Shawn R Bench, MD

I'm writing this review purely for the purpose of (hopefully) helping someone else avoid what I have suffered at the actions of Dr Shawn Bench. Please ~ take this seriously. Consider someone else. Dr Frye for instance, is another great general surgeon that I would recommend (a bit rough & gruff, a bit terse, BUT, a solid quality skilled surgeon who does the right thing.) Sadly, that is not at all what I can say about Shawn Bench.

Please excuse the (very very!) long summary here, but I want to provide thorough detail for anyone who might consider (or worse, might be forced to use Dr Bench by insurance or your referral Dr) Please for your sake, try to find another surgeon! Watch for any red flags. Do your research. Don't feel guilty for expecting good health care & professionalism. You deserve it.

I see the other two reviews here, very positive, ironically for the same type of surgeries I had done (with the combo team of father & son, Dr Gary Bench & then followed by Dr Shawn Bench, in late 2012 & mid 2013). I don't doubt the other reviewers ~ but I can only describe what happened to me, which has had life long negative consequences, even confirmed by another surgeon as terrible methods having been used by Dr S Bench (as described below).

It is a bit ironic that you those other 2 reviews (almost seem to have had?) similar issues of their hernias (possibly?) caused by poor closure techniques. I say that per what my follow up surgeon described ~ as I'm not a Dr of course... but reading even their positive reviews does give me pause.

My own Diverticulitis & then Hernia surgeries w Dr Shawn Bench were 9+ years ago. I have had extreme daily suffering ever since. Just about every minute of every day, I am reminded of what Shawn did to me.

I truly wish I could have had the same great experience of the other reviewers. I'm hesitant to write this review ~ bc it's usually treated as a huge faux pas no no to ever say anything negative about any medical professional, regardless of what they do. I know when people see a negative review, they often just blow it off to day "they're just crazy or ignorant." Please listen to my story & take it seriously. I'm being as truthful, calm & careful as possible, in hopes to help someone else!

Why I have hesitated so long (due to unfair & unnecessary fear) to stand up for myself (& others) is because I have seen others (or myself) experience stigma & negative repercussions within the medical community if they (dare to) voice even the most truthful commentary about any poor medical handling.

I don't want ANY of those backlashes to happen to me, but I also feel it's my fair duty to help others by alerting you to the (horrible) situation that occurred w my Shawn Bench surgery.

It has been 9 years. I still suffer every minute.

Late Nov 2012, Dr Gary Bench did my diverticulitis resection surgery. His son, Dr Shawn Bench, joined in the surgery & completed the "closure" procedure.

Everything was amazing for 3 months. I was very healthy, appropriately active for my age (early 50's), I was able to take casual hikes & trail bike rides, able to go fishing & take neighborhood walks ~ finally able to enjoy the activities I had missed so much during my diverticulitis phase of many years. Nothing was overt or extra. Just your typical healthy lifestyle. Casual & very happy.

By late Feb/early Mar 2013, 3 months later, I had extreme abdominal pain & went to my primary care Dr who instantly referred me to see Dr Shawn Bench again for follow up, as it appeared I had a post survey hernia.

I know this can be common, however, in hindsight, I 100% believe it was due to his poor closure procedures during my original surgery.

A couple Drs consulted and all felt it was necessary to address right away.

However, Dr Bench chose to essentially blow it off. (That's as negative as I will say, as I want to remain respectful but also give you an accurate depiction of what took place).

After consulting w me to see the hernia (which was about 3" at that time) ~ instead he ignored the need for surgery as the other Drs had said. Instead he went on vacation for a month (or so I was told) & said he would do it when he got back a month later (mid April).

I hate myself for not standing up for myself, for not asking or demanding for attention. It's my body, my life, my health, my happiness. There are other surgeons. But he wouldn't allow another referral as he said he had to be the one. I hate that I did what we all often do, just listen & trust, subservient, following instructions (blindly), even when we know in our "gut" (literally this time!) that we deserve better! There is no fault or shame in standing up for your own rights.

Don't do what I did!

About 4-5 weeks later, once he returned, my hernia had grown to be 5" x 7" in size. Even Shawn & other Dr's/surgeons involved said "that is the biggest hernia we have ever operated on!!"

Can you imagine how upset I was?! I have to suffer my entire life so that Shawn's ego could be "the one that HAD to" perform the hernia surgery & still take his (month long?!) vacation... is there anything about that that you would consider fair or professional (or even kind?)

Following the surgery (until today, 9.5 years later), I experienced SEVERE pain. He described that he used a large hernia patch.

