Abtin Tabaee, MD

He is amazing. He might come off as a bit stoic and stuff but he knows what he does. I’ve had a surgery with him and a follow up visits. He will listen to you and he will let you know of all the possibilities outcomes. He is a pro. I wish more doctors were like him.

Amazing doctor. Could not write enough about him. Helped me after I had gone through the ringer with tons of other unethical ENT doctors. Is a great diagnostician and vey skillful.

I saw Dr Tabaee a few months ago and he is a good doctor, that much is true. I was already armed with these reviews about his bedside manner so it came as no unpleasant surprise to me. I went in to make sure my inner ear wasn’t damaged from my Eustachian tube issues (feels packed when I get a cold). i gave him a thorough history, which he was appreciative of. He also informed me that the regimen I put myself on for my Eustachian tube issues was correct and should be continued.
So why only three stars?
I truly hate when a doctor tries to prescribe unnecessary tests/​procedures just to ring up the register. His reception staff was kind enough to let me know that a test he regularly prescribes is not covered by my insurance; when he prescribed it, I opted out of it, avoiding being charged over $ 500. If my regimen is good, why do I need this exam?
Unfortunately, he (literally) took a quick peek up my nose with a scope, an exam that by all accounts should be part of my visit; yet I received a bill for $ 200 after my insurance already paid for my visit and my co-​pay. I am unhappy about this; I called his office to ask why I am being billed and no one can give me a straight answer. The insurance didn’t pay is not an answer, because by law a provider is not supposed to bill patients for parts of the bill not paid by the insurance.
This is why I think insurance makes good doctors do not-​so-​good things. To bill me for looking at an area of my body you can’t otherwise get to without a scope is like going to the GYN, being billed for the visit, then receiving an additional bill for the speculum s/​he uses to examine you.
It is repugnant.
I won’t say Dr. Tabaee is a bad doctor because of this, but obviously you’ll have to be on guard to be sure you’re not given procedures that are not necessary or in addition to the visit. Find out what your bill will be up front and you won’t have any problems.
As for me, I don’t know if I would see him again because feeling mistrust for a provider is not a good foundation for a long term relationship.
By the way, my insurance was BC/​BS PPO in case anyone was wondering.

I just had my first appointment with Dr. Tabaee, and he is one of the best doctor’s I’ve ever been to (maybe the best?). He listens, asks the right questions, communicates cleary, and is very thorough. The combination of all of these traits made me feel like I had picked the best ENT in NYC.

I can not say enough about Dr. Tabaee! He’s attentive, a good listener, accessible, and extremely thorough. I had sinus surgery with him in December and he was amazing through the whole process. He answered all my questions, gave me ample information, and checked on up on me during the healing process. Surgery can be frightening and traumatic, but Dr. Tabaee helped to alleviate that.
As other reviewers have posted, Dr. Tabaee is very efficient and asks lots of questions. It may seem like he’s not listening because he’s typing on his computer, but that’s how he takes notes. He remembers a lot though and will bring up things that I mentioned during my first visit. Also, he’s got a pretty good sense of humor! One of the best doctors I’ve had by far.

Dr. Tabaee is one of the best doctors I’ve ever had. I suffered from sinus infections every 3 months for the past 10 years. Finally a good allergist referred me to an ENT and I went to see Dr. Tabaee. He’s really attentive. He asks questions and he lets you ask as many questions as you need. He doesn’t rush you out of the room. He’s very thorough and detailed and actually seems like a perfectionist which is what you want in a surgeon. He really prepared me for what to expect from sinus surgery and the pros and cons from having surgery. I never felt pressured. He seems very caring and every visit he starts off which a short chit chat before delving into the medical issues at hand. Sometimes I felt very hopeless after 3 weeks of continuously feeling sick and he was able to identify that with compassion and reassured me that there were still other approaches we could take. He doesn’t give up on your care and I’m really happy that if I have to see a doctor for a chronic condition that I found Dr. Tabaee to handle my care. I highly recommend him if you have chronic sinusitis.

