Jeffrey A Van Lier Ribbink, MD, FACS

I’ve received EXCELLENT care from Dr. VLR, PA Katie, and the rest of the staff. I had a total thyroidectomy that turned out to be a bit more complicated than usual, and Dr VLR did a superb job removing my cancer and patching me up again. My post-​op and follow up care has been exceptional as well. As further proof of what a great doctor he is, every single radiology/​ultrasound tech I’ve encountered has said that if they had to choose one surgeon to remove a thyroid, it’s Dr VLR.

My parathyroid surgery with Dr. Van Lier Ribbink was the most disappointing, confusing and painful surgery of my life. After extensive, expensive, invasive testing which now appears to have been unnecessary, very limited information was shown regarding the location of my diseased parathyroid gland yet we proceeded to surgery. I was told he had this. I was confident going in, as I was led to believe Dr. VLR knew what he was doing and this would be successful. When I woke up with a limited voice, no right thyroid and my last normal parathyroid on the left side gone I was disappointed, confused and shocked. My previous surgery for the same thing had been a failure leaving me with only two parathyroid glands, one healthy, one not so this was a very important surgery. That surgery in Seattle, although a failure was a very simple recovery. This was horrible and recovery took months with many other doctors called in to assist. I usually rebound quickly. I saw Dr. VLR twice after that failed surgery, no phone calls, emails or concern. I felt like a throw away. I am now having voice therapy and not sure my voice will ever come back to the way it was. After extensive research, and seeking opinions of many specialists, I am going to Dr. Jim Norman, one of the top surgeons in this field in Tampa in April and am hopeful. I only wish I had gone to a parathyroid specialist in the beginning. I am facing many unknowns and highly recommend anyone who repeat parathyroid surgery to be very selective in your process. I would never want anyone to go through what I have gone thru as this should have been a relatively simple procedure.

Is it possible to leave negative stars? My first new patient appointment back in oct. the office called and canceled the morning of the appt. Rescheduled me. Ok, next appt. I go, after waiting about an hour and 45 min. I get back to see Dr. He asks me what he can do for me? Hello? Do you have any of my transcripts? He then orders an MRI, CT, and blood wk which I have all all done immediately. Next appt. They cancel 2 hrs. Before appt. Time. Next appt. I wait 2 hrs, I ask how much longer, they say not sure. It’s 4:30 apt was at 2:00. 5 patients ahead of me. I reschedule and leave. Next apt. They call that morning, cancel. it’s now Jan. so I still do not have results of tests. I gave no IDEA of what is going on. I let them know this. Next appt. Is made. Yep a call 2 hrs before appt telling me they are rescheduling me for 2 weeks out. I get upset, tell office it is unacceptable to treat their patients this way and that I still don’t have my results. I ask for Dr. to just call me with them since I do not have time to waste dealing with them anymore. They refuse and once again I am forced to schedule which I am pretty sure they will cancel anyway. Absolutely the worst, most unbelievable unacceptable treatment from an office I have ever experienced.

I had to select one star, given the choice i would choose none.
We just went to see Dr. Van Lier Ribbink for a 1:00 surgical consultation for my husband. at 1:40, the receptionist said, «he is running a smidge late and is reviewing your file right now». After waiting another 40 minutes we were graced with his presence. No, I apologize for being an hour and 40 minutes late, just «so, what can i do for you today?» to which my husband replied with, I have…
he then proceeded to examine my husband only to say, «you do indeed have… however I do not do those surgeries, i can go get the names of a couple of doctors that do»
Would you not know in reviewing the file, while running a smidge late, that you did not operate on this type of problem?
He even took too damn long coming back with his reference, so we ended up just walking out. Something we should have done at 1:15, not 2:50.
HORRIBLE DOCTOR WITH AN EGO SO BIG THAT HE CANNOT DO WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL AND RIGHT FOR HIS PATIENTS.