Dr. Harari has a warm bedside manner which helped put me at ease. She spent time talking about the procedure without rushing. She did a fantastic job hiding the incision. She’s a wonderful surgeon!

Dr. Harari performed thyroid surgery on me in 2015 and would like to say that she is a great surgeon. I recovered fully within months of surgery with minimal scarring.

I would recommend Dr. Harrari to anybody who is needing endocrine surgery!

Dr. Harari performed parathyroid surgery after identifying a tumor on my parathyroid gland. The surgery went well and the scar is totally invisible. I was shocked at how well my neck looked after the surgery.

Thank you again Dr. Harari,

My name is Brenda on October last year, my doctor announce me, that they found cancer again on the same place that 5 years ago they took my thyroids‘.. .. After month of feeling like riding a rollercoaster with the first surgeon who was suppose to do my surgery who was a complete disaster . My doctor referral me to a second opinion with Dr Harari… the first time that I went to UCLA and I have a meeting with her and her team I Feel complete secure , care ….. She explained to me the real situation, proceeds and what to expect.. had a very positive experience with the UCLA team headed by Dr Harari. They take very good care , the surgery went really good on the same day they release me, is been a month since that date I did not feel any pain ..I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Harari and her team

What better day than today, Thanksgiving Day, for me to post my gratitude to Dr. Harari and her team for giving me my life back. Six weeks ago today, Dr. Harari removed my left adrenal and the tumor that was causing hyperaldosteronism. Removal of the tumor caused a lengthy list of symptoms to disappear within a matter of days, and I am feeling better than I have in many years!

In February 2011 I was diagnosed with an adrenal tumor that was causing my body to produce too much aldosterone. This was causing secondary hypertension and low potassium. My road to diagnosis was very long – I had to fight for years to prove that something was amiss other than garden-variety essential hypertension. I did not fit the typical essential hypertension – I am not overweight, have never smoked, exercise and practice yoga regularly. I am not under any unusual stress. The conventional advice – take lots of prescription drugs, watch diet and exercise – had failed me.

I had been having symptoms since the summer of 1997, when while relaxing at home reading, my heart suddenly started racing and I had chest pains. My roommate drove me to the ER, where they gave me Ativan and dismissed it as a panic attack. This was the first of many so-called panic attacks that I had between 1997 and 2003.

Soon thereafter I developed numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, and severe back pain due to my left trapezius muscle going into spasm. Tests were run for multiple sclerosis, but were negative. Again, nothing was diagnosed. From 1997 to 2001 my blood pressure was always very low, 110s/60s at most.

In December of 2001 I ended up in the ER when I inexplicably could not stop throwing up. When I got there, my blood pressure measured 145/85! I had never had high blood pressure in my life and was quite worried. An EKG showed left ventricular hypertrophy. At the time I was unemployed and uninsured, and nothing much was done other than being given the usual “watch stress, diet and exercise” advice.

Finally employed and insured again, I went to a new primary care doctor. In addition to the moderately high blood pressure (still 140s/low 80s), I had begun to notice occasional racing pulse and palpitations, hair loss from my head and hair growth on my face, and increasingly irregular menstruation (a problem I’ve had my entire life). I mentioned the LVH to her, but she seemed unconcerned and did not do further testing beyond a BMP. My potassium came back low. The doctor put me on Yasmin, an oral contraceptive which she thought would help with both the potassium and menstrual problems. It did, but over time it had a negative affect on my emotional health, so I discontinued it. At this point I was put on 25mg Spironolactone, which helped the BP come back down to 120/70 or so, but after about three months I developed severe breast pain and had to discontinue it.

My insurance changed and with it, my primary care doctor changed. The new primary doc referred me to a cardiologist, who ordered a CT to check for renal artery stenosis. This was negative, so he concluded essential hypertension. This was the beginning of several years of experimentation with various antihypertensives and all of their miserable side effects – beta blockers made me tired and gave me headaches and shortness of breath; ACE inhibitors made me cough; just about everything made my ankles swell. Eventually it was determined that Diovan and HCTZ didn’t cause intolerable side effects, and I started with 80mg Diovan and 12.5mg HCTZ.

