Dr Samuel F. Ciricillo, MD

I really like Dr. Ciricillo. He's straight to the point. He tells you exactly what is going on with you. I felt that he was the only doctor that could do my brain surgery as I felt very comfortable with him and totally trusted him. Dr. Ciricillo is usually pretty serious but he also has a fun side to him too. All of my other doctor's told me "he's the best, don't go anywhere else"! I think he's great!

I had Dr. Ciricillo since he was a fellow at UCSF. He assisted Dr. Cogan in the operating room during my installment of my shunt as I was diagnosed with prenatal hydrocephalus during my mother's ultrasound. He was great in the operating room and really stepped up while he was at UCSF in 1996. But in 2001, he announced he would move from his then office at CPMC to Sutter Sacramento. He really was not as attentive as me and my parents hope he will be while in Sacramento. In 2009, while not knowing that I had migraines at the time, his office said that I have to go to Stanford because they thought I was having a shint malfunction that needed to be replaced. After going through the impatient visit then, I would not see him until 2010 after trying to call his office for an immediate appointment because of the Stanford incident. He then told me I might have a migraine from all the surgeries I had. I last saw him in 2012 and he said my brain and shunt were fine, except he didn't diagnosed… me with a leaking coil aneursym that needed to be replaced. That was diagnosed by Dr. Robert Dodd who I switched to and diagnosed me with the problem. Over time he seemed less and less interested in my case. I am now at Stanford seeing Dr. Dodd and he is wonderful. I am not going back to Dr. Ciricillo anytime soon. But I had wonderful memories with him during his early years as a neurosurgeon.

After years of no answers, with our sons Chiari Malformation Dr. Ciricillo came in with answers, and a game plan to help our boy have a pain free feature. Although the doctor was fantastic I have had no contact back from the scheduling department.

Probably good in surgery, but this doctor didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me. When I called the office d/t increased dizziness caused by my brain tumor, he said that dizziness was a problem for a "medical" doctor & not a surgeon (even though the dizziness was caused by the tumor he was going to operate on). When I became really nervous about my upcoming surgery, I was told he was "too busy" to talk to me. I felt he was probably good in surgery, but not willing to take care of me pre-op or postoperatively. I ended up switching to a different surgeon I was more comfortable with.

Very thankful to Dr. Ciricillo!!! He brought my mom to life (with God's help and prayers!). Thank you Dr. Ciricillo!!!

After 14 years of come-and-go extreme facial pain, Dr Ciricillo and his team fixed me up and sent me home a new man the same day, pain free. I had a follow up visit with his NP, and I'm scheduled for a final post-op visit in five months. I couldn't be happier.

My 6 year old son has an arachnoid cyst. Dr Ciricillo recommended surgery. After the surgery, Dr Ciricillo said it went well. However, my son has never been the same. We told Dr. Ciricillo about my son having cognitive problems and poor fine motor skills. He denied it had anything to do with the surgery. My wife asked him if an arachnoid cyst could cause cognitive problems. He said "No". She asked him if a space occupying lesion could cause cognitive problems. He said "Yes". She asked if an arachnoid cyst is a space occupying lesion. He said "Yes". He cut the conversation off at this point and left the room. His circular talk was suspicious. We never could get an explanation out of him. That shouldn't make a Dr turn and run unless something was wrong. He doesn't have the patients best interest at heart. In addition, the cyst barely shrank. Consider waiting until your child is several years older before you do this surgery. These sensitive, formative years may be a dangerous time… for surgery and medicines like anesthetics. The "cure" could be worse than the symptoms.

My daughter at 9 years old after a car accident was diagnosed with a brain malformation and a syrnx in her spine by mri Dr. and confirmed by neuro dr.s it wasn't till we went to see Dr. Ciricillo to find out if you needed spine surgery that he found she did not have either diagnosis. My daughter went from Dr. Advised no activity that could injure her brain really not being able to play anymore 2 regular activities.. Her other Drs agree w new undiagnoses..Now we r back to tightness and swelling in back and neck from accident.... Life is almost normal again for her..

After removal of a golf ball size tumor in my brain dr Ciricillo had me up and back at work (and play) in 5 days. Amazing skills.

The best in his field, great with people.