Stefan John Tolan, MD

"Went to see him told him upfront that I would never have shoulder surgery when he came in the room he was really rude he sounded really smart talking told me if I come back we would talk surgery went out of the room came back in about 15 minutes after 30 minutes in the office before he came in the first time as he was getting ready to give the injection he said I hope this one lasts I said I do to I was really afraid of him .I should had left .I will never go back to him ."

"My doctor was Dr. Stefan Tolan, I was seeing doctors in greenwood that were just giving me cortisone shots , The first one numbed my entire elbow, that never helped my pain or my condition. So one of my sisters told me to go to Steadman Hawkins where I met Dr. Tolan. I have had Elbow Arthroscropy/Bone Spur Elbow Surgery , Now its taking its time to heal , and a lot of time I experience a great deal of pain. But believe me its nothing compared to what i have had to deal with in the past before this doctor started treating me. And like anything else its going to take some time with therapy but I'm confident I will be just great once it all heals. Thank you so much for a job well done!!!!"

"I fell in May 2018 and broke my shoulder in 3 places. I saw Dr. Tolan in June of 2018, well I actually saw a student that was doing his internship with Dr. Tolan. He told me that my broken bones could grow back together. I was 57 yrs. old at that time. I demanded to see Dr. Tolan. Dr. Tolan came into the room & He told me the same thing but he wanted to see me in a week. My next visit Dr. Tolan, he wanted to do surgery right away. ( I was kind of shocked, what changed in a week?) We scheduled for July 11. The plan was to place a plate at the top of the shoulder and reattach everything. After an hour and a half he asked to speak to my husband. Dr. Tolan said that every time he tried to attach it, it would come apart. He told my husband that he had no choice but to do a shoulder replacement. Needless to say I was devastated. After 3 months I discovered I did not have a shoulder replacement but a total reverse shoulder replacement, big difference. (Why did he not explain this to me) Very different than just a shoulder replacement. After 6 months of physical therapy I was not doing well. I had very little range of motion & in so much pain. At every appointment Dr Tolan & his associates would tell me “It will take one year before you have a better range of motion.” At 8 months post surgery, I started noticing a knot on my arm just above my bicep, and I could not move my arm with the knot present. I went to see Dr. Tolan and he said “oh it is probably just my tricep muscle”. And then he quickly left the room. My husband was with me and we just sat there looking at each other like what did he just say??? (My husband was with me at every appointment) The knot was near my bicep not my tricep. After one year I still only had 50% range of motion & was in so much pain. I was so depressed because I was a very active person prior to this surgery! I finally sought out another doctor. I saw Alan Posta. He discovered that my appliance was pulling away from shoulder. He was also confused as to why I had to have a reverse shoulder replacement because he said that my ex-rays prior to surgery did not look that bad. He did my surgery over in Feb. 2020. I now have FULL range of motion. I can do just about anything I want with that arm. I begged Dr. Tolan to please help me but he just acted like he didn’t care. At every appointment he only saw me for 10 minutes. Please please go see Dr. Posta! Karen Garrett"

"Terrible. Has no compassion for his patients. On a follow up was given 2 different appointments, finally the office figured it out. After all that, did not even see Dr. Tolan who did my surgery, was a nurse and someone else who I assumed was in the practice as a Physician (did not identify himself). I was in and out nothing discussed. All the nurse did was trim stitches. I had to learn from Physical therapy exactly what was done and how severe my shoulder surgery was. They dont care, no bedside manner, I asked questions with no answers. No other Doctor I know and I work in medical field, has worse communication skills and bedside manner. Definitely request someone else. Hospital surgery staff was great however."

"I saw Dr. Tolan in December 2018 for a shoulder injury. He walked in to the room, never introducing himself! And neither did anyone else in his office that day! That day he spent all of three minutes in the room with me, said my rotator cuff was not torn and had his p.a. come in to give me an injection in my shoulder. I reluctantly saw Dr. Tolan again in March 2019 and after waiting an 1 and 15 minutes past my appointment time, he barges in to the room asking if the previous injection didn't work, said he would have his p a do another injection and then he was gone! Two minutes in the room that day! I timed it! In early March 2019 I had had abdominal surgery and had questions about what kind of work outs I could do for my shoulder, that wouldn't further injure my shoulder or the abdominal surgery I had just had. He left the room before I could say anything. The p a came in to do the injection and when I asked him, his reply was to not do exercises that hurt my shoulder! Ya think!!! I left the office that day feeling like Dr. Tolan could have cared less and that the P A just wanted me out of there. My pcp has since referred me to another orthopedist and guess what! My rotator cuff is torn and now I'm facing surgery! I'm grateful to have since been referred to an orthopedist who took the time to listen! We have to be our own medical advocates!!!"