Hester Phyllis - Advanced Laser & Anti-Aging

I have just read some of the bad reviews about Dr. Miller. He is not longer practicing at the office. Dr. Seltzer is now running the practice. My experience has been very good. I have had four fotofacial treatments on face, neck and chest. And also the "Aurora v-beam." The results are not super dramatic but noticeable. In fact a friend who not seen me for several months said my skin looked really good! It's a bit on the expensive side -- $1000 a treatment. But I'm getting two kinds of treatments over three areas. So I would say I'm quite satisfied. Dr. Seltzer is professional. He doesn't waste time. I seldom have to wait. And the staff is quite professional. So.. for me at least, the experience has been very positive.

I've only seen Doctor Seltzer a few times now for cosmetic and medical appointments. I've found him to be highly professional and satisfactory. I have not found him to be a pushy salesman or marketer. I do think that this office keeps up with the newest in treatments.

I received 2 Collagen Injections from Dr. Seltzer over 10 years ago. EVERYTHING about my experience at this Horrid place was DISGUSTING at Best !! Initially, I was astonished by the behavior of the staff at the Center which at best can be described as intentionally Snide and Demeaning. I was further disgusted by the unprofessional antics of Seltzer ! Let me explain...every word calculatingly rehearsed and uttered by this nattering-nabob of criticism was : A Blatant Attack of my Personal Appearance intended to coerce me into purchasing expensive "corrective" procedures including a Rhytidectomy i.e. Face-Lift (I was 32 years old...I don't think so !!). Please note that the first Collagen Injection in the nasal-labial fold line that I received from Seltzer was a "Visual-Nightmare" of lumpy scarlet-red welts ! Two weeks later, the red welts had only gotten worse, and I scheduled an appointment to try and remedy ?? the situation...and received additional Collagen Injections !!! which only made matters worse!!!! I had a lumpy red-welted face for the next 3 months ! When I called to express my dismay over the situation, I was told that my face was beyond the restorative help of mere "fillers", and was once again told that I would need a "Face-Lift" in order to see desirable results. Since this ordeal, i have received Collagen Injections over the years from other highly competent physicians with superb results ! If you mistakenly think that this is a rather Harsh Review of Seltzer and his Center...trust me..It Is Not !!

I can not beleave some of things I have read. my personal experience was overall good. I won't lie and say that I did not wait longer then expected, but in regards to my medical care, I was treated very well, the Doctor took his time to explain my diagnosis and his Medical Assistant went over with me the medication that where given to me and how to use them and the side effect they can cause. I have a follow up visit in 1 month, I am going back, and I would reccoment this facility to friends and family.

I went in to see dr miller for a blemish which turned out to be a bug bite on my cheek. I have very good clear skin no breakouts or scars and so i became a little vain over this blemish and went to see him. he injected me with cortisone which helps the healing process of the blemish. 2 weeks later i was left with the biggest scar right in the middle of my face. it turns out that its a huge side affect from the cortisone shot if its not injected correctly or if its not diluted enough. its not even a scar its just a depression like that part of my face just caved in. i have seen 5 dermatologists since then and they have suggested fillers like restaylne. i decided to go back to dr miller to let him kno what he did and gave me some cream samples and told me to come back in 2 weeks to discuss what my options were. then 3 days after my appointment i received a bill for 50$ for i dont even know what.. free samples maybe?? anyway i suggest to everyone to stay away from this place.. they will leave you with scars and fat bill to pay for it!!!

Overall, visit was okay. Went in for my "free consult" they wanted me to come back to see the "doctor" for my acne. Came in to see the doctor, and charged me $160 just to look at my acne, and gave me samples of the acne medication and face wash. The whole visit was about 15 mins. Then he pointed out my moles and told me that I needed to have them taken off, thought they could be cancerous. I never went back for the mole removal or the acne treatment and laser treatments because I got pregnant. Quote for the fraxel laser treatment was $600.00 per treatment. I called back a year later indication that I wanted to do these treatments, and they said I can't have the same price they had quoted me a year ago, and that the prices went up. It was $1000.00 for te treatment. They raised the prices $400.00!!!!!

