Veling Tsai, MD

I was referred to Dr. Matthew Lee by my primary Doctor. I had an ear infection about 3 weeks ago. The pain had gone away, but I still couldn’t hear as clearly as before so my doctor referred me to Dr Lee. I made an appointment and the first available opening was 2 weeks out (which was okay with me) I gave my insurance information to the receptionist and I thought everything was okay, but oh was I wrong.
The day before my appointment, I get a call from their office to confirm my appointment and to tell me that my insurance is not within their network! So I waited almost two weeks for my appointment and the day before I’m supposed to go, they tell me that I’m not covered!!! That’s pretty ridiculous and irresponsible of the staff to not check beforehand. Especially since I’m a new patient, the staff should check instead of making me wait only to find out that I would have to pay out of pocket.
**Be warned: if you do go to this office, make sure they check your insurance before booking an appointment!!**

Wow, a lot of mixed reviews here. Very polarizing. Add me to the five star reviews. 5+++ really. And here is why.
Please be patient as my experiences span quite a few years and it is the experience of my second time seeing him that makes this 5+++ for me.
I originally went in many years ago for throat issues I was having. Long story short, I was damaging my vocal chords from teaching swing dance classes without a mic and his diagnosis of what was going on with my vocal chords was very spot-​on with what I was experiencing. He did say there were a few treatments that might help (I don’t recall his specific suggestions right now) and he said it would mask what was going on, probably not heal it. I do remember he answered all my questions and we decided it was best to not go for any treatments and try to rest my voice and learn to speak differently (which definitely helped, going to a voice coach helped a lot)
At that point I would have given him 4 to 5 stars. The office was great, he was great, and I remember at the time I thought I would go see him in the future for any throat issues that might come up So I already had a high opinion of him.
Fast forward about I believe five years. I was playing basketball and got a hit in the nose with an elbow really hard, enough that it looked like I had a major break. I went to the emergency room and they said it was a bit hard to treat and see the break with the swelling, to wait about two days and then see a nose doctor. They gave me a recommendation.
Two days later I saw the recommended nose doctor, he took a look at my break. Said I would need surgery, described in detail my surgery. I wasn’t too pleased about some of the risks involved, but figured it was necessary
Later my wife reminded me «Hey didn’t you see an ENT awhile back for your throat?»
She was right, I didn’t associate he was a nose guy, just a throat guy. I made an appointment to see Dr Tsai for a second opinion. He took a look and explained I could go without surgery, if anything it would be cosmetic. I asked him why and he showed me his notes he wrote the first time I saw him years ago.
So get this: Even though I saw him for my throat, he had noticed my nose was slightly crooked and a little bit broken and made some detailed notes of it. He compared that to what my nose looked like the second time around and said that it wasn’t a huge difference. When I explained what the other nose doctor told me, he said yes he would have agreed if this was the first time I saw him as well. However from the detailed notes he took the first time he saw me he said my nose was not very far off from the previous time, which means I broke it at some time much earlier and this time around it just got slightly more offcenter. And if I was able to live comfortably with the minor break up until then, then it shouldn’t be that much more inconvenient now. He said we definitely could do some minor surgery that would help but it would be more cosmetic than anything, and that the major surgery would not be necessary since I have already been living with it for likely a good number of years .
Short story long: besides the fact that both experiences are 4 and 5 star experiences, he took time to explain things so I would understand them, the fact that the first time I saw Dr. Tsai for my throat, he noticed my nose was crooked and he took it upon himself to make notes about my nose even though I went in for my throat, and the second time I saw him years later he remembered seeing my nose and had notes on it and thus he saved me the pain/​stress of unnecessary surgery. I have a feeling that is NOT par for the course for most doctors to take notes like that.
Happy Customer = me!

My experiences with Dr. Tsai were great. Throughout the two years or so I was his patient, each interaction was pleasant. He was very knowledgable and eased any concerns I had about different procedures. He conducted the two sinus surgeries I had (one year apart). I recall he personally called after each surgery to follow up. The office is often crowded but my experiences with the waits have not been terrible. Overall, I would recommend his services to others.

