I had good experience at the clinic. Billing was clear. The physician was polite and professional . He quickly diagnosed that my problem was from allergy and shared their allergist recommendations. read more

I have followed Dr. Vaughan for years, from Stanford Hosp!! Feel so fortunate to have found this wonderful, intelligent, extremely competent doctor!! Love love love the office in Atherton. The front desk personnel are always so helpful and nice. Lots of smiles! And the doctor's nurses are terrific. Kathleen, NP, has been with Dr. Vaughn since I have known him. She is the best!! Happy to recommend to whomever needs an ENT doctor. read more

Dr. Vaughn is an amazing surgeon, with an awesome ability to put you at ease. After sinus surgery in Vegas, I got stationed out in Malaysia for about a year and got a nasty fungal infection there. A PCP got me hooked up with some anti-fungal meds, but a side effect was the regrowth of polyps. After being referred to Dr. Vaughn by my allergist that noticed the regrowth, he was able to provide a non-surgical option to relieve the pain and bring me back to normal. It has been more than a year, and I have not had any issues to speak of. Clean office, great responsive staff, impressive communication skills my highest recommedation. read more

Wonderful experience all around! From the friendly staff, to the cozy office, and the Excellent Dr. Vaughan!! I can't recommend this place enough!! read more

Dr. Vaughan and his staff are fantastic! I drove almost 200 miles for my appointment, and from the moment I arrived I knew I made the right choice. His staff (Jackelyn and Alex) were friendly, professional, caring and affable...making me feel comfortable with the upcoming exam process. My sinus endoscopy with Dr. Vaughan was a smooth process, as he lets you know what to expect every step of the way. He has an incredible exam room manner, a great sense of humor, but most importantly it's obvious he is brilliant - a master of his craft. That is exactly what I was looking for...a physician who's the best at his profession. Look no further, you'll be in excellent care at his practice ~ read more

Dr. Vaughn is the best ENT I have seen to date-- ethical, extremely knowledgeable, up to date, and kind. I've suffered from congestion for decades and tried every remedy, short of surgery, which I wanted to avoid. Dr. Vaughn provided a non-surgical solution that really worked. He made sure I understood each step of the procedure, which went very smoothly. The outcome was even better than he described. I am breathing much easier and have been able to wean off most of my medications. No more daily decongestant. And no more coughing and stuffy nose. read more

After moving to California from the midwest several years ago, allergies became a real thing for me to manage. For a while, I was getting chronic sinus infections and my allergist connected me with Dr. Vaughan who performed a sinus surgery. I've been seeing Dr. Vaughan ever since for all of my various ENT issues, of which I have many. Dr Vaughan has always been amazingly responsive to my medical needs, questions and sometimes just complaints. In fact, I see him more than my own primary care doctor, because he always listens and get's me back on track. read more

I cannot find enough words of praise to express how impressed I am with Dr. Vaughn and his staff at the California Sinus Institute. Dr. Vaughn did endoscopic frontal sinus surgery on me in October 2008. I had several large growths inside my sinuses. They needed to be removed. I was told this by 3 different doctors, so I knew that it was true. The CT scan of my sinus was scary -- it was horribly abnormal and needed to be fixed. Dr. Vaughn is considered "the MAN" when it comes to sinus surgery in the Bay Area (as well as the entire West, as far as I have heard). People fly in from across the country to see him. He corrects mistakes made by other doctors. I've read postings on the Web from other patients that after having several surgeries by other doctors, it was Dr. Vaughn's surgery that finally corrected their problem "once and for all." I'm writing to tell you that indeed this is true. In addition to being an extremely competent and skilled surgeon, Dr. Vaughn is extremely compassionate and caring. His bedside manner is beyond comparison -- other doctors should take lessons from him. He has a great personality and really puts you at ease. He also appreciates a good joke -- and anyone who can put me in a good mood when they're sticking a lighted thing up my nose all the way to my eyeballs gets a gold star in my book! When you are his patient, it is very easy to get ahold of him, either via his cell phone or his email. He has a blackberry device and answers questions from patients throughout the day, so you get an answer quickly. He really CARES about his patients and doesn't put them off or shoo them over to others in his staff instead. It's a rare thing in medicine today. I also want to say that Waverly Surgery Center is a fine facility with a very caring and skilled staff. Surgery can be scary, and they do a lot to ease your mind as well. So in conclusion, if you need sinus surgery, or just a really good consultation or second opinion, do not hesitate to see Dr. Vaughn or his staff. I'd give them 10 stars if I could! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Winston Vaughn since 2005. After two other similar procedures, Dr. Vaughn performed sinus/polyp surgery in June of 2006. Due to the surgical genius and innovative medications, I have been free of sinus problems ever since. Dr Vaughn is not only an amazing doctor but his bedside manner is caring and genuine. I can't say enough good things about this man and his staff. He is truly a medical hero to me. I love that I can still smell after 7 years. read more

