In Their Own Words: Patient Stories

Dear Dr. Taylor,

Thank you so much for the time you spent explaining and for your attention to detail. Your decision to do an ultrasound was providential. we so appreciate your expertise and now understand why doctor after doctor and in our support group the comment that "Dr. Stephen Taylor is the BEST!" kept being repeated.

 

Thank you for making this journey with us.

 

Sincerely,

Karlyn & Chuck

Comfort for a painful, life-altering condition

Josh feels lucky to have found the right doctor. A twenty-something college student living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Josh found himself facing a serious and very private medical issue. The last thing he expected was the medical need for a circumcision in adulthood. After doing some online research and carefully weighing his options, Josh decided Dr. Lieb and Pacific Urology were the right choice for him.

 

"I went to do my research on the Internet and was trying to find providers that were in my area that would be comparable to my needs,” he said. “I really liked Pacific Urology’s Web site and found it very useful that they had physician biographies there. You could get a feel for what kind of person each physician is before you actually made an appointment."

 

Josh had phimosis, a medical condition where, in men, the foreskin cannot be fully retracted from the head of the penis. With phimosis, the foreskin grows over the end of the penis making sexual function and urination painful and sometimes impossible. Some studies have found phimosis to be a risk factor for cancer of the penis.

 

"I was getting a circumcision," Josh said. “Dr. Lieb advised that it would be a good decision to make and now I am able to share with other people and let them know what myths about the procedure are true and which aren't."

 

Urology is all about the parts of your body that are always covered, so it can be hard to find a medical professional to talk openly with. Josh said that Dr. Lieb put him at ease and was easy to talk to.  "He's extremely personable and professional at the same time. He has the ability to make you feel almost like a friend without being a friend, that's how I'd describe it,” Josh said. “I felt extremely comfortable discussing my issues with him."

 

Dr. Lieb, who won the Silver Scalpel Award in teaching, specializes in kidney, prostate, and bladder cancer. Patients can be scared to see a doctor, and Lieb emphasizes the importance of making his patients feel comfortable before surgery. When meeting with his patients, Lieb is a listener.

 

"I’ve not had a doctor that personable and that willing to listen. We spent over a half an hour talking about something that I hadn't experienced in the medical field,” Josh said. “I've had experiences with other doctors prior to this that were not as pleasant."

 

Doing his homework online helped Josh find the right doctor to treat him. Using the Internet was crucial in his decision to become a patient at Pacific Urology, Josh said. Online research gave him a clear picture of the pros-and-cons of the circumcision.

 

“I thought about it for awhile and essentially figured out that it’s something I wanted to pursue and I needed a professional opinion," Josh said about his online search for medical information. "I think it gave me insight and essentially empowered me to make a decision for and then consult with a doctor to see if he would agree with that decision.”

 

Josh's procedure went smoothly, and he is thankful to have normal function and be living a better life.

 

"Everything went much better than predicted," Josh said about the difficulty of the procedure and his postoperative pain. "Do your homework, find a doctor that's compatible with you, bring your research with you to your doctor. If my doctor is at least willing to listen to my research, even if it's not accurate, that to me speaks volumes."

"As Good as it Gets!!!! No Kidding!!! A++"

"I will never forget this place! I have moved from San Ramon but I will still travel from Ben Lomond to be treated from this hospital anyday!!! I just wanted to write here to mention the quality of service I received when I was a patient in 2009. I am truly really pleased! I was extremely well taken care of. I can't thank you and your staff enough!!! Please let my doctor (Dr. Sethi) know how much I really appreciate his excellence of work that was done to my body.

"Dr. Sethi, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You're a true leader and a doctor I am glad to have had the pleasure to meet. I really appreciate that you took the time off of your really busy schedule to fit me in at the last minute to do surgery and to help me in my situation. I really appreciate your kindness,your compassion and your expertise and your understanding!! The whole staff was the best of the best!!!

"Also, thank you very much Dr. Frank Hsueh for your excellence as well!!!

"I am a very grateful patient and I will always remember to come back if I ever have this situation again."

Jim
Ben Lomond