Just had colonoscopy this week with Dr. Elden. The practice for the exams runs like a well oiled machine. Dr. Elden met with before procedure and after spoke with me about results. It was clear he actually ready my file as he brought up unsolicited my concerns for celiac disease and gave great feedback with regard to this concern and gave me testing options. I would recommend him based on my experience. read more

I completely understand how being 10 mins late to an appointment can be frustrating. However, I still believe that the front desk office staff should have handled this situation with more professionalism. I think they need an etiquette course on how to properly speak to patients. read more

Ummm... yeh, odd to leave a review for a colonoscopy but here goes - Dr. Robert Elsen is your go-to guy if you ever need this procedure. During the initial consultation he provided Sutab pills as opposed to the evil vile liquid to drink to cleanse your guts. The appointment was right on time, and everyone involved was personable, kind, efficient & caring. I highly recommend him and his team. read more

I had an upper endoscopy and colonoscopy with Dr. Elsen at SF Endoscopy Center on California St. on Sept 2, 2025. Everything was made easy for me. Got a quick appt. due to a cancellation, easy prep, kind, efficient and professional office staff. Dr. Elsen spoke with me before the proccedure both at the bedside and in the procedure room. He explained the procedures thoroughly, asked questions, listened, and patiently answered mine. Awoke feeling great. Dr. Elsen stopped by in Recovery to explain the findings and never seemed rushed. I am very impressed with Dr. Elsen and the SF Endoscopy Center. read more

- The front desk staff is extremely rude and unprofessional. - Got canceled last minute without an prior notification (3rd time happening...) - Ironically, they call you the day before to confirm the appointment but then the Doctor ended up not showing up. Very unprofessional. - What am I supposed to do with the results / next steps? People's lives are at risk here and I cannot understand how it's acceptable for this Dr and his office to handle patients like this... - Find another doctor who truly cares about your well-being instead of seeing you as another billing invoice... read more

I wasn't going to write a review but after reading Alex's scathing review I felt the need. Number 1 calling a female, any female, a "See you next Tuesday" is appalling, to say the least. Guess this guy doesn't have a mother or sister cause really? Who does that? Secondly it is industry standard to cancel appointments within 24 hours and if you work then plan accordingly cause this office and the staff is TOP NOTCH. I'd recommend any friend or relative to receive treatment here. They're a busy office and top doctors so just use common sense and you will be very satisfied read more

Office experience and billing staff. Abysmal. Be very careful to present and provide all of your insurance information to the OFFICE and to the staff at the procedure facility if you are able to interrupt their iPhone quality time in order to make sure that they have all of your information in order to ensure that you will not be stuck with the bill for the entire colonoscopy even though it is completely covered as a necessary prophylactic procedure. It seems that according to the office staff that they do not communicate with the facility where they preform the actual procedure. BEWARE read more

Some little heffa in the office is more concerned for covering her "new co-workers mistake" and make ME EAT THE FACT he didn't do surgery on Monday so of course I had talked to them if I knew that. DUH! When I calmly said all I was told was he didn't even do surgery Monday, and for me to know meant that they HAD spoken with me. When I reiterated that I had been called and told, but NEVER RE-scheduled, all this heffa could talk about was herself, that she was there all alone that (today, December 28 at or around a mad mad world of calls and being on hold from 2:25 PM ish) and then cursed me and told me to go elsewhere. I couldn't believe this treatment in a professional office, and will attach the ORIGINAL PAPERWORK scheduling me then, on a MONDAY WHEN THE DOCTOR DIDN'T EVEN WORK! I AM ONLY trying to find out if I have cancer while some young thang screeches and hangs up to serve her own little world of self important delusion. Does Dr. Ellen condone this treatment? Let me ask around on Yelp, I thought, and here I am with whoever the writing belongs to on the two pages. I wrote the 863-5272 number down that I was given to call by a nice Asian lady at the main desk on SF Endoscopy Center..which is where I even got the number for hysteria in a swivel chair. UPDATE UPDATE all is cool, overreaction can be forgiven on both sides I believe in that solidly. Spoke with OM and she is marvelous and all is well read more

Robert J. Elsen, MD - Gastroenterologist Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I just had a colonoscopy. After my procedure I was told I had 5 polyps and needed to return in 3 years. Then I get a letter stating how my procedure on xx date (different than my actual procedure date) and that I had 4 polyps and to return in 10 years. I contact the doctor and now I'm back to 4 polyps that are different types from what was in the letter and that I need to go back in 5 years!! WHICH IS IT?! If you like your life to be a game that's played, continue to see Dr Elsen! read more

Getting any procedure done by Robert Elsen will lead to a series of sporadic, surprise bills that will comes months after your procedure without any explanation. Also Robert refuses to discuss results without booking another appt of which his office will charge you for. Overall, the service and level of professionalism exhibited by Elsen and his staff were subpar. read more

Very personable and knowledgeable. I mistakenly showed up for my appointment and Dr. Elsen fit my in spite of his busy schedule.

