Karl Zarse's Online Review Report Card

Had a very confusing and expensive relationship with Dr. ZARSE that led us knowhere and cost a lot.

Dr. Zarse has been very good at treating my pain. He reviewed my medical history and treated the areas I needed help with. His assistant Russell Harmony is the person I usually communicate with and is excellent at explaining the process and getting me set up for treatments. The treatments are not long-term, and I do have to go back every few months, but they really do help with pain reduction and with my daily routine.

I've been a patient of Karl Z. for about 3-4 years and he's helped me considerably with my neck pain. I won't go into my personal issues but I will comment on the low ratings that other people have been leaving Karl for lack of empathy and compassion. Karl has ALWAYS been considerate, compassionate, understanding and listened to what I described with my issues. In his previous office and his new one (moved about 2017-ish) he has always spent time and never rushed the appointment. And that is with my personal understanding of the requirements and pressure of a medical office to rush patients and appointments in order to see as many as possible in a day while giving appropriate care. One commenter mentioned being on pain meds for 17 years and was offended that it was brought up in the appointment? Ridiculous... I feel that several of these low reviews are motivated by a perceived bad experience. Dr. Zarse, due to his focus, has probably seen more people addicted to pain meds than he can count and when someone is told that they are or have been taking them for too long (most people have no idea how pain meds even work and how the efficacy tapers off over time and long term effects) they get offended. A few of the bad reviews don't even make sense and are calling him names, they have nothing to do with the quality of care. If you are considering Dr. Zarse and are reading reviews on Google and other sites, read them all and take the bad ones with a grain of salt, read between the lines if you will.

My dad who is almost 80 years old and not a candidate for any surgery has been seeing Dr. Zarse. Thank you for giving him some back pain relief to be able to enjoy life! Best doctor!

I have had back problems stemming back to the early 70’s with surgery needed to recover the use of my left leg. Another surgery in the late 80’s added more back lower back pain but did relieve the sciatic nerve pain of my left leg. In 2006 doctors thought it was a good idea to implant a neurostimulator to alleviate the pain but it backfired and was removed in 2010. This left me with new pain in my thorax and no matter where I went or who I saw there was no relief for my new pain until I met Dr Zarse. His treatment was incredibly life changing and I will be forever grateful.

Dr. Zarse gave me my life back. I had RF Ablation of the nerves in my tailbone which had immediate pain relief! No more pain meds and now I can snowmobile and ride bikes again!! W00t!! 8/21/19 Had the RF Ablation again and it was easy, no pain, great staff and I am ready for the forest. Thank You!!!

He wasnt interested in treating my condition. All he wanted to do is make money on injections

My initial consultation with the RN went well. I really liked him. I was schedule for spinal injections. Not my first rodeo. I knew what to expect. I just in new state with a new doctor. Place is clean, staff is efficient but there was a breakdown that was not resolved. During intake the staff member verified the procedure. I told her that was incorrect and my understanding of the procedure I was there to have. She said she would check with the doctor. A few minutes later she came back and said "OK, we are ready for you" I went into the procedure, got on the table, didn't feel a thing and then was done and left thinking I had what I came to get. No I didn't. Within a few days it was clear I didn't have the same injections I had in the past. I also had what I thought was a complication but wasn't sure so called about it and never got a call back. By the time I got to my 2 week follow up I had figured out something was amiss. I asked the RN what they did. He verified they did the procedure that I specifically told the intake person was not what I was there for. There was never a discussion between me and the doc or anyone else about the discrepancy before they called me into the procedure room. I not only got zero pain relief but I got more pain that was quite different than I've experienced over the years of spinal problems. It was bad enough for me to go to the ER on a Saturday simply because I had no choice. I tried to reach the doctor by phone, e-mail, fax. i explained in detail just like I have done here. I asked the doctor to call me. That's all. Just talk to me. My case manager got involved. She was assured I would get a call back. After hounding them in every way I could think of trying to get a call with the doc I finally got a response. It was tacky beyond belief. A two page fax. The first page was a blank cover sheet. The second page was one sentence. "Do you want us to send your records to another doctor" Now why on earth would I want that since you didn't get the records to show what I had done in the past and just plowed right ahead anyway? I'm still hoping that Dr. Zarse has been "protected" by his staff and he is unaware this has all happened and will a decent human being and actually talk to me since I didn't talk to him before, during or after the procedure, but that seems unlikely. It's so dehumanizing I can't give it words.

The initial consultation with the Nurse Practitioner was great. I really enjoyed him. I arrived for the procedure and was taken back quickly. In the exam room things were fine until the staff member confirmed the procedure. It did not match what I thought i was having and told her so. She checked with the doctor. Nothing was said to the contrary. I went on the table for a fast and painless procedure. Had some things I thought were side effects, couldn't get a call back, went for follow up and found out they went ahead with the procedure that I told them was not what I thought I was having. I was not able to speak to the MD, ever. I've tried every method possible to get him to call me. I ended up in two E.R. rooms. Finally after multiple e-mails, faxes and phone calls by me and my case manager I got a one sentence fax that said only "Would you like us to send your records to another provider" That's it. This takes the cake on the worst practice management ever.

If you want your doctors to treat you like drug addicted cattle...this is your place. Took me two months to get a call back after a referral from my GP and it just went down hill from there. Plan on going in every month (like clockwork...don't miss a day!!!!, they won't refill your prescription without seeing you), plan on signing a waiver to be drug tested at any whim ($800 urine tests...seriously), AND plan on regular non-insurance covered pitches for regenerative treatments. The Straw: My last appointment was fine, spoke to the Nurse Practitioner, said "OK , see you in a couple of months", said goodbye and walked out (thinking I would make the appointment closer to that time). 30 days passes, I put a refill request in with my pharmacy, they fill one, the other, crickets. Five more days pass when I hear back from my RX that they want to see me before refilling. I spoke to the front desk (VERY hit and miss on professionalism and empathy), who told me that the Doctor needed