This is a review written after 3 years of treatment, my nightmare and biggest regret after 43 years of life.
I intend to expose every questionable aspect of this operation, so that you reader might make the best possible choice for your health.
First appointment:
Initially came in because of a concern with a spider vein on my lower right leg. I wasn't seen for an hour and a half passed my scheduled time. Unacceptable. I described my concern. After scanning my right leg, I was diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Remember I came in for a spider vein, just the one; but fear mongering is an effective sales technique.
I'm then told in order to have the procedure I would have to travel to Encino. No other option was given to me. I was then scheduled for preop in Long Beach. What is going on here? I'm bouncing all over Southern California to get to appointments and at no point do they appreciate the inconvenience this is to the patient or to how broken their system is. AND, only one leg at a time can be ablated...so, this means I would have to drive to Encino twice.
Encino Surgical Day (Left Leg)
I get to Encino. There is paid parking for the Surgical Center. No validation given. Price tag was $35. This is unacceptable.
Dr. Mikhail administers the procedure on my left leg. Everything goes well. I head home with mild discomfort. I follow ALL post-op protocols. Recovery goes well.
Encino Surgical Day (Right Leg)
I get to Encino; get prepped for surgery and while on the surgical table a gal from the front office comes in and tells me that my lower right leg was not approved by insurance. What? Why would this not be resolved prior to having me agonize over LA traffic for 2.5 hours? Why is only the upper but not the lower approved? Who is at the bottom of this incompetence? West Medical management. I digress, right upper GSV (great saphenous vein) ablated. I follow ALL post-op protocols. Recovery goes well.
During post-op treatments, I made it clear the inconvenience of driving to Encino for treatment. Dr. Sarabi, the Irvine doctor, then intervened and said he could take care of my lower right leg, no problem at the Irvine office.
Surgical Day (Lower Right Leg)
Dr. Sarabi walks into the surgical room with the following joke, "Peter, it appears your insurance denied your procedure." This immediately puts me into a state of agitation as he starts to laugh out loud LOUDLY that "he got me." Are you fucking kidding me? This behavior is vulgar at best. Right lower ablation complete. I follow ALL post-op protocols.
Uh-oh! Something's wrong.
My entire right lower leg was numb, zero feeling and then the most concerning was, I started having problems with BM's. I come in with my post-op concerns, but Dr. Sarabi is nowhere to be found. This guy literally disappears for a month. Since there is no doctor, I'm forced to see the physicians' assistant Snooky. This Snooky asks me to close my eyes as she prods me with a damn pen; what the fuck are you doing? She stabs me with the pen, for what? To try to show that I'm making my symptoms up? Insane.
Dr. Sarabi returns from hiatus. I'm waiting to be seen; I haven't gone to the restroom in weeks. He comes in with his phone in his smock's pocket BLASTING music, with a lollipop and cup of coffee in hand. This guy is literally bouncing off the damn walls. He see's my absolute frustration and orders me into the surgical room right away. I'm poked several times in my lower right leg to aspirate trapped blood from the veins, but he then manically begins to squeeze my legs. AND then, he sticks me with their vein killing solution not 3 inches away from my butthole. This completely shuts down ALL plumbing. Everything from here got worse and West Medical took zero accountability putting the blame ALL on me.
As of today, I've fully restored bowel function. BUT...I have "constant flowing water" on my lower right leg. The one spider vein that brought me to their office is now a collection of spider veins and black veins covering the back of my knee. I used to wear shorts quite regularly. I don't anymore as the result from the procedure deeply embarrasses me. The quality of my life has dramatically decreased. It literally pervades my thoughts every day and the second I start to forget about it, water begins to flow down the back of my leg to remind me that something is wrong, then I look only to see black veins and then I KNOW something went wrong. I've asked to be seen on several occasions only to be told my insurance is not accepted anymore at the Irvine location so I would need to travel to Long Beach and could only be seen by one doctor and not the other. WTF! I've now entered the twilight zone!
I would unequivocally recommend you seek for a vein surgeon any place other than West Medical. read more