CFN – What is it with Cornwall Ontario and Doctor drama of late? First we had the Sheridan Diaz case and now Dr. Tarek Youssef, a busy busy Ophthalmologist.
Apparently Dr. Youssef was suspended in New Brunswick before settling into Cornwall Ontario and renovating part of the old Registry office on Sydney Street.
Dr. Youssef is under investigation in New Brunswick for unnecessary eye surgeries. Cataract surgery for example can take minutes and is a huge money maker for eye surgeons in Canada at nearly $500 per eye.
While the 43 year old Dr. Youssef is not operating in Bathurst where he has been since 2003; his clinic in Cornwall was quite busy when I came in and tried to ask him a few questions.
Were you a patient of Dr. Youssef’s? If you have any info to relate you can reach us at info@cornwallfreenews.com.
Hang IN there Jamie & try to get the story
I think I’d be ducking reporters too, at least until any legal issues are resolved. Looks like Cornwall will be losing another doctor.
My girlfriend about two months ago went to the hospital with an eye infection and was refered to this doctor Youssef by the emergency doctor.Youssef examined her and drops were given for the problem.But he also tried to convince my girlfriend to have caderac surgery.When she refused and asked why she should have this unneccasary surgery Youssef reply was so she wouldn,t need it in the future. She walked out of the office never to go back to him. She is still very upset with what he,s doing.
He is an amazing doctor, and a very nice man. I don’t see why people are doing this. He only cares about his patients. Nothing else. To the people who he told to do the what supposedly ‘unnecessary surgeries’ he only asked for your well being. It’s better to do it now, than when it’s worse, and I guess you people don’t understand that.
Do you have dentists in Cornwall that drill perfectly good teeth and do not even tell you, only charge for it? We have one in Ottawa West, also of a Middle East origin.
I had a Canadian doctor years ago (gynecologyst referral) and I can tell you this man wanted to take out more than what he was supposed to and I spent one day at the General Hospital and walked out. I then got a lady doctor who was very honest and good and I don’t know where she is now. Not all doctors are good. Many of these Middle Eastern doctors have been practicing back home and their techniques and meds are very different to our own. I was speaking to my sister-in-law back in Lebanon and she was even telling my husband about one of her conditions and said it in the French terminology and my husband looked it up on the computer to know what she was talking about. The meds differ from one country to another. I think that the man may come from Iraq by his first name. That is why when foreign doctors come here to Canada, the US and anywhere in the west, etc. they want them to go back and learn for two years here in the university and practice in hospitals to learn our system. They can also cheat badly as well. You have to keep your witts about you on all doctors just like what I said happened to me. I would have been in big trouble if I didn’t stop this from happening. Doctors everywhere do things to make money. I once had a GP many years back who has his office next to our doctor and they replace each other when one is off. Well this particular doctor who is Spanish got sued when he used to do surgeries and no longer does any of that since a very long time. Not all doctors are good that is for sure. Even here in Ottawa you wait 10 hours and longer. The situation is very grave and we need doctors desparately and it costs a king’s ransom and more to be a doctor. Only children of wealthy parents can achieve such a thing.
My girlfriend is in her 40,s And a very smart lady.She will not get any unnecassary operation .Her eyes are find now thanks to another eye doctor in town.I belive Your reasioning Sarah is out of line. Do you bring your car to a machinic and he tells you oh you need a new motor in your car and you ask why.Oh so you wont have to put one in latter.
Maybe this doctor needs to learn the ways of our Canadian system. My own GP was a doctor back in Cairo Egypt and came to Canada (Montreal first) back in 1963 and then to Ottawa in the 70’s era. This GP of ours was the one who took the time to go through our whole family history on both sides and he knew about how hyper the Middle Easterners are and was able to put 2 and 2 together and wanted my daughter to go to the Civic Hospital to get tested for her thyroid. My daughter started to have the symptoms in her later teens while in Cornwall and when we left Cornwall was when he did the proper diagnosis. In Cornwall the doctor knew nothing and was mis-diagnosing her. I would say to the people try and give this man a chance. This man may be a very good doctor but is jumping ahead of himself and a little nervous – a little nervous???? LOL LOL. I would say to people try and be patient with him and give him a chance. If things don’t work out well he may have to go back to school and learn our Canadian system. Our own Canadian doctors make mistakes big time and believe me I have seen that as well. I had a doctor (gynecologist) her in Ottawa – one of Ottawa’s top doctors (deceased now) and he made his mistakes as well. In those days I had to pay him and he delivered my daughter but was absent for my son and I had another doctor to replace him who was from India. Try and give the doctor a chance to prove himself. We don’t know what the story was about in New Brunswick. Maybe another doctor should work with him to get him used to the Canadian system.
