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Your Top Neurologist St Petersburg FL
Westcoast Neurology of St Pete!
Compassionate Care, Professional Staff and 25+ Years Experience – Serving all of Tampa Bay
We are located right in the heart of Pinellas County. We are here to help you with what you are going through, contact us today.
Dr. Harish Patel, M.D. – Neurologist St Petersburg FL – is one of the top neurologists in St Petersburg FL and Pinellas County. Providing kind and compassionate care to all patients, Westcoast Neuro is your top choice for dealing with all kinds of neurological disorders. We can help you with back and neck pain from auto injuries or accidents.
TESTIMONIALS
Dr Patel has been an amazing doctor for me. Helping me with my epilepsy for over 10 years now – Dr Patel and the staff at Westcoast Neurology have helped me get back my freedom.
The kind and friendly care and attention that Dr Patel showed me was amazing. I have now been seizure free for years at a time, and am able to run my businesses comfortably and provide for my family.
Thank you for everything and I highly suggest Westcoast Neurology. – Phil Reale
Excerpt from St Pete Times
“Dr. Patel wouldn’t let us give up hope”
When the brain suffers injury, the neurological effects may not appear to offer much hope for recovery, even in the eyes of many medical professionals,” observes Harish J. Patel, MD, of West Coast Neurology. “But the brain is resilient, and even significant symptoms can be markedly improved, especially in younger patients, with medical support from a qualified neurologist.”
The key to improvement explains Dr. Patel, is brain stem function. “When a patient is in a coma, continued brain stem activity is a good indicator that the patient will indeed awaken and relearn how to walk, talk, and function,” he teaches. “The process is slow, and family support is of paramount to provide encouragement and guidance. The most important thing I tell the families, even of severely brain injured patients, is not to give up hope.”
Hope was about all Beth Tondreault had after she discovered her son, Tim, in a coma. After Beth spoke with Tim’s emergency medical team, though, even hope was in short supply.
“Tim’s coma resulted from an accidental overdose,” she shares, “and the chemicals had damaged his kidneys, liver, and heart. I don’t think anybody believed he’d pull through.”
A day or more went by. “It’s hard to remember; it all just runs together,” says Beth.
Tim’s family braced themselves against the inevitable.
And then they met Dr. Patel.
“He gave us hope,” Beth confides. “The first time he saw Tim, he told us he thought Tim was going to make it. He was the only one who thought so.”
“The reluctance of Tim’s medical team to encourage hope is understandable,” notes Dr. Patel. “When a brain injury is the result of a chemical assault, the damage is more severe than when it results from a traumatic injury, like that sustained in a car accident. Traumatic brain injury is localized. Its effects are often seen in very specific neurological functions. Chemically based brain injury is global and affects every aspect of brain function.
“Progress is slower,” he points out, “but I felt that with time and the support and encouragement of his family, Tim could one day regain as much as 90 percent of his abilities.”
Making Progress
After spending more than two months in a coma, Tim had to relearn all the basics: walking, talking, eating. Beth says progress is slow but steady.
“I walk,” says Tim. “A lot.” His attention moves quickly from one task to another, and his speech is soft and quick.
Although he doesn’t remember being in a coma or those first, early days of his rehabilitation, he is confident of two things since his reawakening.
“Drugs are bad,” he says emphatically. “People should know. And Dr. Patel told my mom and dad to keep hoping for me.”
Excerpt from letter to Dr. Patel from Tim’s family:
While Tim was in the intensive care unit, it seemed that no one on the staff there saw any reason for hope… No one except you. You had hope and encouraged us to hang onto ours… So often you told us that Tim would wake up and walk and talk again. Although he has a long, difficult road ahead, he is indeed learning to walk, talk, and feed himself again. He is even beginning to whistle and laugh. We thank God. And we thank you.
Dear Dr. Patel,
I cannot find enough words to express the gratitude I feel towards you and what you have done towards my son’s, Hector, recovery.
As you know his story well, Hector was without oxygen for approximately 25 minutes at the time of the accident as estimated by the emergency team that treated him during those precious seconds. Hector needed immediate surgeries after the accident, and was fortunate to have been treated by a great team of surgeons, who repaired his body. During those long seven weeks Hector had one complication after another, remained in a coma, and was being kept alive by life support equipment.
Most Doctors, who had treated Hector, game me no hope for a recovery, and indicated that because of the lack of oxygen, too much damage was done to the brain. One of those Doctors, a Neurologist, even said “his brain was gone” and “those brain cells will not reproduce”, and indicated Hector would remain in a vegetative state for life.
The moment you saw Hector, when he was so close to his death, you indicated many changes needed to take place, and against the advice of the other Doctors, I decided to consent to your ideas and I put my son’s life and all of my trust to you.
Your knowledge of neurological medicine is easily seen as Hector continues to recover, seven months after the accident. Hector and I continue to visit the different hospitals, the nurses who had treated Hector look amazed when they see him walking and talking. As for the Doctors who did not believe he would recover, they too have a different outlook. Currently Hector is in New York visiting many family members and old friends enjoying the big city.
Dr. Patel, I, together with Hector, our families, our friends, and all wonderful people we crossed paths with, whom offered support, are happy to know you, or about you. A Doctor who truly has dedication to his patients, to his practice of medicine and a Doctor who refuses to give up on life.
A million thanks is not enough…
Delia V. Akirmaian
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Excerpt from St Pete Times on Hector:
A remarkable recovery, thanks to neurologist’s persistence
It was no ordinary day in the hospital for neurologist Harish J. Patel, MD, but it was an extraordinarily lucky one for critical care patient Hector Ramos.
“When Hector was brought into the emergency room after a near-fatal gunshot would, he had been without oxygen for almost twenty-five minutes,” recalls Dr. Patel. “Subsequently, he was in a coma for seven weeks, kept alive by life support equipment.”
Hector suffered multiple complications during that time, including pneumonia and infections in the bloodstream. Still, in spite of his weak condition, Dr. Patel help out hope for Hector and insisted on taking care of him; he observed that Hector’s brain stem functions were nearly intact, and that his reflexes were still appropriate. “That meant the possibility of his coming out of the coma,” says the skilled neurologist.
Weeks passed, but Hector remained unconscious. Then his body began to react more: “He was fighting the machine,” described Dr. Patel, “moving all his extremities. His blood pressure was high and his heart rate, very fast.”
Dr. Patel called in one of the surgeons who had performed an emergency procedure on Hector after the accident. “Hector needed to have fluid surrounding his heart and abdomen removed,” explains Dr. Patel. “About four to five days after that procedure, he began to revive. After ten days he was sitting in a chair. Within two weeks he was talking, and he subsequently recovered significantly, aided by physical and occupational therapy.”
Hector went on to complete college after this incident, and is doing well, says Dr. Patel. “It’s a pleasure to know that a patient like Hector can achieve a noteworthy recovery thanks to the care he received… not only mine, but also that of the team of surgeons who labored to save his life.”
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