Savannah Cardiology

I wish I could say I had a good experience. I feel like if I was someone "less complicated" I would've. Here's the situation: I am in my twenties, with multiple sclerosis, and at the time, undiagnosed musculoskeletal and cardiac issues. Dr Rao was brought into my care team to figure out what was causing syncope episodes for me. Unfortunately, because I am transgender and I was on hormones at the time, Dr Rao immediately insisted it was my testosterone. I informed him symptoms had begun long before I began hormone treatment (to the tune of a decade) and refused to go off of testosterone. I consulted with my HRT provider and he agreed. Dr Rao did two tests (an heart monitor and a bubble test) and then essentially said "it's stress" and sent me on my way. I continued to have fainting episodes for the next year until my primary care physician helped me sort it out when I moved, because it progressed. It turns out I have two things going on -- POTS (which causes tachycardia) and my blood pressure climbs so high that it crashes and causes me to pass out. This was an easy fix with metoprolol. I don't know if it was because I was too young to have any other issues, too complex medically, or too firm in advocating for myself that my hormones were unrelated (which is accurate, they were unrelated and in fact helping treat the musculoskeletal disorder) but I really was disappointed with the care I received here. I want to add that this problem has also caused me to have concussions in the past which makes it worse, considering I need all the brain function I can get, having MS and all.

We all experience staff workers who refuse to listen, they already know the answer before you say it, want total control, then treat you badly because you want them to listen. Communication was one of the worst I experienced here with records staff or front desk. They don't care what you have to say. Entitlement.

I took my father to see Dr. Hardigan and the beginning of the visit was fine. I thought we had found a doctor who could relate, who cared and took time to know him. My father had COVID a month before and we made small talk about him having the same treatment as our previous President Trump. This is the point where I changed my opinion of Dr. Hardigan. He said it was a good thing for my dad to have the treatment but not Trump "because we could have avoided Jan 6th." Why would he make a comment to suggest our President should have "died" (of course that is my interpretation, but the only one I could have come up with with that statement.) I feel my dad and I were disrespected and we do not share his feelings and do not think a doctor should share his political views in a professional setting. I've been forced to give one star to post this review.

Update... so the message below was in Summer 2018 and i have been back to take my grandmother back for her follow up. It was a regular wait time of a short 15 minutes and I was surprised but then he came in and made a comment on sorry for the long wait in the waiting room and your wait in here. Some read my comment below. This is why I comment because I hope that improvement happens and it has. So I'll move my 1 star to 3 stars for this We literally waited 1 hour and 20 minutes before the doctor came in. To see my grandmother in 16 minutes and then say okay I'll see you for your next appointment. Smh. I took of work early to take her to this appointment, but they expect to get paid for having me sit there with her. And what got me even more upset is that I saw her doctor as we were put in a room and he was just outside the room making call backs to patients the entire time he had is waiting. If she didn't have heart problems I would not be going here.

An absolute embarrassment to the field of medicine. They are daft, unprofessional, and do not put the patient's needs first. The doctor was "too busy", so instead they recommended the patient go the emergency room or another doctor. They had been seeing them for a few days now. I hope he is doing well. If you care about your loved ones, you will not go here. Hilton Head's medicine is deplorable.