Agran Phyllis, MD

We went to see Dr. Agran for my daughter who has dealt with chronic constipation since she was very little. Dr. Agran’s bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired. She talked with the adults, but when she examined my daughter (who is now 2), she did not make her feel comfortable. She did give my daughter relief by proposing we start Miralax, which has helped tremendously. However, she seemed overly concerned with her weight gain. My daughter is petite. Her pediatrician was not concerned, but Dr. Agran harped on it. Confused about different percentiles in weight, we found that she was using an older chart. The other issue is timeliness. Despite being the first appointment of the day on more than one occasion, we have been made to wait. We have since found a second opinion who I think has a much better bedside manner and who is more convenient.

I am so thankful for Dr. Agran’s office. She has a very pleasant demeanor and is so knowledgeable. I feel that she validates my concerns — and to me, as a first time Mom, that is so valuable. She also takes plenty of time to answer my endless questions.
Another plus, her medical assistant (who I at first assumed was just a receptionist) is just like Dr. Agran. Fantastic, knowledgeable, and easy to talk to. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You make the drive from San Clemente worth it!

I have to admit I was hesitant after reading these Unilocal reviews, but Dr. Katz moved to Long Beach and that was too far so I gave Dr. Agran a try.
I am so happy to announce I took my 14 yr. old to Dr. Agran today and it was a great experience!
My daughter has been experiencing abdominal pain for two months and after one ER visit we were ready for a specialist.
The appointment started with Dr. Agran coming in and introducing herself to me and my daughter — shaking hands — very professional.
She spent an hour with us taking a detailed history and asking my daughter specific questions –preserving her dignity respecting the delicate nature of her condition and made her feel so at ease.
She ordered some tests and asked my opinion about medications and whether or not we should wait on those.
I felt very informed and ready for the next step of treatment and most importantly, my daughter felt like she has a plan and is able to relax a little knowing that the doctor will get to the root of her problem and help to treat it.
Her office staff was very helpful when scheduling — got us in the next available business day and was efficient at collecting deductible, etc.
I would highly recommend Dr. Agran to any family that is in need of a knowledgeable, experienced specialist in pediatric gastroenterology.
Thank you for a great experience.
Sincerely,
Tina Pacific

I was referred to Dr. Agran by an adult gastroenterologist doctor. I wanted to schedule an appointment to have her see my teenage son. I contacted her office several times and the phone was always picked up by an answering machine. I left a message early in the morning and did not receive a phone call until the following day around noon time. I called back and again, got an answering machine. I left the another voice mail message and they never returned my phone call. Perhaps they are way too busy to pick up the phone or way too busy to call a prospective new patient.

We had the worst experience with her. She would not listen. She kept implying psychological issues. My daughter was finally diagnosed with Dysautonomia and POTS by a cardiologist. We ended up seeing Mitchell Katz at CHOC for gastroenterology. He is a great doctor. He listened, explained everything he was going to do and why he was choosing a treatment. He also talked TO my child, not ABOUT her.

Dr. Agran saved our daughter’s life when no one else would listen! Our pediatrician refused to believe my infant daughter’s stools were covered in blood. They wouldn’t even look. They said that going from 9 pounds at birth to 6 pounds in less than three months was «typical». Emergency room doctors were performing horrendous tests, like barium enemas, on a tiny infant. Finally, a caring CHOC ER doc called Dr. Agran and got us an emergency appointment. It saved our daughter’s life. Dr. Agran realized our daughter was a failure to thrive and then started the whole list of other issues that this baby was to overcome in years ahead. When we thought we were out of the dark, she even predicted when we would be back. And we were! Unfortunate that our daughter had to suffer, but fortunate that we had a capable doctor to whom we could turn. Hard to get an appointment? Yes. But she’s the best! Tough exterior? Yes! But she deals with suffering all day. (You can get her to smile. Talk about softball.) Awesome woman AND doctor? Oh, Yes!

I can’t explain why it took me so long to write this review. Dr. Agran is a Pediatric Doctor who is not only highly recognized as one of the best GI Physicians in Orange County; but as an active advocate for child safety. She is hands over, one of the best!
Dr. Agran is recognized as one of Orange Counties Top Doctors and has received the «Physicians of Excellence Award» by Orange Coast Magazine a few times. She has headed many committees and draws upon her experience to implement policies and programs locally, statewide and nationally. One of her driven purposes is to prevent injuries and promote better health and safety for children; particularly child passenger safety.
Locally, Dr. Agran has served the community for over 30 years specializing in pediatric GI problems including nutrition, absorption disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, gastroesophageal reflux, liver disease, etc. She was referred to us by my Sons Allergist Dr. Gillman who felt his symptoms mimicked a GI disorder, Eosinophilic Esophagitis moreover a food allergy. It was a long shot, but a route that ultimately determined my Sons fate.
In December of 2009, I was concerned about my Son’s constant complaining of aversions to some foods (burning), constant cough and drew more concerned about his digestive health (chronic constipation). So, I felt it was time to have him evaluated by an Allergist as my first step to rule out whether or not he may be intolerant. A blood and skin test was performed and the results did not indicate any allergies. However, based upon the reactions of occasional choking, burning, stomach upset, etc., Dr. Agran felt it was necessary to perform an EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy). So we did and the initial outlook was positive except some redness in the lining of my Sons esophagus. Biopsies were performed and the test results indicated that my Son had GERD/​Esophagitis! WOW,…we did not expect that diagnosis coming at all. I felt really bad for letting it go so long and not taking my Son in sooner!
We see Dr. Agran regularly and my Son is taking necessary measures to keep the GERD/​Esophagitis at bay. She also helps with his bowel issues and was able to regulate his patterns without evasive drugs. She has a wonderful bedside manner, is very thorough and documents everything for both you and herself.
However, understand that the outcome of your child’s health is truly determined by your actions as a parent! It starts with their diet and adhering to the recommended protocol to better your child’s health. Giving into vices of unconventional junk food will only worsen their outcome and yours! Live cleanly and make smart decisions.