Pediatric Orthopedist - Cincinnati, OH

"I scheduled my son to be evaluated at Children's Hospital Orthopedic Clinic for a small fracture in his big toe and Dr. Mehlman was the physician with the first available appointment. Had I taken the time to read other online reviews prior to the appointment, I would have never subjected my child to this narcissistic, reckless man. Without even looking at my son's toe, he ordered a below-the-knee cast covering his calf, ankle, and foot for 6 weeks. He then stated that the entire top of the foot of the cast would remain open to expose his toes. I remained respectful, but expressed to him that I did not understand how this would treat the broken toe, or why it would be necessary to cast his entire leg. I also asked how a cast would be more supportive than the boot than I can remove for easy cleaning. Dr. Mehlman then resorted to using scare tactics with my child, saying "your toe is very likely to get a horrible infection, and when it does, a volcano of pus will erupt from it. Do you really want that? Then I will have to remove your toe or even worse". Who says these things to a child?? He was clearly triggered that I was asking questions and not complying with his recommendations. I have honestly never heard of casting below-the-knee for a broken toe, especially when the toes were not even covered by the cast. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why this was recommended. There were many other statements made, but I truly hope you will just take this small sample and know that this is not a man you want to entrust with your child's care. My son is not emotional, but actually cried during the appointment, because this man was so rude and borderline abusive. He actually didn't even acknowledge my son except when he was trying to scare him into wanting a cast. I truly expect more from Children's Hospital. Since this appointment, I have taken my son for a 2nd opinion with a leading Orthopedic Physician in the area: He said casting is completely unnecessary for this type of fracture, there are no signs of infection, and my son can begin to bear weight on his toes in one week. Needless to say, I have learned my lesson, and I hope to save you and your child from a similar experience with this physician. "