One of the kindest Dr. we have ever met. Gave a very thorough exam and evaluation. Did an u/s right in the exam room. Discussed surgery plans and was very personal and excellent Dr at the same time. We feel completely confident about the upcoming surgery. The front office lady is very kind, personal and helpful. So grateful to find them read more

Excellent and kind surgeon, who is attentive and clearly explains options. Office staff is very responsive.

Great Admin! Big thanks to Melanie!!!! Urgent situation with my employer (a doctor) and she worke her magic and got him in almost immediately! Your rock! thanks! and thanks from my boss! read more

Great doctor! Dr. Hiler is very knowledgeable about numerous sugical procedures and treatments he performs. Came in for a hemmy issue and he knew what he was doing and explained everything about the procedures and post op. His receptionist is so kind and efficient with appointments and getting things approved by the insurance! read more

Great Doc very comprehensive exams! He wants to see the Big picture So far I have given him five stars Also personality plus read more

I went to see this Dr. for my hand last October 2020. The people that screened me knew I wanted to be seen for a hand problem. I was in this Dr.'s office 2 minutes, was not examined, was not referred to any other Dr. He simply said I do not do that, and I realized I was in the wrong office. He told me he does not do hands. He does something entirely different. Imagine my shock when he billed me for the office visit. I called the office and told them I was not seen for my hand. They went to look at his notes and told me that this Dr. did a comprehensive hand exam and gave me a referral. I told them that never happened! I called my insurance company to let them know this Dr. billed fraudulently. read more

Dr. Hiler can stop practicing medicine - he's got it down! Amazing experience. Open hernia repair. Total success. No complications. And NO pain - opioids never needed. Took ibuprophen in case pain occurred - it never did. No stitches, he just glued me back together. And great attitude. (However, he did go to S.I.). Performed at Presidio Surgery Center - also 5 stars. read more

Dr Hiler and his team at Presidio Surgical Center were fantastic. I received an epigastric hernia repair. I was down for 2 days after surgery with a little soreness and small bruising - mostly just getting in and out of bed was difficult. I was able to walk my very energetic labradoodle on day 2. I then comfortably flew 6 hours on a flight off to Florida for vacation and was swimming 7 Days after procedure. My scar is minimal measuring only 1.5 inches and well hidden above my belly button. read more

Amazing bed-side manner, great sense of humor, knowledgeable, brief, to-the-point, and an overall great surgeon. We saw more results with Dr. Hiler in 1 visit than years of searching for answers at world-class institutions many of them in the Bay Area. We are deeply grateful for the care, healing and attention to us (including post-surgery and a phone call late at night). read more

In August of 2004, I was referred to Dr. Hiler with a possible hernia. It was a lump on my abdomen and it wasn't causing me any pain. Dr. Hiler diagnosed it as a hernia and I opted to have it proactively patched. He said the recovery would be 3 days, but I couldn't work for a month. I could barely walk for 2 weeks I was in so much pain. I still have residual pain to this day and frequently irritate the area when exercising. The patch in my abdomen is hard and doesn't flex like the surrounding tissue. I consider the surgery a huge mistake, but I chalked it up to a learning experience until recently. Last week, I found another bulge on the other side of my abdomen. This one hurt a little bit. I had an appointment with Dr. Hiler for an unrelated surgical matter, and he diagnosed the 2nd lump as another hernia and suggested a second operation. He suggested a direct procedure, non-laparoscopic. I was not interested in having another month-long recovery process, especially if I didn't need to have the procedure, so I got a second opinion with another surgeon. The second surgeon said surgery was unnecessary, and that I probably didn't even have a hernia, or if I did, it was very small! He diagnosed me with a pulled muscle and said if I did develop a hernia in the future, he would recommend a laparoscopic procedure with a flexible patch, not the chop and plug that Dr. Hiler recommended. I can't tell you how disillusioned I have become with the medical community. I can't help but wonder if my first surgery was even necessary and that I went through all the trouble of recovery for nothing, or worse, increasing the chance that a hernia may reappear. I can't help but wonder if in both instances, Dr. Hiler was too eager to recommend surgery simply to drum up business. I elected to have the initial surgery because I was concerned about my insurance being discontinued and at the very least, Dr. Hiler did nothing to disabuse me of the notion that the pain I suffered and continue to suffer would be worth the few thousand dollars the insurance saved me. Dr. Hiler is very nice to talk to and very persuasive, but please get a second opinion if you are thinking of going through a surgery like this. Any surgery is serious, recovery is long and painful, and you will never be the same as you were before they cut you open. Even though hernia surgery is common, it's not to be taken lightly. Find out all the facts and all your different options before agreeing to any particular procedure. The surgeon may not volunteer information relating to all your different options, may attempt to push you into surgery when it's against your best interests, and may minimise the negative aftereffects of the procedure. I feel that this is what Dr. Hiler did in my case. To be fair, I would rate the second surgeon with a single star as well. His demeanor was completely dismissive and rude, and his examination room smelled like homeless. He acted like I was wasting his time. read more

