Dr. Ratcliff himself was great. Careless errors made by clinical staff. Communication errors. Administrative errors. The errors made severely affected my quality of life when I could've been scheduled by a different specialist weeks/months sooner. I am not sure if he is familiar with the mistakes happening within his office.. beware that they will charge you additional $$$ without informing you before hand and then charge you almost $1,000 AFTER the appointment takes place. If you aren't able to afford it, they send it to collections and refuse to see you until it's paid. I will be seeking a different specialist. read more

Very professional place that didn't charge me too much (I'm self pay) and the doctor was very kind and let me know my vertigo was not ear related without any extra tests. read more

I'm really surprised by all of these negative reviews. My son has been seeing Dr. Zapalac for several years now and things have gone great. He has done ear tube surgeries on both of my children and removed the adenoids and tonsils of my oldest. I have never had any problems with the office staff either. read more

My 17 month old needed tubes and Dr. Zapalac was very professional and honest. He did not rush us into tubes but let us make the choice on our own, the procedure was quick and he was very communicative throughout the whole surgery. He explained that a baby coming off Anastasia was going to more upset than normal and it was normal for them. My child was great after a couple of hours and actually said her own name that night. I am happy with the staff as well, the nurses were great and so sweet with me and my child. I read a lot of the reviews and I was not excited about using this doctor or group, but ended up going because of a recommendation from a friend who has also used them. I ended up being very happy. Its unfortunate that the reviews reflect such poor opinions of this group, because my experience was really good. read more

What a waste of time and money! Dr. Ratcliff told me nothing was wrong and there was nothing he could do. Saw another ENT who examined me thoroughly and found the problem. Go elsewhere. read more

Dr. Zapalac great, but front office not informed on how procedures are scheduled. I was told I'd be called that day to schedule biopsy, and it ended up being days before anyone called me. They should have known that there was a ton of paperwork that needed to be taken care of first. It was fine, but the office really should know these things and pass the info on to patients. read more

Don't do it. Doctor Zapalac was the most arrogant and dismissive doctor I've ever been to. You have choices. I know it can be frustrating but there are other ENT specialists out there who do actually care. This man is not one of them. I came home and called up another location and will see how my appointment goes. Don't allow any healthcare provider to treat you with disrespect. Be patient and you will find the right one. read more

Pros: The entire staff that I interacted with was very nice, and Dr. Ratcliff was an enjoyable doctor. But please be very careful... Cons: They will not tell you (even if you ask) about the additional costs of anything done during the appointment. I had a consultation about ongoing sinus issues, during which I clearly stated that I was sensitive about the cost of any procedure being done. I was then charged hundreds of dollars for a nasal endoscopy (in addition to the actual exam charge) and never told at any point during the visit that they'd be charging extra. Even when I called and explained the situation to billing and asked for an adjustment, I was first told it was an insurance issue and then (when insurance clarified that wasn't true) they would not do anything to make amends for the situation. All in all, I would strongly recommend you look elsewhere if you are looking for an honest, upfront experience. read more

I agree with another patient, Dr. Scholl is the BEST otolaryngologist in Austin. He is recognized by peers (Best Doctors in Austin). AND he has amazing people skills. ......... 1) Excellent microsurgery skills. I luckily met him when my surgeon asked Dr. Scholl for a 2nd opinion. My surgeon thought I had a huge wax buildup that he could not remove (he kept pulling & pulling). Dr. Scholl came in and said, "uhh no, look at it from this angle on the microscope. You can see that it is a retracted eardrum flopped over on his ventilation tube." I switched surgeons soon after. ......... Superior people skills & bedside manner. You will find Dr. Scholl easy to talk to -- he will make the time to answer all your questions. And like another patient noted, he sometimes calls after-hours to check on his patients. THANK YOU DR. SCHOLL!! read more

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The doctor was good, but the front desk is extremely rude and deliberately over charged me. I would have stayed to argue my case longer but I had another appointment. When I called later in the day I was not allowed to speak with the manager (same lady who overcharged me) after confirming my copay amount and that virtual visit copays are waived by insurance. They forced me to do a virtual visit first because of COVID and then charged me more than two copays on purpose when I went for my in person visit. I'm already extremely stressed about my unknown health condition and COVID, I don't need doctors stealing my money because they think they can get away with it. read more

I saw Dr. Scholl after being referred to an ENT by a dentist. He ultimately decided that he needed to remove some lymp nodes from my neck to see if it was cancerous. He did not explain that he would be REMOVING lymph nodes, nor did he explain to me the risk - saying only that it would "set me back two or three days." I understood that this was a minimally invasive biopsy and that I would recover. But, I now (one year later) have chronic pain and swelling in my neck and jaw as a result of this surgery, and it hurts to smile, turn my head, and chew. I regret having ever met him. He should have been far more forthcoming regarding both the specifics of the procedure and the risks or permanent injury. I hope no one else experiences this - as it's depressing, painful, expensive, traumatic, and unnecessary - and the only recourse I seem to have is to relate my experience here. Beware. read more

Impossible to get in touch with doctor/nurses for questions or assistance. Support staff is incredibly rude, unprofessional, and unhelpful.