I have never seen a dr worse than dr Tsai. I went in today after two years of pain and ear discharge. I had seen another dr last year, and she had given me medication that didn’t help. He dismissed her diagnoses entirely and assumed my problem is psychological– I clean my ear with Q-​tips. I started cleaning my ear because of the excessive discharge!!!
I left today with an advice: don’t use Q-​tips! He said to go n see a dentist because the pain in my right ear is generating from my jaw, but what about my left ear? why do I have pain in both?
I paid outta pocket because I wanted to see a good doctor. And seriously, I wish I had lost the money than giving it to him.
Ppl, be aware! he’s NOT GOOD! n supposedly, he’s the best in his office.

I made an appointment for my dad at 1.20 pm in the afternoon. When I called to set up the appointment, I was told that there is no waiting needed since 1.20 is the first one. So we got there, there were a lot of people waiting already. My dad and I waited for 2 hours. Everytime I check with the front desk clerk how much longer is the wait, she kept telling me there is different doctors, our room is limited at this time, or we will be the next one. So we waited 2 hours. Not only that, after 2 hours wait, my dad was not seen by Dr. Tsai at all, it was the PA who attended my dad. All she did was use the light check into my dad’s ears, nose, and mouth, then she asked if there is any more problem that needs to be address and have him schedule another appointment for hearing test. So 2 hours wait for less than 15 minutes seen by the PA. I guess the doctor’s/PA’s time are valuable & ours not. Ridiculous waiting time!

At first, I was impressed with Dr. Lee’s experience and education thats why i decided to see him. And that is the only reason I’m giving him 1 star. Initially, i was desperate for an answer since i had never experienced this type of dizziness before. He quickly explained that my ears looked fine and told me that he didn’t know why i was feeling dizzy and told me to see a neurologist because i was most likely having vestibular migraines, what?!? i was not impressed and i expected more from him.
I went on to seek another opinion and was referred for further testing and I do in fact have vertigo and DO NOT have dizziness do to vestibular migraines. I would not recommend this doctor for any reason. I felt rushed out of his office, he’s doesn’t appear to be very experienced or want to make an extra effort in helping the patient. I was very dissatisfied and disappointed. I also got my money back for the waste of time and poor diagnosis! Go to someone who is considered to be a well seasoned doctor. I did. Now my issue is being resolved.

update: mgmt reached out to me a week after my review. i appreciated the gesture and found the apology and candid explanation to be sincere. yay for professionalism at the workplace.
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This is a busy office. I get here this afternoon and there’s 5 – 6 other patients waiting, another 3 – 4 by the time I left 40 mins later. It took fifteen minutes for them to even speak to me after I signed in letting them I’m a new patient. While I was waiting I had overheard the two assistants discussing verifying my insurance, as it was not yet done even though I had already provided all my initial contact and insurance info when I made my appointment one week ago.
After I had completed my new patient application I was then told my insurance was not accepted with a nonchalant shrug and handed back my just completed application and a photocopy of my ID and insurance card. No apology; no other explanation. I asked why wasn’t this verified in the week that I made my appointment. I asked who took my call to make the appointment. Again, I was given a non-​committal response, just a mere shrug. A FUCKING SHRUG. Like the bitch is a deaf mute. I told her my time was wasted, my insurance should have been verified. I left the office annoyed.
I understand it’s the patient’s responsibility to confirm if a provider is in network; it’s why I made an appointment and provided my personal and insurance info to a stranger over the phone. In the one week that I made my appointment, any issues arising from my insurance should have been brought to my attention. If they had the opportunity to call me 3 – 4 days later for a courtesy appointment reminder then they certainly could’ve brought up the issue re: my insurance. They didn’t.
Doctor offices love to bill you for appointment cancellations; they even require you sign off on that section on the new patient application. Why then can’t I bill their asses when they waste my time? I made my appointment and they cancelled on me. Where do I look to send them a $ 50 cancellation fee? Care ENT? No fucking caring here. Certainly not about my time.
Would’ve been nice to see the ENT specialist but front office/​reception is every bit important re: first and overall impression. And it completely failed. You get what you pay for in terms of the help, right?

