WPC # VU:a % 0(b w4    0J 0Tb 0^ 0h 0r| 0| 0j 0 1u 0d U*Y B) DC AM <v~8v B D3 0@ AOh 0D. D/r BHP LaserJet 4Si/4SiMX PS 600dpiPSCRIPT0 ,rAZ"Arial RegularX($- -Ӏ D / #j#3|x 2 0Indent123  2" 0Indent20 23  2, 0Indent30 0 23  26 0Indent40 0 0 23  2@ 0Indent50 0 0 0 23  2J 0Indent60 0 0 0 0 23  2T 0Indent70 0 0 0 0 0 23  2^ 0Indent80 0 0 0 0 0 0 23   ?AGMSYaioIndent0I.A.1.a.(1)(a)i)a)P 8Mac DefaultMac Default ` X<  9p`(Arial% Line 7 d7Border 1dd- C << G !  #d#     YYY FILEDXDecember20,1996CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerk  PtPtHH(FG(HH(d'hStyl{WP}01  HH  2$HH  Geneva  <Px443!#4$*$$*$ KK  Geneva  Geneva .,6 Geneva   h HD: Geneva  h HD: Geneva  d%%%%'dxd("$    -C<< CLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5($$   1  ' dxdP Pd ! .          \RA'\\RA'\7'XXdd7    JOHNH.SWIFT,SR.,   )      ) Plaintiff/Appellant,   )      ) AppealNo.      ) 01A019605CV00239VS.      )      ) DavidsonCircuit      ) No.95C3077R!" A1-j|v`  `@RTIMOTHYP.SCHOETTLE,M.D.,and )DRS.HOWELL,ALLEN,ALLEN,  )SCHOETTLE&LANFORD,P.C., )      ) Defendants/Appellees.  )@ COURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE@ MIDDLESECTIONATNASHVILLEAPPEALEDFROMTHECIRCUITCOURTOFDAVIDSONCOUNTYATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEETHEHONORABLEBARBARAN.HAYNES,JUDGEBYINTERCHANGEJOHNH.SWIFT,SR.5404OakmontCircleNashville,Tennessee37209 ProSe/Plaintiff/AppellantC.J.GIDEONJOHNT.REESEGIDEON&WISEMANSuite1900,NationsBankPlaza414UnionStreetNashville,Tennessee372191782 AttorneysforDefendants/Appellees@ AFFIRMEDANDREMANDED       BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:TODD,P.J.,M.S.KOCH,J.   @ OPINION X  Thesolequestioninthisappealiswhethertheplaintiffsmalpracticeactionwasbarredbytheoneyearstatuteoflimitationsand/orthethreeyearstatuteofrepose,Tenn.CodeAnn.2926116.Thetrialjudgedismissedtheclaim.Weaffirm.@ I.   AfterbeinginvolvedinacarwreckonApril9,1991,JohnH.Swift,Jr.consultedthedefendant,TimothyP.Schoettle,aneurologicalspecialist.Mr.Swiftcomplainedofneckpain,headaches,ringinginhisears,numbnessinbotharms,andoccasionalrightradicularpain.Dr.SchoettleexaminedMr.Swift,orderedcertainteststobemade,anddeterminedthatadecompressivecervicallaminectomywastheindicatedandappropriateprocedure.  Mr.SwiftchosetodeferthelaminectomyuntilAugust20,1991.Afterperformingtheoperation,Dr.SchoettlecontinuedtoseeMr.SwiftuntilOctober26,1994.DuringthepostoperativeperiodMr.SwiftcontinuedtocomplainofpainandDr.Schoettleorderedfurthertests,butheconcludedthatnofurthersurgicalprocedureswereindicated.  OnSeptember25,1995,Mr.SwiftfiledacomplaintallegingthatDr.SchoettlecarelesslyandnegligentlyfailedtoadviseMr.Swiftthataspinalfusionwasdesirableand/ornecessaryatthetimeofthelaminectomy;thathefailedtoperformthespinalfusionatthetimeofthelaminectomy;thathenegligentlyfailedtosuggestanyfurthersurgicalprocedure;andthathefailedtoreferMr.Swifttootherqualifiedhealthcareprofessionals.  OnNovember25,1995,Dr.Schoettlemovedforsummaryjudgmentandfiledhisownaffidavitstatingthathecompliedwiththeacceptedstandardsofprofessionalpracticeinthecommunity.Specifically,hedeniedthatMr.Swiftssymptomsortheclinicalevidenceshowedthataspinalfusionwasnecessary.  