I am very glad to find this website to let everyone know about our terrible experience with Dr. Miller and the "Advanced Laser and Anti-Aging Medical Center on Green Street in Pasadena. Dr. Miller is listed as an 'in-network' Dr. on Pacificare PPO.

In December 2006, I made an appointment with Dr. Miller for my husband to have several moles on his back reviewed. I went with him on the visit in case the Dr. needed information about the moles on my husband's back that I had seen change slightly.

Dr. Miller immediatley surgically removed 3 moles and said he would need to do the rest on additional appointments. Now my husband has terrible looking scars where the moles were taken off on his back--it looks like the Dr. went very deep and there is alot of skin overgrowth where the surgery was done. The scarring is about 3/4" to 1" Diameter' for each mole removed.

During the visit, Dr. Miller asked what our insurance was and then looked at my husband's face with concern and stated he had Rosacea on his face and looked at his scalp and said it was clear he had Rosacea under his hair and gave him 3 sample medicines and prescriptions for very expensive facial ointment; he also wanted to schedule a Laser Treatment.

My husband has never had an acne problem or red coloring to his skin. However, at that moment we did not really know very much about Rosacea so we just listened to the information.

Then Dr. Miller looked at me with concern even though I did not have an appointment--and said "you clearly have Rosacea too and gave me the same samples my husband was given. I was told I needed an "Aurora" Laser Treatment and should schedule within 1 month.

We left thinking do we have Rosacea and didn't know it? Then we looked online at WebMD for the symptoms and agreed with each other that we did not have this at all.

My husband had some other moles of concern, so we thought okay--maybe this Rosacea thing was wierd, but lets just get the moles removed--and we didn't know the removal would leave such terrible looking scars.

On the 2nd visit, my husband went alone and Dr. Miller removed 3 more moles--my husband wanted the rest removed and the nurse said, "Dr Miller can only do 3 in a visit." Then the nurse wanted to schedule the Laser treatment for my husband. He declined the laser and made the next appointment for the next mole removals.

After this, my husband and I discussed what had occurred with this constant focus on rosacea and laser, but only 3 moles could be done at a time, which is really inconvenient and makes for alot of appointments and copays. At that point, we said, this Dr. is unethical-- A MONKEY COULD GO TO HIM AND BE DIAGNOSED WITH ROSACEA! I then called and canceled the next appointment and was full of rellief that we would not be subjected to this quack. I called the insurance and told them what we had experienced.

On a side note, we never took Dr. Millers 'big pharma' samples as we did not have Rosacea. However, I asked the Rite Aid Pharmacist about the medicines and was told they were expensive--in the $100-300 range each and mostly insurance doesn't cover them.

So you can see this Doctor is the best marketer ever for these companies and he uses big insurance like Pacificare and others to give himself credibility as an in-network provider.

Sadly, Pacificare still shows Dr. Miller and his group as an in-network provider. And now I feel I must question every doctor that I go to on their list. Some may read this and say, just change insurance. Well, these doctors are on many insurance company networks and there are many constraints in getting new insurance coverage--your employer has limited plans, some doctors are not taking new patients, pre-existing conditions are not covered if you change plans in many cases, etc. etc.

So now we have the scars on my husband to remember to stand up for ourselves and be as selective as possible with our health care, realizing that the insurance companies are not always going to weed out these types of loser doctors.

Please arm yourself with this knowledge and stay away from Dr. Miller and the associates at this medical group.

It's been quite a while since I have been to Dr. Miller's office, but thought I'd chime in with my own personal story of despair. I had a couple of places on my body that I thought should be looked into, which is what led me to the this office. To make a long story short, Dr. Miller diagnosed the areas as requiring surgical removal of the surrounding tissue. I went in for the procedure. Later, I went to Huntington Dermatology (excellent office), and one of the doctors reviewed my records from his office and my family history and could not ascertain why he felt the need to cut into this area deeper given the bioposy report. Needless to say, I've been going to Huntington Dermatology for the last 12 years or so and have long since forgotten about Miller's scam office. I also agree with the other reviewers, I remember waiting a ridiculously long time to be seen even when there was hardly anyone in the waiting room. I wouldn't recommend his office to anyone.

