Laser Surgery Center

I had a routine colonoscopy at Laser Surgery Center last month and the three stars is ONLY for the staff who were friendly and attentive from the receptionist to the nurses. I have rolling veins which means it often requires multiple attempts in getting a vein for the Intravenous line but their nurse got my vein on the first attempt and couldn't have been more gentle. Likewise, the staff who attended to my procedure including a medical attendant or nurse and the anesthesiologist were very friendly, assuring, and kind. I have no complaints about any of the staff but were it not for them I wouldn't hesitate to give this place a 1 star review and I most certainly will never go back. Ever.Issue 1. Scheduling and the waiting room. I received multiple text messages and emails over several weeks reminding me of my 9 am appointment time and then on the day before my procedure I was asked if they could re-schedule for 15 minutes earlier. No problem for me so I showed up at 8:45 a.m. and then I waited...and waited...and waited. The first 60 minutes of my wait was in the very small waiting room that was cold, poor decorated and honestly just showed a lack of care for the patients and anything related to this decade. After an hour in the waiting room I was taken back to wait for nearly another 45 minutes in a small cubby divided In half by a curtain. Poor sense of decorating and a ridiculous wait time aside, here are the additional problems. Issue 2. Inadequate Supplies. I was given a gown that was slightly too small for me and when I was given one in a larger size it was seriously big enough for a 700 pound man. When I asked for an extra pillow for under my legs due to a back injury the nurse came back to tell me there wasn't an extra pillow so instead she handed me a random stack of sheets and towels instead which I bundled up under my knees to make due. Issue 3. The cubby area. The little "private" cubby, which was just an open space made "private" by curtains was again lacking in anything that showed care or attention. It just all screamed "run down." Other reviews have mentioned the same thing and yet it was apparent nothing has been done to freshen this place. The room temp was cold and while I was given a warmed thin blanket the warmth was gone within five minutes leaving me to chill for the rest of my wait. There was a single bare lightbulb on the ceiling just over my head that required shielding my eyes from to avoid the direct glare. Finally, within a few minutes another patient was brought to wait on the other side of the curtain so we were less than four feet apart which meant I heard every word of her medical history as she recited it to a nurse. Patient confidentiality seems to not be a consideration. Issue 4. The surgical room. After an hour and 45 minutes I was eventually rolled into the room where the procedure was to take place and again, the room looked terribly neglected. There was a missing ceiling light fixture and the room was set up in a way that felt chaotic, as if I was being rolled into multi-purpose procedure room/storage area. Fortunately sedation was given quickly and all went fine. Issue 5. When I woke up in recovery I was in significant pain from my back due to laying flat or on my side for longer than my bulging discs tolerate. Naturally I don't blame the staff for my back pain however despite groaning from the pain I wasn't offered so much as an aspirin or an ice pack. In addition, I had heard them offering apple juice to other patients in recovery and yet I was never offered juice or even water despite fasting for 2 entire days and having no water since 6 am that morning as required. It was only when I had dressed myself and was waiting for my ride that a water was given to me on request. This problematic surgery center is just down the road from Aspen Surgery Center. I've had a number of procedures at Aspen and consider it top notch. While I've been there for a number of procedures I had been there only 6 weeks before for hernia repair. As in the past the staff were incredibly professional and friendly. The facility itself is fresh and welcoming. The curtained private area you're taken to for the final wait time is much like that of any good hospital setting with all the blankets and pillows you can request along with a call button should you need any additional assistance. The surgical area is also clean, fresh, and professional in appearance and when I woke from my hernia repair in pain, again from my back, I was immediately given pain medication by one nurse while another nurse was on the phone consulting with my physician. My advice. Avoid Laser Surgery Center if at all possible and instead see if the physician doing your day surgical procedure has access to Aspen Surgery Center located just behind John Muir Hospital.
Dec 10th, 2022

Thank you to the team of the laser surgery center. They took good care of me. They were thorough and friendly. Gave me a warm gown, which was nice. They are busy and everyone explains what is going on.
Aug 8th, 2022

My husband and I travel. We come back into the area for a week to see all the doctors. He set up his endoscopy appt for 9:30. We received a call to give the normal do not eat instructions. When we arrived they dont have him scheduled. But out of the kindness of their hearts they will squeeze him in later today. What was wrong with time he was scheduled? They gave us instructions so they knew he was coming!!!! Now instead of driving an hour back to our travel trailer Im stuck sitting in this parking lot for for three extremely irritating hours. Completely unhappy with this situation.
Aug 5th, 2020

