Gastroenterologists
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Gastroenterologists
Feb 2009
Hello BPN family,
I recently changed medical groups and I've been given a list of gastroenterology doctors, but I'm having a hard time learning anything about their bedside manner, etc. I am pregnant, and although my Crohn's is stable, I need to renew my prescriptions and get some blood work done in the next few weeks. Thank you
Paul Chard is EXCELLENT. He has a terrific bedside manner -- he is
very thorough, patient, listens very carefully, follows up, and has
a good sense of humor. I recommend him very highly!
mary
My GP sent me to Villagomez for my colonoscopy, and I was happy
with her (as happy as anyone could be given the procedure!). Her
office is well run, and she is personable and competent.
Linda
When I turned 50 and opted to have an colonoscopy, my MD referred
me to Dr. Thomas Hargrave. When I met with him he was personable
and smart and he inspired confidence. Should I need a GI MD in the
future I would seek his services.
Mimi, Berkeley
Both my husband and I go to Dr. John Roark for our preventive
screenings (colonscopy and endoscopy) and have the utmost respect
for his abilities. My husband has GURD and is also happy with his
treatment.
anon
I used to see Silvia Villagomez (had to change because of
insurance) and loved her. She diagnosed my Crohn's shortly before
I became pregnant with my first child and did a great job both
during and after pregnancy, when I had a flareup. I was really sad
to leave her. I also really like Paul Chard on a personal basis,
but don't know him at all professionally. My impression, though,
is that he would be great.
Been there with Crohn's
Dr. Hargrave is my GI doctor and I like his chairside manner very
much - he seems genuinely concerned when we meet in his office.
He's one of those obviously brilliant people whose mind works at
lightning speed, so I sometimes have to ask him to slow down, which
he does. He's got a wonderfully dry sense of humor, which I
appreciate. He did my colonoscopy and I didn't feel a thing. I
know one of his partners, Mike Darby, because I am an RN and worked
with Mike years ago when he was a resident. I found him warm,
empathic and also extremely smart.
John Roarke was my GI doctor for a brief period about 15 yrs ago
-- brief because I found him rude and arrogant, and not a good
listener. He never apologized for the long waits and took phone
calls during my appointment. I would definitely not recommend him.
anonymous
I saw Liana Vesga recently for what she ended up diagnosing as IBS.
She has a good bedside manner, and did not push any tests or drugs
on me, which I liked. Overall, I had a good experience with her,
though this is based on one visit only.
anon
Jan 2009
I will be very grateful to get a referral for pediatric
gastroenterologist in the East Bay Area.
julia
I work at Children's Hospital in Oakland, and can recommend the GI
physicians there, Drs. Gleghorn, Harmatz and Ali. I can also
recommend Dr. Haddad; I believe his private practice is in Walnut
Creek. They are all experienced and excell at what they do.
Children's Hospital RN
Oct 2008
Has anyone had experience with any of the doctors at
Gastroenterology Associates of the East Bay (Berjis, Bhuket,
Chalal, Cheng, Higa, Hosseini, Narayan, Silpa)? My doctor there
retired and I know nothing about the other doctors.
Thanks!
Looking for a good doctor
Regarding GI docs, the one you mentioned that I am familiar with is
Dr. Bergis. I am a dietitian working in home health in E. Bay for 5
yrs and have consulted with Dr. Bergis a few times regarding
patients. He has great bedside manners and is responsive in a
timely fashion to calls. I get the feeling he is well informed of
newest research as well. Best of luck.
RD from visiting nurses assn.
I had a colonoscopy performed by Dr. Hosseini about 4 years ago that
went perfectly. Good luck.
Anon
Well I saw Silpa a few times for a procedure. He was friendly and
very to the point when talking. That was two decades ago, however,
so I don't know what he is like now.
Anon
May 2008
I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy in a few weeks with Dr. Michael Abel. He's in SF, but
I think it's worth the short trip from the east bay to go to a really good doctor. He
was highly recommended to me by my father's doctor. (My dad has colon cancer and is
being seen by a team of top doctors in NY.) I can't yet comment on the procedure, but
my office visit with him went very well and I am confident in his abilities. I was
happy to learn that he uses the ''pill'' prep rather than the ''liquid'' I've heard is
so unpleasant. I don't know if many doctors would allow you to deviate from the
standard prep that they use. My understanding is they are pretty strict about that.