I have been a patient of Dr. Tabaee’s for a little over a year now. He is an excellent doctor, despite what you may have read in some of these other reviews.
During my first visit, I thought Dr. Tabaee was a little stiff and serious, but once you get to know him you’ll see that’s he’s a really nice doctor. We laugh all the time together now. He just takes his practice and your illness seriously, so he will interrupt you, asking questions to get clarification. Thinking back now, I realize that during my first visit I was flustered because I was on my lunch break, in a rush, and basically wanted to blurt out as fast as I could my entire medical history of allergies, etc to get him up to speed, but he kept interjecting and asking me questions for clarification. It’s not fair to expect a doctor to be able to effectively diagnose and treat the patient in such a rushed manner.
You need to plan on giving yourself at least an hour for your visit. I typically have to wait 30 to 45 minutes to see Dr. Tabaee. The visit itself is usually pretty quick. He has a busy practice; don’t let ease of getting an appointment with him fool you. I’ve come to learn that getting an appointment easily here in NY does not tell you anything about how good or bad your doctor or service provider is. Dr. Tabaee just works really long hours, which means he can see a lot of patients. He’s the Director of Rhinology and Endoscopic Sinus Surgery, so clearly he’s more than qualified.
I recently had surgery to correct my deviated septum and Dr. Tabaee did an amazing job. I have not had any complications and my recovery has been very quick. We waited a year before having the surgery to make sure it truly was warranted. Dr. Tabaee will never pressure you into anything. He offers great guidance and explains everything to you. He is a great listener and is very thorough with his exams. I highly recommend him– you will receive the very best of care.
By appointment only, but if you’re desperate and want to wait around for an opening, you can. One time I was very sick and Dr. Tabaee squeezed me in.

My experience with Dr Tabaee is almost identical to Hannah C. The first time I met him, I’ll be honest, was a little off putting. He is very serious! He does ask a lot of questions and take notes on his computer, so it may seem as though he’s not paying attention, but he really does.
I go to him because he’s been very helpful in a CONSERVATIVE way. Most ENT’s are very quick to recommend MRI’s and surgery. Dr. Tabaee is not that way.
Let’s face it, some doctors really need to work on their bedside manner, but I don’t find him condescending (which is what will keep me away from anyone). I find him a little stoic and serious, but… he is a great doctor and if you give him a chance, I believe he will take great care of you. Honestly, I think it works both ways, he needs to get to know you too!

Wow, my experiences with Dr. Tabaee was very different for the above reviewer.
Is he abrupt? For sure, but he was attentive and and listened to my issues. His interjections were mainly questions about my symptoms and related to the problems I was experiencing.
He does use a computer to enter in symptoms, etc and tends to be looking at it for the majority of consultation. At first it kind of threw me off and it can make him seem disrespectful, but it’s just how he does things, I got used to it and realized it wasn’t a distraction for him, it’s just how he takes notes.
Regarding temperament, I don’t think a extremely sweet bed side manner comes naturally to him, but when I began to get frustrated and anxious (I had been experiencing a number of health issues) he was able to recognize it, stopped, and asked me why I was upset or if there way anything he could do to make the process easier.
He is easy to get an appointment with him, but his waiting room is usually packed and there is a bit (at least half an hour usually) of a wait, so I recommend bringing a book or something.
If you feel the need to be coddled by a doctor I don’t recommend Tabaee, but if you just want to get down to business and find out what’s wrong with you he is a great choice, I’ve seen him several times and every time has been helpful.

saw dr. tabaee last week. it was the worst experience i’ve EVER had with a doctor in all of my 32 years.
he was disrespectful beyond words. does he treat everyone this way or is it just women? i would love to know.
the moment he opened his mouth he made me feel uncomfortable. he was harsh, he interrupted me, and his listening skills are nonexistent. when asked if i had any questions, his response was, «you don’t need to worry about that.»
i completely respect doctors that want to get directly to the point. especially if they have a rambling patient (like myself). but at least show some class in the process!
overall, his mannerisms and style made me feel like the scum of the earth and he made me EXTREMELY uncomfortable. by the end of the appointment, i was so flustered i couldn’t even explain my symptoms clearly. i left shocked at the way this man operates.
he should not be practicing medicine. he is clueless about social interaction.
the second he started talking, my stomach flipped. my first instinct was to pick up my bag, tell him to **** off, and walk out. it’s too bad i didn’t. i still CANNOT believe i sat through the entire appointment and allowed this man to belittle me.
also, i’ve been in and out of oral and maxillofacial (sp?) surgeon offices quite often in the past couple of years. these offices were overflowing with patients because the doctors are patient, kind, they have excellent listening skills, and excellent ways of directing you to explain why you are there, without making you feel like an idiot.
dr. tabaee’s office had 2 patients and it was soooo easy to get an appointment. considering this is new york city, doesn’t that say a lot?
if you need a good ear nose and throat doctor, go see dr. godin on park avenue. he is everything that dr. tabaee is not. i have heard many complaints about his front office staff, but i’ll take that any day over a rude, angry, and classless doctor that has poor listening skills.
he doesn’t even deserve 1 star.
i would love to know if anyone else out there has had a similar experience. and i fear for any child that has to endure the wrath of this «DOCTOR».