Dr. Hiler is incredible. I had stomach problems starting in January, and nobody could figure out what they were. After months of XRays, Ultrasounds, and all kinds of other tests, my doc finally sent me Dr. Hiler's way. He immediately diagnosed correctly, eased my fears, and took my gall bladder out with ease. I'm all better, and I couldn't be happier with him! He's also just a GREAT guy! **Update** I brought Dr. Hiler's review down, not because he's not amazing - he is a great doctor!, but because I've gone through hell since the bill was issued. Hiler's office uses an outside biller, and she doesn't have enough experience to do things correctly when it comes to unusual situations (I had two primaries - and yes, that is possible). So the office owed me a refund, and even though Blue Shield was on the phone telling them to send me the check, they refused and insisted on sending it back to Blue Shield. It takes Blue Shield forever to process and now, seven months after my surgery, I'm now still waiting to get my money back. It's ridiculous. Again, I'd like to reiterate that everything with my surgery was great and I really am happy that Dr. Hiler was my surgeon. Just be prepared to deal with the BS that comes with them not doing their own billing. **Update** I was too nice last time I updated. Currently I am owed over $530 that Dr. Hiler was supposed to refund to me directly. His office refused, and sent it to the insurance company, and now i'm going through hell trying to get the insurance company to process it and get it back to me. Every time I call to check they tell me it's still processing because the doctor was supposed to send it to me directly. There are too many good surgeons in this city to settle for one that let's his office treat you like sh** after it's all over. Especially when dealing with medical bills, $500 is a lot of money. read more

Of course I was nervous the day of the surgery! I was going to reschedule my surgery day thinking that the staff maybe half asleep the day after Easter on a Monday at 7:00am, but I decided to just get it over with. But when Dr. Hiler came in to speak with me right before the surgery looking like he was pumped up and excited to do my surgery, it comforted me. It assured me that I was in good hands since he looked like he loves his job! Furthermore, he's very pleasant and had addressed all my concerns. Reading some of the reviews before I went to see Dr. Hiler almost made me turn around and look for another doc with perfect stars, especially when someone had mentioned that it took her a month to recover and still hurting, but I am glad I didn't. I recovered just fine walking the very next day and actually worked from home - physically back to work 6 days later. Every person recovers differently. In general two weeks, but some may recover faster and some may recover longer. It really all depends with each person, and Dr. Hiler should not get castigated for it. Thank you, Dr. H! read more

Bang! Regardless of spending this lifetime trying hard to keep my engine and karma clean, last summer I was hit by a stray karmic bullet. (Dog gone it! I knew I should have worn my karmic bulletproof vest that day.) Vroom! Just like that I was immediately carted off to the Never Never Land of medical doctors, medical tests, more medical doctors, and more medical tests. By good fortune, the karmic winds shifted, however, and I was blown into the path of Dr. Kevin R. Hiler. From my extensive and intensive experience working with Dr. Hiler, I can honestly place my hand on a Buddhist bible and swear under oath that he is a rare gem in a health care system that's gone SICKO. No stone is left unturned under Dr. Hiler's watch and the patient will never fall off the tightrope under his care. He works around the system. Because of Dr. Hiler and the magnificent team of medical specialists (he took great care in matching me with), and my acupuncturist Janis Feichtmeir, I am here today writing this review and continuing to stir up as much good karma as possible in this lifetime. read more

