolutely incorrect as well as dangerous for the health of my son. We then took our son to Dr. Simpson for a 2nd opinion and he clearly explained that due to the number and frequency of the strep throat issues, this was not elective surgery, but necessary to prevent the infection from recurring and causing more damage to the body. Dr. Simpson performed the tonsillectomy on my son at an Iowa City care facility and it went very well with no problems. My son’s health improved dramatically as a result of having the tonsils removed. Dr. Simpson has done an in-office ear tube procedure on my son, too, with great results. My experiences with Dr. Simpson have all been very good and I highly recommend him for excellent care in Muscatine or anywhere in or near Iowa City.

My son did not meet his discharge goals to be released after having a tonsillectomy and he was not doing well. It turns out the "discharge goals" mean absolutely nothing (i.e. pain under control, minimal nausea, consume 10 oz. of fluid - these are written on a dry erase board in the room). My son wouldn't quit vomiting, couldn't hold down fluids, never received pain medication at the surgical center, and it was clear that the staff just wanted us out of there so they could close up and leave for the day. I got no helpful advice from Dr. Simpson, who acted as though my concern was an enormous inconvenience. At the pre-surgery appt. I was not impressed with his "chalk up another tonsillectomy for me" attitude and that was only confirmed on the day of surgery before surgery when my questions were treated as annoyances and during my son's difficult post-surgery recovery period when we clearly overstayed our welcome and apparently delayed Dr. Simpson from a golf game or something else of more value to him than the well-being of his patient. I pointedly asked Dr. Simpson, "What is the protocol for patients who do not meet their discharge goals?" and he couldn't/wouldn't give me a coherent answer. I would not recommend Dr. Simpson or the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center to anyone.

My son did not meet his discharge goals (pain under control, minimal nausea, drink 10 oz of fluid) to be released after having a tonsillectomy and he was not doing well. My son wouldn't quit vomiting, couldn't hold down fluids, never received pain medication at the surgical center, and it was clear that the staff just wanted us out of there so they could close up and leave for the day. Dr. Simpson acted as though my concern was an enormous inconvenience. At the pre-surgery appt. I was not impressed with his "chalk up another tonsillectomy for me" attitude and that was only confirmed on the day of surgery before surgery when my questions were treated as annoyances and during my son's difficult post-surgery recovery period when we clearly overstayed our welcome. I asked Dr. Simpson, "What is the protocol for patients who do not meet their discharge goals?" and he wouldn't give me a coherent answer. I would not recommend Dr. Simpson or the Iowa City Ambulatory Surgery Center to anyone.