I Get an Anatomy Lesson Every Time I Meet With Dr. Lilia Sugarman

I am a doctor's daughter who grew up in a house where my General Surgeon father held office hours 4 days a week for his patients. In those days, General Surgeons performed everything from mole removals to thoracic surgery, and I learned so much from him during those busy afternoons. In addition, there were medical books everywhere throughout our home, so I could easily read about any medical or surgical topic that piqued my curiosity. . . and I loved the pictures!

As a result, I have always had high expectations for the doctors I have visited over the years. I am 79 now, and have experienced many challenging medical issues throughout my life, including a serious bowel resection at 30 and a wide variety of hip and knee orthopedic issues. Luckily for me, when I returned to the Philadelphia area for retirement, my sister recommended Dr. Sugarman, and I was able to get an appointment with her right away.

Since that first visit, I have truly learned to appreciate Dr. Sugarman's steady, calm way of looking at the whole patient. She is incredibly knowledgeable, serious and light-hearted at once, unerringly patient, and typically allows 60-90 minutes for each appointment. Inevitably, I always end up with a long handwritten list of referrals, or 'to dos' and her instincts have proved invaluable to me.

Finally, I must mention what stands out almost more than anything else is that I never leave Dr. Sugarman's office without getting a new, and concise, lesson in anatomy!