When Dr. Fouany was my OB/GYN, at Cole Hospital in Coudersport, PA during 2011-2013, I had many, many problems with him. Unfortunately, I didn't know about the problems until much later on.
To begin with, I requested to give a natural birth for my son, whose birthday is 12/02/2012. I was 29 and this was my first child and birth experience. He agreed. During my labor, I did not realize that I was hooked up to Pitocin until well after my child was born - via C-section. This led to hours of unbearable but unproductive pushing. My epidural catheter was also incorrectly inserted, leading to no pain relief and a very scary (and again horrendously painful) beginning to my C-section, which then led to general anesthesia, which I was woken up from with no additional pain relief. Agonizing does not begin to describe the pain I was in.
I only realized that I was STILL hooked up to Pitocin when, 8 hours after an excruciating 22 hour labor, the nurse informed me that the Pitocin was why I was still having unbearable labor pains. Dr. Fouany had prescribed 5 mg of Vicodin for having had a 22 hour labor, at least 8 of it pushing, and then cutting me wide open.
My recovery was difficult, to say the least. I couldn't get out of bed for literally 2 weeks. I felt like a terribly mother, but any movement was so painful that it took my breath away. I bled and cramped for weeks, while taking care of my first newborn. I thought, stupidly, and having it been my first child, that they were giving me fluids in the IV while I was in labor, not Pitocin. I developed an infection at 15 hours into my labor with a high temperature and vomiting. It was incredibly scary and awful.
My birth experience was robbed from me. I'd have been able to give natural birth had it not been pressured upon me and then my child cut out of me. There was nothing wrong with the child's heartbeat, by the way, at 22 hours in. It was just that Dr. Fouany threatened to use forceps or do a C-section if I didn't give birth within 1/2 hour at that point. I chose the C-section to avoid damage to my son.
You cannot imagine the pain I woke up in, but I had no idea at the time that they had woken me up with no pain medication other than the general anesthesia, which of course was wearing off quickly by the time I awoke 4 hours after the surgery.
After this terrible experience, I requested a form of birth control afterwards that would help me not become pregnant again for at least 5 years. Dr. Fouany prescribed Essure, a titanium spiral device placed in both Fallopian tubes that creates scar tissue by irritation, leaving no space for sperm to get through. I did not realize at the time how new this device was, or that it was permanent. I've never been able to conceive again.
I know this seems extreme, but not only THAT, but I went back into Dr. Fouany's office 3-4 weeks after the procedure with extreme abdominal pain and bleeding. He asked for a pelvic exam and said that it was a problem with the Essure device that he would fix. Without my knowledge or consent, he placed ANOTHER Essure titanium spiral in my left side. I moved to a different town years later and went into a different OB/GYN with pain in my abdomen. He told me that the ultrasound showed 3 Essure devices in my uterus, that they were migrating, and that I'd have to have a hysterectomy to stop the constant pain, which I'd lived with for 6 years at that point. I know that there have been many lawsuits about this device. I joined a class action a few years ago and then dropped it when doctors at Charles Cole wouldn't fax/email/mail me my medical paperwork; they said that they needed an in-person signature and I now lived hours away. I figured it wasn't worth it.
I'm now 40 years old and, after a hysterectomy, still have one Essure device implanted because it's wrapped around my ovary, and the surgeon had opted not to take it out because it wasn't part of our pre-surgery talks to remove my ovaries. This would have led to menopause, and I was only in my late 30's at the time.
I am forever grateful for my healthy, now 8-year old son. But this doctor received an award about a year after my son was born, and I hear that he's well regarded. These reviews look like he's well liked among his patients. I just want to say that this was the worst doctor I've ever had, and that he not only robbed me of a natural birth experience and made my labor and recovery unnecessarily and excruciatingly painful, he also robbed me of having any more children, or even a pain free life after labor.
Shame on you, Mazon Fouany. I trusted you and you treated me terribly. I've been unable to talk about it until now, and my son is 8. I write this today to warn other women of this doctor. He is the worst I've ever had, and I am now looking at a 3rd major surgery, this one to take out the two Essure devices in my left side, along with that ovary, to stop the constant pain 8 years after the fact. read more