Non-timely communication, very rude staff and above all else, expect endless charges, many multiples of the initial quoted amount. If you get an operation scheduled at SF endoscopy center, expect a 3x upcharge on the quoted cost read more

Update from my 5 star review. Recent experience was not as good because of the facility failing to check my coverage competently resulting in a high out of pocket charge I was originally told would be zero. Trust the 5-star reviews. My first experience was 3 years ago and it couldn't have been better. From our initial consultation to the day of the procedure and follow up information, I was fully informed, given instructions and even received a call from the anesthesiologist. Dr Elsen is an engaging professional who saves lives. read more

I'm sitting at home in pain and on multiple medications for an infection. I was instructed by my doctor to call in if I saw an escalation. Dr Elsen was the doctor on duty and returned my message. Upon saying "hello" he began aggressively questioning me and when in my cloud of pain and medication I didn't understand what he was asking me or didn't answer his questions in the timely fashion he expected his aggression became border hostile. I've only spoken to this doctor over the phone and the experience was so unpleasant that I felt it necessary to share. When facing health issues your peace of mind is just as important as your peace of body. This doctor may be great at his craft but his career involves people and people are what matter most. read more

Visited Dr Elsen for consultation. I really appreciate that doctor spent good time to listen to the problem and suggested ways to improve the condition. Also was very procedural in suggesting additional tests. read more

I have never dealt with a ruder receptionist... every time i called, and in person. then i was charged $260 to be told i couldn't be helped. highway robbery. my insurance changed and i needed a new GI to manage my humira rx, but they refused to tell me they wouldn't help me unless i came into the office. i wasn't even taken to an examination room. i sat at the dr's desk, who told me he would NOT manage my prescription unless i got another colonoscopy from only him, even though i just had one at the hospital a month before. apparently the dr telling me he could not help, meant i was a new patient, and was billed as one. the whole thing feels like a racket, trying to make a buck at every turn, and not even polite about it. THUMBS DOWN. WORST DR EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD. BORDERLINE SCAM read more

Dr. Elsen was a good doctor. I had a scheduled visit and he asked me a lot of questions that made me feel like he really wanted to get to the root of the problem. I had mentioned a story about a recent illness in the family and he sincerely sympathized for how I must have felt during that time. He seems to be a great guy and I know everyone's experience is different, but my time was fruitful. Thanks Dr. Elsen... let's just hope he can help me with my health! read more

This guy and all his stuff are extremely rude and unprofessional! ESpecially his assistant named Denise, very rude village lady, who is calling me every day and intimidating demands for cash, yelling at me, and blackmailing for cash. This guy Robert told me, that can't help me and didn't provide me with any service, but charged 300$ for nothing! They did some fake papers, that my insurance is expired, so I need to pay cash! It's 1,5 years is passed away, but this mad person Denise is still calling me and demanding cash! I'm really tired from it and want to file a law suit against this scam artist and his office.Hipe he will lose his license! People,pls, don't go to this office! read more

Dr. Elsen was fantastic. In the office he took his time getting a thorough history, and explained all possible causes of symptoms (GERD, etc). His procedures (endoscopy and colonoscopy) were utterly painless and the process was quick and easy. The staff were great. Then he followed up in a timely way and explained things to do to minimize the risk of symptoms in a very simple, almost entertaining way. I can't say enough good things about him. read more

I went to see this doctor at Sutter. I was consequently billed from 4 different places: Sutter Hospital, Sutter Medical Foundation, and two other entities who were not even in San Francisco, all for this doctor's services. When I called Sutter's billing, they told me that this physician (and others at Sutter) have independent billing!!!! There was not insight where my HSA money went, and for what. Run as fast as you can from this doctor. Otherwise you will end up as many people did in the 80s when insurances and doctors were charging people left and right, and people would lose life savings over corrupt billing practices. read more

