Inova Fairfax Medical Campus — Local services in Merrifield

The most important thing you must have between you and your surgeon is trust because you are placing your life in their hands. I hope that anyone reading this will take my warning seriously about using Dr. Chandela as your surgeon. In my case, he displayed a complete lack of regard for my well-being. His lack of compassion was only matched with his ability to gas light me and everyone else in my family when it came to the truth. His plan was to repair the L4 level, extend the fusion to L3, and address my leg pain (S1). I signed a consent form to perform that specific operation. It was a procedure that required 2 surgeries accessing the front (posterior) and the back (anterior), and the operations occurred in Jan and early Feb of 2022. The first surgery was aborted due to scar tissue. The surgery accessing my back was a few days later. Once I was awake, Chandela informed that he opted not to fuse L3 and that I would still be fine. Keep in mind that all three surgeons whom I consulted with all agreed that L3 needed to be fused. He said that he addressed the leg pain, and according to him,the surgery was a “success.” He let me know that he was unable to remove the cage from my original fusion and that he was even “wrestling” with it. The following morning ,after being discharged, I woke up in more pain than I had ever been in my life. I immediately called Dr. Chandela’s office, he promised me that I would be alright, and I needed to rest. We spoke several times during that week, and he assured me every time b,t in my gut, I knew there was something wa ng. After 5 days of pain that I couldn’t control, I went to the Inova Fairfax ER. They immediately did an MRI and admitted me for observation. The next morning, I read the MRI results, and it was clear there were several issues that I didn’t have on the MRI prior to the two surgeries. My pain was so immense that I couldn’t even move in bed. Dr. Chandela was aware of my condition and the results of the MRI. I had no feeling in my left leg, I couldn’t walk, and I was incontinent. My symptoms were worsening as the moments went by. The attending physician suddenly came in and informed me that even though the MRI and my symptoms were clearly emergent, I WAS BEING DISCHARGED! I asked him to repeat it several times, but he insisted and told me that Dr. Chandela agreed! You can’t begin to imagine how upset I was. They told me to go home and rest. IMPORTANT: EVERYONE AT THIS HOSPITAL COVERED FOR HIM!

Dr. Chandela betrayed me. How do I know that? 48 hours later, I consulted with a world-renowned surgeon from Georgetown Hospital. He told me there were NO marked changes with the MRI’s before and after the surgery. There were, however, 10 blood clots on my spine and new damage to it! What I knew from my symptoms and my gut was finally confirmed. I was in the OR less than 24 hours later, which was 10 days after whatever it was, Dr. Chandela did to me. I also had yet another surgery to address my leg pain, which he obviously failed to address. My new surgeon said it “the biggest mess he had ever seen” when he opened me up in his 24-year career. He also shockingly shared with me that the pins and instrumentation were LOOSE! That’s exactly how bad it was for me. I was rushed into emergency surgery and was told that if I had “rested and done nothing” (as Chandela told me to do), I could have been paralyzed, and it could have been fatal. I was forced to have 4 surgeries instead of 2 in a period of 4 months to repair what happened. This was undoubtedly the most traumatic experience in my life, and it almost destroyed it. Dr. CHANDELA HAS A STORIED HISTORY with patients having “questionable” outcomes. The largest settlement in D.C. for medical malpractice was against him! There are at least 3 others that I know of that are pending, and there are many others in his past. No matter how they respond to this review, they are LYING. If they can lie to me, they’ll lie to you as well. We all want a surgeon who cares and has the skill to help, and he’s obviously not the...

Horrible Experience at Inova Fairfax Hospital

Our recent visit to Inova Fairfax Hospital was an absolute nightmare, primarily due to the abysmal behavior of the charge nurse, Bethany. From start to finish, our experience was marred by her rudeness, condescension, and outright disrespect. Bethany's actions and the overall treatment we received have left us deeply dissatisfied and disillusioned with this hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital, my fiancé was in dire need of medical attention. Instead of being treated with compassion and efficiency, she was subjected to a six-hour wait for a room, even though there were two clean and ready rooms available. During this agonizing wait, the staff, led by Bethany, were openly snickering and taunting her. Their behavior was not only unprofessional but also deeply hurtful, adding unnecessary stress to an already difficult situation.

The refusal to provide my fiancé with a private room was particularly troubling. Given that we have a 1-year-old baby at home, we were extremely concerned about the risk of exposure to germs and illnesses from other patients. Despite this legitimate concern, Bethany and her team showed a complete lack of empathy and consideration. Instead of addressing our needs, they dismissed them entirely, forcing my fiancé to wait in a crowded area filled with visibly ill patients.

