Dr. Naomi Lawrence, MD

Review Rating: 1/5 Stars Title: Traumatic, dismissive, and medically negligent experience with Dr. Lawrence I am writing this review to warn others—especially those with a history of anxiety—about the severe lack of trauma-informed care, medical gaslighting, and negligent post-operative management at this facility. I underwent Mohs surgery and an extensive, multi-hour facial and lip reconstruction here. As a licensed psychotherapist who specializes in complex trauma, I knew beforehand that being fully awake for such an invasive procedure would trigger a severe psychological response. Months prior, and again on the day of surgery, I explicitly disclosed my history of severe anxiety and requested sedation or twilight sleep. My concerns were completely dismissed. The staff minimized my condition, telling me "lots of people have a little bit of anxiety" and that "it didn't matter." Before the surgery even began, my body went into a severe autonomic response, and my blood pressure skyrocketed to 190/97. The nurse dismissed this, telling me to "address it after surgery." Because they refused to sedate me, I was fully awake for over three hours of grueling surgery. I felt the physical sensations of the reconstruction, heard the instruments, and smelled my own flesh being cauterized. When I repeatedly asked for more local anesthetic, the nurse argued with me, claiming I "didn't need it." I spent over two hours crying on the table while the surgeon cut, pried, and reconstructed my lower lip and face. When blood was actively gushing down my neck and back, the nurse refused to wipe it. This horrific experience ultimately gave me severe medical PTSD. The physical aftermath was equally devastating due to a complete failure in post-operative care and active medical gaslighting by Dr. Lawrence. After the surgery, I asked Dr. Lawrence for antibiotics to prevent infection. She refused to prescribe them. When I developed a severe infection, Dr. Lawrence gaslit me and insisted I did not have one, despite the fact that pus was visible and highly malodorous. Her resident performed a culture of the wound. I later returned with a second infection, and Dr. Lawrence again claimed nothing was wrong. She took another culture, but after I left, she instructed her staff to throw the sample in the trash. When I returned for my follow-up, there were no test results because Dr. Lawrence had ordered the culture to be discarded. Due to this neglect, I had to visit urgent care three times and the hospital emergency room. During my first hospital visit, they confirmed I had a Staph infection. When the infection worsened, I had to return to the hospital, where they confirmed I had developed cellulitis. Because of the infections and the way the surgery was performed, my face never healed correctly. I have since consulted with multiple plastic surgeons, and they have all confirmed the same devastating news: my face cannot be reconstructed or corrected due to how Dr. Lawrence executed the initial surgery. Dr. Lawrence has zero bedside manner and consistently gaslit me throughout my treatment. This clinic failed its oath to "do no harm" on every conceivable level, leaving me with permanent physical disfigurement and severe medical PTSD. Avoid this provider at all costs.