This review is not about Dr. Elsen himself since he provided a good service as any other well trained professionals. This review is about the terrible billing services: After I paid my portion of the bill after insurance. They continued sending me bills. After receiving the bills for the same services 4th time, 4 months after the service was done, I checked my past payment history on my credit card, and found out I paid for the same services TWICE two months prior! Thank God I checked my credit card history, otherwise, I would have paid for the same service third time! I am sure I can find another doctor somewhere else without being robbed! read more

I've been going to Dr Robert J. Elsen for over 10 years and find him to be a god send for my medical problems and his staff are excellent professional friendly and always helpful I strongly recommend him Jerry Coletti read more

On my first visit with Dr. Elson I had to wait quite a while to finally get in his office and quickly be asked very brief simple questions that could have been done over the phone. I then setup an appointment for a colonoscopy. After the procedure he had almost forgot to talk with me. He spoke with me very briefly ash told me to contact him in a few days for results. After a few days I was told the test results, that I probably had IBD, and the doctor would call me with more details when he got back from vacation in a week. He seems pleasant enough as well as the other staff, but I'm a bit disapointed in his attention to my situation. read more

I was referred to Dr. Elson by my primary doc for GI issues. I was very unsatisfied with his professionalism and bedside manner... none at all. I would look else where if you are referred to him. read more

I would highly recommend Dr. Elsen. He just performed my colonoscopy and was extremely personable and professional -- from my initial office visit through the procedure and our brief discussion afterwards. He gets my highest rating. read more

I rate dr. Elsen as being excellent. Most of the bad reviews on here seem to be about staff and not dr. Elsen himself. I recently had an endoscopy and colonoscopy. The staff was courteous and informative. Dr. Elsen also was very informative and very professional. As always I highly recommend that everyone be proactive about their healthcare. That being said a little patience when you are a patient dealing with staff and individuals who are responsible for the healthcare of hundreds of other patients like you, would probably go along way to helping you get the care and treatment you deserve. His follow up was thorough we had missed each other several times byphone ad he persisted until he was able to speak with me. I would say that some doctors call you and give you no inkling as to whether your results are good or bad adding to your anxiety. On his first call the doctor let me know that there was no urgencybehind his call which reeased some of my anxiety PS While this is not germane to my treatment and I wouldn't say this to his face he kind of reminds me of Roddy McDowall read more

Didn't read other reviews, but I had such a fine experience with Dr. Elson and his associates, I was surprised by the 3 star rating. I had to have a couple of procedures done that are rather invasive and could have been very unpleasant. On my initial office visit, his receptionist was gracefully handling a busy phone and waiting room even though she usually had assistance. Dr. Elson was charming yet professional, and went out of his way to give me a different, much easier, and normally more expensive prep package sample to use instead of the usual prescribed kit that had been impossible for me to use when I attempted this procedure with another doctor in the past. It was so much better! I was asked to do a nice deed for a stranger as payment when his receptionist (-so sorry I don't have your name!) did me that favor...I did, and thought it a nice and unusual thing to be done at a doctor's office. The actual procedure was at St. Luke's Hospital which has always given me great care...I was prepped by the always wonderful nursing staff, wheeled into the actual OR, greeted by Dr. Elson, and promptly anesthetized....and I woke up in recovery, where he came and personally gave me results (good)! Having tried and had problems before with this, I couldn't have had better treatment in any way. I thought his name was Dr. Robert Elsen; I almost reviewed another doctor whom I never used...? read more

So I eventually had my upper GI endoscopy with this guy, and it was a weird crazy experience, but he was pretty good. The problem was he told me my results, which I remember being that everything was normal, but I was so out of it that I couldn't ask anything important. I just wish there was some sort of follow up appointment or something. But he was pretty good. Thanks Dr. Elsen. read more

I've been seeing Dr. Elsen for 10+ years for GERD and colonoscopies. His analysis, diagnoses and treatments have been spot on. The colonoscopies were as pleasant as they could be. I don't mind that he owns the facility; that means that he knows and trusts the staff. He's always been very respectful and clear with me when communicating. If you're looking for a competent medical professional, then Dr. Elsen is it. read more