Dr Ratcliff is the kindest nicest doctor we have seen. He help my son to be able to hear from 0% in left ear and 5% in right ear to a full 100% in both ears! Both of my kids have had tonsillectomy and adenoids removed with him. His staff and the office are just wonderful people that all work there and care about their patients. I've been going there for the last 4 years and have seen the same people each time behind the counter and you know that they love their job. read more

MA repeatedly mistook "had" for "has" giving Dr. Newlin incorrect information. MA also repeatedly talked over me to give this incorrect information. When I raised my voice to be heard, MA started crying. Dr. Newlin then got on the phone and yelled at me for making the MA cry, not allowing a word in edgewise. The issue being addressed at the core was life-threatening to my daughter. If there were a way to give negative stars on here, this practice would have them. read more

The week before Christmas, I got park of a soft silicone earplug stuck in my ear. Awkward. I called around to office after office and Austin ENT Associates was the only one that answered. The earliest available appointment was a week later with Dr. Ratcliff, but I waited it out and off I went. No muss, no fuss, and best of all - no judgement. He asked what was in my ear and whisked me away to the surgical microscope to remove it. He warned me it would hurt and let me know we could take a break any time if I needed too. I didn't, but appreciated the courtesy. read more

I visited Dr. Zapalac to check on reason for voice changing. He was very kind and friendly. He scoped my throat and questioned me on other symptoms and came to an easy conclusion....silent reflux. I am now taking a prescription and all is well. The clinic ran very smoothly; our pre-visit wait was less than 5 minutes. The clinic was beautiful. All was handled professionally. I highly recommend this practice for ENT issues. read more

I would give this place one star, but I want to point out that the doctor I saw was really nice. I saw him for five minutes, he looked at a swollen lymph node I had, and confirmed that it wasn't something that I should be concerned about since I've had it for so long. He gave me a few options, and sent me on my way. But that's just it: I saw him for five minutes only to be told that I was fine. I didn't realize that, when I went to check out at the nurse's station, that they were going to charge me almost $200 in a co-pay that day and then bill my insurance for almost $500 on top of that, all because it was a routine office visit and I was a new patient. I don't care how good the doctor was, I refuse to come back to a clinic that's going to rob me blind after telling me that I'm healthy. I've paid a new patient fee before, obviously, but never anything that expensive. There are plenty of other ENTs in Austin, this one was just convenient. I'll definitely be going somewhere else. read more

I took my 18 year old daughter to this practice to see Dr. Zapalac after she received a broken nose during a soccer game. He assured us he could repair the nose, straighten it, and she would be able to breathe out of the affected side. After the procedure and letting the swelling go down, the nose was till crooked and she was having more difficulty with breathing. We went to the follow up appointment and Dr. Zapalac acted as though that was normal and did not seem at all bothered that we were not happy. I took her to get a second opinion, and the doctor there completed a CAT scan which showed four bones completely on the side of her nose. It looked as if nothing had been done. This doctor also told us that splints should have been placed in her nose, which there was not. Extremely frustrating. Now we will have to do another surgery and incur the out of pocket expenses again. read more

I had surgery twice for my deviated septum and have been left with my septum worse after each surgery. I tried to call and had it looked at and was dismissed because Dr.Ratliff said that is was just polyps. It absolutely was not okay at all. My septum is do bad now, I have to wear breathe strips not only to sleep but during the day. I have no airway. I get headaches and so lightheaded that I feel sick because I can't breathe properly. I think it is terrible that I was dismissed TWICE especially after having to come back for a second surgery. Knowing my history, I should have gotten more assistance. DO NOT have surgery here. read more

Dr. Scholl is a knowledgeable, personable and a highly professional ENT. My husband and I have both been clients for several years, and we highly recommend him for your ENT needs. read more

I saw Dr. Austin when my ears were clogged with wax. He was rude. He stuck a thin metal object in my ear and did not stop pressing even when I said it hurt. He prescribed a "cure" that would leave me with clogged ears - and no hearing - for 5 days. He obviously did not care about my problem. The next day I managed to get in to my regular GP. He flushed my ears with warm water and I was immediately fine. I'll never go back to Dr. Austin! read more

