Dr. Thankappan likes to talk and expound on his knowledge, but he isn't very good at listening. Even after I interrupted him and asked him to let me talk, he only stopped to listen to me for about 30 seconds, and then proceeded to keep "educating" me. He didn't ask me any questions about my symptoms or sleep issues until the final 3 minutes of the 20 minute appointment. My impression is that he has a cookie cutter approach to sleep disorders and overall seems bored when he has to deal with them.

Submitted May 24, 2021

I was the one that had to recommend a longer analysis before the epilepsy diagnosis which I received after a single 15 minute test. A longer study or another opinion wasn't brought up or recommended, I had to bring it up after doing my own research. (Granted it was a $14k test for 5 days of wearing a large sensor pack with a 128kb flash card. Antiquated and old where I had to report the hospital basement each morning to have the 128kb cards data copied cause the card wasn't big enough to hold more data and they were worried about losing the data each day. Yup real high tech and worth ever penny. (Insert sarcasm) The tech said a new system was years overdue and was supposed to be coming. (Simple PC running either Windows or Server 2000 and these mobile data units.) I would bet $$ that a Raspberry Pi could do more. At least a better baseline of data was gathered. Appointments are and have been 4-6 months out. I had well over a year where I had to call each month in order to have the prescriptions refilled as his office had a repeated problem of not being able to set it up correctly. I received a nice call once the scheduling person was let go by the Dr, but that was after a lot of effort on my part to get these anti-seizure meds simply available each month. (Wouldn't think it would take over a year to discover the problem.) I ran out of Keppra numerous times. Oh, and in WA state, even with the law change where medical cannabis clinics had to shut down, Dr. Thankappan won't prescribe cannabis for seizure control. Not sure if he doesn't believe the science behind it is sound or not, but if I had another doctor in this hospital available I'd be switching. (And I have other doctors I see in this same hospital and no problems there or with the hospital.) When I tried to switch I was told I would have to drive another hour to a different hospital, so for now something is better than nothing. Reason for 3 stars in the helpfulness is that at least he replies and follows albeit it takes a couple days.

Submitted March 13, 2017

Was told to arrive 20 minutes early but no one was in the office until 8:00 had to wait over 2o minutes. Waited another thirty in the exam room (no other patients in office) and started to leave when the receptionist went to get the doctor and he said another doctor had quit and he was discussing patients with him. Was very angry that I as a patient did not matter and/or that no one came in to tell me he would be delayed. What I went in for was not what he wanted to do tests for and had no real idea what he should do. Not a very knowledgeable doctor on the nervous system. Would not go back and/or recommend to anyone. Left with no answers to what to do for me except a bunch of expensive tests that had nothing to do with what was wrong with me

Submitted Jan. 16, 2015

Excellent knowledge,compassionate,very thorough in his work and very helping attitude and very kind .

Submitted Aug. 4, 2010

Very thorough; knowledgeable; genuinely interested finding a diagnosis; has best interest of patient at heart.

Submitted Aug. 9, 2009