Shirin Towfigh, MD FACS

From start to finish, Dr. Towfigh and her team have been beyond comprehensive, thoughtful and have made the process of having my complicated surgical situation go as smooth as could be. I am honestly stunned by how well everything has been handled and with how much access I have had to everyone. Whether it be calling with questions for Sharron in the office, to Myron for scheduling questions, to Bel for post surgery questions or to go over things before the surgery again with Dr. Towfiigh, the access was there. All of these people amazed me in their own way. Supererogation is the applicable word here. Because my surgery was long, Bel even text my girlfriend who was anxiously waiting that everything had gone well and that I was being closed up from the surgery room. I even was able to text questions and get answers about things I was worried about during the day and evening of Black Friday. AWESOME! I want to sneak it in here that it is my strong opinion that most surgeons are usually too busy to deal a patient’s little worries, questions, or whatever it may be and I feel like Dr. Towfigh was completely the opposite and was simply a pleasure to interact with.
Making it all the harder, this was my fourth hernia/​mesh related surgery and I had a significant amount of scar tissue below the latest hernia. A quite renown hospital surgeon wanted to ignore this and Dr. Towfigh immediately said that it had to be addressed in surgery. As it turned out, there were a few tears hiding under the scar tissue that would have had be back in surgery again had they not been discovered and fixed. In addition, despite that this was quite a significant surgery, I was up and about within a few days with a couple drops of blood on the bandage and an insignificant amount of abdomen pain. Totally unbelievable. As I said, this is my fourth such surgery and this is like scuffing my elbow compared to the prior experiences I have had. Lastly, she was able to make this an outpatient surgery in the comfortable and small surgical area in her office building which was also ran by amazing group of people who were completely easy to deal with and it had no resemblance of a busy hospital with nurses who are seemingly always in a rush.
I cannot say enough about Dr. Towfigh and her team. She is extremely gifted and I have never felt more so completely satisfied with a doctor before… much less a surgeon. I have not one complaint, but a list of complements and would recommend everyone get a surgical consult with her, so you can see for yourself.

Earlier this year I was referred to Towfigh by my pain management specialist (a great doc whose opinion I value). Towfigh’s «soonest» available appointment was MONTHS away. I took it and made transportation arrangements. Just days before that appointment I was informed that Towfigh was changing my appointment date and time to accommodate her personal change of plans. Absolutely no regard or respect for the out of town patient that needs to be driven to Southern California by others. To work around this inconsiderate doctor I incurred tremendous expense and pain. She is supposedly a surgeon that specializes in the nerve release surgery I need, according to my pain mgmt doc, so I worked around Towfigh’s deplorable conduct.
I received all of my patient paperwork via email and returned it, filled out, prior to my rescheduled appointment time. I sent all of my imaging DVDs & reports well in advance of the appointment.
I arrived on time and paid, in full, the sum requested. Towfigh does not take my PPO which would have made my co-​payment $ 40. She demanded a $ 400 prepayment for the visit, in full. I paid the $ 400 and was escorted to an exam room.
After laying in the exam room for about an hour, the front office clerk, Sheila, came in and told me I had to sign additional paperwork. None of this paperwork had been sent to me with the emailed patient paperwork. Now they wanted things like consent to photography and an assignment of my insurance benefits and an acceptance of a financial conflict of interest disclosure for a surgical center that I would never agree to use. I just paid 100% of the amount requested instead of my usual $ 40 copay. No, I wasn’t going to assign my out of network reimbursement to Towfigh– she was already paid 100% of the $ 400 visit. I would have surgery at Cedars-​Sinai, not the surgical center that Towfigh owns.
I declined to sign the assignment of benefits and irrelevant Surgical Center disclosure. Towfigh came in and personally informed me that she would not see me unless I signed over my insurance benefits and everything else she put in front of me. I again explained that I already paid in full and nothing further was due for today’s visit. I also stated that if I made the decision to use her services for surgery I would sign appropriate paperwork at that time. Based on my refusal to sign over my insurance benefits on top of the $ 400 I already paid, she refused to keep the appointment.
I’m glad that I left rather than sign over my reimbursement. My pain mgmt doc told me that Towfigh had done last-​minute cancellation/​reschedule to several of his referrals/​patients and he was now referring patients elsewhere. I took his new recommendation. In my opinion, Towfigh is a money-​grubber that doesn’t care about anything other than maximizing the bux she can get out of you AND your insurance
The Unilocal signs are all over her office. Get a clue– she’s another manipulator using a pr/​marketing firm to elevate her presence on the net. How she promotes herself is inconsistent with my experience. Sooooooooooo disappointed.