Having family in healthcare, I have come to realize that having the right doctor treat your illness is important. After being let down by many healthcare providers in the recent year, I am glad we found Dr. Tsai. Dr. Tsai is personal, patient and has great bedside manner. Though he has a long line of patients, he is willing to let you ask all necessary questions. (and believe me, I ask a lot of questions). He is concise and explains things clearly. His staff is also very helpful. I would recommend him for any ENT issues.

Have only seen this doc once, but he made a great first impression :-) Place is nice and clean, all staff were very friendly. Looks like I was the last appt of the day, but there was really no waiting. Once we got int he room, doc came over right away. He was also very friendly, listened to me as I told him my child’s history with ear infections and he gave me very useful information, you get the sense that he really knows what he’s talking about. So, for a first time visit, it was perfect. I wish I could find a doctor like this as a primary care physician!

I was referred to Dr. Tsai by my GP. When I called to make an appointment the lady that answered was really rude. I was told I would have to wait until the end of January 2015 to see him, and when I asked if there was anything sooner, she simply replied“no” and hung up.

Awesome doctor. Extremely patient, great listening skills. He’ll let you tell the story, problems etc.
Been having problems with my tonsil since childhood but my mom never allowed me to take it out. So glad I got the chance to visit Doctor Tsai. His PA and him were able to explain everything, educate me on the reasons I get sore throats, sick, breathing etc.
Looking forward to getting my clogging tonsils out at the Alhambra Hospital!

I highly recommend Dr. Tsai Veling for his precision, bedside manners and expertise in this field. My mom went to him for an issue in her mouth. She had 2 visits at the office and had an outpatient surgery.
1^st was the initial visit, Dr. Tsai recommended my mom a couple of options, including sour foods or substances to get a better flow in her salivary glands. If she doesn’t see any improvements, he recommended surgery.
During the 2^nd visit, he recommended surgery since the situation did not improve. He gave my mom a couple of options of where she can get the procedure done, great versatility. He ran many tests (EKG, blood work, etc.) on my mom to ensure that her health is fine and that there won’t be many complications during the surgery.
The main reason why I gave Dr. Tsai a 5 star is because after my mom’s surgery, he called us AT HOME during the evening to see how my mom was doing. He gave recommendations on how she can feel more comfortable and made sure she was fine. I don’t know any other surgeon that does that, I am extremely impressed that a busy doctor called to make sure their patient was fine. Dr. Veling has my highest recommendation as your ENT specialist.
Cons: The office is pretty dirty. :-p

I like Dr. Tsai the minute I met him. Even though his office is extremely busy, he took the time to see me (after I met with his PA) to explain his concerns. He recommended a CT scan which my other ENT didn’t. I like his proactive approach to ensure that nothing is serious. When I received my results, I left a message with Dr. Tsai’s assistant to have him call me back because I was worried. Despite his busy schedule, he returned my call by the end of the day and reassured me that everything is ok. Dr. Tsai is patient and willing to address my concerns. I would recommend him.

The reason I give Dr Veling low rating is because his office if very dirty. You walk in and the carpet and the furniture are very dirty and stained. I did not even want to sit down. I had appointment and waited 45 minutes and still no sign of being seen. The rude receptionist could not tell me how much longer it would be. Since I did not feel comfortable waiting in that dirty waiting room, I just left. If a doctor does not care about how clean his facilities are, how good can he be? Clean your act up doctor! You might be good, but first impressions are everything and cleanliness is very important in doctors office.

Great physician. I am so glad to have found an ENT physician in the San Gabriel Valley who I feel I could trust. Dr. Tsai has great bedside manners, explains everything clearly, and seems to understand my concerns about my mother.