Be Very careful about the paperwork you sign when you visit Austin ENT. I went in to see Dr. Austin for allergies and he visually inspected my nose for literally 2 mins and wrote me a prescription for a nasal spray. A couple weeks later I received a bill in the mail from Austin ENT in the amount of $200. I immediately called them to find out why I was being billed this amount and they said it was disclosed in the paperwork I signed. They essentially coded my visit as "surgery" for insurance purposes so that they could get more money and left me to pay this ridiculous amount. The billing manager and staff are rude and disrespectful. SHADY BILLING PRACTICES!! AVOID THIS PLACE! read more

I showed up as a new patient to see Dr. Radcliffe. The ladies at the front desk were so rude! They treated me like I was a nuisance to their social activities. I saw Dr. Ratcliff and he was pleasant. I have no complaints about the doctor, just all the people in his office that you have to deal with to get anywhere. I needed a specialist and when trying to get the order over to the lab, I was met with incompetence and a refusal to expedite the order even though I was dealing with a debilitating affliction. The doctor's nurse has a voicemail message stating it may take her 48 hours to return a phone call! Bottom line, they have too many patients and can't provide timely service to their patients. The receptionists have no care for the patients and made no attempt to get me answers or expedite my order. The nurses are unavailable and take far too long to respond to patient inquiries/voice mails. I would not reccomend this practice to anyone who would like to be treated with resepct and have their questions/concerns addressed in a timely manner. read more

My husband has been having bad ear pain for about a week and we went to see Dr. Austin. This is the same doctor who my husband saw a week before for a hearing test. We waited 30 minutes past our appointment time but that's not a big deal. I know how busy doctors' offices can be. When we did see the doctor, he spent less than 5 minutes with my husband. He looked in each ear and said "It's not your ears". I asked what it might be if it wasn't his ears. The doctor just said "I don't know". I asked what doctor we should go to next since my husband has been in pain for a week. He said "I don't know". He asked my husband if he had done anything with his ears since the last visit. My husband said nothing but the hearing test. Dr. Austin got defensive and immediately said "This has nothing to do with the hearing test." So he doesn't know anything about what's going on with my husband's ears but he does know it wasn't anything having to do with a procedure at his clinic? I'm not saying the hearing test has anything to do with the pain. I was just taken aback by this reaction, and honestly, I was offended by his response. That was it. There is no embellishment here because our appointment was that short. This was all the information we got from the doctor. My husband hates going to the doctor so it took a lot of courage for him to make this appointment. I'm livid by the way my husband was treated, like he and his pain were a nuisance and not worth looking into. I called the clinic and the practice manager was very nice. She said Dr. Austin was gone for the day but offered a recheck with Dr. Ratcliff. My husband declined. read more

Dr Peter scholl is amazing. He performed surgery for me, and when some complications popped up that no one could have anticipated he was super supportive. The sign of a great doctor is how they stand by you, and let me tell you - dr scholl called me first thing in the morning at the end of the day, and often in between while I was getting through the thick of it including on his days off and trips out of town. This guy is a tremendous doctor and person and I can't recommend him enough. To top it off his office staff were all kind, supportive, prompt, and on top of everything. Great group of folks in my opinion. read more

I have had headaches and sinus problems since I was a kid. On a trans-Atlantic flight, I had a sinus infection that seemed to get worse throughout the flight. The pain in the sinuses brought me to tears. As the plane descended for landing, the pain intensified in both my sinuses and my ears. Finally I called my family doctor who recommended I see Dr Scholl. I telephone Dr Scholl's office and they squeezed me into his schedule the same day. He treated my problem and took care of the infection and set me up for follow up care. I highly recommend him. read more

I don't recommend this place at all! I clearly made an appointment to have my right ear checked for ear wax, as it still felt congested there, recovering from a sinus infection. Dr. Ratcliff quickly examined the ears and said all was clear and that my brain had been used to the congestion from the sinus infection and is still not receiving the healed message from the ear. I asked for syringing that ear to be sure. He said not needed and that he wanted to do a hearing exam. I felt it was unnecessary, but did it anyway. It was performed by a rude assistant and the headphones were not covering my ears fully until I noticed when the test was nearly done, when I removed my glasses. Quite a difference. I told this to them and asked for a retest. They refused saying I need hearing aids. I told them I felt my hearing was fine. Worse part is they charged me for the hearing test without telling me there would be a separate charge. I could have gotten a professional hearing test for free from Costco! When I called to complain they refused to delete the charge. I also started getting mailers from a hearing aid company. What a coincidence? read more