When she was finally seen by a nurse named Paul for her vitals, the service did not improve. Paul’s neglect was shocking—he forgot about her entirely, leaving her alone in the hallway, with a makeshift curtain cover, exposed, for over an hour and a half. My fiancé had to remove the blood pressure cuff herself to get someone’s attention. This level of negligence is inexcusable and highlights the sheer incompetence and lack of care among the hospital staff.

Throughout this ordeal, my fiancé felt patronized and belittled for simply wanting a private space for her treatment. The anxiety and frustration this caused her are indescribable. It is unimaginable that a healthcare facility could treat a patient with such little regard for their well-being and dignity.

Desperate for some resolution, I approached Bethany by phone to express our concerns and to request a basic level of decency and customer service before we were discharged. Her response was nothing short of appalling. She refused to offer any sympathy or assistance, instead directing me to take my complaints online and to “Patient’s Relations” the next day. Her callousness and complete lack of professionalism are a disgrace to Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Bethany's behavior not only ruined our experience but also severely damaged our trust in this healthcare facility. Her refusal to address our concerns or offer any form of apology or resolution is unacceptable. It is clear that Bethany and her team lack the basic qualities necessary for patient care—compassion, respect, and professionalism. This experience has left us deeply disappointed and concerned about the standard of care at Inova Fairfax Hospital. The treatment my fiancé received was far below acceptable standards, and the blatant disregard for patient care and respect is alarming. We will be taking this matter further and strongly caution others to consider alternative healthcare options.

In summary, our visit to Inova Fairfax Hospital was marred by unprofessionalism, neglect, and outright disrespect. The charge nurse Bethany was particularly egregious in her behavior, setting a tone of rudeness and condescension that permeated our entire experience. We urge the hospital administration to address these serious issues and ensure that no other patients have to endure the same...

DISCLAIMER: My apologies in advance for this lengthy review. I wanted to document the horrible customer service my wife and I experienced from the INOVA FAIRFAX HOSPITAL NICU during a 3.5 month span. The best part of this review is that my wife and I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Due to her being a preemie, she stayed in the hospital for an extended period where we experienced first hand the broken healthcare system and instances of malpractice within the NICU.

Regarding the care of our daughter, it was a frustrating experience from the beginning! There was a great communication barrier between us and the hospital staff, to include front desk personnel, nurses, doctors, supervisors and upper level hospital management. To make a long story short, this hospital failed us, often picking and choosing what protocols they should follow, and not providing key information to us that they promised to deliver. In our initial complaint, we spoke to the supervisor to explain the discrepancy in communication, and all they could do is apologize, and attempted to justify the behavior of their staff.

In addition, we noticed a big disservice that the nurses were providing. Many nurses were on their phones, reading books and having leisure conversations outside of the infants rooms while alerts were going off that required immediate attention for their assigned babies. There was also a clear incompetence displayed by the night-time staff and nurses compared to the dayshift. Calling at night-time for updates was a nuisance due to the ignorant staff saying that they did not know the answers to basic questions. We would often be advised to just check with the day shift. Doctors and nurses alike agreed that the night-time staff doesn’t really know anything and verified that the care at night is often not up to par! Therefore, the night-time staff doesn’t really do anything to advance the child.

There is also a disparity in the amount of minority (African-American) nurses at the unit. The few black nurses that provided care for our daughter expressed concerns with how the unit was being handled. Specifically, one of our daughter’s nurses explained her reasoning to transition from full-time to part-time due to her inability to do what she studied and practiced for years regarding taking care of babies. Instead, she explained that at INOVA Fairfax, the nurses are simply tasked with following the doctor’s orders even if it is contrary to what the child needs. Although the nurses are the primary care-givers for the children, their feedback is not really valued and that presents a major disservice to the families.

As it relates to the doctors, it was frustrating due to the many doctors we would see on a week to week basis, all had differing opinions regarding our daughter’s care. In most instances, it seemed as if no action was their best course of action instituted. As a result, every milestone that our daughter accomplished was initiated by us. With such a slow trajectory regarding our daughter’s care, it inspired us to look into how her development could be expedited to get her home as quickly and safely as possible. Every suggestion that we made was implemented, and our daughter never had to go backwards. That presents a major quandary on behalf of the hospital because the doctor’s get paid to make the decisions. Consequently, in this case, we were proposing all the decisions, and they would just say, “ok, then, let’s try it.”

There is plenty more that transpired, but due to limitations I cannot share. However, if you are a minority and are having a baby, you may want to reconsider contrary to...