Robert G Watkins, III, MD

Dr. Watkins: A Top-Notch worldwide orthopedic spine surgeon.

I recently underwent L5 S1 fusion ALIF surgery performed by Dr. Watkins, IV and his team, and I cannot express enough gratitude for the exceptional care and expertise provided by him. From the initial consultation to post-operative follow-ups, Dr. Watkins demonstrated unparalleled professionalism, compassion, and skill.

His meticulous approach and clear communication instilled confidence in me throughout the entire process. Dr. Watkins took the time to thoroughly explain the procedure, addressing all my concerns and ensuring I felt fully informed and comfortable every step of the way.

On the day of surgery, Dr. Watkins, IV and his team exhibited remarkable efficiency and proficiency, creating a reassuring atmosphere despite the natural anxieties associated with undergoing surgery. The procedure itself was executed flawlessly, thanks to Dr. Watkins' unparalleled surgical prowess and commitment to excellence.

During my recovery, Dr. Shawn Bond from Dr, Watkins team continued to provide unwavering support, monitoring my progress closely and offering invaluable guidance to facilitate a smooth and successful recovery.

Dr. Watkins, IV
dedication to patient care truly sets him apart as a top-of-the-line surgeon.

Thanks to Dr. Watkins' expertise and the exceptional care I received under his supervision, I am now well on the path to recovery, experiencing improved mobility and relief from the debilitating pain that once plagued me.

In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Watkins to anyone in need of Spine orthopedic care. His outstanding proficiency, genuine compassion, and unwavering commitment to patient well-being make him a true asset to the medical field.
Dr. Watkins, IV is not just a top-notch surgeon; he is a beacon of excellence and a testament to the transformative power of compassionate healthcare.

In addition to expressing my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Watkins, IV. I also want to extend my appreciation to his father, Dr. Watkins, the third.
It's evident that the exceptional qualities and dedication to excellence displayed by Dr. Watkins, IV , are a testament to the values ​​instilled by his father.
The legacy of compassionate care and surgical expertise passed down from Dr. Watkins, the third, undoubtedly played a significant role in shaping the incredible surgeon that Dr. Watkins, IV .

Their shared commitment to patient well-being and unwavering professionalism are truly admirable, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have experienced the exceptional care provided by Dr. Watkins, IV .


With a lot of respect and appreciation.

AMIR GORODENZIK

My wife and I brought our son Bryce Perkins to Dr. Watkins as a second opinion and he carefully diagnosed his conditioned. He bedside manner is top notch and is a straight shooter she it comes to his diagnosis. My son suffered 2 fractures in his neck during football at ASU and the dr that supports ASU wanted to perform surgery immediately. Dr. Watkins took a slower approach to his treatment. The results of Dr. Watkins treatment and care was awesome.

Bryce is playing football again, and he is the starting QB for UVA.

Not to mention lots a prayer as well....God's Plan

Dr Watkins did a spinal fusion on my lower back L4/L5 in 1998 and It changed my life in a good way
I feel like I went back to being normal instead of being in pain all the time

This review is for communication and correspondence, not care.

I never saw Dr. Watkins, but I have to comment on the attitude and misinformation given by his office manager. I called the office to ask if they treat my spine condition, which is rare but TREATABLE, and the secretary had never heard of it. She asked the office manager if they treat it and came back to inform me that not only do they not treat it but that there is nothing anyone can do for this condition. That is complete BS--many people with my particular condition have been treated and now live normal lives. If I wasn't more educated on the matter, I may have been devastated. Providing false info of this nature is negligent and dangerous. If that office manager is a reflection of the entire practice, please stay away. Spend your money on a doctor's office that is up-to-date on the latest evidence-based practice and will support you in your healing journey.

This man belongs in jail, not practicing medicine. Dr. Watkins and his son pulled quite a scam on me about 13 years ago from which I still haven't recovered. This man is reprehensible. He was so old at that time that I thought he would be retiring soon. He must be ancient by now.

I went to him after a previous fusion using a cadaver bone had dissolved. He did another fusion with hardware this time. It made me significantly worse. The hardware looks really crooked in xrays and when you press you can feel that it's uneven. My left side gets much worse than my right side. My Chiropractor and physical therapist have both noticed and pointed it out to me.

When it didn't get any better after several months he suggested that I get an injection. I had already tried facet injections under the care of someone else a couple years earlier. Not only did it not help my pain, but I had a horrible allergic reaction that gave me a high fever and swelling. The miserable increase in back pain lasted over a week and then it went back to the same level of pain as before the injection.

I told Dr. Watkins III multiple times about my bad reaction and wanted to be very sure he would be doing something different. He assured me that he was not doing the same procedure, but was very vague about exactly what he was going to do.