i saw Dr. miller the first time in january for a rash on my body. his diagnosis was good and i was happy for the first time. i thought i found myself a great dermatologist. i decided to go back to him for an entire body screening for any possible cancerous growths (moles). i asked the receptionist how much the charges would be for such visit. she explained it would be $65 since i was a returning customer. i made an appointment for the month of April. i decided to double check the price since it was just too good to be true. therefore, i called the office i spoke to another receptionist who confirmed that my treatment will only cost me $65. if there would be any further treatments it would cost more. when i went to my appointment, i asked the receptionist if i could pay for the visit. she said to wait until after the visit since she did not know how much it is. i was confused. i confirmed with 2 receptionist it is only $65. now that i am ready to be seen all of a sudden the story changed. only having the privilege of being in that office costs $65. to be seen by the doctor is another story.. so i am looking at something around 150 to 200 dollars without even having any further treatment.... the entire staff was very unprofessional and was not clear of the prices.... i am glad i walked out of the office without seeing the doctor since god knows how much my charges would have been.. please get a break down of all the charges before getting any treatment.

Wow...I'm glad I checked this site. I went to Dr Miller for Rosacea treatment in 2004. I went through the series of light treatments that helped greatly, but from the beginning I smelled a rat as far as how he conducts business is concerned. He seemed VERY aggressive with marketing both in the press and in his office. I had Blue Cross at the time and all my bills were taken care of promptly. Last time I was there I made sure I had no outstanding balance. Then, like someone else who has posted here, I just got a $500 bill from a collection agency for Miller services they claim I received and didn't pay for back in 2004; three years after the fact. I have NEVER been billed for this previously. I suspect that Miller figures that no one will challenge anything that far back and pay it, but I will not, at least not without a fight. Perhaps not coincidentally, I also just received an investigative questionnaire from Blue Cross- three years after the fact- asking me about Dr. Miller. The services I received were good and effective, but I feel that as far as marketing and billing goes, there is something underhanded going on. I won't be surprised if we see his name in the papers in the not too distant future. And not as the hero who saved his neighbor's cat... Overall, I wouldn't recommend him.

What a scam! I just received a notice from a collection agent regarding an unpaid bill from 2004 for "rosacea" treatment. Like an idiot, I assumed I must have had it because a Dr. wouldn't lie. I paid my bill every time as my insurance company wouldn't cover so I am sure I never let anything go unpaid. Now I question the expensive series of laser treatments and the overdue bill I was never notified about. I just called to office of Dr. Miller and asked to speak to accting dept. She immediately asked if this was regarding a collection so they must be getting numerous phone calls. I will NEVER go back and wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Like several other reviewers, I was diagnosed with rosacea too. An incredibly expensive laser procedure was recommended. I sought a second opinion and found that, not only did I not have rosacea, but this "medical center" is well known for pulling this stunt and is under investigation by several insurance companies that are tired of being ripped off. (If you don't believe me, call your insurance company before going here and ask them; or just read the other reviews.)

This happened in 2005, so why report it now? Because, like other reviewers on this site, I just received a call from a collection agency saying I never paid a $225 co-payment back then. My wife, who is compulsive about bill paying, assures me we never received one bill, let alone three - as Dorothy in billing asserts. It's bad enough to try to scam people out of thousands of dollars, but have the decency to not ding their credit records!

Steer clear of these jerks at all cost. It's too bad there isn't a lower rating than 1 star.

I usually waited at least an hour for office visits. I was seen by both Dr. Miller and Dr. Seltzer. Dr. Miler was very thorough with my body check, wanting to remove any bad moles and also very good at identifying and treating my skin problems. Dr. Seltzer was nice. I must say the best care I received was from a delightful man who was the physician assistant. I also loved one nurse named Camille who was fabulous and really took time when doing laser treatments on me. If you are going I recommend that you ask for one of them.

I went to this place last year. They removed many moles from my body - some removals leaving very bad scars. i am not sure they did the best job they could have done with my mole removal - but what do i know about mole removal i am not a doctor. I was also advised to have laser treatment done.