I can still feel every staple around the entire edge of the patch. Obviously your abdominal muscles are connected to about every movement your body makes. If I lean down, bend over, stand up from a chair, walk, try to lie in bed, reach my arms out ~ basically ANY movement whatsoever ~ unless I am sitting perfectly 100% still ~ I am in EXTREME UNBEARABLE PAIN.

When I went back to him in the weeks that followed, complaining of these issues ~ he wouldn't listen to me or assist. Frankly, doing so would mean he would have to "admit" that perhaps he did something incorrectly or at very least, could have done better. You might have experienced this with other surgeons or Drs, as this is when a medical "ego" gets in the way of proper care & true help.

Thus, he refused to help me & stopped allowing me to follow up. He wouldn't even refer to another surgeon for assistance.

After my 1st year of endless daily suffering, I begged to see other general surgeons to ask their input. As you might also know, it is an incredibly rare thing for a fellow Dr give an honest opinion of a potential problem has occurred, even when doing so is the help the patient needs. That's a huge hurdle to see happen.

So that should tell you how "bad" my situation actually is: the follow up surgeon who examined me & dug into my records to review details of my surgeries... was ADAMANT & acted quite offended that Dr Shawn Bench would have (as this Dr described) "used such obviously incorrect procedures" with the hernia patch & attachment methods.

This Dr said that sadly, I have no good options. The only alternative to open up my abdomen & "fix" what Shawn had done, would be to permanently CUT all of my primary abdominal muscles. It would mean they would never "grow back" & I would have many other problems. That Dr continued to just shake their head in such disappointment over what a lifelong, unfixable & painful disaster Shawn had created by not following established, known procedures for such a simple procedure that any general surgeon should know. (The surgeon gave me all the Dr lingo specifics but I won't go into those) Basically = bad bad bad all around. They apologized over & over that a fellow surgeon could have been so negligent in his procedures (& so unconcerned to let (obviously his ego) get in the way of helping me as a necessary follow up.)

Since that surgery, the Pandora's box opened... continued domino effect... major weight gain as I have been unable to move properly, stretch, even indulge in casual activity. I can't enjoy my hobbies. I can't do basic fixes in my home, on my car, in my garden. I can't enjoy walks or playtime w my dogs or family. I can't walk distances. I can't sleep in a bed.

My Dr gave me daily painkillers just to have basic functioning ~ and of course, you can imagine the rabbit hole that took me down, eventually near death from pain killer addiction, thankfully sober now for 2 years. But the list of permanent problems that has created is an endless ripple effect.

As a result of all of this, I've withdrawn socially. I suffer from depression now. It's crippling.

As you can guess, the list of repercussions goes on & on.

All of this, because Dr Shawn Bench (most likely) used poor surgery closure procedures, creating my hernia... then pushed it off for his vacation, letting the hernia grow over time, u attended to, into even by his own words "the biggest he had ever seen" (at that time, 9+ years ago), and then unable to have the professionalism or humility to help me in the follow up.

I realize there are many hard stories & I know I'm not the "worst suffering" out there... I know many people have overcome much worse.

But ALL OF THIS WAS AVOIDABLE! It didn't have to be like this.

I'm sure he's enjoying his life... I certainly don't register in his daily thoughts. I'm long long gone from his mind or concerns. There never was any form of apology for changing my life forever. But believe me, with every sharp twinge of pain as I try to complete the simplest of tasks... believe me, he's on my mind.

Wishing I could go back in time, when I was being told to wait for weeks while my hernia grew, while I was calling asking to see someone else during Shawn's vacation.. while I was being that respectful humble QUIET patient "bc that's what we are supposed to do" ~ I would go back & tell my younger self: "You deserve better! You deserve to have a good life! Don't let a Dr push you around bc of his needs or wants. Take care of yourself & ask for better. You deserve it."

I hope I hope I hope that this helps someone get BETTER health care. It doesn't mean any of us have to be (or ever should be) rude or overtly demanding ~ but take care of yourself! Drs are only human. They make mistakes. Sometimes many. It's ok to stand up for yourself when you think something feels off or if you sense a red flag!

I hope after a decade, perhaps Dr Shawn Bench has improved (significantly) & is treating his patients w skill, respect, decency & proper care, all part of the oath he took. Perhaps he has improved.

But heed this as reason enough to pause & ENSURE you get the care you deserve.

I am still fearful that I will be mistreated by Dr Bench's team if they read this, but I know it needs to be said.

Thank you for your time. Take care of yourself. Best of luck with your health & whatever your needs are.