Not the best of surgery/endoscopic procedure centers. I've had many positive experiences with surgery centers, but Laser Surgery Center isn't one of them. The only positive comment is the friendliness of the staff (receptionist, nurses, anesthesiologist, tech, ad GI doc), which is why I'm giving 3 stars. I agree with other reviews about the place looking run down and using paper charts. However, those two issues pale in comparison to the bigger issues of poor communication and lack of privacy. First of all, I didn't receive a phone call from a nurse the day before to go over my history and give instructions. Every other surgery center or hospital I've been to calls the day before. I called at 4 pm yesterday and was told I'd receive a call later in the evening. That never happened so I call around 8:30 pm and the person who answered said she can't do anything until tomorrow morning. Around 7:30 am, I get a call from the receptionist returning my calls from yesterday. When she called, she said she left a message yesterday. I was at home all day and I had NO indication of a missed call or VM on my phone. The other issue is lack of privacy. I could hear other conversations between staff and patients. Fortunately, I didn't hear any PHI (protected health information). That said, i was still uncomfortable hearing other people's conversations and being in a very small space. They should either 1) move to a bigger property 2)  undergo renovations to make their facility bigger or 3) schedule fewer patients to provide for more privacy.Unfortunately, I have to repeat the colonoscopy. As disappointed as I am about having to re-do the prep, maybe it's for the better the procedure didn't happen so I can re-do it at one of the other surgery centers or hospitals where my GI doc is affiliated. I refuse to go back to LSC and insist to my GI doc that I am scheduled at Aspen Surgery Center or John Muir in Walnut Creek. The doctor I work for is affiliated with both of those places and says they are a step up from LSC. I hope that's the case and I will not return nor recommend anyone have a procedure/surgery here.
Aug 26th, 2020

Avoid this place at all cost!  My husband had a colonoscopy there in October, a total nightmare.  I was with him the day of the procedure, and have handled completely screwed up Laser Surgery Center's paperwork and billing issues.(1)  First off, the gastroenterologist's office (Dr. Chahal) changed the location of the procedure from a Concord surgery center to what turned out to be an old s*it hole of a building.  We didn't know of the change until 2 days before the procedure, when we got a call from the "Laser Surgery Center".  They told us to arrive an hour and 15 minutes (!!) early to complete paperwork; they apparently had nothing from Dr. Chahal's office.  When we asked that they email paperwork to us, the person on the phone responded:  'I'm just the confirming appointment nurse.  I won't email paperwork to you because that is not required by law.'Yes, patently REFUSED to email detailed paperwork so it could be reviewed and completed before the procedure.  And this Laser Surgery Center has no website for downloading the paperwork.  Apparently the center is just a cheap rent by the day for physicians needing space for surgical procedures.  Kinda like a medical air bnb, only worse.(2)  We finally got the paperwork through Dr. Chahal's office.  We arrived at the Laser Surgery Center with everything completed.  We still had to wait for OVER AN HOUR in a small, poorly ventilated waiting room packed with people.  As in all chairs taken up.  Painted stark white with no decorative furnishings, couldn't be any cheaper or uncomfortable.  And this after my husband had not had anything to eat in 24 hours, and was weak from no food and the terribly uncomfortable colon cleansing procedure.(3)  The center is way too small for the stack em and pack em surgical procedures it performs.  No privacy in the recovery area.  My husband's pre op area was directly across from a break room, where staff was talking loudly and, at times, laughing.  Very unprofessional.(4)  The reception person, Patti, was the one positive aspect.  She was polite and more than friendly.  But, they were short staffed.  She was doing multiple jobs - checking patients in, answering the phone, taking patients back, helping with paperwork.  No way she could possibly keep up, as we all looked on.  I felt sorry for her.(5)  This facility uses paper medical record files; I heard Patti tell a patient this when the patient inquired about the large paper files.  THIS IS A CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, which mandated that patients medical records be made electronic by 2014. (6)  Their insurance billing was and is completely screwed up.  I've been fighting with Blue Shield for correct processing/billing, and finally have filed a grievance with them.  This center actually submitted a $5980 bill to Blue Shield for whatever services they performed.  This is in addition to the doctor's large bill, and the pathology bill.This place should be shut down.  (1) Won't provide critical and extensive paperwork for review and completion before the day of a procedure, and (2) maintains paper medical files in violation of the Affordable Care Act, a requirement since 2014.  (3)  It's old, overly crowded, and a dump.  And all of this for a $5980 bill from them.Stay away at any and all costs.
Nov 12th, 2019