My experience with Dr. Zapalac was unacceptable. He was arrogant, condescending, and dismissive from the moment he walked into the room. I came in for a very specific concern--a fluid-filled bubble further back in my neck/throat area--and he made no real effort to understand what I was explaining. He briefly looked at my neck, ears, and inside my mouth and immediately declared that everything was "fine." When I tried to explain a second time that the area of concern was not where he was examining, his attitude became worse. He made patronizing remarks such as, "I'm trying to be nice to you," and repeatedly emphasized how long he has been practicing and how "good" he is, instead of actually listening to his patient. He then used an inappropriate analogy about chest pain and cardiology to justify doing nothing, stating there was "nothing he could do" because he didn't find anything wrong. After already making me feel embarrassed for even speaking up, he said, "If it makes you happy, I'll order a CT, but it's going to show there is nothing there." That statement was unprofessional and dismissive. I would not have scheduled an ENT appointment if there were nothing wrong. I know my own body. Instead of being taken seriously, I was talked down to and treated as if my concerns were foolish. Considering I paid a copay, it felt like I paid to be belittled. The experience was unpleasant from the start. The front desk staff was abrupt and rude, with no courtesy--only demands for my name, insurance card, and copay. The visit lasted less than 10 minutes and felt rushed, impersonal, and focused solely on moving patients through rather than providing care. Dr. Zapalac showed no genuine interest in helping or listening. I will never return to this provider and strongly advise others to seek care elsewhere if they expect respect, professionalism, or to be taken seriously. read more

Dr. Zapalac is just so knowledgeable and honest. I trust him to make the right medical desicions for me.

I saw him twice and he said I was fine. I was not. I am a professional singer who can no longer sing, but he doesn't have a problem with that, despite diagnosing a nodule on my vocal cords. I will find someone else. read more

We had a really good experience with Dr. Zapalac at Austin ENT associates. We went in for my 11 month old for recurrent ear infections. She had fluid in her ears when we went for the consult so we ended up scheduling for ear tubes the same day. We were very nervous on surgery day but the nurses took care of us every minute and dr Zapalac came by before the procedure and by the time they took her back to when we stopped crying from our anxiety- Dr. Zapalac walked back toward us 10-15 mins later saying the procedure was done and our daughter was in recovery. It was the best experience before and after. I am so grateful for the nurses, Dr and this procedure. Hopefully no more constant ear infections! read more

I was seeing Dr. Zapalac in his office for a salivary gland issue related to facial surgeries (I have TMJ implants and have had multiple surgeries on my face and was diagnosed previous to this appointment with Frey's syndrome, which causes pain, redness, swelling, and sweating when I eat). He came into the room and, before examining me or even saying hello, he immediately said that there was nothing wrong with me- which he had seemingly decided before even entering the room. When I explained to him that I have shooting pain in my face, redness, burning, and sweating every time I eat, his response was "well, there isn't a treatment for it" and that "most people just deal with it." My husband brought up the fact that I had lost about 30lbs due to the condition and he said, "well, the medical treatment for that is a feeding tube." Another ENT had recommended surgical intervention but he said that it would be senseless to do any type of surgical interventions, despite me asking him about the recommended surgical procedures discussed in peer-reviewed journal articles and recommended by the other ENT. He continued to say that there is no surgical treatment for it and that "I can't do harm." When I asked him for referrals to other ENTS, he refused to provide referrals to other ENTs who may be able to help because he didn't think that anything needed to be done. He also said that "any ENT can work with salivary glands" (which is not true). Due to the issue with my gland, I am unable to open my mouth more than 10-12mm; I'm very nervous about new doctors touching my face due to pain so I informed him of this prior to him examining me. During the examination, he sounded frustrated that I could not open wider and placed his tongue depressor on my bottom back molars and attempted to pry my mouth open wider. This caused a significant increase in pain for several days following this appointment. He then pressed hard on the area around my ear and said that if there were something wrong with my parotid gland it would hurt when he did that. I jumped a bit and told him it did hurt as the pain again was significant. He patted my shoulder and said "that's just your nerves." He then asked about the drooping in my forehead and, when I explained that this was a result of nerve damage that commonly happens in TMJ surgeries, he asked me how I could possibly have nerve damage in my forehead if surgery was done by my ear. The fact that he didn't seem to understand nerve connections was alarming. My recommendation- don't go see this guy. It was apparent by his lack of concern and him causing significant pain by prying my mouth open that he has missed the mark on what "I can't do harm" means. read more

