Complaint Review: Konene & Assoc

 I have been a patient of Baylor Center for Pain mgt since 2011 (formerly Pinacle pain mgt of dallas). I had one visit with Dr brian Flanagan who never put a finger on me to check my ROM or pain level using oswestry scales prior to scheduling a series of epidural steroid injections.  The injections were done at 3 different facilities, and I never had any relief from the pain.  My injury is not facet, disc or joint pain, and the theory was that most likely these would not have any relief anyhow. After the initial “exam” with Dr Flanagan, he never physically visited with me again. Each month I visited with his FNP Sarah.  Although I did like her, she basically had my prescription completed and waiting on me when I walked in the exam room. I knew that the ESI series is typically 3, so I never really questioned that. Never did anyone ever examine me nor did they change or offer to change medications or treatments until all 3 ESI’s were complete. Also, each time I went in, my prescription, although completed by Sarah, was signed by Dr Konen or Dr Flanagan. (I still have never even seen Konen) A year later, and there was still no change in my treatment, and pain was increasing.  A family member and myself demanded to speak to Dr Flanagan. Again he didn’t do any examination, only decided I needed a spinal stimulator. Again, I comply. After surgery to do the test implant, it was found that the leads were not placed in the proper region of my spine. I was sent home any way and was told that if it didn’t eventually help me, to call Sarah and have her remove it.  Well, obviously it didn’t help. I called the manuf. Rep, scott and informed him of my dilemma. Long story short, I have to date had 4 ESI’s, 2 trial neuro stimulators,(that are out of network and you have no clue till you get the bill from medtron. They don’t even file the claim. They assume you owe whatever the  insurance in network percentage is, not paying attention to the fee schedule you would actually be paying against if in fact they were in network therefore it never gets applied to your yearly accumulations at the insurance company-deductible, out of pocket, etc.), 2 lab test’s via urinalysis that was charged to my insurance for $3700.00 each one, for drug compliance testing (that by the way is out of network with all insurance companies-no worries because they only charge us in network fees up to $250 out of pocket per the office manager). So since I signed the form in the hallway saying I realized that the lab company is solely owned by the doctors in this practice, I am liable for the charges (which btw end up being almost $250 my part after my insurance paid). I have had heated discussions with my physician regarding all of the treatments or should I say non treatments since literally nothing is working. I have gone without pain medication because the FNP said she would call in something if the stimulator didn’t work, only to find that the doctor overrode her decision and decided I needed to come in for an actual appointment, even though I was in their office, they had nothing available.  I have gone round and round with Dr Flanagan and now I have finally changed to someone else within the same practice. This doctor is a female and I love her so far. She took time to visit with me, went over everything in the past 2 years and changed medications that finally helped me.  Due to my diagnosis there is no real fix for my problem. I was told that I am just going to have to be made comfortable as they can. So as my body becomes accustom to the medication, I will need to change to something else. I want to say that the office staff, may be “ethnic” as another patient stated on their rip off report, but that has absolutely NOTHING to do with their abilities to perform. I LOVE the staff. Especially, the front office girls. They are a product of their environment, folks need to realize this. They have to feed their families too, and they only tell you what they are told to say from their bosses, the doctors. So if you have a beef with one of them, remember that information. However, Sabre and the others have only been professional with me, never anything less. I have come to realize that Konen and Flanagan have their hands in several pots. Kickbacks if you may, from the neuro-stimulators, (Dr Flanagan and Scott are buddies) and then with the lab they require you to have compliance testing thru.