This review is for my experience today with the office staff, appointments, billing and insurance. This review does NOT cover the actual doctors or other aspects of the practice. I saw Dr. Fong several years ago and was pleased with the visit. As background, after many years of suffering with sinus infections, I saw an ENT specialist at Stanford who suggested I undergo surgery. I decided to make an appointment with Dr. Fong to get a second opinion. When I called to make the appointment they didn't have my information from my previous visit and asked about my insurance. Specifically they asked if it was 'covered california'. Since I've had the same Blue Cross/Anthem insurance through my employer for over 10 years and was not up to speed on what the affordable care act was named in our state, I didn't know what 'covered california' meant and I couldn't answer that question at the time. I was then told that since their office may not accept my insurance I couldn't make an appointment... even if I was willing to pay out of pocket. I then logged into Blue Cross online and looked up my in-network doctors. Sure enough, Dr. Fong is listed. I called back and told them she was in network and we made an appointment for a month or two later. The day before my appointment the office called and asked that I fill out a long set of paperwork they had mailed. I did this and also spent time collecting my health record and CT scan data, as well as cancelling meetings at work and arranging childcare drop-offs due to the appointment. About one hour before the appointment, the staff called me to say that my insurance wouldn't cover the visit and they wanted to cancel 'so I wouldn't run the risk of being stuck with out of pocket payments'. They also mentioned that they had listed my insurance as 'covered california' - which it is not. I quickly called Blue Cross (instead of feeding my child breakfast) and spoke with an agent who said Dr. Fong was indeed in-network and completely covered. When I called the office back they said that Dr. Fong had recently 'changed management' and that maybe Blue Cross didn't know about that yet. They gave me the number for the billing person who coordinates with insurance, but she didn't answer any of my 3 calls this morning or give me a call back before the appointment time. It is a very difficult situation as a patient to be told there is some 'unkonwn' extra information that neither you nor your insurance has that means you won't be covered and therefore can't see the doctor (even if you are willing to pay out of pocket). Furthermore to not be told exactly what that is so you can check with insurance. Finally, I couldn't even get anyone to answer the main staff line to hear if they would still see me or not, so I left a message and I waited until I could get through because I didn't want to be a no-show for the appointment. When I eventually got through, the staff member said she had heard my message asking whether to cancel 'a while ago' but hadn't bothered to call back. I could have still made it to work on time if they had called back and confirmed that they wanted me to cancel. I can see how changing management and insurance can put a big strain on an office, and patients coming in and not being able to pay out of pocket can be a big problem for their business. However, what I CANNOT see is why they couldn't have looked into this more than 1 hour in advance of the visit. If there was some 'extra' or recently changed information, couldn't they have given that to me when I made the appointment? Or how about bringing up this concern the day before when they called and talked with me about remembering to fill out all of the paperwork? In the end it shows a blatant disrespect for patient's time, and the conversations this morning were curt and clearly meant to force me to cancel the appointment. I hope this review can help others in setting up their new appointments. Please ask up front for the Tax ID, claim code, and other information your insurance will use to decide on the claim, and then set aside the time to get detailed information from your insurance, before re-arranging your work and family schedule for the appointment. read more