I went to see Dr Zapalac today. He was kind, spent time with me, explained everything and did not push medical treatment or medication. He took a holistic approach letting me know that sometimes treatment is not necessary. I appreciate this because so many doctors now push you into medical treatment or medication. He was personable, had great manors and was helpful. I am shocked reading the other comments as I had a completely different experience. I never write reviews and had such a good experience felt the need to share with others! If you are looking for a good ENT I highly recommend Dr. Zapalac. read more

I saw Dr Zapalac in August 2018 for chronic congestion. He took one look in my nose and said I have a deviated septum that blocks 50% of my right sinus passage. He said we could do surgery and fix it or we can get a ct scan to amber a good picture of everything going on, so I went for the ct. It showed a couple other issues that could be helped with surgery. This morning I had the surgery and I have minimal pain. Every interaction with Dr Zapalac and his staff has been positive. They are all friendly and helpful. And Dr Zapalac even called me personally three times which I found super nice. I would 100% recommend him for your ENT needs. read more

He is a straight shooter. He's thorough and truthful. I felt very confident in his diagnosis. I will try what he suggested and we'll see in a month or so. read more

Dr, Zapalac is hands down the best ENT I have ever been to. Don't take my word for it. I asked my physician family member and she polled 160 doctors that work with ENTs and they agreed he is the best in Austin. I have to see him every 3-6 months for an ear issue and he never hurts me. I will only go to him. read more

I went to see this Zapalac guy as a second opinion from another doctor diagnose that still has not solved the problem, well so sorry I went to see this idiot... He came to me with a bad attitude right from the get go, as if he was being bother by second guessing the other doctor, never been treated in such a bad attitude by a doctor, at one time I apologized to him for waisting his time, he said to come back if I needed to do additional test for a second opinion, I highly doubt I'll ever go back to see this jerk. read more

I have been going to Dr.Zapalac for over ten years. I have chronic sinus problems. He removed my cysts and polyps from my sinus cavities. I go back yearly to make sure everything is still like it's supposed to be. When my son had to get his tubes put in his ears and adenoids taken out, I knew Dr.Zapalac was where we were going. My son had to get his tonsils removed last month and Zapalac did amazing! Dr. Zapalac has a great bed side manor. He personally makes phone calls to patients to check in on them to see how they are doing. How many doctors have you been to that the doctor actually calls, not the nurse?? I highly recommend Dr. Zapalac for any ENT issues! read more

Dr. Zapalac is an amazing Physician! I've had chronic sinus problems for awhile and have seen various doctors with a variety of procedures, including sinus surgery a year and a half ago. I still had numerous infections and was put on too many antibiotics and steroids. Dr. Zapalac was thorough from the very beginning, determined to fix the problem! During this covid pandemic, we exchanged a few calls trying to get scans done and surgery scheduled. He, personally, called me each time and I didn't have to deal with leaving messages on portals. He is so personable and his bedside manner is fantastic! I saw him for my second follow up after surgery...he was, again, very personable and concerned. He did a great job with the procedure and I'm hoping I will be infection-free!! He is great and I highly recommend him!! read more

I took my little sister to this guy and wow, do I relate to a lot of the comments in this thread regarding his bedside manner & communication skills. Apparently, he was pleasant before my sister's surgery, but like others, after her surgery I witnessed one of the rudest doctor's I've ever dealt with. You ask him questions and he answers your questions as if you are an idiot, very immature guy. The surgery follow-up is really where things started to fall apart. For example, he is not very good at explaining his own procedures. We've asked him repeatedly to explain her surgery and he couldn't. He doesn't elaborate or educate you as a patient as to what he is actually talking about. He was also very rushed, ending your appointment abruptly even before you've asked all of your questions. I mean, if you are late to another engagement, work on your time management, or don't schedule so many patients in a day, figure it out but don't rush patients and their family members. I'd sum him up as rude, arrogant, and uninformative. read more

