Ok, long story short. About five years ago I was hit head-on by a drunk driver on my way home from college for Christmas break. I broke my right femur bone (compound break through the middle section of my leg), broke my hip and a few other bones. Essentially I had a metal rod placed in my leg with screws until it healed, fully about a year later. Then I had it removed. Well, now I am having major problems with pain and swelling BAD, in my leg and hip...seems I need to have a bone chip (ha, a chip, like the size of a damn golf ball) removed from my leg in order to reduce the pain etc.
Well, all this happened in NY and I know nothing about the hospitals around here. Who to trust, who not to trust. This is going to be the third surgery and I don't want some idiot ripping my leg apart and making it worse. Does anyone have any suggestions? Are there any good hospitals in Knoxville?
Any advice will be helpful. I am not dealing with the surgery until I finish this quarter in college, I cannot miss any classes, even for surgery!
Thanks guys!

My mother works for St Marys and absolutely loves it....

also, I'd say you can't go wrong with UT hospital, being a research hospital etc.

My mom always tells me if I have friends w/o insurance, that St Mary's is a little less shitty about collecting than other hospitals and since most are out for your throat, that says a lot.

Methodist Medical in Oak Ridge SUUUCKS.

Do you have an orthopedic surgeon that you're working with? If not, try Knoxville Orthopedic Clinic in West Knoxville. I have a friend that is a nurse there, my husband has had two knee surgeries with one of the doctors and I had carpal tunnel surgery a little over a year ago there. Every doctor specializes in something (hand, knee, back, neck, etc) and they are very good. My friend has been there for a few years and loves her work. They work with Saint Mary's and have an outpatient surgery center that is affiliated with Fort Sanders.

Hope this helps!

Hardcoregirl wrote:My mother works for St Marys and absolutely loves it....

also, I'd say you can't go wrong with UT hospital, being a research hospital etc.

My mom always tells me if I have friends w/o insurance, that St Mary's is a little less shitty about collecting than other hospitals and since most are out for your throat, that says a lot.

Methodist Medical in Oak Ridge SUUUCKS.

st. marys is a good place, i trust them with all my surgical needs, last semester I had cancer(yea, i need another ciggaret), they took the tumor out no problem, The only bad thing that has ever happened with me at st. marys was TOWER4, stay away from TOWER4, truist me.

Don't go to UT, I don't trust them. They've done the most retarded things to people I know. I refer to them as the 'butchers'


I trust St. Mary's though. If I was going to stick in knoxville for a surgery, I'd go there.

Hardcoregirl wrote:
Methodist Medical in Oak Ridge SUUUCKS.

Incorrect. My mom had some plates/screws put in her at MMC from one of the orthopedic groups, and has no issues. I'll ask her which group it was next time I get a chance.

I've had good & bad experiences with most of our local hospitals, but I have relatives who work for St. Mary's & I used to work there too. (I hear ya, Tower 4!)

The nuns are really nice there (as long as you're not delivering a baby out of wedlock).

I won't do Baptist anymore. Too many bad memories.

Good luck in your search!

Mother Mo wrote:I've had good & bad experiences with most of our local hospitals, but I have relatives who work for St. Mary's & I used to work there too. (I hear ya, Tower 4!)

The nuns are really nice there (as long as you're not delivering a baby out of wedlock).

I won't do Baptist anymore. Too many bad memories.

Good luck in your search!

they treated my depression like it was my fault, the halucinations were bot not the depression.....fuckers....many a guards had to go to er, i slept peacefully....like i said before tower 4 is evil

My grandmother has had both knees replaced and back surgery at St. Mary's, and came through with fyling colors. She had her hip surgery at Blount Memorial, and they botched it the first time and had to redo it. Boy was she pissed! The only reason she went to Blount Memorial in the first place was because she lives close to it, and that's where my Aunt took her (much to my Grandmother's protest) when she broke the hip. I highly recommend St. Mary's for surgery.

Paladin656 wrote:

Hardcoregirl wrote:
Methodist Medical in Oak Ridge SUUUCKS.

Incorrect. My mom had some plates/screws put in her at MMC from one of the orthopedic groups, and has no issues. I'll ask her which group it was next time I get a chance.

Just because you have ONE experience that differs does not make it an incorrect opinion.

My mother worked there for years, my son was born there, I've been in there, my uncle died there, and my ex husband has been in numerous times, I've used the ER and in any and all cases, they suck.

Not to mention they have a habit of firing whistleblowing doctors who call out the effects of all the pollution on patients. Oh no, there's not higher cancer incidences, -you're fired-....and then build a regional cancer center.

out of all the responses, most people will agree st. marys will do you right.

Thank you guys! I really appreciate the advice! I am pretty well versed in healthcare because of my experiences as a nurse and everything you all have said is what I have heard from my doctor. I do not have a specialist yet, I am suppose to get one next week but the surgery may have to wait a few weeks. Good thing I have meds:)
Hey Spleen, I am sorry to hear about your bad experiences you went trhough getting treated for depression. I have a alot of near and dear friends that battle with all forms of depression everyday and I have become an advocate for them. I hate it when people think that something that is completely out of your control (chemical inbalance!) makes you crazy and unfit for society. It really nurns me up.
Anways, thank you again everyone. I have a few weeks to think it over and decide.

Serenity wrote:Thank you guys! I really appreciate the advice! I am pretty well versed in healthcare because of my experiences as a nurse and everything you all have said is what I have heard from my doctor. I do not have a specialist yet, I am suppose to get one next week but the surgery may have to wait a few weeks. Good thing I have meds:)
Hey Spleen, I am sorry to hear about your bad experiences you went trhough getting treated for depression. I have a alot of near and dear friends that battle with all forms of depression everyday and I have become an advocate for them. I hate it when people think that something that is completely out of your control (chemical inbalance!) makes you crazy and unfit for society. It really nurns me up.
Anways, thank you again everyone. I have a few weeks to think it over and decide.

good luck with everything, and please keep us aprised of the situation, if u ever need anything Kagome and I are here, and Im quite sure everyone else is here as well. Bit of a side note here, I got aproved for what is left of tenn care....how the hell did that happen?

Hardcoregirl wrote:

Paladin656 wrote:

Hardcoregirl wrote:
Methodist Medical in Oak Ridge SUUUCKS.

Incorrect. My mom had some plates/screws put in her at MMC from one of the orthopedic groups, and has no issues. I'll ask her which group it was next time I get a chance.

Just because you have ONE experience that differs does not make it an incorrect opinion.

My mother worked there for years, my son was born there, I've been in there, my uncle died there, and my ex husband has been in numerous times, I've used the ER and in any and all cases, they suck.

Not to mention they have a habit of firing whistleblowing doctors who call out the effects of all the pollution on patients. Oh no, there's not higher cancer incidences, -you're fired-....and then build a regional cancer center.

I tend to agree with Hardcoregirl on this subject because they almost nearly killed me there when I went there for surgery 5 years ago.


I would recommend St.Mary's , I have personally have never had a bad experience there at all.