The Orthopedic Center of St. Louis, Chesterfield MO

When I first became a patient of this office, everything had looked so promising (April 2023). There were good reviews on google, their website had payment options to pay electronically. After a previously poor experience with a different orthopedic doctor, I was nervous to see a new one. I've had unbelievable pain in my right wrist since June of 2022, which got worse in January of 2023, and I finally waived a truce flag in April of 2023. The staff was nice in each appointment, and the doctor (Dr. Rotman) saw how much pain I was in upon the initial consult. I can't even bend my wrist without bursting into tears. I can't pick my cats up anymore. If my husband hugs me and pulls back the wrong way to push my wrist a certain direction, I'm crippled to my knees from the pain.

Every test I had came back as normal, and upon my last visit at the office where my contrast MRI had come back normal, he had basically told me to "come back if it gets worse". I had used over a week of sick time at that point going in for this offices appointments for follow ups (especially since it took so long to be called into the exam room to begin with! I get that sometimes offices can be running late - but it seems that the norm for this practice is they will look to schedule for in-house services with other businesses for tests, and if those had any delays, it became an avalanche of delays. I should not be at your office for 3-4 hours for my appointment that should take, at most, maybe an hour and a half). Before he stood up from the table that's inside the exam rooms, he bent my wrist a particular way and saw me burst into tears from the pain of it. How does it get any worse than that?

After talking to my mom in the parking lot and venting about my overall frustrations, she recommended that I call their office for physical therapy (have never heard of occupational therapy before this to know to even ask for that). I tried calling the office for over 2 weeks straight. The only person who I could follow up with was some nurse assistant (Kerin, Kerim - I think?) who I had been told would be available after I was off of work. I was then aggressively told later that she was, in fact, not available after I was off of work (4: 30). Nobody attempted to leave me any detailed voicemails even though they had permission to. I ended up calling their office to attempt to pay my bill because their electronic payment links were not working and I was starting to get bill notices about needing to pay for my office visits. The service that happened to be servicing their phone lines in June for Juneteeth was able to see my entire file and read me the notes that they had failed to give me *any* information about. They were unable to assist me with my payment inquiry and advised me to call back at another time.

I attempted to call the office directly about attempting to pay my bill. After literal MONTHS of no response, I passive-aggressively filled out their patient inquiry information on the website to point out that the payment form was unable to be completed, even if you had the account number, to get to their payment vendor.

Nobody called me back. Instead, it was removed from the website without any other follow up. The link was actually active for about a two month period before it's finally been removed from google, which I'm sure someone more savvy than myself with tech could find.

I don't feel comfortable mailing my billing information and part of the reason I decided to go with this practice was due to having electronic payments available. In my case, it has happened where everything regarding this practice is a farce that is on the verge of collapsing.

I've never been in a position where I've felt so medically gas-lit in regards to issues about my own body that they were able to see and feel in front of the doctors own eyes and be told that I am "fine", and because I am "fine" I cannot be referred to any type of therapy services. I implore you, Dr. Rotman, to come to my home for a singular day and see just how "fine" I am.

Great place. Always refreshing to go to a doctor's office that has borderline unprofessional administrative staff, that doesn't understand the purpose of making an appointment. Won't be back!

Definitely only on the side of work comp! Not the patient! Get over it and back to work is not very professional

Very low standard regarding patient care, there is no accountability for promised follow up or a doctor’s gaslighting behavior. The staff is tend to be rude, not responding to voicemails or hang up on you. I asked for help many times and I was constantly ignored, dismissed? I’m in constant pain and I can’t use my leg properly.
I got to the Orthopedic Center after a negligent ER care, and with Dr Bagwe the negligence just continued, my back problems were totally overlooked, I ended up in debilitating leg and back spasms, Dr Bagwe refused to refer me to a back specialist, seems he just simply do not care if you have problems and you need help. Dr Bagwe not properly documented all of my injuries, he refused to give me adequate paperwork regarding my leg capacity, and evaluated my high level of pain as discomfort. I’m a small woman and seems a woman’s pain is just discomfort. Totally disappointed. I would not recommend this place at all. I explained my situation to the office Manager several times, and I expected at least some help, but he told me I’m not welcomed and today when I went there to schedule an appointment, I insisted that I need this appointment for my problems and I’m not leaving until I’m not helped, they called the police on me.