Do not let this doctor work on your sinuses. He was nice before my surgery, then suddenly rude and unconcerned afterwards. My sinus issues are infinitely worse than before I had surgery. Dr. Zapalac told me that it was safe to scuba dive right after surgery. My scuba instructors said that I could possibly die if did that! They told me to wait three months after surgery then have test run to make sure that it's safe to dive. You've been warned. If I could go back I would have done more research and taken a different approach for my sinus issues. I would advise that you take a natural approach and figure out what works best for you. Good luck! read more

I have four children and wouldn't dream of taking them anywhere else! My two oldest kids have had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy, my third has had THREE sets of tubes and also just had t&a last week, and my youngest has had one set of tubes. He has also done sinus surgery on me and treated my husband for some throat issues due to reflux. We have been patients for almost 10 years. We have temporarily moved to the Dallas area for my husband's job and we STILL drive to Austin to see Dr. Zapalac. He's THAT good! read more

Kind of reminded me of Donald Trump. Completely full of himself, rude, arrogant, and really didn't have much to offer. Within two minutes of my being there he had thrown a pencil at his clip board because I couldn't remember the name of a general antibiotic I had taken six weeks ago and lectured me for getting a second opinion. He also told me that everyone's ears ring and proceeded to sit on a bench with his finger on his ear and said "see". Unprofessional. Will not return and would never recommend. read more

I was referred to Dr. Jeff Zapalac by Dr. Robert Cook -- excellant doctor too -- I really liked Dr. Zaplac and he was very educational and informative through the process... was not too crazy about the surgery center they use - Hyde Park -- Overall, I felt Dr. Zapalac to be a very good doctor! read more

We were referred to Dr Zapalac by our pediatrician for my son. I was nervous because there are a lot of negative reviews for him. The wait time was a bit long but I'm a patient person so that didn't bother me. The staff was friendly. Dr Zapalac was very very kind and professional. He was to the point and informative. He answered any questions we had. Not once did I feel like he was arrogant or rude. My son had his tonsils and adenoids out and tubes in his ears today and, again, Dr Zapalac was kind and helpful. I'm pleasantly surprised. I'm very thankful for this Dr. read more

Dr. Zapalac was recommended to me by my daughters pediatrician for her constant ear infections. He performed the surgery for tubes a few years back and did an excellent job. We've seen him multiple times since then for check ups ect. We've always had great experiences with him and his office staff. He is a direct doctor who is professional and good at what he does. I wouldn't say he is "overly friendly" but I guess that's not my main character trait I'm looking for in a Doctor. I highly recommend him and his knowledge and ability as an ENT. read more

I've been seeing Dr. Zapalac for about 7 years. He is nice, smart and so helpful. I need to get an ear wash about every 6 months, which he's fantastic at. I also get the occasional sinus infection. He's just amazing at what he does. He really cares about his patients. read more

Dr. Zapalac and his entire staff get 5 stars ( each ) . I went for an appointment and had read prior reviews . I don't know what problems the other patient had but I walked in and everything was professional , cheerful ,on time and resolved to my complete satisfaction. If I have another issue , this is where I'll go and so should you . read more

I love this Dr! He is very nice especially with my kid that does not like doctors, who does? :P ... The staff is nice and the audiologist is the nicest! read more