I was referred to Dr. Hiler by Edwin Hassid (a highly yelp rated internist if anyone is looking) to complete a relatively minor surgery. Dr. Hiler was very professional throughout the entire process, took pain to explain everything, and had a pretty good sense of humor about everything -- we swapped lies throughout the entire 5 minute procedure and before I knew it even started it was over. Can't complain about that... I'm docking a star though (and it would definitely be more if he were a restaurant and not a doctor!) because he was running an hour behind my first scheduled surgery--after I was already prepped and everything. And I say first because I decided to "stick it to the man" and leave hoping that I deprived him of an hour of insurance fees. Anyhow, the 2nd scheduled appointment a few days later went as scheduled. Also beware of the parking garage in his main offices. Corners are so tight I ended up scratching my fender! And I had to pay for the privilege - but if that isn't SF I don't know what is read more

It feels a little weird to me Yelping doctors, but since I look up everyone I go to, I feel like it is important to do. Years of pain, nausea, etc. and a lot of people with no answers later, I was referred to Dr. Hiler to see if I was a candidate for gallbladder removal. His office staff was incredibly friendly and I found his bedside manner to be pleasant as well. After an ultrasound and answering his questions, we decided that I needed to get rid of it! It was my first surgery so I was very nervous, but we had a good talk pre-op and the surgery went off without a hitch. I ate Chinese food that night (obviously against the recommendation of Dr. Hiler) and my quality of life immediately improved the minute I left the surgery center. 10 months later, I am healthy and feeling great. Thank you, Dr. Hiler! read more

Dr. Hiler is modest, direct, and left me feeling that I had received excellent care. He explained everything he was going to do, talked me through it as he did it, and discussed his findings. I could not have asked for better care. read more

Dr. Hiler has a great consultative style and bedside manner. I recently had a hernia fixed thanks to a little innie becoming an outie from CrossFit squats and well these things just happen, don't they. I had a great in-office appointment with his friendly staff and we agreed a microsurgery would patch me right up. At the outpatient facility, he was informative about all the post-op expectations and also very friendly and kind. We had a few laughs, he has a funny personality, so this makes going under the knife a comforting. I'd suggest if you do happen to have One Medical that you don't use the CPMC facilities for the pre-op work if you value your time. So, note to others CPMC is ridiculously slow at the pre-op work. read more

In Fall of 2008 I developed a right 'inguinal' hernia that was moderately painful and especially painful after jogging & running (one of my passions). My primary care physician referred me to Dr. Hiler. I met with Dr. Hiler and he quickly confirmed the diagnosis and recommended hernia surgery to repair it (so far as I know, this is the only fix!). We discussed the 2 types of surgery: laproscopic and direct (full 2" incision over the hernia). I had assumed that laproscopic was the way to go since you hear so much about the wonders of this in many areas. Dr. Hiler told me his recommendation was direct. I liked the way he took time to discuss the data and pros and cons. E.g., if I remember correctly, laproscopic has 4% failure rate, direct only 1%. Laproscopic involves not 1 small incision, but 3, one of which is in the belly button, and which can occasionally lead to later new hernias through the belly button. I chose the direct. We also discussed likely recovery times and could I exercise again in weeks after the surgery (my friend in Chicago had been prohibited from exercise for 4 weeks after his hernia surgery). Dr. Hiler again was data driven, and immediately explained there was not statistical or study evidence to at all show that exercise prohibitions improved outcomes. He said he believed that being active after surgery improved recovery & healing (e.g., improves blood flow to the wound area, etc.). After our appointment we ended up waiting in a hallway for a restroom. I questioned him more. He said he does 300 hernia surgeries a year, he teaches at UCSF, he was full of statistics on the learning curve & failure rates for surgeons in training... again a very data & outcome based viewpoint. I went to his front desk to schedule it. They suggested dates 3-4 weeks out but I asked isn't there a day in just 1-2 weeks, as I was anxious to get the surgery and recovery in well before ski season. The desk person saw a possible opening but it would require Dr. Hiler to shift a regular meeting of his. She called him to the desk and he quickly worked out a shift in his schedule to allow me the early surgery date. These people are so nice! The day of the surgery, my operation was delayed because Dr. Hiler had an emergency surgery across town that had complications - he stuck with that patient till the surgery was done & done well. While I waited I talked to the nurses at my hospital. They said Dr. Hiler is in great demand because not only is he one of the best, but he and his whole staff are just really nice. For my surgery, it was getting late in the day and I guess Dr. Hiler could have blown me off and had me reschedule, but instead he quickly came cross town to my hospital and when he arrived (just before closing time for the surgical ward) he was so nice and apologetic, and he and the surgery team proceeded to do what appears to be a great job. I had my 8 day post op followup with Dr. Hiler yesterday and I got there at 11:50 for my 11:45 appointment and I was seeing him within literally one minute. He patiently answered any and all questions I had. Things are healing really well, I've been able to do vigorous walks and even cycling, and my pain is very very low level now. All the pain killers he gave me for first 2-3 days after the surgery were wonderful and kept that phase not bad at all. I recommend Dr. Hiler very very highly - from what I can see he is tops in his field, bases his recommendations on real data, runs an office that is super nice and flexible. The surgical nurses at my hospital would know the good surgeons from the bad, rude ones, and they seem to agree that Dr. Hiler is one of the best. read more

