Mario Leyba, MD

Dr. Leyba is a thoughtful and knowledgable professional with sincere compassion for his patients. Highly recommended.

Appointment time: 10:30am At around 10:40, Amy Bower arrived. She looked through my paperwork and confirmed that I was there for a hernia. I told her that I was referred there and that I had been attending physical therapy for my pelvic floor. My primary care physician found two hernias on me years ago, but I have been putting off my surgery because I have been physically active. I am trying to get the surgery now. Amy said that I was “skinny enough” for an ultrasound, but that many other people had too much “fluff” for that, but I was not fluffy enough to have that concern. I noted that I was not that thin, but she dismissed it. I was uncomfortable after that. Directly following, she suggested that I have a CT scan instead, but since she had just said that that was unnecessary, I was wary of the extra cost. I had already had an ultrasound once for the hernias, though it was a few years ago. I usually try to wear dresses to medical appointments, but the last doctor I went to had… me change into a medical gown nonetheless. This time, it was colder out so I wore pants, but when Amy needed to examine me, she did not give me a gown. Instead she had me shimmy my pants down enough so that I was exposed, but there was no sort of covering offered and she did not tell me when I could dress again. I felt so exposed and embarrassed, unlike with my other providers, who are sure to make sure I am comfortable. My butt was hanging out and I was uncomfortable for my underwear to be down without any sense of privacy. Though I had specifically asked for a female doctor as a result of past sexual abuse, but Amy was quick to bring in a male doctor, Dr. Mario Leyba. I felt that the bedside manner of both was quite negative and I felt extremely uncomfortable when they examined me. While feeling around for the hernias, they only had me pull my pants down and did not provide me with a gown, and I ended up standing with my butt out of the top of my pants for a good while while they chatted. These are trivial details, but I overall felt embarrassed and reminded of past trauma, especially when they pressed too hard without warning. I have been diagnosed with a hernia and received an ultrasound scan in 2018, but Amy could not feel the hernias because they were not currently poking out of my skin. Since the hernias hurt when they bulge, I have grown used to controlling movements enough to avoid aggravating them. I showed the doctors the paperwork for this via my phone. I put off surgery because I was enrolled in active classes in college, but I have been advised to get surgery before I am much older or off my parents' insurance. Both Amy and her doctor felt that I did not have hernias because I was unable to push them out immediately. I ascribe this to having been practicing controlling them, but I am not the expert. I just felt stupid coming to them for a hernia issue and then they said it may not be a hernia because I am a woman and that makes hernias hard to find and less likely, and my other pelvic floor issues could be the problem as well. I would be happy to not have hernias but if they do not go away, I do not see how their inability to feel it right then means that they were never there in the first place. I was referred to these doctors by Dr. Simmons, who suspects I may have endometriosis but advised a hernia surgery as well. However, these doctors said that if there is a surgery and endometriosis is found, they will not perform the surgery. I am very confused and honestly, distraught at this point because I have had so many issues in my pelvic floor and female reproductive system area and both of these providers made me feel so uncomfortable and idiotic that I left in tears. I no longer trust these physicians with my body, awake or unconscious, and I am terrified to return to this establishment.