Generally good but a bit of mixed experience. Have received several colonoscopys from him over the years; in the critical factors of detecting problems and referring me to a highly competent surgeon, Dr. Yee, when I needed colon cancer surgery he was excellent. The officeperson however this last time neglected to send me the prescription and information needed for the colonoscopy until I called them again; the result was that I continued baby aspirin longer than optimal. I also would have liked him to spend a bit longer talking to me after the colonoscopy this time (which found a polyp which he removed); on the other hand I appreciated his thoughtfulness and promptness in calling me a few days later to say that the lab found it benign. I haven't found his office person very good in past years either -- don't know if it is the same woman or not. read more

I am patient of Dr. Elsen - he had sent me to various expensive tests, prescribed protonics for my gastritis. However "FAILED TO FIND A CAUSE" for my gastritis and I am having a relapse after relapse. 3 months later - I am not getting any better. I had now lost my insurance and was not able to see him so I had asked for a phone consultation (I had just a few questions) - he refused. He is aloof and not listening to my questions, appointments are rushed. Do yourself a favor skip this guy unless you want a service similar to a 7/11 cashier. read more

Note: This is also listed on Yelp with a misspelled last name (Elson). I have the correct spelling of his name. It's very difficult to wait a week for results to whether or not one has cancer. The doctor briefs patients while they are waking up from heavy sedation. While I was waiting for my procedure, I overheard hime tell a groggy patient something like, "We found a large, hard tumor in your colon. We've sent it out for biopsy. Call back in a week for the results, okay?" The patient grunted and the doctor was gone. I had a similar experience. After waiting a week and being told to call in at a certain time for my results, I got the answering service and they said the doctor's office wasn't taking calls and he didn't know when they would be taking calls. I went down to the office to get my results, and was told by an angry receptionist that there were only two people there and she wasn't expecting me so my charts were at another office. Well if she wasn't expecting me, why was I told to call at that time? My family, my surgeon, and I will be glad when they finally have enough time to just give me a "yes" or "no". I won't bother to ask any more details from them. read more

I just want to underline that Dr. Elsen is one of the owners of Golden Gate Endoscopy Center, the location where his staff encourages you to have your colonoscopy by implying that the facility at St. Luke's is outmoded. The fact that he is one of the owners of Golden Gate Endoscopy Center is not disclosed until you actually arrive at Golden Gate Endoscopy Center for your procedure, at which time it is too late to cancel without paying a very significant cancellation fee - much larger than usual. And you're not going to cancel anyway because you've already done all the prep. This is not kosher. The fact that he is one of the owners should be disclosed earlier. As far as the actual medical service he provides, it's fine and I was satisfied. read more

Perfunctory care, which seems to center primarily on recommending/performing endoscopies and colonoscopies. I suspect it's a lucrative business... the place (Golden Gate Endoscopy Center) felt something like a rectum-probing assembly line, with many hospital beds lined up in a large room, separated by curtains, and patients getting prepped by staggered stages. I have nothing against efficiency, but something about that did feel a little like the "fix up" scene for Dorothy & friends in the Wizard of Oz. Dr. Elsen has an aloof but polite bedside manner. Even though he was forty minutes late for my appointment, I noticed him glancing at the the clock repeatedly, and the appointment felt somewhat rushed. Also, after I had the recommended colonoscopy, he made an additional recommendation that, had he reviewed my somewhat complicated medical history (or at least listened when I reminded him of it), he would have realized was contra-indicated. Nice enough guy, but not the right doc for me. read more

Poor doctor ever seen before.Dont waste your time go see him for nothing,he dont really know how to treat you