I was sent to a collection agency for a bill I never received. I called my insurance company and found they had actually cashed the check 7 months prior to sending me to a collection agency. This is all corrected now, but I did have to spend a few hours on the phone with my insurance company, the doctors office and the collection agency.

I was told by at least two staff people I was covered through my insurance for certain proceedures. My bad for not confirming this myself.

My insurance has yet to pay on one more treatment I am keeping my fingers crossed they will pay the bill. BE CAREFUL - call the insurance company and confirm coverage - because the staff may not be sure about your coverage. I recommend you get everything in writing with approvals etc. regarding coverage.

I saw Dr. Miller for cancer screening and general dermatological needs. He diagnosed me with roseacia and prescribed expensive lotions and he was really pushing a series of very expensive laser treatments. (They need to recoup for all their advertising expenses I guess) I later went to a reputable cosmetic surgeon who told me I did not have roseacia and he knowingly smiled when I told him who the Dr. was. Also, I met a facialist who used to work at this office and she told me that everyone gets diagnosed with roseacia! I also did not like the huge scar left by his removal of a mole on my back. Dr. Miller needs to back off the hard sell of his laser treatments and be more patient-focused. I won't be going back and would not recommend to friends.

PROS: lots of laser treatments
CONS: expensive, hard sell and not patient-orientated

I am shocked at the negative comments about this facility. It is very busy but extremely well planned and I have NEVER been kept waiting. I am very impressed with Dr. Seltzer who, as a polio survivor, has dedicated himself to kind, considerate and prompt treatment of patients. I have had three photo laser treatments and was treated very well. I have also had precancerous growths and a wart removed. The general dermatology was very good. I am quite impressed with the staff. Things move quickly here but I find that good since I have no time to get anxious.

PROS: Well trained staff and excellent laser equipment.
CONS: Expensive

I have had fotofacials and spider vein removal performed at the Center, and I have always waited for at least an hour for my appointments, with no apologies. Yet they have a sign in their waiting room that says late patients will pay a fee!

Dr. Seltzer and Dr. Miller both treated me like just another dollar sign. The staff is nice but unbelievably harried. The environment is chaotic and bleak, the kind you can't wait to leave. You will be doing yourself a HUGE favor by passing on this office.

I have mixed feelings about my several visits to this center. I no longer go there for general dermatology. When I first say Dr. Miller, he gave good diagnosis to my skin conditions on three occasions, but only average treament for them - I had to follow up with my physician and then a new dermatologist (who I'm very happy with - Dr. Denenholz in the same medical building but different office) to receive effective treatment.
I also was misdiagnosed by a physicians assistant on staff during a follow up appointment and given another appointment with him when I had expressly asked to see the doctor (because I suspected the diagnosis was totally off). Each visit I had to wait between 40 minutes and 1 hour and 20 minutes to see a doctor! It was absolutely ridiculous. Very poor customer service. One time, they took 8 months to bill me! They wouldn't let me pay until they sent it.
I do, however, think their offering of laser treatments and other non-surgical costmetic treatements is extensive, and a treasure trove if they work, but it seems like the office is just too busy, and I think my quality of treament suffered as a result. They spend very little time with you and let the medical assistants explain the application - even lost my chart and test results from a year previous and didn't tell me, which would have avoided the misdiagnosis. The office needs to be run much much better before I would return and trust them with my health and wellbeing.

PROS: cutting edge technology
CONS: too busy, impersonal, poorly run office, LONG wait time.

I gave this office two stars because, Dr. Selzer is decent. However, Dr. Miller is always in a hurry and does not listen to what a patient's problem is. I felt he was rushing to push cosmetic procedures on me when I had an actual dermalogical problem, and my friend described a similar experience. Also, my condition was related to my hypothyroidism, and he prescribed me medication that stated very clearly on the label "Do not take if hypothyroid." I asked Dr. Miller about this and he asked "Oh, are you hypothyroid? I did not know that." Odd, since I had told him that several times, it was related to my dermalogical condition, and it was in my chart.

PROS: Dr. Selzer is friendly and considerate
CONS: Dr. Miller is arrogant and treats patients like checkbooks

Absolutely excellent care. Both dermalogical and cosmetic services. Excellent staff and service. Lovely, convenient location.