John L. Atkinson's Online Review Report Card

Arrogant rude, dismissive, sarcastic! , non caring for starters!! Never would I travel there to see him again!

Worst experience ever. This man was beyond arrogant. He had no answers to my questions. My appointment lasted 13 minutes and I left in tears, not because of what he said but how he treated me. Not a caring man!

I had him operating my csf leak, twice,, and I cannot thank him enough for giving me my life back. You can trust him, very professional and caring person. Sad to see bad reviews, not accurate at all.

Very arrogant man. When his surgery was unsuccessfully, he didn't have the courage to even come talk to me in the hospital as I recovered. Horrible experience.

Worst experience of my life. Dr. Atkinson mistakenly operated on my pituitary gland after I was mistakenly exposed to a medication that is known to cause elevated prolactin/galactoria. Back at the time I didn’t know that my symptoms were related to that medication. It turns out I had a medication-induced hyperprolactinemia. They misdiagnosed me and operated on me. The correct course of action would have been to make sure the medication was completely discontinued and to monitor prolactin level to make sure it returned back down to normal (and it did.) Surgery was not only unnecessary but it caused more harm than good. I was told the surgery was non-invasive and essentially painless. I woke up from surgery throwing up chunks of flesh and blood with a throbbing headache that doesn’t go away. When I called Dr. Atkinson to tell him the pain I had as a result of the surgery he had his receptionist call me back to tell me that my pain was not a result of the surgery. It was a direct result of the surgery itself. Previous to surgery I felt good and had never had a headache in my whole life. The surgery itself is mutilating and prior to surgery I had no idea what I was getting myself into. There was no informed consent. I didn’t know that a drill would be used or the potential for complications as a result of the surgery. I was told the surgery was painless and noninvasive which is not true. The surgery is mutilating and causes an acquired brain injury. At my follow up appointment I told Dr. Carpenter (my primary physician at Mayo) that I felt worse than previous to surgery except now I have chronic pain. They dismissed my concerns even though they saw a hyperdense mass on the mri that wasn’t there previous to surgery. Dr. Carpenter told me that 80-90% of Dr. Atkinson’s patients come back to him after surgery saying that they have headaches as a result of the surgery and that they have lost all quality of life. He told me his last patient came back and said he felt as though he was hit in the center of the forehead with the back end of a hammer and has lost all quality of life. That is how surgery has caused me to feel. And previously I had great quality of life and had never had a headache in my life. I have been hung up on several times over the past 10 years from patient experience and Dr. Atkinson’s receptionists. I have asked countless times for them to reassess my previous scan for a retained surgical object and they have refused to do so. Regardless of whether or not the mass was an operative change or a retained surgical object, this surgery caused unnecessary pain and suffering whereas it previously did not exist and more research needs to be done on the part of the neurosurgery dept. Beware of this surgery. And beware of this surgeon at Mayo Clinic who has caused many complications and deaths as a result of the surgery itself.

Was misdiagnosed as having a prolactinemia after being exposed to a medication. They failed to recognize that my symptoms were directly related to the medication and instead operated on my pituitary gland. I was told that the surgery was painless and non-invasive which was a lie considering I woke up from surgery throwing up chunks of flesh/bone and blood. Previous to surgery I felt good and had never had a headache in my life. Immediately upon waking up from surgery I have experienced a throbbing headache that doesn’t go away and have lost all quality of life. I was told that the previous patient had the same experience as me. He said he felt as though the back end of a hammer was slammed through the center of his forehead and he lost all quality of life. Prior to surgery I didn’t understand and I thought he must have a really bad tumor. I still believed the lie that the surgery itself is harmless. Now that I’ve had the surgery I understand. I feel exactly the same way. It is the surgery itself that causes the horrible pain and loss of quality of life. Patient experience has continually hung up on me for 10 years. At my 4 month follow up appointment they saw a large hyperdense shadow on the mri that they decided they thought was gelfoam. Doesn’t seem right. And now that I have researched gelfoam itself I have learned that gel foam isn’t recommended for use in small bony cavities like the sella turcicca. As doctors they should know that. The warnings even state that this material can cause a foreign object reaction in some people and that in some cases reoperation is necessary. Why was this not disclosed to me PRIOR to surgery? Dr. Atkinson left me high and dry. And he is a coward for not even responding and hanging up when I call. Warning ⚠️ do not have this surgery!

I was there at the request of a Neurologist. This doctor is rude, arrogant and self centered. Stay away! Had no clue of my condition.

Highly recommend this Doctor. We had a family member in a very fragile state and needed a biopsy. Dr. Atkinson was able to perform this procedure with a high degree of success. Our family could not be happier. He is a very experienced and confident doctor. Can't say enough good things about him!!!

Dr. Atkinson did not appear to take my concerns seriously or take the time to look at my past records. He seemed to be laughing about my situation instead of actually caring about trying to help me. I would not recommend him at all. I'm also not impressed with the Mayo Clinic so far. I feel certain I will be brushed off yet again tomorrow and that this was just a wasted trip for me. Most of healthcare is a scam and that includes the Mayo Clinic. At least that is how I see it right now.

I am glad I chose Dr. Atkinson as my surgeon to remove by pituitary gland 2.5cm macroadenoma. Thank god for his skills and his amazing team I was able to go home the next day. Thank you and God Bless you all!!!