HORRIBLE RESULT – DUE TO HER CARELESSNESS AND OVERSIGHT, I NEEDED AN IMMEDIATE SECOND SURGERY; NOW IN CONSTANT PAIN ²⁴⁄₇
I consider selecting Dr. Towfigh as my surgeon to be one of the worst, life changing decisions I ever made. Due to Dr. Towfigh’s oversight, I had to have a second surgery within weeks of the first one. She totally overlooked and missed the cause of my symptoms during surgery and literally sealed the fatty tissue into me permanently with mesh, making the second surgery that much more complicated. I am now in constant chronic pain and discomfort ²⁴⁄₇.
I wish I could upload photographs of myself AFTER her surgery (which show she did not address my symptoms – I still had huge bulges) or images of my post-​surgery MRI results (which show she left fatty tissue in BOTH my left and right inguinal canals). I plan to attach the photos and MRI results to the medical malpractice action that I intend to file.
Choosing Dr. Towfigh to do my surgery put into motion events that have ruined the quality of my life – every aspect of it is now impaired. Work, concentration, focus, stamina, sex life, sleep, ability to work out, sit, drive, enjoy life pain free. Google «hernia surgery» and «chronic pain».
Dr. Towfigh (1) failed to diagnose/​misdiagnosed the cause of my symptoms, (2) encouraged me to undergo a laparascopic procedure during which she promised to resolve my symptoms BUT during which she failed to even address the cause of my symptoms, (3) failed to look for, see, or excise the commonly occurring fat tissue that WAS the cause of my symptoms, (4) sealed that fat tissue inside me with mesh, requiring me to undergo a SECOND SURGERY to cut my groin open to remove the tissue that she failed to remove and sealed inside me, (5) billed my insurance company collectively over $ 140,000 for her office’s services and for her surgicenter in which she has a financial interest, (6) continued to misdiagnose me AFTER the surgery, telling me that the fatty tissue and resultant bulges that she left behind was merely fluid, (7) failed to read my post-​surgery MRI report for 8 days, and failed/​refused to give me an appointment for 8 days after the post-​surgery MRI results, all because she was «totally booked» and too busy doing more surgeries on other patients.
When she finally saw me and read the post-​surgery MRI report which showed «fat in both [left and right] inguinal canals» (the definition of a hernia), she said, «I’m sorry. I have no idea how this happened?» Does that sound like the surgeon you want operating on you?
Because of the mesh which she inserted, the second surgery had to be an «open» surgery — involving two 4 inch incisions on both sides of my lower groin. As a result of the necessity of those incisions and the failure to address the fatty tissue during the first surgery, I experienced nerve damage and am now under the care of two neurologists who are trying to figure out how to solve my chronic ²⁴⁄₇ nerve pain. Think razor wire in the crease of your leg extending into your buttocks, and binder clip pinching the sensitive skin underneath your genitals. I am on a daily regimen of prescription and non-​prescription pain and nerve medication, along with a prescription topical gel to numb the area — hardly the way you want to spend the rest of your life.
I wake up every day and wish I could turn back the clock and choose another surgeon who would have been more careful. and who would have seen and removed the fatty tissue that was left behind. Then I would not have needed a second surgery.
I think of Dr. Towfigh every day — but not in a good way.
I am $ 35,000 out of pocket THUS FAR for the second surgery and related ongoing medical treatment; I have over $ 40,000 THUS FAR in lost income from lost time and opportunity at work. Nine months after she operated on me, I spend hours each week seeing doctors and filling prescriptions and processing insurance and medical billing information and forms, all because Dr. Towfigh did not see or remove the fat tissue which was the cause of my symptoms.
Here is some of my takeaway:
1. Do not accept an afternoon surgery after a surgeon has already done a morning surgery. My surgery was done on a Thursday afternoon, after she was tired from doing one in the morning. She was not careful.
2. Do not be bamboozled into using an overpriced surgicenter if your insurance will cover another facility for less. I got overcharged.
3. Don’t pick your surgeon based on Unilocal reviews, a slick website, internet advertising, search engine optimization, self-​promotion, or a Beverly Hills address.

