Dr. Steven George Potaczek, MD

I have a total rip in my ACL and was told by him because I'm on disability it's not worth fixing ! My knee swells up after about 5 minutes walking and can go completely out of socket if I move wrong and I can not do much. I ask him for a disabled parking card and since I could walk in his office I did not deserve one! He is a scrum bag as far as I'm concerned did not care what I have wrong g or what I said!!!

I have a total rip in my ACL and was told by him because I'm on disability it's not worth fixing ! My knee swells up after about 5 minutes walking and can go completely out of socket if I move wrong and I can not do much. I ask him for a disabled parking card and since I could walk in his office I did not deserve one! He is a scrum bag as far as I'm concerned did not care what I have wrong g or what I said!!!

He is a complete quack. All about giving pain meds and injections. Does not care about you what do ever. Talks down to you and belittles you. Can not believe he hasn't been drug outside and beat to a pulp. Please do not go see this doctor you will regret it.

Dr. Potaczek is the best Ortho Dr. I have ever encountered. From his bedside manners, to the outcome after surgery he was the best doctor I have ever seen before. I strongly recommend him for any orthopedic issues!

Even though I had been seen in his office for the same issue several times, he was always unfamiliar with my situation but still making determinations until I would remind him what the facts were and what was really going on. He seemed careless about details and let me wait too long to have surgery. Now he says there's nothing he can do. Moving on....

His bed side manner is horrible. He doesn't take time to listen to your problems. He is condescending to patients with genuine pain problems. He is injection happy.

I seen this surgeon for my knee pain. He did arthroscopic surgery to my knee early about 3 years ago and by Sept. of the same year I was having a total knee replacement with a different surgeon!

I have been dealing with a labrum tear of my right shoulder for three years. I've done physical therapy and other treatments to heal it and those didn't work. A few months ago i saw another ortho who said it was time to do surgery. At the same time my insurance changed and would only cover dr. Potaczek. I went to see him and he said that couldn't be the issue becaus I was to young. He then diagnosed me with bursitis, a disease commonly found in people over 40. I'm 20. So I'm too young for a labrum tear but not bursitis? At this point i was crying because I knew i would be dealing with this pain much longer. He then took me off of all medications i had been taking to control the tear and did a steroid injection, which I've done before and it does not help. As I'm crying, he was showing my mom videos of his son. He was rude and bad mouthed the doctor i had seen before, someon that I actually enjoyed except my insurance would no longer cover him. He is the absolute worst dr i have ever been too. He completely disregarded the mri i had done, which suggested a labrum tear due to the fact my shoulder is almost out of socket. I will definitely be attempting to get other insurance so I can go back to my original ortho.

Dr. Potaczek is absolutely amazing. He diagnosed me with a vascular necrosis, explained the treatment process very thoroughly from beginning to end. Within one month I was blessed with a total hip replacement and after surgery I was up and walking without assistance within one week. Dr. P was very caring and compassionate as well as very direct about how to solve the problem. I would highly recommend Dr. Potaczec to anyone in need of orthopedic surgery.

He was very rude, opionated, impersonal and unethical. He actually asked me why I had not taken my own life because of my medical conditions and told me that because of my weight I wouldn't be able to find anyone that would be able to replace my shoulder.

This man should not be called a doctor. He asked me twice why hadn't I taken my own life because of my medical problems, told me I was too big and hefty for one surgeon to work on and claimed to be the only orthopedic in the state to accept medicaid. His lack of humanity is totally replaced by his ignorance and arrogance.

I took my young daughter to Dr. Potacezek for an assessment. When my daughter seemed afraid when he asked her to walk for him, he immediately pulled out a large syringe and threatened her with it, asking if she would rather have a shot instead. That got her to obey, but he totally negated my reassurances earlier that day that she would not be hurt during the assessment, and I'm pretty sure that she will be even more fearful the next time I tell her that she needs to see a doctor. His exam seemed very rushed and was over very quickly, so we will be seeking a second opinion.

I am not impressed with this so called doctor.upon exam he started to exame wrong knee,after I told him he played it off.then I had a torn acl and he never even examined for it and never liten to my concerns.so I went elsewhere and just had it replaced 3days ago after him putting me off saying come back in 2 weeks it will heel I went to springfield and had mine done would not recommend steve p for nothing !!!!!

This dr. was horrible, rude, obnoxious, you name it. Immediately started visit by saying I came to the wrong dr! He refused to listen me, he contradicted himself several times, he YELLED and even walked out! All within 5 minutes of the visit! I would NOT recommend this dr. at all!! If you have been scheduled to see him I would seriously insist you change to someone else! He doesn't even examine you! I honestly do not see how he can still be practicing with his attitude. He has NO compassion and he certainly does not follow the hippocratic oath! Read all the comments here... take heed! I have never been to such a rude doctor as this. I plan on filing a formal complaint with St. Mary's Clinic in Galesburg, Illinois regarding his lack of ethics, uncaring attitude, and refusal to even give a thorough exam.

My 11 year old came in with a small fracture in ankle, he tried to get her to move it, she was scared and pulled her foot back and cried a bit, Dr. Potaczek got short tempered and turned to me and her father and sai "You have your hands full", I agreeded. Of course my child was scared and had suffered a sprain on top of the tiny break, her ankle was swollen and she hurt. He then said "Wait , who is the patient here I have a 91 year old woman I am to be looking at i thought" ..we thought he was being funny to make our child laugh when indeed he had the wrong b day down for her . My child said I ain't no 91 and was being funny ...The doctor YELLED! yes YELLED very angerly and mean and very scary at my child "YOU ARE BEING VERY DISRESPECTFUL!" and then he left the room, when me and my husband got up top just leave and take her to a GOOD mannered doctor he came in said walk on it don't come back and he left the room all rude. He is RUDE!

Just a great surgeon. No complaints.

This doctor was cocky, rude and had no time to answer our questions after he put 4 screws in our son's arm. A year later the arm broke in the exact same place, another doc said it was because the first surgery was botched. Dr. Potaczek was the doc on call when our son broke his arm the second time... we refused service and took our son to another hospital!!!

I have never gone to a more hateful, unprofessional Doctor in my 70+ years. This was my first visit to him and it is definitely my last. He was screaming and belittling a little old lady in the room next to me as she sobbed.Then it was my turn for him to turn his hateful sarcasum on............He needs another profession.............