I found out why he was so vague the day of the procedure. He wasn't even there. Surprise! It was his son, Dr. Robert Watkins IV, whom I had never met or even spoken with before. They did a switch on me. Since they have identical names, I never noticed until it was too late. He did the exact same facet injection after I had made VERY clear that I did not want another one. Dr. Watkins straight out lied to me multiple times.

I may not have noticed the doctor switch on my paperwork but you know who did, the insurance company. They refused to cover the procedure. Instead of owing $300, I now owed thousands. I hadn't been able to work in years and was barely scraping by.

Just like the first facet injection, I had a horrible allergic reaction and suffered the exact same miserable scenario as before. I was in the process of recovering and getting ready to protest the bill when they emptied my bank account. I normally didn't have that much in my account, but I had taken out a loan to cover other bills. I had mailed over a dozen checks for those bills and all of them bounced. Now I still had to pay those bills, plus repay the loan plus hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees. For someone who is permanently disabled, that is a catastrophic situation that was the beginning of my financial nightmare that continues today.

I had several offices visits with him. The wait time for a standard appointment to see him for 60 seconds and get a prescription was 1 to 6 hours. That is not an exaggeration. Average wait time was about 2 hours. That's bad for a healthy person. For someone who can't sit for more than 30 minutes without exasperating my pain, this was torture.

This man is arrogant. He clearly feels that the only person whose time matters is him. It was obvious when I politely mentioned that the wait time for an appointment is consistently very long and maybe we could get it down a little. He got nasty and was clearly angry that I had the nerve to say anything. He told me to leave and never come back. I didn't want to come back, but my back was worse than ever and I needed pain medication or it is unbearable. Doctors are generally unwilling to prescribe anything strong for pain unless you're willing to let them perform a surgery. I had to find someone else and start all over again.

The way that they had someone watching my account ready to empty it as soon as a sizeable deposit was made makes me think this was not the first time someone was surprised with a huge bill after Watkins IV treated his father's patients. It had not been that long after the procedure and never went through the regular collections process. I think they just counted on people being too vulnerable to get a lawyer and fight them. I wish I would have fought it, but poor health stopped me from doing anything. It has really bothered me for years, especially since I'm still struggling both physically and financially. I'm hoping that writing this will help me get over it.

I found Dr. Robert Watkins III, MD to be compassionate, caring and thorough in his review of my spine issues. He was conservative in his approach to a severe problem. We discussed all aspects of my condition and treatments/surgeries. His recommendation was to a super
specialized physician should I require surgery at a later date.

Thank you Dr. Watkins !

Simply the best, The King of Spine Surgery!
Outstanding technique, exceptional clinical knowledge, most compassionate!
Cannot express enough our appreciation
For his care for back surgery!!
Dr. A

Dr. Watkins is simply the best. Teaming with his son, Robert Watkins IV, they solved my wife's back problems like no one else has or could have, I believe. Her recovery was unbelievably quick and comfortable. Along with Marina Del Rey Hospital the experience could not have been better!

My spine was misaligned, 3 month latter I had corrective surgery by Dr Lanman.

I hate to say or post anything negative about anyone but here is my scenario;
* I had lower Back surgery on June 4th 2015 ( Laminectomy) with Dr Watkins Sr
* The Surgery in its entirety took 2.5 hours
* The cost was over $$87,244.29 including Labs
* Its January 26th, 2016 today and I need another Surgery in the same area of my back.
( I have no idea of the cost yet but after my MRI last week, my new Doctor asked me "why didn't your last Doctor just complete the entire area instead of just doing such a small area in the lower Spine"??
I have to wonder that same question?? Only 2.5 hour Surgery ??? hmmmm
I wonder if I were a Pro Athlete or Celebrity, would Dr Watkins taken a little more time and completed the entire area in my lower Spine. ( I will never wonder why Health Care costs are so expensive again) I wonder how long the Surgeries Dr Sr takes on the Celebs or Pro Athletes? Or do the Pros ever need to come back for a second Surgery at all?
I wonder how many of them has to come back and do the same thing , less than a year later??
What type of review would the NFL or NHL / NBA give the Doc if some of their high paid athletes had to take Game Time away for a second procedure of the same nature after they
paid close to $90,000 for only two hours of table time??

By the way, he never even came into talk with me before surgery .
The $8,000 approx. co pay and the next $8300. co pay is the least of my problems, I can barely walk.:(

What a racket.

On a good note, I had no pain during Post Surgery recovery thanks to the bottle of Dilaudid they sent home with me the day after Surgery.

Bob D
( just a normal guy that isn't famous but has great Blue Cross Insurance)