Dr. Towfigh was referred to me after I went to see my OBGYN about abdominal pain. I couldn’t believe how kind, knowledgeable and helpful she was just in our first appointment. It literally took her 5 minutes to diagnose 2 hernias that no other doctor could find. Everything was explained in detail, making me feel so much more comfortable with the idea of surgery. Her and her team through the course of the surgery procedure were so personable, helpful and lovely, it made the entire process so much more pleasant. Even after the surgery, her team checked in on me multiple times to make sure I was doing alright and healing well. I can’t say enough positive things about the experience, other than that I would absolutely not hesitate to go back to her again. Thank you Dr. Towfigh and the incredible BHHC Staff!

I suffered miserably with abdominal pain which prevented me from working or living for over 2 years. I had exploratory surgery, 6 CT scans, and dozens of procedures with no answers. I live in Upstate NY but read about Dr. Towfigh online. I sent her my CT Scans, and within an hour she found 2 hernias, and thought there were possibly more. A local hernia surgeon did surgery but found nothing… Dr. Towfigh had said he would have to remove the peritoneum (exterior of abdominal wall) but he refused. She then referred me to a fellow surgeon she knew a few hours from my home; he removed the peritoneum as she suggested and repaired 3 hernias… 2 Inguinal and one Spigelian. Dr. Towfigh was incredibly accessible; she returned my e-​mails in a timely manner and even spoke with me on the phone. She is a world-​renowned surgeon, and the fact that she was so accessible and willing to collaborate with a surgeon near my home to help me is a testament to her character and her genuine interest in helping people. I wish there were more doctors like Dr. Towfigh… she is one of a kind.

Dr Shirin Towfigh is the Best Hernia Physician in the country hands down!!! She also has an exceptional staff… Sheila, Myron and Bel are awesome and very accommodating. After sending my wife’s operative reports of prior surgeries Myron conveyed confidence that we were in the best hands with Dr Towfigh so Myron scheduled consultation Mar.16, 2015 and surgery Mar.18, Cedars Sinai hospital, I was just shocked how quickly my wife could be seen however I must admit I was a little skeptical especially after going to Dr in Las Vegas who failed at removing mesh ⁸⁄₂₀₁₄ but left a scar from my wife belly button to her groin and after going to Dr in LA in Jan 2015 only to hear disappointment, that he was booked for 8 months. After prayer and further research, I can without doubt say we struck gold with Dr Towfigh, a true gem!!! She was able to successfully remove my wife’s pelvic hernia mesh laparoscopically. She found the mesh had crumpled and shifted from where it was originally implanted and attached to other organs. My wife suffered with excruciating stabbing pain, nausea, vomiting, depression everyday for over 2 yrs to the point she didn’t want to live any longer and the Dr in Fla that implanted it, denied it was the mesh causing pain. Dr Towfigh is a blessing and is driven by love and compassion! She gave my wife a true quality of life back, in fact, the day of post-​surgery my wife felt relief from these symptoms, Amazing!!! I can’t thank her enough for the relief she has given my wife. I recommend her to anyone who is experiencing hernias or hernia mesh complications she is the Epitome of Hernia Surgeons! Don’t wait it was worth a trip 2k miles Ga to Beverly Hills, Ca! Thanks again!

Dr. Towfigh is absolutely amazing! I am so grateful that I found her. I had pain for a couple of years, and multiple doctors could not figure out why. I started to think it was all in my head. I happened to read a NY Times article that mentioned Dr. Towfigh, and I knew that I had to make an appointment with her. She quickly found a hernia and performed my surgery a few months later. I was a little nervous about surgery, but Dr. Towfigh’s expertise and general good nature put me at ease. Surgery was a breeze. No complications, not even that much pain. 8 months post-​surgery, I feel great. My pain is gone. I can’t thank Dr. Towfigh and her staff enough!