Amazing Doctor, I would trust him with my life. Hopefully, when researching a doctor people are using more resources than yelp. Dr. H is an expert in the field of hernias. Highly recommend! read more

I recently had hernia surgery after being referred to Dr. Hiler and other than not really being too excited about having surgery, it went about as smoothly as possible. Dr Hiler was professional, yet had a casual bedside manner which I appreciated, and he talked me through the different solutions, his recommendation and finally the probable recovery period. Looking at other reviews here I think it is unfair to mark a Dr. down when a person's recovery didn't go exactly as planned since no other info about the individual was posted. In my case I am a healthy 40 year old, not overweight, and don't really have any other medical issues. I went in at 6:00am on Friday and was home by 10:00am. Dr. Hiler also uses a pain pump which directly treats the wound area with an anesthetic which greatly reduced any major pain for the first 48 hours. I was back to work on Monday (although moving a little slower) and now at 3 weeks I hardly think about it. Truly a great experience considering it was surgery which is typically never pleasant. With any surgery there is typically recovery pain, but the pain was manageable and consistently declined. No issues at all with the office staff - they were great. read more

First have to say the "C.B." one star review seems really off to me, especially in the particulars about hernia surgery. I just completed mine with Dr. Hiler, and decided to have him perform it after a lot of research and talking to three doctors. The technique he recommended and used made great sense and was painless. He also used a post-op pain management solution that no one else had recommended, and it worked beautifully. Also, Dr. Hiler took as much time as I wanted to answer questions, defining all terms, explaining the bio-mechanical effects of his particular approach. Found out at CPMC waiting for the surgery that he is chief of surgery there - something he never mentioned. He also teaches this procedure to people who fly in from everywhere. Hard to imagine how a doctor could take what could be an unpleasant at best experience and turn it into one carried out with such humor, grace, and aplomb. But this doctor did, and for that I am grateful, and taking the time to write my first Yelp! review. read more

For hernia surgery I'd have no one else. Dr. Hiler and the team at Presidio Surgical are top-drawer. Excellent service and results.

Hopefully this stays at 5 starts! I am about 4-5 weeks outside bilateral open hernia repair and everything is looking good. The pain was pretty bad the first few days, but Hiler had warned me. I am back to running about 3-4 miles a day and pain is very minimal. He was very professional, and one of the few doctors I have ever seen when I didnt feel rushed, and felt like all my questions were answered. Certainly for this kind of minor surgery I would have no qualms about recommending my family members! read more

I did extensive research and chose Dr. Hiler for help with an abdominal muscle issue. He told me to take a few months off from activity, which I did. When that did not work, he scheduled surgery to remove tacks from a previous hernia repair. The surgery was to take only 45 minutes. I was under for over 2 hours. The surgical center was a disaster--I was kicked out 20 minutes after waking from surgery. The nurses were joking about some drink special at a local bar that they needed to get to. So I go back to HIler 3 weeks after surgery and am in more pain than before. His comment--"well I didn't think that surgery would solve your problem. Just take pain pills the rest of your life." If you did not think srugery would work, why the hell did you operate? STAY AWAY! read more

I don't mean to get carried away, but Dr. Hiler is a GENIUS surgeon. He did both of my inguinal hernias at the same time with the Da Vinci robot and I was LITERALLY at the gym (treadmill) the next day, and I never even bothered to open my pain medication as Advil was fine. I had been told horror stories about the recovery from traditional surgery and I was apprehensive to say the least, but my experience was just terrific. The robot is obviously a big advance in low-invasive procedure, but the skill of the operator is the whole deal and Hiler is a master IMO. read more