I don't know if she's ''excellent'', but I have had many colonoscopies performed by
Dr. Silvia Villa Gomez. She's with a large practice in Oakland at 3300 Webster Street,
Suite 312, 444-6421. She has served me well, including referring me to a surgeon for a
polyp she couldn't remove during the colonoscopy that turned out to be stage 2 colon
cancer. She is very gentle, very personable, and sweet. On the prep, just do whatever
your doctor recommends. You need to be cleaned out completely. Just grin and bear it.
It's just 1/2 day of discomfort. The prep has evolved, and most no longer involve
drinking a gallon of medicated fluid. Anything is better than that.
Veteran of Many Colonoscopies
You don't think recommendations from February 2007 are recent enough? That's barely a
year ago. Maybe you didn't see that part of the site?
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/health/colonoscopy.html
Mine is the first recommendation for Dr. Villagomez.
anon
Oct 2007
My husband has been having ongoing stomach problems, diagnosed as irritable
bowel syndrome. Has anyone had a good experience lately with a
gastroenterologist? We'd appreciate any recommendations offered. We're
considering alternative routes, too. Is anyone familiar with a good
naturopath? Thanks for your suggestions.
Concerned Wife
I have had 2 colonoscopys with Neil Stollman in Oakland. He is smart, down
to earth, funny, and his staff is great. I went in with a problem that had
beem misdiagnosed for 18 months. He listened, tried some probiotics and
when they didn't work said ''let's see what's going on in there''. It
turned out to be a serious upper colon infection that would not have gone
away on it's own. I was on meds for 7 months and now it's gone. I always
prefer 'alternative' practices but even my accupunturist said I needed to
do this. Don't mess with the GI tract.
a wuss who's been there
I recently saw Liana Vesga at the East Bay Center for Digestive Health,
also for IBS (she diagnosed it). She seemed knowledgable, I thought she
had a great manner, listened carefully, and didn't seem to push any
unnecessary intervention or medication. I only saw her once, but this one
interaction was very positive.
anonymous
June 2007: Need a Surgeon for ''The Wrap'' (GERD)
Has anyone had a positive (or negative) experience with a 'Laparoscopic
Nissen Fundoplication' aka ''the wrap''? After the birth of my 3rd child I
learned that I have several reflux and a medium sized hiatal hernia. I would
like to get this repaired so that I don't feel sick all the time (I have
constant regurgitation - it's like morning sickness all the time!) and also
don't have to take medicine for the rest of my life. (I've made all the
''lifestyle'' changes recommended, but unfortunately none of them have made a
dent in the symptoms.) I've heard mixed things about the success of this
procedure and don't know how to find out the reputations of the surgeons who
perform the procedure. Has anyone had this experience? Know of any surgeons
who do the procedure? Thank you so much!
Hoping to feel better
I too suffered from severe acid reflux for years -- my whole life probably -- until I
just couldn't live with it anymore. I had the nissen fundoplication surgery four years
ago and couldn't be happier with the results. Before the surgery, my diet was
incredibly restricted and I took prilosec-like meds at the highest doses every day and
STILL had constant pain. Now I eat whatever I want pretty much, although I still go
easy on the very acidic stuff. Occasionally I get heartburn and take an antacid -- just
like a normal person!
I had the surgery in SF (where I lived at the time) at California Pacific, the Pacific
Campus. My grastroenterologist was Dr. Frank Farrell on Geary. He was great -- really
nice and smart. My surgeon was Dr. Lawrence Yee. He's not the touchy-feely type, but
he's competent and thorough and, well, he fixed me!
The downside to the surgery is that it is, well, abdominal surgery. Even though it's
laparoscopic, I found the recovery to be tougher than I expected. I took two weeks off
from work, and I should have taken 3 or 4. Eating and swallowing were challenging for
quite some time post-op and I lost 15 pounds or so (not a bad thing I guess). My advice
is just to make sure you take enough time to heal and recover.
Also, the testing that I had to do prior to the surgery was pretty brutal. I had to
wear a pH monitor for 24 hours (tube down my nose into my stomach) and had to do a
couple of yucky x-ray type tests too.
