I want to be fair in my assessment of this office. There are a lot of things they got right in my experience, although I can't wholeheartedly recommend them (I'll get to that later).
What went well:
-Scheduling is easy and the receptionist is pleasant
-You can be seen with very little advanced notice
-The facilities are impeccable; very clean, tastefully decorated, and efficient use of space.
-For my first appointment, the receptionist who went over all of the things I'd need to know for my procedures was friendly, and super thorough. She really took her time making sure I understood all of the restrictions in order to be prepared for my visit
-In addition, the handouts they give about your procedures are very helpful to ensure you remember everything you need to.
- The best part of my experience would have to be the male anesthesiologist (I wish I could remember his name!)- He was phenomenal. I am on the younger side of gi patients, and so I don't have much experience being anesthesized. He made me feel super at ease, with both humor, and repeated assurances that I was in good hands. He made, what is often a daunting process, as bearable as possible. I can't say enough good things about him!
Now on to my one and really my only issue with this place. To paint the picture, you need a bit of background. I am 34 years old, and I have anxiety issues and ibs. This has been a constant for my entire adult life, and something I sucked up and went about my life without really addressing. That said, my symptoms are very clear cut, to the point where I can pinpoint when my symptoms will occur and what are my triggers (hello stress!). I have never in my entire life experienced anything that would be a red flag to suggest anything more than ibs...never rectal bleeding, never weight loss (I wish!). Just your run of the mill constipation when experiencing stress, and very rarely, diarrhea. Upon going to my initial visit, the doctor (the female) asked that the intern ask me questions, which I was perfectly fine with (I was once an intern myself [graduate student], and I know they are well prepared by the time they reach the point of interacting with clients). He was super nice, friendly, and make an awkward subject not feel quite so, uh, awkward btw! The doctor later comes in and straight off the rip recommends a colonscopy and EGD. In the moment I accepted that info without comment and for the sake of honesty, I did feel as if she was talking down to me when I asked what these procedures are (again, I am only 34, colonscopies are not big in my set quite yet), but immediately after I left I started to question the decision for me to undergo such an invasive procedure for what is pretty clearly ibs. Then I did some research and according to many reputable sources, the old fashioned way of diagnosing ibs involves a colonscopy, and now they are not completely necessary when there are no "red flags." I called and tried to suggest this, and once the doctor was put on the phone, she was quite condescending and almost defensive (that I did my own research). Her response was only to suggest an over the counter product and to call back when I was ready to have a colonoscopy. Uh no. So with that said, I'm moving on. I'm not totally opposed to the procedure, but given its invasive nature (and risks involved!), I don't want it to be the first line of defense, particularly when it doesn't have to be.
So here's my recommendation- if you have serious gi symptoms/conditions such as crohn's etc, this place is for you. They are well equipped to handle these types of conditions and that seems to be what they are most familiar with. Even if you don't necessarily have GI problems, but you are at an age where getting a colonscopy is recommended, this place will probably meet your needs. However, if you are like me, and your GI problems are not super severe, or if they are very clearly related to ibs, only go here if you don't mind your anus being probed when you may or may not really need that to diagnose and/or treat your condition. That said, while my experiences were mostly positive, the female doctor and I didn't really connect well and I felt as if she didn't really consider my request and tended to talk to me as if I am slow. The male doctor did my EGD procedure and he was super nice, and thorough when he went over my preliminary results, which I appreciated. read more