Center For Advanced Spine Care of Southern Arizona

"I liked this place a lot, because I thought he was a straight up kind of doctor. This pre-op appointment, I waited two plus hours to see him; I made a joke/comment directly to him about the wait time; then he asks if his injection worked, over a month later mind you. I couldn't really remember, and that's what I had said to him. I get a phone call; and lie after lie comes out; the day before my surgery telling me that not only was my surgery cancelled I am no longer a patient there. They proceed to transfer me to his old partner at St Mary's and thAt was a sh!t show in itself. Needless to say I did not ever continue having back surgeries; I suppose I'll wait till the next time I can't walk. It has taken a lot of brain power to come back from the brain prep fOr that surgery. Sincerely, Left hanging."

"Where do I start? 1. Walked in & got no greeting (but obvious avoidance) by the front desk receptionist. Eventually I walked back up to her desk to ask if there was any paperwork I needed to fill out. 2. My appointment was at 1030. Since I'm from out of town I got there early (around 9:45). I didn't get seen by Dr. Lew until 12pm. 3. The staff was really unorganized. 4. Once the Dr. Finally came into the room the first words out of his mouth "you're too young to be here." He pulled up my images on the screen and then kept asking me "what do you want to do?" I had anxiety because he didn't even tell me what any of my options were! As he was talking to me he would walk out of my room, walk into another patients room and then back into my room. He did this back and forth about 4 times. It made me feel uncomfortable because he really wasn't focused on my care or listening to what my issues have been. 5. He asked me if I wanted a shot in my neck & I agreed because I have been in a lot of pain but I had a sick feeling in my stomach because of how incredibly unorganized they had been up until that point. The assistant opened a form and rushed through it and had me sign before I even really got a chance to read it. 6. The procedure to get the shots in my spine was very unprofessional. I had to lay down on this table with my face in a pillow (ummm..hello, can't breathe) while the nurse didn't explain anything. I finally got anxiety hearing her feet shuffling around & looked up and she said "you need to keep your face in the pillow". Seriously?? The doctor came in and said "you're going to feel a pinch" and pumped the shots into my neck. After I got home I looked up what shots he had given me and it was litocaine... It literally wears off after 2 hours! My neck was stiff and in even more pain for 2 days after that! 7. They prescribed me medication and gave me a referral for a physical therapist. I was told that the receptionist would provide a list of physical therapists when I checked out. I went up front to check out and she handed me some papers. I said "I was told that you were going to provide me with a list of physical therapists." She said " I didn't even know they were sending you to physical therapy." I told her I don't live in the area so needed a list of PT near my home. She handed me a couple of lists of Tucson PT... I just walked out and decided I wouldn't ever return & would go elsewhere. 8. Last but not least, about 2 weeks after this terrible experience I received a call from a pharmacist in Glendale (about 3 hours away from where I live) telling me that the doctor had just sent in a perscription for me and asked if I was coming to pick it up.... ?????? Definitely not driving 3 hours to pick up a perscription that I wasn't even told about. The only thing I can guess is that they mixed me up with someone else?? With how unorganized they were I wouldn't doubt it!"

"RUN away as fast as you can! I'm not kidding. He's a known butcher, ask any other surgeon! He crippled me, has been dropped by my insurance for fraudulent billing and fraudulent surgical procedures. Search for more reviews and every single one that says he's great is done by his staff. Incompetent staff, doesn't explain what he's doing, pulls up someone elses x-ray and says it's yours, surgery's are at St. Mary's which is a huge clue right there, 6 hr surgery didn't explain what happen, released me next day at 11:00, yelled at me saying e-ray says I'm healed, that I'm not in pain, severely depressed and mentally ill, he'd refer me to another surgeon. Go back 4 months later w/another e-ray asked him to refer me out, said he couldn't because I haven't healed? Which one is it, I'm not healed or healed? Billed me for a diagnostic injection I didn't get. Told me he had to remove screws from 1st surgery, which is an outright lie, screws are NOT removed! He was going to operate on me only to make money. Gave me a Rhizotomy but didn't stun my nerves, had 5 days relief, wrote in notes I had 25 day relief. I do have a case against him. He cares about $ not patient.. He's dangerous and I am NOT kidding!!"

"I have never met a more disrespectful person let alone physician! Just to start my appointment off I waited over hour and half, with only one patient there besides me. I could hear them just talking bout prices of insurance and retirement. Then by the time he gets to me he walks out for another 20mins to overlook my MRI which by the way I never had so when he came back I had to explain to him no his office only ordered X-rays. Then he goes on to ask about my personal life if I smoke or drink and since I said no I do not drink he found it necessary to ask if I was Mormon. I answered yes but I don't practice accordingly, he replied ya but that's still the reason for your no drinking. I told him no it's because I have kids and it's not something I have time for. After all that being said and done he was completely rude asked what I expected him to do since I had no MRI and that he's the dr he needs to see it with his own eyes and if I just expected him to put me under the knife the next day. I explained no that my hometown physician had done the MRI and I thought him seeing the results would have been enough he stated no that he was the professional and even though I made the almost 3 hour trip that I needed to come back. Above all I'm sure this message don't sound half as bad as it was I did excuse myself out and let him no I was not comfortable with the way he was speaking to me and that's not how you treat a patient that his paying you your check. I'm not sure if that's just how he is or if my religion choice had something to do with it but he left me in tears walking out. I was just excited a specialist could get me in that short of notice and now I know why. My suggestion is don't give this dr your time of day read up on him first"

"Dr. Lew ( as I call him) truly cares about his patients. He had his staff consistently calling to check on me to see how I was feeling and/or if their was anything I needed. He did not waste anytime diagnosing me and getting it resolved. He did not do anything that he knew would just "put a band aid" on the problem. He truly cares about my future pain and wants avoid any problems in the future. He looks ahead instead of just fixing the now. I will NEVER see another back surgeon as long as he is still practicing."