But again, I am fixed. Seriously, it was worth it. If I have to have it re-done in
the future I will be disappointed, but I will still do it.
no more tummy troubles
Oct 2006
I am looking for a gastroenterologist in the Walnut Creek
area. I am looking for someone who is clinicially competent
but will take the time to get a complete picture of my medical
situation. Anyone have any recommendations?
anon
I just had a very good experience with a Dr. Shehendu Narayan (not sure if I'm
spelling the name right) who performed a screening colonoscopy. He has an office
in Walnut Creek and did the procedure at John Muir. I was dreading it (put it off
for 2 years) and found the whole experience (including my interactions with him) to
be better than I had expected. hope that helps
Oct 2006
I have been struggling with G.I. discomfort and bloating for the past year plus and
have not been able to get any help through my regular physician and a G.I.
specialist. It seems to have something to do with digestion, where through the
coarse of the day my stomach gets more and more bloated.By evening it is very
distended, hard, and uncomfortable with a lot of gas. I'm not sure if I should see an
allergist/accupuncturist/or dietician at this point. If anyone has any experience with
this and has had success with treatment please let me know what has worked and
who it was that was able to help you. Thanks so much
Bloated
To rule out any growths that are obstructing, you may want to
get an MRI or something similar ...pelvic ultrasound?(but I'm no
medical specilaist or generalist). See if you can get your doc
to refer you.
Anon
Never written or recommended anything on BPN, but read about your
problem and had to follow up. Do you think you may have Celiac
Disease? I had never heard of it before, but was just diagnosed
2 months ago, and one of my main symptoms was bloating and
discomfort every evening, on top of constant diahrrea! My
primary physician could not figure out my problem. Turned in
endless stoll samples and did number of blood tests. Finally, a
blood test was leaning toward Celiac Disease. He refered me to
his friend Dr. Michael Silpa (Amazing GI specialist-
510-548-6555)who met with me and did biopsy of small intestines,
which indeed confirmed that I was a Celiac. I am feeling 100%
better now! Go online and research Celiac Disease, ask your dr.
if he has tested you for Celiac, try going on a gluten-free diet
for a couple of days, and/or give Dr. Silpa a call. Love him,
but can take awhile to get scheduled for an appointment, that is
unless your primary dr. is his buddy. Good luck!
Celiac with happy tummy
March 2006
Does anyone know of a gastroenterologist in the Bay Area that
they trust and who has a good beside manner? A friend has been
suffering from stomach/bowel related issues that have affected
his life for 10 years now. He has had negative experiences,
thus far (primary care doc, gastroenterologist, naturopath,
chiropracter) and would love a recommendation from a trusted
source. He was thinking of trying UCSF, but would prefer any
insight. Thank you.
jen
I'd recommend Dan Conlin at CPMC. He treated my husband
following some issues caused by powerful medication required to
treat viral illness. It was a bit of an emergency so Dr.
Conlin came to his office an hour early to meet with us, had
the tests run in short order and was as soothing as could be.
SF mom/wife
Sept 2004
I have recently been diagnosed with Celiacs and have been given
a recommendation for both Doctor T.Hargrave and Doctor S. Villa-
Gomez. Has anyone seen either of these doctors? Also any
recommendations for a celiacs nutritionist would be appreciated.
Dr. Hargrave is an extraordinary and devoted
gastoenterologist . He actually lectures on the topic of Celiac
disease and gluten enteropathy to other doctors . I too have
Celiac disease and have been seeing him since 1998. He is
thorough and cares about the 'whole' patient and sets the same
high standard for his staff.
Elysse
I highly recommend Dr. Hargrave. He is very well respected
among his peers (is on top of the latest research), is an
excellent listener, and does not rush you. He has a very
calming manner.
I was very disappointed when I had to leave him because he was
not in the network of my company's new health plan. You will
get excellent attention and care from him.
Diane
I went to Dr. Silvia Villa-Gomez for some severe GI distress and
she performed a colonoscopy on me. Although the consultation
was very brief and felt hurried, I was able to get my questions
answered.
I was referred to Dr. Villa-Gomez for her ''gentle'' demeanor by
my general practitioner. Silvia does have an engaging manner
and I did appreciate that (given the procedure I had to
undergo). I didn't really see her for followup though --
colonoscopy day consisted of a brief wave of her hand.
I'd go to see her again and recommend her.
Anonymous
Dec 2003
Re: Anal Fissure
You can't find a better doctor on this malady (and anything
related) than Dr. Michael Verhille, a gastroenterologist in
San Francisco (415-387-8800). He is fantastic. I also know
that frequent, long, warm baths work wonders at promoting
relaxation and thus healing of the area. Good luck.
Aug 2003
I have to have a colonoscopy because of a family history of
colon cancer, and I'm looking for a skilled, responsible
gastroenterologist who is a member of Hill Physicians. The
archives only mention one doctor.
Thanks!
anon
Dr. Danny Wu is a very good gastroenterologist. I had a partial
colonoscopy done by him and I was dreading it because I had
heard how unpleasant they are. When he said he was done, I was
astounded because it had been so gentle and not terrible at
all. My mother needed to have a colonoscopy and she was really
resisting her doctor on it. I told her about Dr. Wu; she went
and she agreed with me about his technique. Good luck.