A move and a job change led to another primary care doctor change. At my first checkup, I mentioned that I was becoming increasingly concerned about the racing heart/palpitations that seemed to have no known cause. He responded by increasing the Diovan dosage to 160mg, then to 320 mg, then adding Bystolic, which gave me the worst shortness of breath I’ve ever experienced. He then added Cardizem 180mg. From the beginning, I told the doctor that I felt the Cardizem made things worse – I thought it triggered headaches and made the palpitations more frequent. He told me this was impossible.

My first BMP results with this doctor revealed low potassium, and he put me on 20MEQ of potassium daily. I also tested extremely low for Vitamin D, and he told me to take over the counter supplements. I found that this seemed to increase the frequency of palpitations; I also noticed that my blood pressure began running in the low 160s/high 90s while on the vitamin D. The doctor dismissed this as being medically impossible; he said the palpitations and increased BP were caused by anxiety, recommended an SSRI, and said these were “typical problems for a woman my age.” I decided to take my business elsewhere.
By now it was December 2010. Within 5 minutes of hearing my medical history, the new asked if I’d ever had my aldosterone levels checked. When I said no, he referred me to a local hypertension specialist, who took me off all meds in preparation for testing. Surprise – rather than my BP going up, it actually *decreased* off medication! Things moved fairly quickly after this – after being off all medications for two weeks, my aldosterone came back high, renin low, and potassium low. A CT scan showed a 1cm nodule in my left adrenal.
The next step was adrenal vein sampling (AVS) which determines if one, or both adrenals are overproducing aldosterone. I had to have this done twice – it’s a delicate and complicated procedure, and often results are inconclusive. The second time, done in August 2011, clearly showed that only my left adrenal, the one with the visible tumor, was bad, which meant that there was a very good chance that having it removed would cure the hypertension and low potassium.

Once I had the results, I immediately made an appointment with Dr. Harari. I was scheduled for surgery, and on October 13, 2011, my left adrenal and the tumor were removed via laparoscopic adrenalectomy. There were no complications and I was released the next day.
By November 4, my medical team – my internist, hypertension specialist, and Dr. Harari – had all pronounced me “cured.” My blood pressure averages 120s/70s, my potassium has stabilized on the high end of normal, and I am off all medications. I feel better than I have in years – funny how you have no idea how sick you were until you are no longer sick!

Dr. Harari and her wonderful team made the whole frightening experience of surgery (it was my first) as easy as I could imagine. My thanks goes out to all of them for the “second chance” I have been given.

I have kept a blog throughout my entire experience with hyperaldosteronism (also called primary aldosteronism, or Conn’s Syndrome). For anyone wishing to learn more about the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, it can be accessed at http://http://waywardbus.wordpress.com.

I was diagnosed with a (leo) tumor on my left adrenal glad in June. I was actually happy to hear this diagnosis as I was sure I was suffering from an incurable heart disease. I had heart palpitations, I was out of breath after climbing a few stairs, I had lost 17 lbs – without even trying! My blood pressure was 235/195 and I would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding like I’d just run 10 miles. I would be sweating like I’d just run 10 miles also.
Dr. Harari scheduled my surgery for July 5th and explained everything to me in a way I could understand. She had so much cariing in her voice and expression that I absolutely had no fear of going in for this – my first ever – surgery. The hospital experience at UCLA Ronald Regan hospital was fine. The nurses were great – the food was great, and two days later I was released. I stayed with a friend for the next two days. A month later I am back to normal. I was surprised that I didn’t have more pain after the surgery, but I have to honestly say – it was a piece of cake. Four small incisions was what it took to remove my tumor and restore me to health. I am back to exercising without gasping for air and I feel better than I have in a very long time. I wonder how long that tumor had been growing inside me and causing all kinds of havoc. I am so thankful to Dr. Harari, Dr. Edling, Dr. Davis and all the staff at the Dvision of Endocrinology for my new lease on life. I feel amazing!

DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO DR. HARARI AND DR. HEANY. This past May my doctor discovered by accident that I had a tumor in my abdominal cavity. After many months of testing I was referred to an endocrinologist and I was very fortunate to have Dr. Anthony Heany take my case, who ordered another round of multiple tests and specialized scans to finally confirm that I had a tumor in my adrenal glands. I still did not have any symptoms at all –no high blood pressure, no sweating, and no trembling. Dr. Heany referred me to Dr. Avital Harari who explained to me that the tumor was a paraganglioma, which means, it was outside the adrenal glands, and it was located between the aorta and the vena cava. Dr. Harari explained clearly all the potential complications and she decided to invite Dr. Quinonez, a vascular surgeon, to participate in the surgery. Dr. Heany prepared me in advance for the surgery by prescribing medication to lower my blood pressure and heart rate dramatically to prevent any possible spike during surgery. Dr. Heany was unbelievably supportive and optimistic about the outcome of the surgery.

My surgery took place on September 18, 2012 and when I woke up in the recovery room Dr. Avital Harari was there next to me greeting me with one of her big, contagious smiles to let me know that after a 4.5 hour procedure the surgery had gone well. She had excised the tumor that was attached only to small vessels (as opposed to arteries), and the prognosis looked very good. I stayed in the hospital for six days, in which I had the best care possible from Dr. Harari and her team of surgeons. They checked on me every day, sometimes, several times per day, and I always felt that in spite that this tumor was very rare, and this kind of procedures was unknown to even family doctors, the medical team had a command of the care and attention I needed. I was also pleasantly surprised to receive the visit of the endocrinologist team presided by Dr. Heany. His research fellows visited me every single day in the hospital, and their presences, as well as Dr. Heany’s visit, made me feel extremely supported.

I was very lucky to have access to the UCLA endocrinology department. The specialized knowledge that Dr. Heany and Dr. Harari have on pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas is absolutely exceptional. UCLA has one of the best teams conducting research on issues affecting the adrenal glands. I went into surgery confident that I was in the best hands ever. My son, a first-year secondary English teacher said to me after the surgery, “Dr. Harari is a genius! She has the ability to be this incredible surgeon and at the same time, she has the heart and the compassion to communicate with her patients and their family about what she just did. She saves lives!” I happily concurred with my son. Dr. Harari is a rising star in the Endocrine surgery unit at UCLA.

Right now, I am recovering nicely. The incision is big but is healing, and I am planning on going back to teach next semester. As Dr. Heany said optimistically at the beginning of this ordeal, “this is just a bump in the road.” I am now very positive that this is the situation for me. I am deeply grateful to both, Dr. Harari and Dr. Heany for the caring support, and to their resident doctors, research fellows and staff. They are the best!

I am a 56 years old female. I needed to have an adrenalectomy because my adrenal gland was the size of my heart when its suppose to be the size of a walnut. I had been to two other surgeons who told me they could not preform the operation, it was to much for them. The second surgeon told me to go to an adrenal specialist. We found Dr. Harari at Ronald Reagan Medical Center. The moment I met Dr. Harari I knew I was in the right hands. Her incredible knowledge of the human body and of the medical field are amazing. Her bed side manner is top notch. I was very nervous about this surgery because my adrenal gland was touching and invading my veins, liver, stomach and main artery and also realizing that other doctors thought it was a difficult operation was making me a nervous wreck. After a five and a half hour operation with the help of Dr. Kaldas, Dr. Harari removed the entire adrenal gland in one piece with no damage to any other organs in my body. Both doctors explained to me after the surgery how difficult it was to remove the sticky, large adrenal gland. I am so grateful for the expertise of the doctors and staff at Ronald Reagan Medical Center. I am thankful for their professionalism and their thirst for more knowledge. When I was in the presence of these doctors, I honesty felt like they were the smartest people I have ever met. It was a pleasure to meet Dr. Harari and I know you will feel the same if you met her. For anyone who needs surgery I hope this posting makes you feel more comfortable. They really know what they are doing at UCLA. Bless those of you who are ill:) I WISH FOR YOU A SPEEDY RECOVERY:)
Nora:)

It’s all about Dr. Harari!!!!!! She performed my adrenalectomy. She is a professional of the highest quality. Her knowledge and patient interaction is second to none. She takes more time with patients then I have ever seen in my life, as well as makes sure that you are fully educated and comfortable.