Dr. Tsai is the best ENT doctor I’ve had met!
Dr. Tsai is, hands down, extremely kind. And he actually expresses genuine concern.
He is professional, thorough and very helpful. I went here for my bf’s throat problem. Staff was very kind and they explained very well about everything and patience with my bf’s question and needs. He is very friendly and made my bf very comfortable when come to asking questions. Ever since his experience, he has become his normal ent doctor.
I strongly recommended Dr. Tsai as your ENT needs!
Also, the nurses are very kind and know what they’re doing. :)
Thanks, Dr. Tsai!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

let’s just say that Dr. Tsai is probably as good as it gets!!! In a nut shell Dr. Tsai pretty much saved my life, from this 8 month sinus infection that my regular Dr. just over looked. I was on 6 different anitbiotics and 4 different nasal sprays over the course of 8 months. After several (3) ER visits I was recommended to Dr. Tsai from a random person working at CVS who kept seeing me pick up numerous failed priscriptions. From the first visit he just knew right away what I was going through and 2 months later He preformed a 2hr sugery that cleared my sinuses ever since. I now have a routine down that will prevent me from having another surgery. Which is saline flush every day with a nasal steriod spray once a day. For this I will forever be greatful to that man. I feel better that ever!!! — MS

Professional, thorough and very helpful. I went here for my mom’s throat pain. We waited for awhile because there was an emergency nose bleed patient came but it was totally understandable and worth it of our time here in the office. Staff was very kind and they explained very well about the use of my mom’s insurance (even better than the isn agency). Came here a few times and my moms throat are now well. Dr. Tsai is very detailed and patience with my mom’s question and needs. He is very friendly and made my mom very comfortable when come to asking questions. Ever since her experience, he has become her normal ent doctor.
I strongly recommended Dr. Tsai as your ENT needs!

I originally started going to Dr. Tsai for ear issues and nasal issues. He has such great bedside manners and is very attentive to my needs. He really listens to what my concerns are and is very thorough. My toddler daughter came with me once and i felt like she had excessive ear wax. Dr. Tsai was so great with her and was able to get her to calm down and look in her ears, which any parent knows is a hard task.
I would definitely recommend Dr. Tsai!

Possibly the best doctor I’ve had!
I made three or four visits to this office in hopes of getting something done about my constant (and I mean CONSTANT) nosebleeds.
I won’t go into detail about my procedure or anything, but I can tell you that this doctor is super patient. He won’t try to minimize his time with you to move on to another patient. He’ll stay until the entire procedure is done and all of your questions are answered. He helped me to understand what caused my ongoing nosebleeds, taking the X-​ray and answering all of the questions I had. He also checked my ears and throat for me (even though I only went in with questions about my nose), and suggested no more Q-​tips for the ears. Thanks, Doctor! It was about time I got that advice from a professional.
Unlike my last physician, who was quite sarcastic and tried too hard to be funny, and my current physician, who is downright impatient and seems to kinda lack compassion, Dr. Tsai is, hands down, extremely kind. And he actually expresses genuine concern. Whaddayaknow!
During one of the visits, I actually had a nosebleed right after the x-​ray that they took (this was unintentional), and I thought for sure he’d leave the room to help another patient as I held my nostrils to take care of the bleeding. Like I said, he’s SO patient. He showed me the proper way to pinch my nose during a nosebleed (I’ve been shown various ways and never really knew which one was correct), and he actually sat there and pinched my nose until the nosebleed ended. I felt so guilty, thinking I might have been wasting his time! But he said that he was actually glad that it happened so that he could see how bad the nosebleeds are and he could see in person how he could fix the problem. Whew. What a relief.
It was then that he decided to cauterize a blood vessel in my nose.
Voila. It did the trick. No more constant nosebleeds. In fact, I’ve had only VERY few since the cauterization. And this must be because of the bloody heat (no pun intended) this summer! I am SO glad and so relieved.
Also, the nurses are very kind and know what they’re doing. :)
Thanks, Dr. Tsai!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Also, keep an eye out for the place. It’s in a two story building. It’s behind the parking lot for Boiling Crab and Crane Sushi. Kinda easy to miss. There are few parking spaces in the parking lot behind the Boiling Crab one, but you can always park in the BC parking lot too! :)