William Kormanik
“Dr. Tamas looks at the whole person,
notjust the surgical aspects of treating a patient.”
Bill Kormanik of New Marlborough originally thought that the tingling and pain in his arm were the result of tendonitis. “I babied it,” he recalled. “I changed from lifting weights to working out in the pool, but nothing seemed to help. No matter what I did, my arm hurt.” Soon, Bill realized that the problem in his arm originated in his neck. When his arm became numb two years ago, Bill’s primary care physician said he would need to consult a neurosurgeon.
“I’ve had a number of major procedures over the years - including neurosurgery - at other large hospitals,” Bill said. “Whenever nerves are involved you have to be very careful. I knew that Berkshire Medical Center had recruited Dr. Laszlo Tamas and decided to start there because of the convenience. But my decision would be based on much more than what was the closest hospital. I had to meet the neurosurgeon.”
After his first appointment with Dr. Tamas, Bill said his search was over. “I was extremely impressed,” he said. “I went in with a whole set of questions, but Dr. Tamas addressed every concern before I even asked the question.” In fact, Dr. Tamas suggested that the patient seek a second opinion, but Bill felt an immediate confidence in the neurosurgeon. “Dr. Tamas took as much time with me as I needed,” Bill said. “He didn’t rush into anything.”
After a series of diagnostic tests, Bill was diagnosed with two calcified discs in his neck with protruding barbs that were pinching nerves extending into his arm. In October of 2010, he underwent an anterior discectomy to fuse the discs.
On the day of surgery, Bill’s wife Susan spent several hours in BMC’s first floor surgical waiting area. “All throughout the day, a staff person kept me updated on how the surgery was progressing,” Susan said. “That made a very big difference for me. When the surgery was over, Dr. Tamas came out to the waiting area to tell me exactly what he found, and what he did. He didn’t toss around big words. He used the medical term and then explained it in language that anyone could easily understand.”
Dr. Tamas and his physician assistants checked on Bill after surgery, and he was discharged the following day. Completely recovered, Bill is back to his usual busy life.
Prior to surgery, Dr. Tamas spoke with Bill about what sort of care and support he would have at home during his recuperation. “Dr. Tamas looks at the whole person, not just the surgical aspects of treating a patient,” Bill said. “He listens. In the past, I’ve had to pull information out of doctors. This is the first time that a surgeon provided the kind of comprehensive information we needed to plan for every aspect of the surgery and recovery.”