I cannot say enough enough about the medical skills of Dr. Sternberg when it came to my son’s second surgery for his pilonidal disease, this past January 2018.

The first surgery with the local general surgeon not only didn’t work, it left him with a disfiguring scar, continued drainage and pain, and the need for corrective surgery. This first surgery in our home town involved a complex 4-6 weeks of wound care, 3 times a day, a drain bulb in the beginning to be worn and emptied, and a 6 inch irregular incision. On the other hand, the cleft lift technique and wound care of Dr. Sternberg’s technique involves a simple aftercare regime of twice a day for about 8 days with a simple drain system. I know, because I was that caregiver, and it was easy. The most important thing is that 6 weeks post-surgery, my son’s incision was healing very nicely (Dr. S had had to do some cosmetic surgery to correct the scarring from the first surgery), the drainage had completely stopped, and he was exercising and feeling great. I am writing this review 11 weeks post-surgery, and all is well with my 25 year old son.

The superb medical skills of Dr. Sternberg are the most important piece to my satisfaction, but in addition, we found him to be friendly, compassionate, and for me, very available for questions once we left the clinic.

We are from Virginia, though my son was in school in CA which is how we first considered the location. I would say that the San Francisco location was very doable, and well worth the trip for me, from any location in the U.S. or beyond. After the first botched surgery, the prospect of another unsuccessful surgery would have been frightening, and so the time to fly there to meet the doctor and for post-surgery care was a no-brainer for me. The staff is accustomed to out-of-town patients, so they were most helpful with travel tips and flexible scheduling.

I wish there was a way that medical professionals would better understand that this is not about removing a cyst, and would better understand this technique. We are from a town with a highly regarded medical university health system, yet no one in this town seemed to know how to treat my son’s condition. I am so very grateful that my son found this clinic.

— Marie

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