I am absolutely shocked by the 5 star reviews for this doctor online. Let me walk you through my experience with Dr. Likver:
When I arrived at the office 15 minutes early (a standard practice when seeing a new doctor) I was greeted by a completely deserted lobby area. The lobby itself is decorated from floor to ceiling in advertisements for various bizarre medical procedures ranging from laser hair removal to pain management. The space looks pretty dilapidated, and all the ads made me feel as if I had walked in to the wrong office altogether.
Ten minutes passed before the receptionist casually walked in holding a coffee and some snacks. I was ignored for another 5 minutes before she abruptly asked which doctor I was seeing. I told her I was new patient for Dr. Likver. She said, "Does HE know you are here?" I responded, "Dr. Likver is a woman, and no, SHE does not know I'm here." How does the receptionist not know the sex of the doctor I'm seeing? VERY disconcerting. I sat and waited for another 5 minutes before she appeared to have a moment of clarity. "There's another waiting room down there." She pointed down a narrow hallway around the corner from where we were sitting. At this point my patience was running extremely thin. How did she not think of that from the beginning? I walked around the corner, and sat in a chair directly outside Dr. Likver's office. I could hear everything transpiring between her and her current patient. The second receptionist took my personal information and prodded to make a loud phone call to my insurance to confirm my eligibility for coverage. I overheard her asking if I was covered for a very specific procedure that had something to do with injections into my shoulder. I had not ever been seen by the doctor yet, and they were already lining me up for potential treatment!
I waited for another 30 minutes while Dr. Likver conversed with her current patient.
When I was finally seen, I thought we were off to a pretty good start. She asked a lot of questions about my condition, then did a thorough exam of the area in question which included a detailed sonogram. She was pretty legit and convincing, which in retrospect is very scary to me.
Here's where things really derailed for me with Dr. Likver. After telling her my medical history, which includes an epilepsy diagnosis a few years ago and a pretty nasty dog attack when I was 6 that left significant scaring on my forehead, the very first subject she started to discuss with me was my epilepsy as it relates to my dog attack. Why on earth would a PT be discussing treatment for epilepsy when A) I was there for a winged scapula, and B) She is NOT a neurologist? I have an excellent neurologist and my seizures are completely under control. I was not there to discuss epilepsy or my childhood dog trauma with Dr. Likver. But there I was, being told that I should consider something called Intravenous Ozone Therapy because I could potentially have an infection in my system from the dog bite that caused my epilepsy. Let me just repeat that: She suggested that I could maybe-kind-of-sort-of have an infection in my system that CAUSED MY EPILEPSY. It was the most asinine thing I have ever heard a doctor say in my life. By the way, research Intravenous Ozone Therapy if you have not already. There are no scientific grounds for believing it could positively effect epilepsy. It is also important to note that Dr. Likver discouraged me from researching this type of therapy online because of all the negative information I would find. Yikes.
Dr. Livker then went on to use scare tactics on me by suggesting that the only two procedures that could possibly fix my shoulder issue were two that she is an authority on administering (Prolotherapy and Nuero Prolotherapy). When I asked if standard physical therapy was an option she shirked it off as if I stood no chance of recovery unless I invest in her procedures, both of which would not be covered whatsoever by my insurance.
I shook her hand and got out of there as fast as possible. Oh! But not before attempting to pay my copay of $35. When I handed the receptionist my credit card I was told that I would be charged an additional $5 if I did not pay in cash. I am well aware that it's illegal to use surcharges on credit card purchases in the state of New York, so I questioned it. The receptionist legitimized the fee by simply saying they get charged to use the credit card machine so I needed to pay extra. Needless to say I will not be returning to Dr. Likvar's office, and I would highly suggest that you avoid her as well. read more