Primary Location
Amenities
Planning
Accepts new patientsAppointments recommended
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible entranceWheelchair accessible restroomWheelchair accessible parking lot
Amenities
Restroom
Parking
On-site parking
Better get a coffee and take a seat, this is a long review. There's a summary at the bottom of this review if you don't want to read the whole thing.
Full story: I was referred to Dr. Messinger by my regular physician for a procedure and dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation). Initially, my experience with her was great, she listened to what I had to say and was very friendly.
The problems came a little later. Every single time I came into the office, I was pushed to get on birth control. After the minipill gave me mood swings that made me suicidal, Dr. Messinger fervently tried to persuade me to get the Skyla or Mirena implant. Due to my experience with the minipill, I was always firm about not using any kind of hormonal birth control. I also have a blood disorder (FVL) that makes it dangerous for me to use most birth control. Fending off hormonal birth control is not something I feel like doing for 5 minutes out of EVERY appointment.
Dr. Messinger regularly asked me if I planned on having children, to which I also replied negative. Dr. Messinger never out-rightly disapproved of my choice, but she always said something chiding like "You're so young, you might change your mind", or "Kids are so great." I felt as though I couldn't be trusted to make my own personal life choices.
I should point out that Dr. Messinger's nurse is not personable at all. She continually looks like someone pooped in her coffee, and she doesn't make any attempt at small talk. I've never seen her in a good mood, and I can't actually figure out how she even got a job as a nurse.
My most recent appointment with Dr. Messinger was my definitely my last. My dysmenorrhea had been getting debilitating, to the point of being in pain for 1-2 weeks of every month. Sometimes the pain was excruciating. When I saw her for my appointment, I was sobbing. She first asked me, "What's wrong? Are you having problems at home?" (What? Really? I'm at the doctor's office, not at the therapist's office!)
She admitted that she had not read my chart before coming in to see me, so I would need to remind her what medical issues I was having. (My husband later told me that she endangered me by not reading my chart, especially considering that I have a blood disorder.) As soon as I told her how much ibuprofen I was taking to manage the pain, she firmly said, "You can't take that much. You need to take less." As I conceded that I needed to take less, she missed the point: I am in so much pain that nothing is helping me. I continued to explain my symptoms, and she cut me off, saying "Okay, you need to get a Mirena. I know you don't want it but you need it. Otherwise you need to a see a surgeon, since you probably have endometriosis. Those are your two choices unless you want to take ibuprofen. And I've heard women say that pregnancy helps endometriosis. Are you and your husband planning on having any children?" There was no compassion in her voice at all. She did not offer to prescribe naproxen or any other NSAID to help with the pain. She did not offer to refer me to a surgeon for a laparascopy. She wanted to set me up to get the Mirena implant.
Realizing that I wasn't getting anywhere, I let Dr. Messinger do the pap and then I left her office. I contacted her office via email, asking to speak to someone "higher up" to discuss my recent appointment, and I never got a reply.
Since then I went back to my primary care physician, who is great and referred to NW OBGYN since all of my friends and relatives have had good care there.
Summary: Dr. Messinger is not the doctor you're looking for if you need regular, compassionate women's care, especially for painful conditions. Her care fluctuates depending on how her day is going. Her nurse is one of the most dismissive medical professionals I have ever met. I do not recommend her office, OBGYN & Associates, either. Go to NW OBGYN instead.
