I will be notifying my SCOI referring Dr of my experience so she can find other referral doctors.

My minor child was recently referred to Dr. Hymes by SCOI as "the" expert in California for nerve blocks. I scheduled an appointment with the doctor so he could evaluate my child before scheduling the procedure. I was warned that the office staff and environment in Van Nuys was a bit rough due to the typical clientele. It was a bit rough, but honestly the staff was not that bad. Not super friendly, but not that bad. We paid our copay in cash--that's their policy nicely taped to the wall. We waited 2 hours in the waiting room before we were seen for this first new patient visit.

We met with Dr.Hymes. He did seem a bit arrogant as a couple of other reviewers mentioned above, but he took time with us and explained everything about the proposed procedure after he had completed his exam. One odd thing as I think back, everyone seemed confused about why I would schedule an appointment to meet the Dr first to examine my child prior to any procedure (instead of
scheduling the procedure and meeting him at the surgery center first?). This should have been my first warning. That said, he seemed knowledgeable and confident that he could help so we opted to move forward.

The office nearly instantly booked the procedure. This should have been my 2nd warning.

The nerve block was done 2 weeks later and were told to follow up with the doctor in 30 days to determine if the block was successful or if we needed to pursue a nerve ablation.

At the 30 day follow up scheduled with the Dr. we waited roughly an hour. We were then escorted to the exam room. We walked right past Dr Hymes as he was standing outside the exam room drinking coffee.

We waited a few more minutes and in walks... some guy! Not Dr Hymes! This guy never introduced himself to us or I would be naming him in this review. He said my child's name, said HE would be handling our follow up, asked what "we wanted from them" and proceeded to pepper my child with rapid-fire questions one after the other without giving a moment to listen or look at the chart. I finally had to interrupt to ask him to slow down and told him that this is a minor who recently had a procedure from Dr Hymes but was still having significant pain while standing and unable to resume activities usually enjoyed.

I explained that Dr Hymes had asked us to follow up in 30 days in the event the nerve block did not help and that he would evaluate and determine next course of action or poss. nerve ablation. This guy said "well, we could do all injections again".. "shall we schedule it?" I asked why we would want to redo something that didn't work and he actually said "well it might work the next time or it might not". He again asked, "Would you like to schedule?"

I asked about alternatives and about the ablation that the doctor mentioned previously and about any risks (again, this patient is a scared MINOR). He said "no risks just some pain for 7 days after". Really?! No risks? No other info?!

At this point I asked him if he was a doctor. He told me he was a PA. I asked to speak to Dr. Hymes. The guy asked me why, tossed the chart on the sink, got angry and told me I was wasting his time and he wasn't even sure the Dr could see us! But we had an appointment for a follow up WITH THE DR! So I asked if he could check to see if the doctor could see us and answer some questions about any future procedure we might schedule.

This guy stepped out of the room, chatted with female staff for 5 minutes (we could hear him through the paper-thin walls) and then stepped back in and advised that the "doctor is not available" and could not see us. I had just walked past Dr Hymes a few minutes prior!

I'm a parent of a child that had previously had one procedure and this guy couldn't get the doctor to talk to us about his second proposed invasive procedure on a MINOR?

Then amazingly, this guy again asked me "do you want to schedule the procedure?" When I told him no, we would be considering other options, the guy stormed out of the exam room shouting that we had wasted HIS time and stomped into his cluttered office across the hall complaining about all the "paperwork [he] had to do now". Really? What paperwork? Standard paperwork for an office follow up? On our way out I told him, so the staff and Dr Hymes nearby heard, that he was extremely rude and that I was shocked at his utter lack of professionalism.

This shady experience today was unbelievable and uncomfortable. I left feeling I took my child to a procedure mill, not a healthcare facility.

Submitted Dec. 19, 2016

Dr. Hymes and his Staff are attentive and considerate professionals! I showed up for my shots with too much on my mind including the very recent passing of a good childhood friend and Dr. Hymes and his staff were very empathetic towards me and provided me with the kind of care and attention that was so supportive easing the tension of the day. I am very appreciative of them all and their response to my issues are exactly what you ask for from a Doctor. Many, many thanks Doc, K.

