Compassionate Gastroenterology Care In IllinoisMedical Excellence With A Patient-Centered Approach

Dr. Kim is an amazing and incredibly responsible doctor! He literally saved me thousands of dollars and spared me from unnecessary fear and a possible scam.

Here’s the story: I initially saw a gastroenterologist because I was feeling discomfort in my stomach and gallbladder area. But instead of focusing on that, the doctor fixated on my family history of liver disease and ordered an ultrasound. The results showed my gallbladder was fine, but there was a suspected case of fatty liver. When I followed up, a nurse saw me, and instead of addressing my stomach issues, she kept pushing the idea that I had a liver problem. I repeatedly told her I was vaccinated for hepatitis B and didn’t live with anyone who had it, but she still insisted I get a full blood panel. She made it sound like my liver was in serious trouble and pressured me to see a specialist she referred me to. She was super pushy the whole time.

When my blood test results came back, she escalated things even more—telling me I might have some rare liver disease and once again pushing me to see her specialist and get an MRI, which would have been insanely expensive. She sent me multiple messages through the healthcare portal, repeatedly asking if I had made an appointment with the doctor she referred. I didn’t follow her “order” but spent months terrified, still dealing with my stomach discomfort, and even started feeling pain in my abdominal/liver area.

Then, during my annual physical, I mentioned all this to my primary care doctor, who referred me to Dr. David Kim. From the start, he was patient, professional, and thorough. He carefully reviewed my bloodwork, went over every single number with me, and reassured me that my liver was perfectly fine. He examined me, asked about my daily activities, and concluded that my abdominal pain was probably muscle-related (I’m pretty active, especially with core workouts). The condition is called anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome, and he even wrote it down for me, knowing I probably wouldn’t recognize the term and might want to Google it later. He also explained that an MRI wouldn’t have helped diagnose liver problems (which I also Googled and found to be true). To be extra sure, he ordered a FibroScan for my liver and an endoscopy for my stomach.

Dr. Kim never rushed me, answered each of my questions honestly, and made sure I fully understood everything. The final results? My liver was completely normal, and my stomach was also healthy. I don’t have fatty liver or any rare liver disease—just as Dr. Kim had suspected.

If you have any abdominal issues, I highly recommend Dr. Kim. He’s not only incredibly professional but also ethical, honest, and won’t push unnecessary tests or treatments. He even performed my endoscopy so smoothly that I had zero discomfort afterward (unlike my first one with another doctor, which left me with stomach pain for six months).

Lastly, if a health practitioner ever pressures you or makes your condition sound worse than it is, take a step back and get a second opinion. I honestly don’t know how to thank Dr. Kim enough—he’s truly a great doctor.