FLORIDA ORTHOPAEDIC INSTITUTE SURGERY CENTER LLC

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Bob O

Dr Spencer Smith is awesome. He is not only professional but is caring and a good individual. I would not hesitate going to see him for any orthopedic needs.

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Carol Gravante

John gave me the surgery assessment and instructions and as an assessor, he was completely nice and empathetic and his instructions were very understandable. He was courteous and compassionate. He was a very likable guy and made sure I understood all the instructions and I thought for sure he was very knowledgeable of what could happen and advised me very effortlessly. I felt very comfortable. I think he needs a raise. I'm very comfortable now going into surgery, knowing what is next.

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Carolyn Logan

There should be a spot for 10 Stars because this doctor deserves it. Dr Hamelin is an excellent orthopedic doctor, I had a very positive experience with Dr. Hamelin. He was kind, attentive, and took the time to explain what was going on with my shoulders and why I was having pain. He took into consideration other health issues I have before physically checking me out and making a spot on diagnosis.After feeling dismissed elsewhere, it meant a lot to have a doctor who actually listened and offered thoughtful care. I would not hesitate to recommend him.

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Hannah Chatfield

I want to share an honest review of my experience at FOI. Unfortunately, I do not recommend this practice, especially for upper-extremity nerve conditions. I saw Dr. Garcia in 2023 for cubital tunnel syndrome. After trying splinting and other conservative treatments without improvement, I elected to proceed with surgery in 2024. Immediately following surgery, my arm was more numb and significantly more painful than before. I also developed new difficulty with wrist extension, which I did not have prior to surgery. When I raised these concerns, I was told by a resident that my symptoms were likely due to getting older. I was 35 years old at the time. My pain continued to worsen over the following months, eventually requiring gabapentin three times a day. A repeat EMG showed severe ongoing compression and muscle weakness in my hand. During my follow-up appointment, Dr. Garcia stated that the EMG results were fine. When I pointed out the visible muscle weakness in my hand, he responded, “Oh, I didn’t notice that.” No formal strength exam was performed. I was sent home and told to call if I chose to get a second opinion. Later that same day, Dr. Garcia called me from his personal cell phone and gave me his number, stating I would not need to contact the office anymore. I obtained a second opinion locally, where I was told the surgical incision was not large enough to have adequately performed the procedure, that my ulnar nerve had not been properly decompressed, and that it was never moved anteriorly as intended. A third opinion independently confirmed these findings and, with a simple physical exam, immediately identified the hand weakness that had previously gone unaddressed. I was advised that I needed urgent revision surgery. During my second surgery, the surgeon found that a skin nerve had been severed and left free-floating in my arm, along with two new compression sites, one proximal and one distal, and a severe compression at the elbow despite the prior surgery that was supposed to have resolved it. I was told my nerve appeared severely damaged. Since then, I have spent months to years in physical therapy and have undergone multiple procedures in an attempt to regain function and live without constant pain. At no point has anyone from FOI reached out to check on my condition. I strongly urge others to seek care elsewhere.

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R Kaz

I was referred to Dr samad by a professional in the field. When calling to schedule I was told he doesn’t see non workman’s comp patients at the Wesley chapel location so I agreed to drive out of my way to Tampa. Day of appointment I saw a nurse practitioner and when I asked if he were also going to see me she said no, he only sees patients who need surgery and isn’t here today. All my email and text confirmations said his name and I drove out there to see him. Nothing against the nurse practitioner that I did see, but this was a big miss. When I brought it up to the office manager Cam, he said he wasn’t sure why that happened but acknowledged the drs name on my confirmation and said he’d bring it up to management. It feels misleading - and honestly intentional. Cam was a nice guy….