Submitted Dec. 2, 2016

Terrible rude staff, they violate the HIPPA law by asking patients in the lobby to do a urine test and loudly yelling names of patients and medications. Dr. Hymes is an arrogant, cheap and over all a bad person, they just want to push pills to bill the insurance companies, stay away from this place

Submitted Oct. 5, 2016

"I see no reason why you should be in so much pain," is what this jerk said to me almost as soon as I was in the door of his office. I broke my patella (knee cap) twice in one month and had two separate knee surgeries in one month and it was clearly not healing correctly (I had a huge lump on my knee that turns out to be a reaction to one of the wires they put in, but it just LOOKS painful ...). My left knee was swollen up enormously compared to my right, and there was the aforementioned huge lump. He told me I shouldn't be in so much pain BEFORE he bothered to look at my knee, then didn't bother to change his opinion much after he took a quick look. He was completely rude and arrogant. he attacked me with, "I can give you the numbers of other doctors if you don't like it!" I had not said I wanted to go elsewhere or asked for the names of other doctors. He was so blatantly nasty. I would never, ever send a person in pain to this doctor.

Submitted April 3, 2013

He kept us waiting over 45 minutes our first appt. and we were the first appt. of the day. We could hear him talking on a personal phone call while we waited (the walls are thin). Dr. Hymes did not listen to me at all, and my second visit I was seen by a PA. He was nicer and seemed to listen but was totally unfamiliar with my history, reminding me of a substitute teacher unfamiliar with the subject they were about to teach. Also they keep giving me the wrong amount of medication. It was my third appt. and they just dispensed medication and I wasn't seen by the doctor OR a PA! I am waiting to get authorization for a revision on my TKA. I am going to change pain management doctors ASAP! I want REAL solutions not just pills! I want a doctor who will listen to me and help me achieve mobility again. Dr. Hymes is NOT that doctor unfortunately!

Submitted Feb. 22, 2013

Ethical pain doctor. He is very kind and smart. One of the best doctors that I have ever seen. I feel lucky to be his patient. He was referred to me by my primary care doctor who said he was the best and that he was trained at Harvard.

Submitted Feb. 9, 2013

Hymes practically killed my daughter by overprescribing and continuing to overprescribe multiple meds to her. you have the legal right to file a complaint with the CA medical board if you are a patient or family member of a patient and are very concerned about Hymes overprescribing meds that has led to addiction.

Submitted Feb. 11, 2012

Very difficult to see. Always passed on to PA's which is not who you want to see. I travel a fair distance to see Dr. Hymes, not his PA.

Submitted Jan. 10, 2012

Saw Dr. Hymes prior to my first back surgery, He was sure he could solve my problem without surgery (I had a broken spine) and was just looking for pain relief until my surgery was approved by my insurance company. Dr Hymes attempted several drugs to manage the pain including one which I was allergic to. He was unhappy that I discontinued the drug even though I ended up in the ER with the ER doctor telling me "____ is not the medicine for you" had heart palpitations and breathing issues. Enough on that. After I injured my back again called for an appointment his staff told me they would have to check with him prior to scheduling waited a couple of days and called again same thing from same staff member. Waited and called back to get the same reply from the same guy told the staff member that if he actually was talking to Dr. Hymes if Dr. Hymes did not want to see me he should just tell me and I would go elsewhere. No reply...

Submitted July 26, 2011

Dr. Hymes put my family through hell while over medicating my spouse. Constantly prescribing more and more drugs before prescribing Fentanyl Duragesic patch, which almost killed him. It's taken 3 years to get over the trauma. The staff is courteous and he sometimes was busy running between hospital and office. He wasnt helpful only hurtful. and If he had any knowledge of what he actually started by continually over prescribing....I wouldn't be writing this. Sorry the statue of limitations has run out after three years of trying to get my life back in order.

Submitted July 1, 2011