PAT I E N T I N F O R M AT I O N
After-hours communication
We live in a world that increasingly expects instant access and immediate answers, and medical care is no exception. To keep our patients safe, our practice follows clear guidelines for after-hours calls. Here's how to reach us, and when another route will get you help faster.
⚠ If this is a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. Please do not wait for a call back.
For serious symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency room
If you have symptoms that could signal a heart attack, stroke, or serious injury, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away. In a true emergency, minutes matter, and they can make the difference in preserving heart muscle or brain function.
For non-clinical questions, please wait until morning
Billing questions, referrals, and routine requests like regular prescription refills are best handled during office hours. After hours, neither the on-call physician nor the answering service is able to help with these matters.
Before you call, have a few things ready
Please be ready to give your name, a phone number where we can reach you, and a brief description of your concern. The answering service will pass this along, and in some cases a triage nurse may ask for more detail. If Dr. Gorecki or the covering surgeon will be calling you back, please keep your phone close by.
Please don't assume we have your full history at handAfter hours, Dr. Gorecki may not have access to your records. Like any physician who cares for many patients, he'll need your help recalling the details. Be ready to sharewho you are and the relevant parts of your medical history so he can advise you safely.
Be prepared to be seen in person
Despite our best efforts, some concerns can't be resolved safely over the phone. Dr. Gorecki may direct you to a nearby urgent care or emergency room, or ask you to call the office in the morning for an appointment. Sometimes an in-person visit is simply the safest way to care for you.
How to reach us after hours
If you believe you have an urgent neurosurgical concern that Dr. Gorecki needs to know about after hours, call 678-730-7796 and your call will be forwarded to our after-hours answering service. These professionals are trained to recognize the neurosurgical symptoms that require immediate contact with Dr. Gorecki or the covering neurosurgeon.
After hours, we are not able to reach the on-call physician for:
Prescription refills, which are handled during office hours.
Non-urgent matters such as upcoming visits, billing questions, or referrals.
You will be directed to call 911 or to go to the nearest emergency room for symptoms such as:
Sudden chest pain or difficulty breathing
Sudden loss of consciousness, fainting, or unresponsiveness
Signs of a stroke: sudden weakness, numbness, or drooping on one side of the face or body; sudden trouble speaking or understanding others; sudden vision changes; or a sudden, severe "worst headache of your life"
A new seizure, or a seizure that does not stop
New loss of bladder or bowel control, difficulty urinating, or new numbness in the groin or inner thighs (possible spinal cord or nerve emergency)Sudden or rapidly worsening weakness, numbness, or severe pain in the arms or legs
After surgery: fever or chills; increasing redness, swelling, or drainage at your incision; or clear fluid leaking from the incision or your nose
Severe pain after surgery that is not controlled by the pain medication you were prescribed
Uncontrolled bleeding, or a fall or head injury followed by confusion, repeated vomiting, or a worsening headache
Any sudden, severe, or rapidly worsening symptom, or anything that feels life-threatening