Dr. Todd Samuel Harris, MD

I saw Dr. Todd Harris for a hernia consultation and ultimately left feeling hurt, dismissed, and deeply uncomfortable. The visit was brief—less than 20 minutes—and while the front desk staff was kind and welcoming, my interaction with Dr. Harris was disappointing. He was very direct, which I typically appreciate, but in this case it came across as blunt and dismissive. I have a diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a history of complex medical conditions, and a prior inguinal hernia that took over a year to diagnose and didn’t show up on imaging. I explained this to him and brought my scans to review, but he did not look at them. After a quick physical exam, he told me he didn’t feel a hernia and believed it was highly unlikely I had one. He also told me, word for word, that “women don’t get inguinal hernias.” I mentioned that my partner was on the phone to help advocate for me, and that I had been wearing an abdominal binder daily just to function. Dr. Harris acknowledged that… he doesn’t typically treat patients with EDS and recommended I be seen at a larger institution with broader resources. While I appreciate that he recognized his own limitations, the entire interaction left me feeling like my pain wasn’t valid and my body was being treated as a checklist. Update: After seeking another opinion, a different surgeon diagnosed me with both a right inguinal hernia and a femoral hernia—confirming exactly what I feared and what Dr. Harris dismissed. That surgeon was clear: women absolutely do get inguinal hernias, and telling a patient otherwise is inaccurate and harmful. I felt a wave of sadness and frustration, realizing that I had not only been misdiagnosed, but invalidated in the process. No patient should walk out of an appointment feeling like their symptoms are being imagined or minimized. As someone dealing with daily, disabling pain, I was looking for help—not to be brushed aside. After reading the tone of replies Dr. Harris has left on other reviews, I’m aware mine may receive a similar response. I initially gave a higher rating out of fear of a negative or snarky reply. But after reflection and a confirmed diagnosis, I believe it’s important to speak honestly. I hope this helps other patients with complex conditions find care that validates their experience. And while I do sincerely wish Dr. Harris well in his practice, I cannot recommend him to anyone with connective tissue disorders or atypical hernia presentations.

After having so much pain and other terrible symptoms for several months, I went to my OB/GYN who advised me to have a partial hysterectomy because of a large fibroid that had aggressively grown to the size of a tennis ball. After doing some online research about the role the uterus plays in a woman's body aside from having children, I researched alternatives and learned about UFE. At first I was a bit skeptical since my OB/GYN had not even brought this up as an option, but then saw in my research that many OB/GYN's do not bring this up because they are unfamiliar with the practice, or don't personally perform the procedure. So I called a dear friend who is a bladder surgeon and has performed many hysterectomies, and she advised me to strongly consider UFE as an option. Feeling desperate to get relief and explore an alternative to my scheduled hysterectomy, I found Dr. Harris's Office and saw he was local in Orange County. I also considered UCLA but felt it would be best to have… someone local in case there were any issues for the recovery. When I called the office, I was greeted by a very warm and welcoming administrator. She moved things around for me to get me in as quickly as possible. When my husband and I met with Dr. Harris, He explained the procedure to us and answered all of my questions. It was evident that Dr. Harris is highly specialized in this procedure. He is very smart, and also has a great bedside manner. His entire staff is incredible. I knew I was in the absolute best hands. You can imagine his schedule is quite full, but he and his team made it possible for me to get this procedure done in a very timely manner. The procedure itself was performed at his surgery center in Newport Beach. His team was extremely attentive through the entire process and the procedure, even down to helping me get the pain medication I would need in a timely manner. The procedure was not painful, but the recovery was difficult. I understand everyone is different, but for me it took a solid week to feel a sense of normal, and another week even after that to return to normal activities. What I really appreciate about Dr. Harris and his team is they did not try and sugarcoat the recovery when I considered the procedure. They are very honest and they do everything they can to help you through the prep, the procedure, and the recovery. I am continuing to improve each day following the procedure, and I am extremely grateful for Dr. Harris and his wonderful team. If you need relief and help because of a fibroid, please call Dr. Harris and his team. While having any medical procedure is not a pleasant experience, they provided me the absolute best care and comfort and relief during a difficult situation. Thank you Dr. Harris and to all of your team. We are extremely grateful.

Dr. Harris and his staff were extremely knowledgeable and helpful prior, during and after the surgery.

Dr. Harris specializes in hernia repair, so his expertise is honed on a continual basis every day. He treated my hernia quickly, efficiently, and enabled a swift recovery with the least possible pain. Don't go to a general surgeon who does only a few of these repairs a year--go to the specialist.

I had hernia for decades, went to many specialist and no one was able to perform that complex surgery. I chose the best and finest Doctor Harris, he did as was planned and i recovered greatly like i never had hernia before.We need those special and finest Doctors who cares for their patients Thank you all team and best Doctor Harris..

I'm going to give Dr Harris and Rissa 5 Stars from the first appt to the last appt they were caring and very patient with me, I suffer from an anxiety disorder so this would have been much harder for me without them. Dr Harris was my third doctor i seen for my hernias and i knew  right away he was going to do my surgery ( he is the hernia whisperer). I had two inguinal hernias and Dr Harris  suggested laparoscopic repair with mesh and thats what we did. The surgery went great and the recovery was fast i only took pain killers the first two days  (probably because I had ice packs on it all the time),The only pain i had is when i got up from the chair to get something the first two days then i  realized  walking  back-and-forth  for a few minutes the pain would subside . Dr Harris really knows what he is doing and in my eyes he is truly the best surgeon around, Thanks again Dr Harris and Rissa for making this as easy as possible.

Very professional staff. Dr Harris is a caring and highly skilled surgeon. I could not have made a better choice for my hernia surgery.

Very professional; and wonderful office staff.

Prior to my visit I read all the information provided on Dr. Harris's website regarding UFE's and saw all the videos and testimonials about UFE and decided to make an appointment. Dr. Harris listened to my concerns about my symptoms, recommended the best option for me and answered all my questions. I was able to schedule my surgery on a date that was convenient for me. All the staff was kind and courteous. The procedure was minimally invasive and although I was expecting the worse after, I had the mildest side-effects following my surgery. I followed all the recommendations and took 4 days off. I felt well after returning to work. It has been 2 months and my symptoms have improved, I can't wait to see how much better I will get the following months. Overall it was a great experience.

Dr Harris was wonderful. I was scared to have my surgery he calmed me down and it turned out to be a nice experience