I had a dentist who was Middle Eastern two years ago here in the south end of Ottawa and he was good. I had 6 extractions, and 2 filled with him. There is a very good dentist of Middle Eastern extraction in Cornwall Dr. Lama Ghantous and my husband and I wanted to go and see her instead since he is my number one chicken and won’t see anyone else except her but cannot climb her stairs (the old fashioned kind) nor can I. I thought that I was dead climbing up these stairs at the building last week and was sick for two days straight. My husband (the number one chicken) praised Dr. Ghantous and her brother is a medical doctor in Cornwall. They live here in Ottawa and commute to Cornwall. I was in such pain with my teeth that if I knew how I would have done the job myself that is in what kind of pain I was in a few years ago around Christmas time. There are good and bad doctors everywhere. The Ghantous family were educated here so go and see them. If Dr. Gantous were down below he would be making an appointment with her to see her and so would I. Give Dr. Youssef a chance and he might turn out to be good and if not then he needs the Canadian training. Even our own Canadian doctors disappoint – I know I had some even the Dr. that I had to pay back in the 70’s because he didn’t accept OHIP in those days.
Big deal of nothing. He did my mother’s eyes a year ago and for the first time in her life she doesn’t need glasses. There was no pain, no upselling, and no complications. Leave him alone folks.
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And dentists and aren’t doctors!
Today they do laser surgery on eyes and there is an elderly gentleman here in Ottawa (a former high school teacher) that we know and he had it done at age of 83 and is well and drives his car without any problems. I do agree where there is big money made but like any doctor that is what they look for. I told you about a gynecologyst here in Ottawa and he was very well known and wanted to take out more than what was necessary and then I opted out of the hospital and got another doctor in his place. This doctor Youssef might be ok and it is to look into what is going on. We don’t know the story behind all of this and maybe nothing who knows. It costs a king’s ransom to be a doctor especially in the specialties – in the millions and you all wonder why they make so much money.
“Luckyred” it is possible that Dr. Youssef might have seen something in his tests that was leading up to cateracts. Yes your girlfriend is still young which is true for someone to have cataracts but he might have seen something where in the future she might have that condition. Many elderly people have that and nothing is strange and today they do laser surgery and she can do that later if those symptoms do come up. I wouldn’t doubt that this Dr. Youssef might be a good doctor and that is possible and that is why I said to give him a chance and he might turn out very well for all of you. I have a GP that would drive you all nuts waiting to see him but he is so thorough that it is unreal and looks for everything. My daughter has a paper for blood work in the fall both for her thyroid, and to look for diabetes since it is in both sides of our family and also is being sent for a cardio all at the lab. It is best to be safe than sorry.
A friend of mine, a lady over the age of 70, had both her eyes done for cataracts. Subsequently she had some problems and was given injections in her eyes every month. At the end of the treatment cycle the doctor said she needed more injections but that the OHIP would not cover their cost anymore so she would have to pay cash to the doctor for them. Was this true or was the doctor just ripping-off the patient ?
Yes Jules i believe he did see something it,s called “MONEY”ONLY TIME WILL TELL WHEN AND IF SHE WILL EVER NEED CATARACTS SURGERY.fUNNY THING IS THE OTHER SPECIALIST COULDN,T BELIEVE THIS.(eYE INFECTION DOES NOT ADD UP TO CATARACT SURGERY PERIOD.)aLL KINDS OF PEOPLE ARE RIPPING PEOPLE OFF IN THIS WORLD.YOU JUST HAVE TO BEWARE AND USE YOUR COMMON SENCE.eVEN GOOD PEOPLE ARE DOING IT.
Innocent until proven guilty!!! So…..if by chance the Dr. is guilty he should be called back to NB to face the music PERIOD!!!! No one can say for sure what happened while practising in NB, it is being investigated. If guilty he should pay the fine but whether his license should be revoked is not our decision to make. Usually where there is smoke there is fire……..but let’s wait and see before condemning him. Everyone has a story to say about Doctors…they are human and make mistakes like we all do.