In 2009 I had a small umbilical hernia repaired, at a major teaching university hospital here in southern California. After a lengthy recovery period, I felt pretty good for nearly three years. In June of 2012 I woke up one day and the hernia repair did not feel right. A couple of months went by and the pain grew worse. Over the course of several months, I saw four different surgeons, at the same major teaching institution where I had the initial repair. I had ultrasounds, a CT scan and numerous examinations which yielded nothing. As time went by, the constant pain and discomfort started to affect my health in general. I began to feel like the situation was hopeless To be in chronic pain, especially for somebody like me who had been very physically active was incredibly difficult. I started to worry that I might be in pain for the rest of my life. It got to the point where I dreaded waking up in the morning and wondering how I would get through the day. It literally felt like my insides were torn — I knew that something was wrong with me, yet, none of the doctors could find anything. I was referred to pain management which did not interest me as I wanted to get to the root of the problem and fix it, not mask it with medicines. I tried acupuncture which did not offer any relief. I was told to give it time and that it would eventually heal. Finally, over a year after my journey of pain began, I found Dr. Towfigh. She ordered a dynamic MRI and she could see from the results of that test what was most likely causing my pain. She was an answer to my prayers in that she really listened to me, took a great deal of time with me and seemed to really care about how best to help me. This was a far different experience than what I had with the other surgeons. Dr. Towfigh performed my revision surgery a few months ago and I am feeling much better. It is such a gift to wake up each day and know I am healing and will continue to improve each day. She is a true professional and yet at the same time a great humanitarian. She is warm and kind and makes her patients feel comfortable. I truly appreciate her really listening and hearing what I had to say without being dismissive. Her staff also made the surgery experience as easy and positive as possible from scheduling, working with insurance and follow-​ups.
Dr. Towfigh I am truly grateful to you for your excellent care and expertise. You are a true healer and like I said an answer to my prayers. My family and I are very thankful to you!

I had multiple hernia surgeries in 2013 and experienced a reoccurrence in March which prompted me to find a new surgeon. After thoroughly researching hernia repair specialists across the United States I found Dr. Towfigh and set up an appointment for a consultation. When I met with her she confirmed that I indeed had a reoccurring hernia and that she could repair it. What I really appreciate about Dr. Towfigh is that it goes beyond just a surgical procedure. She truly cares for people that are hurting and wants to help them. My past surgeries were weighing heavy on me and she helped to put my mind at ease through her genuine compassion. The day of the surgery went smooth from beginning to end. Dr. Towfigh is a brilliant surgeon that did an excellent job repairing my reoccurring hernia and thoroughly explained the procedure in detail during my recent post op appointment. Thank you Dr. Towfigh! You are truly the best. Also thanks to her staff in the office for the top notch treatment. Sheila at the front desk with her warm and friendly smile and Myron for working the surgery date and for his encouraging words.

I had two prior surgeries before I was referred to Dr. Towfigh. I have had two surgeries with her, the last one with Dr. Towfigh and Dr. Howard Kim. I can’t say enough about Dr. Towfigh and her staff. Sheila, Myron and Dr. Towfigh all truly care for their patients and do everything possible to help you us heal quick!

I was miss diagnosed as others who have left comments for over two years. I went to my previous primary care Dr with lower groin pain that I had suffered when doing jujitsu. I was put through a ton of tests, CT scan, Ultrasound, X-​rays, and even a colonoscopy. All being told that there was nothing wrong with me. After one trip to a NEW primary care Dr I was immediately referred to Dr Towfigh. Dr Towfigh took one look at my old images and diagnosed TWO sports hernias that needed to be surgically repaired. TWO! My initial appointment was on December 19^th, with the year running out and having met my deductible that year Dr Towfigh and her TOP NOTCH TEAM were able to get me into surgery on December 28^th. Now two weeks later I am already back in the gym, running, and doing mild workouts. I can not be happier with the service, care, and attention to the patient that I received from Dr Towfigh and her team. There are not words I can say for how well I was treated.
THANK YOU DR TOWFIGH!!!