Aug 2003
My husband is looking for a gastro-enterologist, preferably in
Alta Bates Medical Group, though not required. Can anyone suggest
a good one? He is having issues related to liver function and
wants to find someone new to get a second opinion.
Anon
I really like Dr. Lisa Higa, a GI doc at Alta Bates. I have
worked with her many times during my 9 years as an RN at Alta
Bates. She is wonderfully friendly, energetic and very smart.
I wouldn't hesitate to see her or send my family to her. Good
luck.
Alta Bates RN
Try Dr. Rorke (sp?) at Berkeley Digestive Health, (510) 848-
2100. I thought he was great. Very knowledgable, and is a
parent of two girls- we talked about child-rearing! I first saw
Dr. Naryan, who was okay, but not as personable and interactive
as Dr. Rorke. Also, when I needed a return visit to Dr. Narayan
because of problems, I was given a 4-5 week wait for an
appointment. With Dr. Rorke, it was within a week.
anon
I guess I missed the first message, so I don't know if you need
a gastroenterologist with Alta Bates, but Dr. Henry Kung in
Walnut Creek is the best in the area, probably one of the best
in the country. He is affiliated with John Muir, Mt Diablo,
and San Ramon Medical Centers. 925-945-6070
Darby and Hargrave, M.D.s, in Oakland are both superlative, have
very long waiting lists, and may or may not be taking on new
patients. They are partners and listed in the Oakland directory.
Both are excellent, and a lot of physicians' families use them.
Good luck
January 2002
I've been going to Gastroenterology Associates of the
East Bay for about 15 years to treat mild colitis. I
saw Ronald Adler, who was wonderful, but is now mostly
retired. His replacement I've seen once, Dr. Husseini
(sp?), and he seemed fine. Good luck.
Kitrena
2001
Can anyone recommend a doctor specializing in treating Crohn's disease? This
is for my 17-year old stepdaughter. Fran
The gastroenterology group (not sure of the actual name) in Berkeley has
several really good doctors. The phone number is 548-6555. If your
step-daughter is part of an HMO, with a primary care physician, it is also a
good idea to ask the primary care doctor who he/she has a good working
relationship with.
2001
My husband needs to go get his biannual colonoscopy for ulcerative
colitis soon. We are new to the area since his last exam and don't know any
good GIs in the East Bay that practice at Alta Bates. He picked a Doctor
Rourk out of our preferred provider directory. Does anyone have experience,
good or bad with this doctor? We got the preprocedure instructions and they
are quite unprofessional (sloppy and hard to understand) obviously this
isn't necessarily a problem since what we want is good clinical skill but
since we don't know him it gives me pause.
Please post replies to the list. Thanks so much!
I just had a colonoscopy with Dr. Rourke and it was fine. It was the first
one I've had, and I was anxious about it, but it went just fine.
Christina
I have been going to Dr. Roark, for about 13 or 14 years. He is the
best, the very best. He has treated me for both polpys, and ulcers. and
I have never had any complaints. Glenda
I went to Dr. Rourk about 6 years ago for some vague GI symptoms I was having.
I'd say overall my experience with him was neutral. I think in terms of
medical
skill my impression is that he is finecertainly careful and conservative. He
did a flex sig. and a upper GI endoscopy on me with no complications/problems.
I didn't find his bedside manner particularly enchanting. He couldn't get to
the bottom of what was bothering me but I don't think that was his fault.
Sorry about your husband's colitis. Hopefully he has some nutritional
support
to relieve the irritation. A great book on this topic is called BREAKING THE
VICIOUS CYCLE by Elaine Gottschall. Meanwhile, I too am having a
colonoscopy by
Dr. Roark. He is well-regarded and says has had no complications from this
procedure in the years he has performed it. Mine is being done 2/20/01. If
your
husband's follows mine, I will be happy to share the experience. The office
help/support has always seemed to me a bit overcommitted-- hard to get through
on the phone, difficult to be acknowledged when arriving for appointments,
some
abruptness in conversation. And I too agree that the instructions were abit
sloppily prepared, but I understand them. A small tidbit I got from the
office:
on the last day when only liquids are allowed, I was told that I could
drink as
much of Vanilla Lite Ensure as I want: it has zero fiber (and redeeming
nutritional value, in my opinion) and will not interfere with the procedure's
success. But I suggest he check for himself. Good luck!
Nori
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