Gary C. Bellman, M.D., West Hills CA

Be aware - this doctor has no desire to help with any fertility issues, unless it is to snip.

Recently went in for a vasectomy. Had a very easy consultation with Dr. Bellman and he put me at ease over the procedure. The staff was very nice and everyone made you feel comfortable.

Day of the procedure was very simple. Dr. Bellman made it seem very easy and you barely felt a thing. He made everything very comfortable.

The part I loved the most was the follow up from him and his office. Always checking in and making sure that I was ok, which I was. I've since referred some friends.

I had a vasectomy done at Gary’s office a few months ago. The procedure was effective and went smoothly. Easy recovery. The staff were great. All the information needed was given to me verbally and in writing. As awkward as this procedure can be I never felt uncomfortable in this office. Highly recommended

Dr. Bellman was honestly to best choice I could have ever had for my procedure. He is very friendly and answers all your questions. 20+ years of experience really shows with how quick and effective he is. I highly recommend you go to him for your vasectomy.

Great doc.know him for over 12 years.great office staff too.very professional & easy to work with.highly recommend.

I highly recommend Dr. Bellman. He went above and beyond compared to past experiences with urologist. He is professional, kind, and takes the time to personally follow up! The staff is great as well.

I went to Dr. Bellman for a vasectomy after my wife and I decided we were done having kids.
I came in for an evaluation and discussion where we both talked about how it would go, and I was educated on how it works and what my options were.
When I came in for the procedure, It all went very smoothly and was perfectly effective.
Dr. Bellman and his staff were professional and responsive to all of my questions and concerns, and I would highly recommend.

Dr. Bellman and this office staff is wonderful. The procedure was exactly how he explained. You can trust his expertise and his skills. Doctor checked in on me regularly after the procedure. It felt genuine and reassuring.

Overall a very good experience for a very delicate procedure. I am glad I did it!

An incredibly patient, thorough and capable doctor. A very accommodating team of nurses as well. Dr. Bellman is A+!

What I’ve learned over the last couple of years dealing with BPH.
1. If you have BPH rule out sleep apnea (even if you are not overweight) as a source of at least nighttime frequency. A CPAP is a game changer even with BPH.
2. If you have BPH at/near 100 cc/grams think twice about a UROLIFT because the prostate can continue to grow.
3. Research PAE for BPH as an alternative to UROLIFT/Rezum.

I selected Dr. Bellman because of positive reviews, an informative website, and his business listed as a “Urology Institute” with several office locations listed on the website.

In my opinion, the use of the term “institute” is misleading. In my experience, a true medical institute involves collaboration with other doctors, engaged in teaching and/or research, none of which I have observed in my several visits. Per a Google search, one of the listed locations on his site is a surgical center, and the other in Thousand Oaks shows on Yelp belonging to the “California Hand and Physical Therapy” and it appears suite 115 was once occupied by Dr. Irina Feldman.

I first consulted with Dr. Bellman regarding the Rezum therapy but he suggested I consider a UROLIFT as a better option. He told me no catheter would be required for recovery.

I underwent the UROLIFT procedure that required the maximum number of stents. The 30 minute or less procedure was anxiety ridden and I was in shock when Dr. Bellman finished, and as he was leaving the room said, “my assistant will now tell you about the catheter and urine leg bag” I would have to endure over the weekend. When I confronted Dr. Bellman about this, he was very unapologetic and said, “Well, if you had the Rezum, you would have had to wear it a week” and walked away. The UROLIFT improved my situation slightly for about six months and then my condition as bad as ever.

Despite being soured on Dr. Bellman, I did return 2 plus years later because of a high PSA test and he had the soonest availability.

He talked to me less than a minute and when I told him the UROLIFT was ineffective, he was dismissive and walked out the office with me in tow, but did order an MRI. No other evaluation took place.

Positives
*Amazing office staff, who often get back same-day via email (my preferred communication), they are quick to get reports and facilitate referrals if needed.
*The doctor has good availability and I’ve never waited more than a few minutes to be seen.
*I did elect a UROLIFT 2 ½ years ago and it was completed in 2-3 weeks of 1st consult. He does procedures on Fridays, and he is prompt to respond to inquiries over the weekend.
*The doctor is good to make referrals for MRI/Ultrasound as needed.
*Has lots of evaluation equipment in his office.
*He or his staff do get back to you ASAP when out of office findings come in.

Negatives
*Hit and miss as far as Dr. Bellman’s bedside manner. He’s been in business a long time and in my opinion is disinterested and lost his empathy. I don’t think he remembered me from one visit to the next. He can be abrupt and dismissive.

*His opinion and voice is the only one that matters.

*Despite having imaging devices for evaluation, images aren’t captured to support his evaluations.

*Suggested another UROLIFT to address BPH size increase almost 2 ½ times in just two years if his initial measurements can be relied upon, which I am now dubious. He advised insurance would not cover the cost of a 2nd UROLIFT.

BPH size well over the size recommended on the UROLIFT manufacturer website. To his credit, he did inform me of at least one option that would be a referral to another doctor.

I went for a second urologist opinion, and he informed me of PAE as an option and I found an excellent Interventional Radiologist at UCLA to perform the procedure, which was covered by insurance and far superior experience over the UROLIFT. I wish I knew of this option 2 ½ years ago. It can reduce prostrate size up to 40%.

Cheers.

Dr Bellman and his staff are great to work with and very responsive, even responding to emails on the weekends when necessary.

I came in with chronic urethra pain and urgency to pee and Dr. Bellman dilated my urethra twice, told me to drink less water, and gave me D mannose supplements to take. I went to UCLA Urology and a gynecologist to get another opinion and they both said the treatment Dr. Bellman gave me was "medieval" and "misogynistic" and that there are newer ways to actually treat the root of my problem, such as medication and pelvic floor therapy. Do not recommend if you are a woman.

Had a great experience at Dr. Bellman's office. The procedure was quick, painless, and successful. Recovery took barely any time at all and Dr. Bellman and his staff were very good about checking in and replying to any questions.

Dr. Gary Bellman is a great doctor and his staff are very knowledgeable, warm, friendly, and everyone answers questions within a timely manner. If you are looking for a great urologist, I highly recommend Dr. Gary Bellman and his staff.

Dr. Bellman has been nothing but great and professional over the years. Always will respond to emails when I have questions, his staff are so friendly and helpful. If you’re looking for hormone therapy then I highly recommend Dr. Bellman.

Professional and courteous front office. Dr. Bellman is a pro. Can't recommend highly enough.

Doesn’t spend adequate time. Randomly prescribed medicine and walked out while I was still describing symptoms.

Wow. Years ago I gave this guy a good review bc his front office was kind. I have had Kidney stones twice in my life and a severe infection of the Kidneys (which oddly I didn’t even feel…it was caught accidentally during an ultrasound). My husband rushed me to the hospital for the stones and my infection was caught by a different doc. Given these circumstances when I feel kidney pain or a UTI that feels like it hasn’t gone away…I visit Bellman. I’ve gone to him at most 5 times in the past 15 years. He gives me a CT scan and clears me of stones and infection which is important for me to do. This last time he gave me SO much attitude! He basically said he’s never seen a kidney stone and yet I keep saying I get them (I do just not on his watch. I could send him the records? !) so he implied that I’m lying (like that’s something you make up) instead of saying ANYTHING like “well let’s figure out why you’re having these issues”. I said well, should we check my bladder? He said “uhh sure” again like I’m making it all up. Women! Do not go to this guy. WTH? !

Dr Bellman and his team are fantastic. I have been a patient for 2 years and the level of care, communication, and follow up are all 2nd to none. I highly recommend this office.