I wish I had read the reviews before making appointment with this doctor.. I suddenly hit with vertigo(BPPV) last Thursday morning.. Though I knew it isn't a serious condition but wanted to get it fixed at the earliest.. my wife had few years back & another friend 2 weeks back.. for both, ENT doctor did maneuvering during office visit to fix the temporary disorder. I was expecting the same when I made an appointment but contrary to my expectation.. Doctor only diagnosed the problem & said will give you exercise to do at home for a week. I told the doctor I was expecting you to perform maneuvering.. that's when he started acting rude, tone changed and said, you are here to get the diagnose and treatment plan done.. I can't fix your problem right here.. I doubt he knew how to work on BPPV.. so walked out for 10 minutes, came back with printed paper with the steps to perform maneuvering.. agreed to perform maneuvering (may be he must have read the printout) I felt he was preparing me to go through MRI.. he mentioned multiple times, if nothing happens in one week, we will do further diagnosis like MRI .. Final dumber.. I asked, I have been sleeping on my left side (as the problem was in right ear), is it ok if I start sleeping on right.. this qualified doctor said, Yes but the printout I was given clearly said to night, DO NOT sleep on right.. read more

Dr. Zapalac must be bi-polar. If you do your research (ratemds.com) you will see that other patients have had a horrible experience just like I did. Some say he is the best, and some say he is the worst. Like I said, I experienced the awful, impatient, ego-driven doctor. Long story short, I had thyroid cancer when I was 19. (two years ago) He was trying to figure out what it was, but he couldn't. The problem was that he gave me attitude when I tried to ask him what was going on with me. I think it was because he couldn't figure out what was going on, and that frustrated him. He also wanted to do surgery right away without knowing what was going on! Nonetheless, I left and went to a wonderful doctor and surgeon named Dr. Morgan who took great care of me. Also, when he called back to ask if I was going to come back, my mom said no and he hung up. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. Some of my "highlights": I waited nearly an hour in the office for my appointment, I couldn't get Dr. Zapalac nor his assistant to return my calls for a week, then when Dr. Zapalac called to check on me, he constantly interrupted me, talked over me, yelled at me and hung up on me. He even yelled at me b/c he hadn't received my labs from another doctor, which was totally out of my control. Shockingly unprofessional and down-right rude. I'll never return to this practice. read more

HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!! Over ONE hour waiting!! Staff unkind and not helpful at all. Never going back.

Horrible experience. Never made it in to see the doctor for my first appointment. Got there 15 minutes early to fill out paperwork, then waited an hour past my scheduled appointment without a word from receptionist as to how long it would be. They did manage to collect my co-pay on time though. I just walked out and am calling my credit card company to reverse the co-pay charge. Incredibly rude way to treat a new patient. read more

Very impressed with this physician. The only attitude I got was one of an old school medico who actually called me on a Saturday (!!!) with a preliminary diagnosis, one which was the most sensible and informed of all received per initial problem. I'd see this doctor for an ENT related problem before any other. read more

Dr. Zapalac cared for my father who had recurrent head and neck cancer. Dr. Zapalac was the most compassionate and caring doctor I have ever had any interaction. He was very professional and informative providing all the pros and cons of any course of action or care plan he recommended. At times my father would ask Dr. Zapalac what he recommended. Dr. Zapalac told him he was talking to him as though he was his own father. Unfortunately the cancer was very aggressive. Following multiple surgeries, and after he had done all he could do, Dr. Zapalac stayeyd by my father's side and even visited him in the nursing home--as a friend. I could not possibly imagine a better and more caring physician than Dr. Jeffrey Zapalac. read more

I have been dealing with Jeffrey Zapalac for years and on one day this man took it upon his self to terminate my sons care and they want me to pay to get my son's medical records. If i have to contact the media and explain the entire story i will for they know they made a mistake and they don't want to own up to it. Yiu know the world is round and when things happen people always why it happened to them...well think of who you treated and how you treated some one it may nit come back to you but it will come back to some one close to you i have seen it happened. A school teacher treated my daughter bad and the next week his mom died suddenly. All Gods work for God doesn't like ugly. Jeffrey Zapalac isn't the only ENT in the world and he surely isn't the best his bedside manners are terrible i don't know why i took my son but i am regretting it. How you put tubes in a child ear and don't want to take them out after so many years and my son ears are hurting him. The last time i took he we was seen so blunt like Zapalac didn't care or he was having a bad day but you don't take it out on a child or the parent i am going to make reports to all that i can make.God isn't sleep he sees and hears all. read more