James Hall

Review of Lahey Clinic Medical Center

I must say, after two visits to two different doct...

I must say, after two visits to two different doctors, I am really impressed with Lahey. You don't have that "rushed" and "everyone's too busy" feel you get with some Boston area hospitals. Both doctors spent over 30 minutes each discussing my situation with me and have given me the feeling that this is going to turn out all right. The hospital and the primary care facilities are both modern, well-equipped, and spotlessly clean. Their computer system is great (the second doctor had all the notes from the first doctor at his finger tips; they send what they want to the lab, so when you get to the lab they are ready; prescriptions they wrote were waiting for me at CVS an hour later). My previous PCP's office was like a third-world missionary clinic compared to Lahey!

Well, now I have seen 4 doctors at Lahey, and have had surgery. All 4 doctors have been nothing but understanding, pleasant, helpful, and so incredibly talented in their specialties.

I had a portion of my thyroid gland removed in November. A routine surgery for the surgeon, but new to me. I met with the surgeon a few weeks before the surgery and he explained everything beautifully, making me feel everything was going to go as planned. The day of surgery, I arrived at 9 AM as requested, and was in the operating room at 10, and in the PACU* at 11:30. When I woke up in the PACU, I felt absolutely fine...as if I had just woken up from a nap. I had no pain whatsoever (at first, I thought maybe my blood pressure had spiked and they had not done the surgery...until I felt the bandage on my neck). But the nearly 2 inch incision did not hurt then, and has never hurt since. The doctor had booked me to stay overnight, but I could have easily gone home right then. When I was released the next day, I went shopping after I got home! The nurses in the PACU were very pleasant and helpful. Very nice folks. And I got to see a real operating room! Not at all like on TV :)

*PACU = "post anesthesia care unit"...Lahey's name for the recovery room.