Stan, OHIP has stopped paying for cataract surgery & hospital will also charge you, You will also be charged now for x-rays taken because of chronic back pain,only acute or new pain symptoms
mariah, I just checked the OHIP site and it says:
Cataract and Lens Exchange Surgeries: What OHIP Covers
Cataract and intraocular lens exchange surgeries are insured under OHIP. OHIP coverage includes the lens that the patient’s physician determines is medically necessary for the individual patient at the time of the surgery. An insured person is entitled to receive these services without charge regardless of the type of facility or setting in which the services are provided.
No amount may be charged to the patient for the medically necessary lens or eye tests, or for other necessary add-ons to the insured services, such as premises, equipment, supplies and personnel that are required to provide the service.
A physician might offer patients: lenses with features that are not medically necessary, such as multi-focal lenses to correct refraction
tests that are not medically necessary or for which there is a comparable insured test. The physician must discuss all uninsured services with the patient and give the patient the option of receiving medically necessary tests and lenses without charge.
When a patient makes a voluntary choice to purchase a lens with features that are not medically necessary, the ministry requires that the patient receives a credit for the cost of the medically necessary lens that should appear on the invoice. Access to insured cataract and lens exchange surgery and tests cannot be made conditional on a person’s decision to pay for uninsured services such as eye tests or a lens with features that are not medically necessary.
@ wow
Dentists are Doctors!
If a Doctors licence is suspended in one province,why are they permitted to work in another province?
Out of country trained Doctor’s must be licensed to practice in Canada & must follow our standards. Many a taxi driver in Canada is a doctor!
Dr.Youssef is the only Doctor in Cornwall who will do both eyes at the same time-just sayin!
I have to admit that I shocked from reading the above comments!! Judging people and especially doctors by normal people is very very dangerous to the whole community. Doctors spend 1000’s of hours reading and learning while others sleeping.
Being objective is essential for health community. Otherwise, people will just have bad impression about professionals who serve them at the end.
Is it possible is was setup by jealous colleagues back in New Brunswick?
Let’s give the court and lawyer a chance to to their jobs before we judge him.
It is very possible it was a setup from jealous colleagues back in NB!!! Politics can be very powerful.
Dr youssef had his day in court last Friday and is not allowed to practice in New Brunswick again.
Its really sad ppl always think the worse of any situation.
All was well that ends well for Dr Youssef!
Another great middle Eastern Dr for us!
oh– and for those who don’t know, any Dr practicing in Canada must go through the same thorough examinations as the “Canadian Drs”.
oh–and by the way– Dentists are doctors!
They have a doctorate degree and they can diagnose and prescribe= DOCTOR!
TYPO — 2 messages ago meant to say NOW ALLOWED to practice in NB!!!
HUGE TYPO!! I’m too happy to be typing!
What a great day of celebration! Dr. Tarek Youssef’s court hearing was last Friday, July 29th and the court squashed his license suspension. The college was fined for unfair treatment of him.
One, your facts are incorrect. He moved into the location at 127 Sydney Street a year ago. And NOT only since these accusations were made
Two, as reported by a Bathurst radio station this morning. Max 104.9 reports the following
Bathurst Eye Specialist Suspension Quashed
7/31/2012
The suspension of a Bathurst eye specialist has been quashed by a judge.
Not only did the judge quash the case but fined the New Brunswick College of Physicians and Surgeons for unfair treatment of this doctor.
Ella and Maria……..thanks for bringing the real and true facts to the forefront!!! Hopefully this will bring a stop to all the rumors!!!!
I am one of the many optometrists in the north shore of NB who are supporting Dr.Tarek , a retinal specialists by the way. These so called unnecessary cataract surgury procedures are also used by progressif doctors to prevent and to treat closed angle glaucoma , one of the leading cause of blindness in Canada.
In the nine or so years , I have found Dr. Youssef to be one of the finest and knowledgeable surgeons in our region.
His practice is practically booked one year in advance in NB and you could imagine the backlog this is creating
The way he was treated would amount to getting a parking ticket ,being sent to jail awaiting his trial sometime in the futur based on a very questionable complaint by a person he didn’t touch….
Dr.Yousseff is a wonderful Dr.,he did my surgery and I am very happy with my eyes.My glasses wern’t doing me any good any more.
Hey Lucky Red if your girlfriend needed cataracts it will show up in the scans…he was treating me for macular degeneration using needles and he got the swelling down and under control. it wasn’t till last summer when I noticed a foggy like discoloration in trees while golfing. I mentioned it to him and he said yes its showing but not to the point where its urgent. he could have asked me to have surgery before but thought it was ok and it was….I decided I wanted it done and man I wish he’d have asked me before cuz what a colorful world we live in and my vision is 4K vision I recommend it. can’t wait to play golf soon