Both my husband and I are patients of Dr. Vaughn. We've seen him in Palo Alto, Sonoma, Sacramento and recently Walnut Creek. After a botched sinus surgery my husband was suffering from chronic sinus infections. A friend recommended Dr. Vaughn. From the moment we met him we knew he would solve everything. My husband had a complex case, and his surgery was difficult. Everything was handled so well and my husband recovered - that was 8 years ago! We still see Dr. Vaughn for health maintenance and he is as good as it gets for sinus disease. Nothing scares him and there isn't any issue he can't solve for you. He recently treated my husband for an acute issue and within 24 hours my husband was feeling relief; after suffering 3 weeks with a regime from our PCP which was ineffective. His offices are always clean, efficient and he has great staff working with him. I am always impressed with the fellows and other staff who are side by side with him each day. Dr. Vaughn is an amazingly talented surgeon, has a great bedside manner, is straightforward, does every bit of follow-up. He is truly a gift to medicine. We will follow him anywhere and pledge our undying devotion to him and his staff. read more

This office require to fill new patient forms before you can schedule a visit. The form is downloadable from website in PDF. But it is not a fillable PDF! You cannot edit it with free Adobe reader. So, if you don't have a printer then there is no way to fill the form. Being sick and in need to see a doctor asap I was denied for an appointment just because I could not fill the form. It is the first time I see that (may be I don't go to doctors frequently) May be they have good doctors, but this kind of neglect is a big negative for this office. read more

I was referred to Dr. Vaughn by my allergy/asthma doctor for chronic sinusitis. His office was immaculate and his staff were all very nice. My sinuses were 90% blocked up and my other doctor thought I was going to need to have surgery. Before Dr. Vaughn even brought surgery up, he wanted to put me on a course of long term antibiotics and oral steroids to see if I would improve. A month later, there was a 99% improvement and I had averted surgery. Both my primary care doctor and allergy/asthma doctor recommended Dr. Vaughn as the best in the business as far as sinuses go. Even after just the first visit to his office, I felt 100% confident that I was in the best hands and if I had to go into surgery, I knew everything would be fine. He is very nice and very confident which made me feel much better. Dr. Vaughn is the best of the best. TOP NOTCH. read more

If you have sinus problems, this is the place to go! Dr. Winston Vaughn is the Medical Director and (take it from someone who has seen more than her fair share of ear, nose, throat docs) he is the BEST. He takes the time to teach you exactly what's going on with your sinuses and he tries practical and easy approaches before automatically recommending surgery. In my case, I needed what's called Endoscopic surgery because my sinuses were severely blocked. I couldn't have hoped for a more caring, friendly and FUNNY doc. to put my faith in. The surgery center he uses is really great too. I recommend Dr. Vaughn whole-heartedly... He's a great doctor! Good luck! read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Vaughan for over 4 years now. I have a complicated case of lifetime sinus infections, headaches, polyps and congestion. Dr. Vaughan is the first doctor to really explain my issues as they arise and the best course of treatment, which is usually very effective. One time when I was really suffering Dr. Vaughan called me at home on Christmas Day to see how I was doing. I would say he is one of the best sinus docs in the country...and I have seen many of them. Dr. Vaughan never seems rushed, has a great bedside manner, and is extremely skilled at his craft. I see some of these reviews about problems with paperwork, printers and such and it seems so petty. What matters is the effectiveness, confidence, and bedside manner of the doctor. I have never had any issues with the staff who have mostly been with Dr. Vaughan for years and adore him. They are also kind and considerate. I travel from Reno to Atherton, CA for my visits and feel blessed that I have such a great sinus clinic to help manage my condition. read more

Dr. Vaughan has been my sinus doctor for 5 years now. His knowledge, experience and skill put him far above others who have tried and failed to fix my sinus issues. I have 3 words for my experience with Dr Vaughan "Simply the Best". He is much more than just a sinus doctor. He goes over and above the call of duty to make sure his patients get the absolute best care he can humanly provide. I really don't know what I would do without him. I hope he plans to stay in the industry for years to come. read more

