Surgeons
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Archived Q&A and Reviews
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2008 - 2011 Reviews
Dr. Charles Jenkins
Oct 2010Does anyone have recent experience with Dr. Charles Jenkins. I need to have a proceedure done on my thyroid, and am looking for more information on Dr. Jenkins. Thanks.
I was a patient of Charlie Jenkins' for a number of years. He followed up on several problems that I had had after a surgery (different surgeon). I trusted him, I felt comfortable with his manner and his assessments of my situation. I definitly recommend him. laurie
Reviews of Dr. Steven Stanten
April 2010I am interested in hearing from anyone who has had a recent surgery performed by general surgeon, Steven Stanten (office is in Oakland on Hawthorn. I am in need of a hernia repair and would like some updated feedback on this doctor. Please advise!
Good luck with your surgery, whomever you choose, but I found Dr. Stanten's office staff to be off-putting, rude and generally difficult to deal with; my PCP gave me the names of both Dr. Stanten and Dr. Bruce Moorstein and I stopped trying to struggle with Dr. S's uncaring and irritable staff and am so glad I did. Dr. Moorstein was knowledgable, skilled, kind, thorough and even had a sense of humor (not something I've seen in a lot of surgeons), and similarly, his staff was warm, caring, organized, professional and accomodating-I ended up having my surgery 5 days before Dr. Stanten's staff would even schedule me for an evaluation, and I was in a great deal of pain. I believe that a doctor's office is a reflection of the providers who work there, and with that in mind I'm happy to have seen and been treated by Dr. Moorstein instead. post op and thrilled!
Surgeon - Charles Jenkins or Steve Stanton?
May 2008I'm being referred for thyroid surgery and have been given the choice of Charles Jenkins or Steve Stanton for a surgeon. I didn't see anything online about either doctor. I realize they are both general surgeons so would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had any kind of surgery with either doctor. How well did he answer questions, how did the surgery go, and was anything out of the ordinary about your experience (pain, recovery, scarring, any complications, etc)? Thanks. -prepping for surgery
Charles Jenkins was a superb surgeon for my subtotal thyroidectomy. He's also hard to get. I'd use him again in a minute. You'd be in excellent. hands. He gave me the post-surgery talk when I was still groggy, and I had to ask him to repeat it the following day. Like all surgeons, he needs to be pressed about exactly how long you won't be able to lift a child, turn your head enough to drive, etc., but having had friends in another state who've had problematic aftermaths, I realized just how lucky I was to have had him. A happy Charles Jenkins patient
Steve Stanton did my teenage daughter's emergency laproscopic apendectomy. I found him to be patient and informative. He spoke directly to her, which I appreciated, and addressed her fears and concerns. He outlined what our options were and what his recommendations were. She was in and out of Alta Bates in a day, her recovery was pretty minimal (some wound dressing and a tiny scar) and was on the plane to Costa Rica within a week. His office was responsive with my post-op questions. I highly recommend him. anon
I had breast infection last year and Dr. Jenkins operated on me with very little notice. He is a warm and compassionate doctor and I liked him a lot, great bedside manner. He'd make calls to other doctors on my behalf so I get the call back sooner than if I had call the other docs myself. fan of Dr. Jenkins
2004 - 2007 Reviews
Surgery with Dr. Jenkins or Consorti
April 2007Does anyone have experience with either Dr. Charles Jenkins or Dr. Eileen Consorti for minor outpatient surgery? Any information would be much appreciated! Nervous about surgery
Dr Jenkins is very wonderful! I had an in-patient surgical procedure done last september - I stayed 1 night at Alta Bates. He was wonderfully attentive for several days after the surgery, including phoning me at 9 PM a week later to check on my healing. My scar (on my neck) has faded to nearly nothing and I'm cured of the problem I was having (parathyroid tumor). satisfied surgical patient
I cannot recommend Dr. Consorti too highly! She was professional and comforting and identified a mysterious lump on my back that puzzled other doctors. It turned out to be a very rare non-malignant fatty tumor. The surgery went smoothly; her communication with me and my partner was wonderful; her follow-up is first-rate and the office staff are friendly and professional. silverpenny
My mother had a core biopsy performed by Dr. Consorti last winter and although Dr. Consorti moved quickly to squeeze my Mom into the schedule and I felt she knew what she was doing, I thought she could have done a lot more to make my mother more comfortable during the procedure. The biopsy hurt A LOT and my Mom is no pansy. The office did not provide even an ice pack on the way out and in no way prepared her for the pain level she experienced. I was present during the procedure and upon reflection, I felt that not enough time was given to her, particularly for the local anesthesia to take affect, nor to calm her fears. I have mixed feelings about comments made by Dr. Consorti as well. She assured my mother that she had a particularly aggressive type of cancer and commented on the ineptitude of other medical professionals for not catching it earlier. (I am relieved to say her cancer is NOT the type Dr. Consorti said it was). I guess the bottom line for us was: Did she get the job done? Yes. Did she display any softer support, ie: sensitivity or compassion? No Do we question her capabilities as a surgeon? No Would we see her again? No
Another side note: the pathology report that came back was incorrect. We discovered this when we had the same tissue sample reevaluated at UCSF by their pathology department.
One last comment: Mom had a second core biopsy performed at UCSF and the experience was like night and day when compared. Very little pain, ice packs provided (but needed less), a relaxed and friendly doctor that took the time to ask questions and listen to a patient's concerns.
Sorry, don't know anything about Dr. Jenkins! But if UCSF is an option I'd head there. Karen
Experience with Dr. Bruce Moorstein?