Dr. Towfigh is a phenomenal doctor and surgeon. She is the leader in the field for women’s hernia, and I doubt I would have ever received a diagnosis without her expertise– I would have been left to suffer for many more years. Her office is the most efficient and professional medical facility I have ever been to. Her staff is so caring and exceptional in every way. Sheila at the front desk is so sweet and Myron who does scheduling is completely on top of it. If you suspect you may have a hernia, please see Dr. Towfigh because she is the best of the best, and truly knows her stuff.

I was misdiagnosed for a year and a half. I felt a bulge and other doctors kept saying,” your 27 years old, it’s probably female related. I went to my OBGYN, Dr. Roy Silver and he said the greatest thing ever, «I think you have a hernia, and should see a general surgeon.» I went to a general surgeon, who I knew from a previous hospital I had worked for, who dismissed me. Said I didn’t have any hernia and maybe the pain was just in my head. My OBYGN didn’t believe him and sent me to Dr. Towfigh in Beverly Hills.
I got a consult right away. When I walked in, her secretary greeted me so kindly. Just an all around happy woman. When I met Dr. Towfigh, my first impression was, «Wow, this lady knows her stuff.» Within 5 minuets of talking to me and assessing me, she found that I had Bilateral Inguinal Hernias. Seriously, 5 mins! When I had just been seen by another general surgeon who said I didn’t and it was in my head. She was very good at explaining the whole situation, telling me why it could happen, why it is misdiagnosed in women, how it needs to be treated. Told me I needed surgery and she can do it laparoscopic. It was comforting to know that my instincts were right and that I had a doctor that was experienced and knew her stuff.
Now, it took some time to get my surgery scheduled due to the fact my OBGYN was going to be in the surgery as well. Scheduling one surgeon is hard, two, is nearly impossibly. Yet, Myron, Dr. Towfighs’ scheduler is one, a patient man, two amazing, and three, always able to reach him with any questions or concerns you have and appointment adjustments and got me scheduled for Dec 9^th.
Day of Surgery: It was at Cedars Sinai outpatient center. Staff was lovely and their was Dr. Towfigh on time and there to explain any questions I had. She was there with me when they put me under and stayed when I woke up in recovery and told me how everything went, what to be looking for and called my best friend (who was my driver and caretaker for a couple days) explained everything to her. It was nice.
Post opt. Its been 3 ½ weeks and now, and I am feeling great. I go back to work next week, I know longer have the pain I had, my 3 tiny clean beautiful incisions are healing nicely. The first week was really sore. But after two weeks, I started to feel better and better and this week I feel like I am finally back to myself again.
I just want to say thank you to Dr. Silver my OBGYN who sent me to that wonderful Dr. and Thank you to Dr. Towfigh for being thorough and following up with me. And a big thank you to her staff in her office, Myron and Shelia for being so understanding and helpful. Thank you!

Dr. Towfigh is a rock star among hernia surgeons. She is highly knowledgeable and very compassionate when it comes to her work. She performed a very complicated surgery on me and i was glad she was in charge. She assured me that everything would be fine and it has been. She also explained every detail which gave me a good feeling on what was coming. Her staff is very pleasant and focused on serving the patients needs and goes out of their way to accommodate.
Thank you Dr Towfigh… Your the best
Mike T.

Dr. Shirin Towfigh is the best doctor I know around. I had abdominal pain for more than one year and while I saw many doctors for my problem, nobody could figure out what was the problem. Nobody knew what was wrong. The tests were coming normal and the doctors did not take me seriously because of that. I was getting frustrated and scared that nobody was going to help me. The abdominal pain was making me cry every day and could not function normal anymore because of it. When I finally found Dr Towfigh that made a change. She took her time and she tried her best to figure out what the problem was compared to other doctors that are so eager to put you on pain medications instead to try to find out the problem. I am grateful and consider myself lucky that I found Dr. Towfigh. We need more doctors like her. A true doctor, that fixes problems and a doctor that takes her patients seriously and does it with love and dedication.
Thank you Dr. Towfigh! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! You are a fantastic surgeon!
M Williams