Dr. Hiler is not your typical surgeon who thinks cutting is the best medical solution. I went to him to consider a nissen fundoplication to fix my acid reflux. After reviewing the results of my four esophageal studies (gastric emptying, barium swallow, esophageal manometry, ph monitor), he prescribed new drugs to coat my esophagus and reduce my stomach acid. His honesty and professional judgement are second to none. If I decide to pursue a surgical option in the future, I will come back to Dr. Hiler. read more

Dr. Kevin Hiler is outstanding. In 2011 he operated on me with great success.

I had a very positive experience having my hernia repaired by Dr. Hiler. The operation was painless and the post-operative pain was very manageable. Not only is Dr. Hiler a crackerjack surgeon, but he's a great guy. Not only was he not irritated by my questions, but he seemed genuinely glad I had asked. read more

As the other reviewer said, I also had a very much longer and painful recovery than promised. Also, going to his office is very uncomfortable as he always has these young girl students shadowing him and it's not great when he is looking at your dick. read more

I guess the best way to thank a doctor is to do so in public, a first for me. But here goes...I don't actually go to doctors unless I really have to. But I had to. I needed a hernia operation, and Dr. Hiler did the job. He was great. Superb, to be exact. I guess that sums it up. if I ever needed another operation, I would call Dr. Hiler. Thank you, Dr. Hiler. read more

Dr Hiler operated and fixed my hernia. I liked his great sense of humor, dry and very quick. Pre-op and Op were very very good experiences. Post-op visit was less so. My sense was that my worries and discomfort were so mundane that Dr Hiler wasn't really interested. As he obviously knew, they all went away, it took a while, been almost six months for the internal awareness/discomfort to totally disappear. So today - looking back it was good but could have been a bit more patient aware. read more

Dr. Hiler's excellent "bedside manner" made dealing with an uncomfortable ailment much easier. Highly recommended.

I had a great experience with Dr. Hiler, I saw him on a regular basis while recovering from a spider bite which might have needed a skin graft but didn't. So I don't have experience going though a surgury with him but he oversaw my wound healing which took about 3 months. It was a really scary experience to go through and my primary care doctor was very unhelpful. It was a huge comfort to see him on a regular basis and be able to ask questions about the healing process. I also had a great experience with the office staff there. I feel that they all helped me through a very difficult time and I am so glad I didn't need a skin graft. read more

I had a long conversation about Dr. Hiler with a friend tonight, so I thought it might be helpful to share my perspective about him with other people. Dr. Hiler has never been my doctor. But, I did meet him while visiting a friend when he was in the hospital (calpac med center) for an appendectomy. I was causing havoc around the hospital with my buddy and offering dim sum to the nice nurses when we ran into his doctor, Dr. Hiler. I liked the guy. My impression was that he was caring, cool and very, very sharp. My friend is good now and I found out later that another friend had her appendix out by Dr. Hiler, too. Having met the man myself - and I really mean this - I would be way less stressed-out about going under the knife if I knew the blade was in his hands. read more

Kevin Hiler is an outstanding hernia surgeon who is used by most physicians in the city to do their inguinal hernia. The procedure is done in an outpatient surgical center and he places a small catheter at the end of the procedure to infuse a small amount of local anesthetic to the wound for several days that dramatically reduced pain at the operative site. I had my procedure several years ago and I was up and about the next day and was able to return to work by the second day. He is a 5 star surgeon and just referred another patient to him today which prompted me to write this review. If you have been advised to have an inguinal hernia repaired, go see Dr. Hiler and have him do the surgery. It makes a difference and he is simply the best. read more

the doc is a good guy, i felt comfortable with him and trusted him to operate. I had a great experience with the operation: it went as planned, almost no pain!!!! THANKS DOC! HOWEVER: the office? NOT SO MUCH. short, rude, i called today to pay my bill. .i had to call 5 times before i was able to reach anyone. when explaining what had happened, SHE INTERRUPTED ME TWICE, WHEN I ASKED HER TO NOT INTERRUPT AND LET ME FINISH- SHE HUNG UP ON ME.. ...I WAS TRYING TO PAY MY BILL!!!!! wow, these receptionists are really on a power trip.... read more