I went here in 2011 because my doctor found a thyroid nodule. Or actually I made the mistake of pointing it out to her because I had noticed a lump on my neck. First, after being an hour late to see me, the ENT tries to strong arm me to having surgery rather than giving me my biopsy I came for, but said go home and think about it. I did and decided he was strong arming me, so when I made the follow up appointment, I said I wanted to see his colleague instead and only wanted the biopsy (not a consultation). One again, the wait was an hour or more after the appointment time. Once again, his colleague tried to strong arm me into having surgery, but I demanded the biopsy. I think they also charged me for a second consultation, but it's been a while, so don't quote me. Then he tells me he doesn't have the equipment for the biopsy, which I had made the appointment specifically for. I think I demanded to know why because, after all, the appointment was for a biopsy. But then he says that my nodule was so large that he couldn't miss and drew some blood for it with a big needle. He called later and said my nodule was not malignant. So I went to see an endocrinologist for a second opinion on whether I needed surgery. She said I didn't need surgery, as long as I was not having problems breathing or swallowing. But she said if I didn't that I needed to keep an eye on it in case it grew more. She also seemed surprised that they were insisting I needed surgery. But I didn't really like her as a doctor either, so now I am in San Antonio with a different endocrinologist. I was so mortified by my experiences with these three doctors that I just decided the stress was more damage to me than trying to solve any problems. And while I wasn't having any problems swallowing or breathing from the nodule, I was concerned about hypothyroidism. But I blew it off because I was feeling disenchanted with the medical world. And they weren't the first doctors who lead me to that feeling. But I have been so tired that I am trying again to deal with it. So now I am at a different doctor in San Antonio, who wants to see the biopsy report that I never got a copy of. I see on the ENT's website that they want $25 for released records 20 pages or less. So it's like 2 pages probably. OK, this next part is just an opinion, but my feeling is that these doctors put their interests before yours. And their interest is making money. I don't think it was professional for them to try and hassle me into a surgery when I hadn't had a biopsy yet to determine whether my nodule was malignant. Also dismissing my concerns about how removing that half of my thyroid would almost assuredly result in my having to take medication the rest of my life with some line about how I didn't need all that much thyroid to function, etc. The things they were saying weren't squaring with things I was reading online from places like the Mayo Clinic. These doctors just weren't professional in my opinion. It's interesting to come on here and see that other people are giving them 1 star ratings as well. Even more interesting that my doctor's office at the time was getting great reviews on Yelp, but they are the ones who set me up with these jokers. I should have insisted on finding my own ENTs. Referrals can be questionable. But $25. Everything about my experience with this business makes me mad. I wonder if they labeled me a "non-compliant patient" in their doctor's notes. I noticed on my GP's record that when I initially told them to hold off making the appointment with these folks till I could confirm they actually took my insurance, someone had written in the doctor notes something implying non-compliance. I don't remember remember what it was, but I remember being pissed when I saw it. I think I saw that on their patient portal. But what non-compliance seems to really mean is disruption of the good ole boy network. read more

I really wish I read all these reviews before making appt. This place is horrible and unprofessional. Front desk is ridiculously rude. They really act like you are bothering them for scheduling an appt. If you make the extra effort to sign a release so they can have vital records (including several surgeries) prior to your appt, it would be a waste of time. I work in the medical field for over 12 years and in all the places I have worked, a new patient always has past medical history and we are always required to obtain those records before doctor even sees the patient. In fact I had doctors who wouldn't even go in blind with a patient until records arrived. INSTEAD Austin ENT will not make such efforts, even though you signed an ROI a week prior and the front desk just takes it and tosses it to side because obviously she can't handle more than one thing at a time. They will ask that YOU call previous Doctor and have them send over records while you are sitting in the office on the day of your appt.....THAT IS YOUR JOB. I did beyond my part as a patient. Horrible. They didn't mind taking their $200 at the end of the visit though. Avoid this place. Now off to find another ENT. read more

Do not suggest. Office staff were fine but Dr. Scholl saw me for less than 3 minutes. After having confirmed results of Eustachian tube dysfunction and visible fluid from another MD that referred me here, he said he saw nothing, which is not the problem, but said it as "I don't think you really have an actual problem, so come back to me on a day that you really think it is bad" in the most dismissive tone. And he finished with "and I know you have anxiety" (as I had listed my anxiety medication on the current meds list like normal, completely unrelated to my EARS), as if I made up this issue of two years because of my mental illness. And I paid $175 dollars on my deductible to be told I was being dramatic due to mental health. Please do not go to this place, I promise you will not find what you want or need lol. I feel belittled and I still do not have a solution to my muffled hearing. read more