Godsend. Dr Purkey is the answer to my sinus prayers. Sweetest most patient thoughtful dr I've ever had. Staff is So nice!! Came in with sinus stuff which has snowballed. So so glad to have them to undo all the years of stupid drs who didn't catch my issue!!! read more

I truly can't express how grateful I am for this whole center. After suffering from 6 sinus infections in 4 months (and countless problems before that), I called and the center got me an appointment with Dr. Purkey the very next week. He has been so attentive and patient with me, as has everyone else in the practice! When they discovered I had a specific type of infection that my current antibiotics wouldn't treat, they immediately called in a different prescription without even needing to connect with me first. By the time I spoke with the amazing NP Kathleen Low, mr rx was already ready for pickup. I had surgery to correct some of my problems last week, and while I have been recovering, everyone has been so helpful and responsive. I have dealt with so many doctors in the past who made me feel like a chore, but everyone I have worked (from the receptionists to the doctors) within this practice has shown so much compassion and thorough care that I truly feel like a priority. I cannot thank them enough for all they have done and I as I continue my recovery I look forward to working with them with less severe circumstances. read more

I can not express the greatfulness I have for this office! After a long battle of doctors telling me nothing was wrong, we found the problem. I was refered to cal sinus and they got me in the next week. The staff was on top of everything from the referral to making sure all my insurance authorizations were complete. Dr.purkey was my doctor I was scheduled with. When he came in the room he was very caring and heartwarming he assured me we would find a answer to my problem. We did sinus surgery, he was absolutely amazing he made sure not only me but my husband had all of our questions answered. Now I'm on the road to recovery and can not thank dr.purkey enough he is a exceptional doctor and i would not see anyone else now. He is definitely worth the drive time. Thank you cal sinus! read more

This ENT practice is outstanding. Both Dr. Vaughn and Dr. Purkey are a physician's physician. The office staff is kind and efficient and the level of surgical care is world class. You cannot do better. read more

Cleared my pipes out in no time. I went from sounding like Chewbacca to a young Marvin Gaye.

So far so great!! Awesome customer service, by phone and the receptionist as well (who is different then the call taker at their office). Started off great when I called on Friday morning for major congestion due to polyps and they got me in 3 hours later to see the nurse practitioner. Unfortunately I was running late about twenty minutes and they couldn't have been more understanding. when I got there the receptionist was really nice and not your typical "I don't wanna be here" receptionist. About 10 minutes later I was called to a room by the nurse practitioner and she also was very pleasant. She was VERY thorough with her Q&A and kept things light hearted by making appropriate jokes. She did a great job getting the necessary background info on me before even doing a physical exam. During the exam she explained everything she was doing while she was doing it and I even got to see what she was seeing with the endoscopic camera (not pleasant, but good to know what's going on in there). When she was all done she laid out a complete timeline schedule of what meducations she wanted me to take before optioning for surgery, but also scheduled surgery out in case it needed to happen. Then the specialist, Dr. Vaughn, came in to see me, and he also did a quick exam to concur with the nurse. He was very professional and pleasant himself. great professionalism all around and extremely knowledgable. I heard Dr. Vaughn was the Specialist to see when it came to sinus issues and so far the rumours are true. Very happy I came here, despite living an hour away. We'll see how the results go, but so far I highly recommend trying this place for any sinus issues. read more

My 2 visits to the CSI were very disappointing-Dr V breezes through without a greeting or explanation as to scan results,and visual endoscopic findings- He suggests surgery but has no time to discuss the procedure. The scan x-ray 's are a money racket and they don't tell you upfront you will pay for the plastic band needed to take the x-ray.My gut feeling was - tell them which I did to his N/P. She said Dr V will call you -but he never did -and so I moved on to UCSF and had successfull sinus surgery there . read more