As it turns out, in addition to everything else described, Dr. Nowfar also misdiagnosed my bladder…read morecancer in an attempt to railroad me into his non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) study. According to his own post-surgery notes, he estimated my tumor size at 1 cm. However, in our pathology meeting, he contradicted himself and said (I record all my medical meetings, so I can quote him): "It's a big tumor, it's about 3 centimeters. It was a very sizable tumor." Notably, a tumor over or equal to 3 cm would be the only feature of my cancer that would push me into an intermediate-risk category--and he happens to be running a clinical trial for intermediate-risk bladder cancer treatment. He and his Clinical Research Coordinator, Imma Villamor, then pressed me to join his MoonRISE-1 trial for intravesical therapy for intermediate-risk bladder cancer patients, which is funded by Johnson & Johnson. He said the other option was "a medication called BCG, which is dead tuberculosis, and it just basically burns everything. Burns cancer, burns your bladder, burns everything." He said that I had an 80% chance of the cancer returning, but with treatment, that likelihood would drop to 20%. Boy, that sounds scary! That's because what he said was either an exaggeration or, in the case of the size of my tumor, a complete lie, to get me into a medical trial that serves no medical purpose for my condition. Since my tumor was 1 cm (not 3 cm), I'm in a low-risk category and do not require intravesical treatment, particularly not with BCG. My current urologist estimates recurrence at 50-60%, clearly explained his rationale for treatment, and recommended two regular cystoscopies for monitoring--which obviously is better than the hassle and side effects of two years of intravesical chemo treatment. My future is still uncertain, but I am thankful I eventually got a correct diagnosis and didn't rely on these unscrupulous researchers. Imma Villamor has not returned my emails, and I've had a phone call with Genesis Headache Clinic Program Director Alicia Duyvejonck. Nobody seems to think there's any problem with anything that happened to me. So you be the judge--would you want to be treated by doctors who lied to you and misdiagnosed your cancer to get you into their study?

Not sure about this facility, Doctors are ok, but the office staffs are nightmare. It takes forever…read moreto submit my medical info to my insurance! It has been over six months now they still not finish and complete my procedure!! Very frustrated!!! I am ready to move on and search for other Doctors because of this!!

Requires a primary care referral even though you have PPO insurance. Seems like a unneeded…read moreinefficient policy

Evans Tran is very thorough. I appreciate her thoughts and advice . She communicates very well and…read morenever makes me feel like i am being rushed ..

Dr Weinberg is an excellent Urologist, I was a thankful patient for at least 25 years. I saw him…read moremutiple times for different problems. He was always an excellent Doctor, very thorough and very perfessional. I had two sucessful surgery's by him and he always gave me excellent care from the very beginning in 1990's to the end where he retired. He retired a few years ago, approx in the year of 2023. Both of his offices in Yorba Linda and Fullerton have outstanding staff members.

Alan Weinberg did not want to treat me and I almost died. I definitely do not recommend this doctor…read morefor urinary problems.

It was Thursday, August 23, 2007. I was 57 years old and I went to my regular doctor for a…read morecheck-up - blood pressure, weight, blood test results, listen to your heart. The doctor said your PSA (prostate specific antigen) is 4. I said that's kinda high for me. So he did a DRE (digital rectal exam of the prostate) and said everything feels fine. The next day Friday I'm at work and I urinate deep red blood. Freaky! I thought did the doctor nick an artery when he was doing the prostate exam? I drove myself to the ER and by then I had a lot of pain on my right side. The ER did a CT scan. They came back to me and said we see a renal mass, we suspect kidney cancer, and we want you to stay in the hospital. Wow. Thank God Dr. DeOrio was on call that weekend. He came by on Saturday, told me he was going to take care of me and would try to schedule my operation for Thursday. Thursday Dr. DeOrio operated and removed my right cancerous kidney. Thanks to him I'm still here 13 years later and I'll be forever grateful. Now I'm 70 and I have the old man's disease - an enlarged prostate. I thought I was having a urinary tract infection, but Dr. DeOrio thought it was more than that. He scheduled some tests. It turns out my bladder is not emptying as it should because of the enlarged prostate and urine is backing up toward my one and only kidney. Not good. I agree with the lady Jeanah who posted here on Yelp about Dr. DeOrio thinking about things that other doctors overlook. I couldn't agree with her more. Dr. DeOrio told me of an operation to reduce the size of my prostate that would be a solution for me. It's called a TURP. Before he would do that, he did a biopsy of the prostate to see if I might have prostate cancer. No cancer on the prostate. The TURP operation was on Nov. 10, 2020 and it went very well. I'm home now recuperating and once again thank you Dr. DeOrio for your excellent care. There is another review here on Yelp by Perry. I won't repeat what he said, but I agree with him 100%. The urologists at Ascent Urology are the best.