Dr. Hiler performed my surgery to have my gallbladder removed in July 2008. I had a wonderful experience, for having to get surgery. It was my first time having surgey, so I was a bit apprehensive and nervous, but he really calmed my fears and was very light hearted and would make small jokes. I interviewed him prior to scheduling surgery and he was very knowledgable and gave me all the pros and cons and what ifs. It's been a month since surgery and my scars are very small, my healing was very fast and he didn't sugar coat anything. I highly recommend him to perform surgery. I hope this review helps you. I know I had a hard time finding more reviews on him. He is a great doctor. read more

I am extremely picky when it comes to doctors......they never seem to listen or understand things from my point of view......thus when I went to see Dr. Hiler for a hernia repair, I expected the same old.....I would have to drum my concerns regarding surgery (pain management, scarring, infection control) into him to make certain he listened. A very pleasant surprise was that I did not need to. Dr. Hiler addressed all my concerns on the first visit. In addition the day of the surgery he took time to again answer questions and help put my mind at ease. During recovery, he was there top answer questions and help with my pain management. The result of my surgery (which in other's left what I consider ugly scars) was a full speedy recovery with almost no scarring. Dr. Hiler is excellent and I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone. .........NOTE: After seeing my first meeting with Dr. Hiler I still went and saw other Doctors for second and third opinions. No one was a professional as Dr. Hiler. though I would like to think how well kept a doctors office is not a refection on their abilty......I found several doctors with poorly kept offices, staff which was inattentive to their patients and elderly being treated as children. This was not the case at Dr. Hiler's office. His staff is proffessional and friendly. Incredibly helpful. read more

One's relationship with a surgeon is strange because it's intense, yet brief. Nevertheless, I want to recognize Dr. Hiler for his awesomeness. Beyond the value of his significant experience, he was calm, funny, reassuring with the kinds of information he shared with me about my situation, and best of all he and his collaborators performed my surgery beautifully and I came through it with ease. His office staff is friendly and helpful, too. I highly recommend him. read more

I'm a 55yo man, beefy and muscular and three weeks ago I had an umbilical hernia repaired by Dr. Kevin Hiler. He was referred to me by two other guys I know from the gym, one a few years younger than me and the other at least a decade older of similar body type and propensity to work out. They were both really pleased with Dr. Hiler and the results of their surgery. So I called for a consult, expecting to wait months. I called on a Wednesday had my consult the following morning and was scheduled for surgery the following Monday. I was fortunate to have just had a complete physical a week or so prior so I had current blood work and EKG available. Dr. Hiler is a gentle and unassuming yet self-confident man. The time he took to answer my questions during the consult was amazingly generous. I'm heavily pierced and have 3 piercings in my navel alone. He addressed this issue w/o any hint of judgment and told me that while I would have to remove the body jewelry prior to surgery that it wouldl in no way affect my healing and the rings could be reinserted immediately following surgery. The care at CPMC was incredibly efficient and professional, from the moment I walked in that Monday morning they were prepared for me, it was more like arriving at a 5 Star resort than an outpatient surgical facility. The anesthesiologist Dr. Andrew Goodman was so incredibly kind and reassuring and decided that it would be best to give me an epidural given that I have problems with my cervical spine that could be possibly exacerbated by a breathing tube needed for a general anesthesia. I was awake for the entire procedure and felt NOTHING. I did have one sligh moment of anxiety as I do tend to be claustrophobic and he offered me some sedation but I could sense that the procedure was about done and just meditated through it. Dr. Hiler actually reinsirted my body jewelry prior to bandaging me. I came home, relaxed the first day, expecting to have some pain when all the anesthesia wore off, I anticipated the discomfort of a heavy ab workout. Well, I never had any pain at all, a bit of mild tenderness at the incision site but that was it. I encountered no problems, 48 hrs later I removed the bandage to reveal a thin line of an incision and my "innie" restored to the way it was when I was 18yo. I had to remind myself to take it easy for a few days and actually picked up a 100lb bag of concrete at Home Depot to help an elderly man get it in his car. Had my follow up two weeks later and Dr. Hiler said I could return to full workouts. If there is such thing as a Hernia Whisper then it is definitely Dr. Hiler. read more