Mr.SwiftopposedthemotionforsummaryjudgmentwithhisownaffidavitandtheaffidavitofaMichiganneurosurgeon.ThemedicalexpertaverredthatDr.SchoettledeviatedfromthestandardofcarewhichhesaidwasthesameallacrossthecountrybyperformingsurgeryonthreelevelsofthecervicalspinewhenonlyonelevelwasinvolvedinMr.Swiftssymptoms;thatthemultilevelsurgeryandthefailuretoperformaspinalfusiondestabilizedthespine,resultinginakyphotic(bentforward)state;andthatDr.SchoettleshouldhavereferredMr.Swiftforotherprofessionalcare.  Mr.SwiftinhisaffidavitsaysonlythathesawDr.Schoettlefifteentimesafterthesurgery,andthatthedoctordidnoteversuggestthatMr.Swiftseekasecondopinionorothermedicalcare.  ThetrialjudgegrantedsummaryjudgmenttoDr.Schoettle,holdingthattheactionwasbarredbytheoneyearstatuteoflimitationsandthethreeyearstatuteofrepose,Tenn.CodeAnn.2926116(a)(1),(3).@ II.   Tenn.CodeAnn.2926116provides: 0   0   (1) Thestatuteoflimitationsinmalpracticeactionsshallbeone(1)yearassetforthin283104.(2) Intheeventtheallegedinjuryisnotdiscoveredwithinthesaidone(1)yearperiod,theperiodoflimitationsshallbeone(1)yearfromthedateofsuchdiscovery.(3) Innoeventshallanysuchactionbebroughtmorethanthree(3)yearsafterthedateonwhichthenegligentactoromissionoccurredexceptwherethereisfraudulentconcealmentonthepartofthedefendantinwhichcasetheactionshallbecommencedwithinone(1)yearafterdiscoverythatthecauseofactionexists.         WithrespecttotheeventsofAugust20,1991includingtheallegationthatDr.Schoettlefailedtosuggestaspinalfusion,failedtoperformthespinalfusion,andnegligentlyperformedathreeleveloperationthestatuteofreposeclearlybarstheplaintiffsactionunlessDr.Schoettlefraudulentlyconcealedthecauseofaction.OnthatissueMr.Swifthastheburdenofproof.Bentonv.Snyder,825S.W.2d409(Tenn.1992).  Thereisnothingintheplaintiffsresponsestothemotionforsummaryjudgmentthatsuggestsanysortoffraudulentconcealment.(Neitherdoesthecomplaintnortheamendedcomplaintallegefraudulentconcealment.)Mr.Swiftarguedinhisbriefthatthecontinuingdoctor/patientrelationshipestablishedaconfidentialrelationshipandthatDr.SchoettlesfailuretodisclosethatMr.Swiftsufferedfromthekyphoticdeformityamountedtoconcealment.Astothelegalprincipleheiscorrect,seeBentonv.Snyder,butthereisnothingintherecordfromwhichaninferencecouldbedrawnthatDr.SchoettleknewofanywrongdoingonhispartorofanythingaboutMr.Swiftsconditionthathehadadutytodisclose.Therefore,summaryjudgmentontheallegationsconcerningtheoperationonAugust20,1991wasproper.  WithrespecttotheremainingallegationthatDr.SchoettlefailedtoreferMr.SwifttootherqualifiedhealthcareprofessionalsthereisnocompetentevidenceintherecordthatDr.Schoettlesactionsdeviatedfromthestandardofcare.TheexperttestimonyofferedbyMr.Swiftfailstosatisfythelocalityruleestablished%  byTenn.CodeAnn.2926115andwedonotbelieveweareboundtoaccepttheexpertsbareassertionthatthestandardofcareisthesameeverywhere.  Thejudgmentbelowisaffirmed.ThecauseisremandedtotheCircuitCourtofDavidsonCountyforanyfurtherproceedingsnecessary.Taxthecostsonappealtotheappellant.      _____________________________      BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________HENRYF.TODD,PRESIDINGJUDGEMIDDLESECTION_______________________________WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  %