Dr. Liu DOES HARM. All she wants to do is stick you with a catheter. It is clear she gets giddy for…read morenew medical tools and a chance to use them on you, and your copay! Her cheerful attitude is a PHONY FRONT FOR FUNDS, she has no actual respect for people or dedication to improving their health and care. She offered to "relieve my bladder" at the first visit, when there was no medical need to do so. BE CAREFUL, DO NOT GO HERE. Her office staff then lied to me on the phone, and mis led me to come back to the office when nothing was wrong, only to make money. Dr. Liu clearly stated she "only looked at my test results 15 min prior to the visit", and I needed to come in bec "if I had cancer" that news, she would not want to give over the phone. IDK about you, but if that were the case or my results did show something serious, I wouldn't want a doctor that just pulled a treatment plan out of thin air, as I was in the waiting room... Not only did I call and email Ascent Urology prior to returning to confirm the cost of the visit, I was then told "my portion" would be $150, insurance would be billed, and that it was "indeed necessary" to take off work. But also the staff LIED and made NO EFFORT to ensure the visit was needed, as Dr. Liu confirmed with saying she did not even try to review my results prior to arrival. At my first visit, the incompetent office staff billed me and insurance incorrectly, costing over $800. After waiting nearly an hour (for the confirmed "necessary" follow up appointment") They refused to bill my insurance as directed or see me, wasting everyone's time. However, while waiting, I watched as 3 other patients went directly to a consultation room. Yet her staff made no accommodations for me (both before the visit or during the scheduled time), REFUSING TO LET ME ENTER TO USE THE RESTROOM, at a Urologist, this behavior and lack of commitment to patients needs is down right HARMFUL. Indolent Dr. Liu ended up just printing out my ultrasound results (which we both had access to online for several weeks prior to returning) and canceled the appointment after I spent hours preparing and waiting. FIND A DOCTOR THAT WANTS TO HELP YOU, not just stick you with needles because she thinks it's fun.

Ocean Plastic Surgery Center, Los Alamitos, CA…read more HIFU is the best option for most prostate cancer patients. It is less invasive & time consuming than other options. Dr. Pugach is the expert in this field. He listens to his patients' concerns & responds to questions thoroughly. His calm demeanor will put even the most concerned patient at ease. Dr. Pugach will ensure a positive experience during a challenging time in his patients' lives. Dr. Rodriguez, Anesthesiologist, will ensure that you sleep well during the procedure & have as few side effects as possible. Another gem who helps patients through this experience. We did not have much contact with Dr. Aynechi, (Surgeon). What time we did spend with him, reinforced our already positive experience with the Surgery Center. There are 3 Shannons in the office & they all are absolutely fabulous! Katie, RN, will care for you before, during, & after the procedure. as if you are family. Her professionalism & empathy are exemplary! She explains everything with detail, answering any & all questions. She calms fears, she keeps family informed & updated during the procedure. She is the epitome of what a nurse should be: knowledgeable, professional yet endearing, patient, generous & kind! I hope to never have to spend time with her again but I am ever grateful for the care she gave my husband during such a stressful time in our journey together. With all my heart, I thank you Katie. May God bless this team & all those who are fortunate enough to experience their expertise when life throws you a curveball!

My husband just experienced HIFU treatment. It was a very scary thought for my husband having…read moreprostate cancer and the idea of the treatment in a very sensitive area was even more concerning. We have always trusted Dr Pugach through different issues as he is at the top of his field. However, enter a nice surprise.... Nurse Katie. She comes in the room to explain how it all works and it was like a ray of sunshine! So professional and good at explaining. Like any good teacher she could read her audience and we probably looked so confused at all the paraphanallia and meds that we were to handle but she explained with visual aids to make sure we got it. Even said we could call or face time her if we were at a loss. It put us so much at ease. Steve breezed thru the procedure - not hard at all and Katie did such a good job of explaining that we are doing well. The procedure was at the Ocean Plastic Surgery Center which also was a lovely place. Kudos to everyone!

Doctor Eric Tygenhof is so smart and caring. He right away made a treatment plan, even a possible…read morelong-term one for me. What amazing luck to find him after my former urologist dropped my insurance plan. I highly recommend him!

This place has Ben's awesome so far. Dr. Tygenhof is AWESOME. he spends lots of time with his…read morepatients and makes you feel at ease. I will not go anywhere else. HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place and their Dr's.

Dr Chai is an excellent urologist with wonderful patient relationships. However, the office staff…read moreis rude and incompetent. They failed to notify me that they no longer contract with my insurance provider (and hadn't for 6 months) until two days prior to my semi-annual ultrasound, which I then had to cancel. They have "lost" my appointments twice and argued with me that it was my fault. It wasn't, I have the appointment cards. The last time I spoke with them, the receptionist was extremely rude and when I asked her to stop arguing with me she hung up on me. Terrible office staff whom I had heard berating patients previous to this.

I see Dr. Alavi, who is part of this practice when he is available. In my opinion he is…read morepersonable, professional and is a good urologist as far as my experience. The front office staff here is a different story. While some office staff very friendly and helpful, others are not so much.