Jan 2006I have been seeing Dr. Bruce Moorstein, a general surgeon practicing in Oakland. He has diagnosed a benign growth that must be removed. Before going ahead with the surgery, I wonder if anyone could share their experiences with Dr. Moorstein? Thank you. anon
I had a colon resection with Dr. Moorstein this past November. This was recently followed up by another small procedure. I think he's a great doctor. He is caring, conservative, great with follow-up care, and I couldn't imagine having a better surgeon. I was hospitalized for 6 days following my major surgery and repeatedly was told by the nurses that he's their choice of surgeon, ''he's one of the better ones,'' ''he really cares about his patients,'' etc. I don't think you can go wrong with Dr. Moorstein. Amy
My primary doctor recommended Dr. Moorstein for a small surgical procedure two years ago (removal of a tick bite). I've never had any other surgeries so I don't have much to compare it to, but the experience was fine. He seemed competent and experienced; it was easy to get appointments; and the procedure itself was quick and painless. It took a long time to heal completely, but that's probably just me. I suggest you go in to talk to him and see how you feel after the consultation. Good luck. anon
Dr. Moorstein performed an oupatient surgery on me in August. He was great. He explained things well, he listened to me, he was very forthcoming with information. I was very pleased with his bedside manner and his skill. He also has a very well run office. I will be going back to him for follow-up surgery in the next few months and I have no qualms about returning, I expect to be well taken care of. anon
Thyroid surgeons
Also see: Advice about Thyroid ConditionsAug 2005
Does anyone have any experience, either positive or negative with Dr. Robert Fowler at Alta Bates? I have some nodules on my thyroid that need to be surgically removed, that are some unusual type called ''hurthle cell''. Dr. Fowler is in my plan (Alta Bates Medical Group), but I have not heard much about him. I know several people who have recommended Dr. Orlo Clark in SF, but he is not in my medical group. Is it worth switching medical groups (or paying out of pocket) to go to Dr. Clark? Or does anyone know anything about Dr. Fowler? Also, if anyone has a recommendation for another thyroid surgeon who is in the Alta Bates Medical Group, that would be helpful too. Thanks! Emily
I had a nodule surgically removed by Dr. Clark in Dec of 2001 and he did an excellant job. I was recommended to him by two top endocrinologists and from what they said he's one of the top endocrin surgeons in the country. He's very tall, very direct and very good. He placed the scar across one of the natural lines in my neck and no one has ever noticed. Happy with Dr. Clark
Worried about surgeon's age
Jan 2005I am in the process of finding the right surgeon to remove a tumor. Although the test indicates non-malignancy, the operation is delicate since it involves the facial nerves. One of the doctors I am considering is very experienced in this particular operation but he is about sixty years old. My friends expressed concerns regarding this doctor's age and I am pretty confused. If you have experience in this situation, or if you are a medical professional, your opinion would be very much appreciated. anon
I had what sounds like a pretty similar situation about 6 years ago. I had a ''lymph node'' in my parotid gland (the salivary gland right in front of the ear) for many years. I finally got someone to do a needle biopsy, which showed lymph tissue, so the surgeon wanted to do nothing. I did some research (I am a doctor also) and learned that needle biopsies of salivary tissue are unreliable, so I asked the surgeon to take it out. What he anticipated as a 2-hour operation took 6 hours, delicately dissecting what turned out to be a mild cancer off of my facial nerve. He did such an elegant job that most people can't even see the scar that wraps aound my ear and crosses my neck!
From that experience evolved my philosophy to choosing doctors, which has held true in my personal and professional lives: young diagnostician, old surgeon. I want my internist, or some member of my health care team, to be 5-10 years out of training, but my technician (surgeon) to be 20 years out. Many problems can arise in the operative environment, and experience is key. How should this feel on my fingertips? What is the best way to extend my incision to deal with these new findings? Of course, there is a limit -- no tremors, please, or drooling into the sterile field! I hope this is helpful to you. I will include my name and email in case I can be helpful as you work through this, but I request that you keep the discussion confidential. Thanks.
I am a psychiatrist. I'd say go with the surgeon who has the most experience at doing this proceedure. 60 isn't ''over-the-hill'' for a surgeon. If you want, if you have a doc friend in the area, ask him/her to ask around to make sure the 60-year-old has a good reputation. If so, go with him/her. Good luck, JM
I wouldn't judge a surgeon by age alone. Have you met the surgeon? Does he seem comfortable with what he/she is planning to do? I am a veterinary surgeon (only in my 40's) but know from my experience that my technique and skill has definately improved over the years. I had plastic surgery done on a mass on my face a number of years ago by a surgeon well in his 60's. It was done with a local, and I was amazed by the surgeon's skill. We actually talked during the process of the accomodations that he was using (magnification, special lighting, etc-the suture material was too fine for me to even see) to make up for the changes he had experienced with his vision, but the skill I watched with his hands and the extent of his experience in how to line up the cut to hide the scar was incredible. I'm glad I chose the doctor with 40 years of experience under his belt. F
My husband is an OR nurse, and he says it is not the surgeon's age necessarily. It is important that the MD has done the particular surgery many times, the more experience the better. Yet it is also important that they have kept up to date on current techniques. It is difficult to ascertain this. One way to get to this might be to see if the MD is recommended by other reputable surgeons. jen
Yes! Recent--lumpectomy on April 13--she. is. fabulous. An exceptional surgeon and human being. Came highly recommended by professional colleagues and personal friends. She is amazing. Happy to amplify, but you can feel absolutely confident in her care. If oncology is required, Natalie Marshall, also UCSF Berkeley, is the person you want. Twelve days out, I am energetic, released to return to all former activities, supported in all ways by entire team.