Colonoscopies are something that few want to discuss but plenty of people want to know about! Robert Elsen did a good job for me so I'm glad to post this about him. His office at the medical center at the CPMC Davies Campus is well-run with pleasant staff (I think he works from other offices too). One thing that I didn't like was that I was required to sign away my rights to a jury trial as part of the intake procedure. This is such a bad policy. I guess that he's obliged to do this by his E&O insurance carrier, and I think he should get another carrier. But I signed it. I've knocked one star off my rating of him because of this. He is attentive and speaks clearly and directly about a topic that makes many people squirm - his manner is generally reassuring. The best part about his approach to colonoscopy is that he agreed to allow me to have the procedure without anesthetic. This mattered to me because I have heard mixed reviews about the anesthetics used for colonoscopies (Elsen told me that he usually uses a combination of Versed and Fentanyl). I've also read that only about one in four patients suffer so much pain that they actually need anesthesia for this procedure (see http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/01/12/hll20112.htm ). So I was keen to do it without sedation. He agreed, provided that he could hook me up to an IV so that he could give me the anesthetic if the pain was unbearable. So that's what we did. Elsen seems to run a good and dependable practice, but without special qualities. However, I've given him an extra star because I really appreciate his willingness to depart from normal protocol for me. Elsen owns a share in the Golden Gate Endoscopy Center, so that's where I went for the colonoscopy. It's a well-run place with helpful and pleasant staff. Patients have to have someone to drive them home afterwards because the sedatives make you unfit to operate machinery (my wife came along with me). There's a 2-hour time limit on street parking around there, so your driver will probably need to move the car once while you are there. Even without the anesthetic I was glad not to have to drive on the way home because I felt so uncomfortable with so much of CO2 that had been pumped into me and was still inflating my guts). The place is right across the street from Mel's Drive In, so my wife was able to enjoy a good breakfast while I was having the procedure. Dr. Elsen's billing system doesn't work well, so I knocked off another star. I paid my bill on-time and 17 days after my check reached their bank they sent me a statement saying that I hadn't paid them. It's just a drag when I have to go to my bank's website, check that they got paid, call their office, etc. Here are details about having my colonoscopy without anesthesia. No need to read this unless you're considering foregoing anesthesia yourself. Remember that everyone's gut is a bit different so it's unlikely that any two people will have exactly the same experience. First of all, it was a very weird and unfamiliar experience having a device pushed several feet into my abdomen. I'm sure that for some this weirdness alone would be enough for them to want sedation. Also this wasn't a situation where the physician is used to chatting with the patient (who is normally unconscious), so the team (1 physician and 2 nurses) didn't engage in conversation the way a dentist might have (no discussion about how well I look after my teeth and how nice they look etc.). So there was no significant attempt to "talk me through it," in fact almost all the information that I got about what was going on was in response to my direct questions (e.g. "how far in are you now?"). The procedure was often uncomfortable. At some brief times it was very uncomfortable. The lining of the bowel is completely insensitive, so the discomfort was all about the pressure caused by the inflation of the bowel with CO2 and by the manipulation of my abdomen to goad the device around the various bends in my colon. The nurses gave me a (sometimes quite forceful) massage to get the device around the various corners and, because my abdomen was so tightly inflated, this massage was often uncomfortable. But it wasn't so bad that I needed to resort to anesthetic. I'm very glad that I did it this way and I appreciated that this wasn't normal for the team and they were trying to make it as comfortable as possible. Although I had none of the "hang-over" after-effects of an anesthetic I did need a few hours to get over the stress of the procedure and to get the CO2 out of my system. So I was glad that I didn't have to go straight back to work. One more thing: it was a cold morning so I was wearing a pair of heavy wool socks. This was a really good thing because the room was not really warm and I'm sure that (in my nearly-naked state) my feet would have started feeling uncomfortably cold before the end of the procedure. read more

I am a very apprehensive patient. I considered not showing up...Dr. Elsen was patient, returned all phone calls, and my experience with the upper endoscopy was as I was told it would be. Nice facility on Geary Blvd., wonderful office staff on Castro St. I would highly recommend this Doctor. read more

I went to Dr. Elsen today as a first time patient. From the moment I got there it was a calm and pleasant experience. When you enter the small waiting room there is classical music playing and it instantly puts you at ease. The front desk staff was pleasant and efficient and took care of my intake paperwork quickly and professionally. I had to wait maybe 30 minutes, top for my appointment. I dont care what anyone says, at a specialists office there is always a bit of a wait. If you are like me you have a lot of questions and that takes time. Dr. Elsen was polite and did a nice first time intake of my medical history. We met in his office first for a discussion and then went next door to his examination room. This is a great way to calm your patients. Dr. Elsen listened to my concerns and was attentive during the examination. He also provided follow-up care information and suggestions. This was a great experience considering it was my first time at a GI specialist. I will continue to see him as needed. read more

great medical office...the receptionist was so friendly and explained everything perfectly and with the best eye to details...this is very important to me plus having to be in new surroundings wasn't too pleasant but she made me forget what I was there for...nice read more

I have had two colonoscopies and an endoscopy for my throat within the last 6 years.. The staff has always been very friendly and helpful. Dr. Elsen is very professional and personable. He takes time to listen to you, tells you what a procedure will be like, explains things, answers questions candidly, and gives you results promptly. I have had only positive experiences with Dr. Elsen and his office staff. The only thing that bothers me is that they are out of the office a lot and it is hard to reach someone besides the answering service. read more