This place will overcharge you for the most basic visit. They also require you to prepaid for services. My child was supposed to have a tonsils removal surgery with them and they wanted us to give them $480 as a deposit. When I told them that they should file a claim with the insurance company and then send me a bill, they refused and we had to cancel the operation. Stay away from this practice! read more

My son sees Dr. Ratcliff here at Austin ENT and we love him and all of the staff. We have never had trouble getting an appointment in a reasonable amount of time and we have never waited longer than 5 minutes to be seen once we were there. Literally , after checking in, I have barely sat down each time before they call us back. My son had tubes put in when he was 9 months old and everything went perfectly and he did great. He's now 18mo and both tubes have fallen out and he is constantly sick again, so we went back and are going to have the tubes replaced and his adenoids removed. Yes they are quick with their appointments, but I have never felt rushed, if I have a question or concern he takes his time to answer or explain anything. My son prefers it to be quick anyway!!! In and out. I would recommend Austin ENT to anyone for their kiddos, especially Dr. Ratcliff. I have also heard great things about Dr. Zapalac, but haven't personally met him. read more

I had a hearing test done here and seen a Dr. Dehan after the test.This was the rudest man I have ever run into in my years of seeing Dr's. I would never refer this Dr. to anyone ever in the rest of my life. He told me at my age (67) I was lucky I could hear what I can and go home and be happy. If the rest of the staff is anything like him this place won't be in business very long. Once I told him I didn't want to buy hearing aids he turned his back on me and walked out of the room and left me sitting there like a bump on a log and my husband and I looked at each other and said is that it and got up and left. No one said a word as we left and that was it. The whole thing was a waste of time and money as far as I'm concerned and would never go back to this place. read more

OK, what follows is absolutely true. I have embellished nothing. I went to this place because I had a cricopharyngeal spasm. It made me feel like a piece of popcorn was stuck in my throat. Since I have suffered from this malady, in the past, I knew exactly what was wrong with me but I wanted an MD to scope me to confirm the same. I wrote up a detailed history for the doc. When I arrived for my appointment I had a seat in the waiting room. In a few minutes this ultra-hot looking detail gal came out of the back office. She was a Nexium rep, and had her bag and samples with her. She was dressed in a super short, super tight, dark mini dress, heels and a lighter colored top. She had jewelry to the nines, with perfect nails, perfect hair, etc. I was called in as she was leaving. I had previously handed my detailed patient history to the receptionist to give to the doc. I was seen by a doc who will remain nameless. He was the youngest guy with the practice, at the time. He came into the examination room, took one look at me and said, "You have acid reflux. I'll just write you up a prescription for Nexium." "WHAT!????" I yelled. "Have you even taken a look at the history I wrote up? I have no symptoms that are consistent with acid reflux symptomology. ZERO!" He gave the history a glance and then read it. "OK, I'll get the scope and take a look." He scoped me, confirmed my own diagnosis and sent me on my way. Now, just what do you think Ms. Nexium Hottie promised this idiot if he wrote a Nexium script in the next ten minutes? He was so anxious to get the Nexium into me, one can only imagine. Would you trust this guy? I NEVER will, again! Another note: For scoping me for three minutes, total, I got a bill for "Surgical Procedure," to the tune of $450! When I called to protest as a self-insured patient, my bill miraculously came down to $150. Stay away from this place! read more

Dr. Peter Scholl is wonderful ENT doctor. I respect him and his medical opinion. He has an awesome bedside manner. I have only positive things to say about him. I do have concerns with his staff and billing procedures. I was called a long time after my appointment saying I owed money. I asked why as I had already paid my copay. Had I known there would be additional charges I would likely have not made the appointment as it was for a second opinion. I never received a bill for a balance. This news blind sided me. The billing representative double checked her records and found an incorrect address had been entered into their system by their staff which explained why I never got a bill. I stated that I would need to make payments as this was a completely unexpected expense and not in the budget. We agreed on a payment plan and I made the first payment on the phone. Long story short- I did not receive any further statements in the mail nor a phone call or an email requesting the balance. (email would have been a great addition to their billing procedure) I waited for a statement, life got really busy and I lost track of time which was a mistake. No statement ever came but I did receive a letter from collections and I took care of that immediately. My insurance provider has been made aware of this and there is a case number for my complaint. Lessons learned- make sure you get them to tell you how much your appointment is going to cost before agreeing to schedule. As a back up- Ask the Dr. before he does each and every procedure if this is covered by the co-pay. Even if you think everything is taken care of with a -0- balance, remember to call his office a few times to confirm. Be your own advocate and don't expect any empathy. Other than those hiccups I had a great experience with Dr. Scholl. read more