She surrounds herself with the most wonderful staff who are caring and understanding. I must say they even have the greatest sense of humor!

If you have any issues whatsoever, see Dr. Harari. Not only will they fix you, they will make it most pleasant in every way possible!

My name is Tess. I’m a 45-year-old writer living in Venice. I woke up one morning in January to discover a lemon-sized lump above my left clavicle. After receiving an ultrasound, my primary care physician diagnosed it as a multinodular goiter and referred me to an endocrinologist who took one look at me and proclaimed, “Well, that’s got to come out.” She referred me to Dr. Michael Yeh’s surgical department, and when I called I was directed to the UCLA website. Impressive. You read about Dr. Yeh first. This is clearly his department: he established the program, he’s the program director, he’s the guy with seemingly all the experience and all the buzz. It would make sense to want his capable hands in your neck. But here’s where luck in timing works out to my advantage. The doctor visits and referrals process was already 6 weeks and counting, and the growth in my neck was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable—pushing my trachea, interfering with my swallowing. Dr. Yeh didn’t have an opening for another month. But Dr. Harari could see me the following week. I did my due diligence and poked around. I liked what I’d read about her and what I was hearing from other doctors in the UCLA system. And I figured that if the guy who pioneered the whole department picked her to be on his team—that was good with me. So I made an appointment to meet with her… I think the best thing that I can say is that she’s a burst of light. Disarming in her approach: all smiles, totally present, amazingly open. In my first meeting with her she was thorough in her examination and thoughtful about her recommendation. She explained things again and again. She answered my questions, even the dumb ones. It’s a lot of information that can be daunting. Obviously you’re not going to hear it all once and I think she knows that. So she said it all again. And again. After I left, I felt uncomfortable about her recommendation and asked for another consultation. She not only encouraged me to come back in and helped me arrange an appointment, but greeted me like we were old friends. She said all the right things—that I had every right to question the procedure, that she’d remove only half my thyroid if I really wanted her to even though she recommended a total thyroidectomy (and explained all the possible repercussions of each), that she was particularly anal about scars and how to hide them… While friendly and compassionate, she still managed to be confident and forthright. And I felt not just at ease with her, but damn lucky to have found her. And so I opted to go with the total thyroidectomy because she felt so strongly about it. The surgery went a bit longer than expected because, as she explained bedside, “that thing was huge!” holding her hands to form the shape of an oblong grapefruit. But I was awake and alert after surgery, I was drinking liquids soon thereafter, I was texting my friends and family like a teenager in detention, I was up and shuffling like a geriatric patient to the recovery room bathroom, and I was free to go home after the 6-hour monitoring period. I had about three days of feeling like I’d been hit by a truck as the anesthesia worked its way out of my system. I did a light yoga class a week after surgery. I went for a 2-mile run on the beach at the 10-day mark, and by 2 weeks it all felt like yesterday’s news… Perhaps it seems like all this was nothing. I’ve neglected to mention the long nights of questioning and concern leading up to the surgery—particularly how much I struggled with removing a vital gland and being tied to a little pink pill for the rest of my life (no side effects or not). I’ll save the spiritual conundrums for the longer version of the story I tell my friends—what the throat chakra is all about and that I painted my toenails blue because it was the only thing I could take with me into surgery. This wasn’t easy. I feel too young to have gone through this. Certainly far too healthy. I didn’t sleep a lot. I did more than cry, I bawled in the most slobbering, can’t-catch-my-breath sense of the word. But the surgery itself and the recovery after was nothing in comparison. The little pink pill even ain’t so bad. And everything about Dr. Harari made me feel like all of it was necessary, it was perfect, and that I was safe in her capable, compassionate, tender hands.