Dr. Saila Upadhyayula, MD

Our son had a severe regression a month before his 5th birthday. He went from being a normal healthy kid to not being able to speak and use the restroom. he regressed to the level of a 2-year-old. The first Neurologist that saw him said it was a seizure disorder. That was the first time we ended up in CHOA. His erratic sleep patterns put us back in the hospital a month later. Dr. Upadhyayula was the pediatric Neurologist on duty on our second stay there. She looked at the same EEG and told us that this wasn't seizure related. It was her opinion that we were dealing with a late autism regression known as Child Degenerative Disorder. This put my wife and me into a deep depression. She didn't order another EEG or a Neuro-psych evaluation. I believe she just wanted to get rid of us. Several months later we finally get in to see a Neurologist, 7 months after the regression. He reaffirmed the initial diagnosis and put our son on Lamictal ( anti Seizure Meds) He responded immediately to the… medication. It was my opinion that she didn't listen to us, or believe us that our child was a normal happy kid before this happened. I think she thought we were in some kind of denial. Dr. Upadhyayula's carelessness sent our lives into a tailspin. I now carry with me a video of my son speaking before his regression. I never thought I would have to prove something like that. I post this, not out of malice, but to warn other parents that may find themselves in our position.

I waited an hour for her to come into the exam room. An hour. When she did, she came in, just shook my hand, and that was it. No apology for keeping me waiting that long. She is smart enough but that is it.

i had a stroke a few months ago and this doctor helped me come out of it in the most painless and harmonius way. She is very friendly, caring and skilled in her profession... would recommed highly