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Second Opinion
OB-GYN Second Opinion in Los Angeles
Being told you need surgery is not the same as needing it this week. A second opinion is a normal, expected part of a major decision — hysterectomy, fibroid or endometriosis surgery, a planned cesarean, an abnormal Pap result. Dr. Kim reviews your records and imaging, examines you, and tells you what he would do and why.
Seen in person at our Los Angeles office. California patients only.
Medically reviewed by David Seil Kim, MD, PhD, FACOG · Last reviewed
Who reviews your case
The person reading your chart has spent 15 years teaching others to read it.
A second opinion is only worth the experience behind it. Dr. David Seil Kim spent 15 years on the OB/GYN residency faculty at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which meant seeing the unusual cases and explaining out loud, case after case, why one course of action was right and another was not.
He also serves as an oral board examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology — the examination that decides whether an obstetrician-gynecologist becomes board certified. Part of that role is listening to a physician defend the management of a real case, and judging whether the reasoning holds.
That is the habit this consultation is built on. You will not be handed a verdict. You will be walked through the reasoning, including the parts where reasonable physicians disagree.
- ExperienceNearly 30 years in obstetrics & gynecology
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center15 years · OB/GYN residency faculty
- American Board of Obstetrics & GynecologyOral board examiner
- Board certifiedMD, PhD, FACOG
- Hospital privilegesCedars-Sinai · CHA Hollywood Presbyterian
- Los Angeles Magazine Top Doctor2020–2024 · 2026
What we review
The decisions people come here to check.
You do not need a reason beyond wanting one. But these are the decisions that most often bring someone in.
Whether the uterus needs to come out, and whether a less definitive option — medical management, ablation, myomectomy — was fully considered first. Also which route is being proposed, and why.
Fibroids are common and most do not need surgery. When surgery is recommended, the question is usually whether the fibroid explains the symptoms, and whether fertility has been factored in.
Whether surgery is the right next step or whether it is being reached for early, and what a realistic expectation of pain relief looks like afterward. See endometriosis & pelvic pain.
A recommended cesarean, or being told a vaginal birth after cesarean is not available to you. Both are worth a second read, and the timing matters — earlier in pregnancy is better than later.
What the specific finding means, whether the recommended interval or procedure matches your history, and what happens if you wait. See abnormal Pap evaluation.
Whether a finding on imaging needs surgery, surveillance, or nothing at all — and what the imaging actually shows, read directly rather than summarized.
This page describes a consultation, not a diagnosis. What is right for you depends on your history, your imaging and your examination.
How it works
Four steps, and the reading happens before you arrive.
Operative notes, pathology, imaging and the recommendation you were given. We tell you exactly what to request and from whom.
Before your appointment, not during it. Imaging is reviewed directly rather than from a radiology summary.
An examination and a conversation. The visit is not held to a fixed length — it runs as long as the case needs. You leave understanding the reasoning, not just the conclusion.
You receive a written summary of the opinion and the reasoning behind it, and the records from your consultation are sent on to your treating physician at your request.
Ask your current office for your operative report, pathology report, recent imaging on disc or via portal, and the office notes for the visit where the recommendation was made. Under California law you are entitled to copies of your own records. If you are not sure what to ask for, call us and we will tell you what to request.
Two things worth saying plainly
We are not trying to take your doctor's place.
Most people who come for a second opinion return to the doctor they started with, sometimes with the same plan and more confidence in it. That is a good outcome. If you would rather continue your care here afterward, that is available — but it is not the point of the visit, and nobody will raise it unless you do.
Dr. Kim is licensed in California, so second opinions are for patients who can be seen at our Los Angeles office. We do not provide second opinions by video or by mail to patients located in other states or countries. If you are travelling to Los Angeles and want to arrange a visit while you are here, call us.
A second opinion does not commit you to anything.
Call and tell us what you were told. We will tell you what records to gather.
Where we are
On San Vicente, minutes from Cedars-Sinai.
Our office is in the same 90048 zip code as Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where Dr. Kim holds delivery and surgical privileges. If your recommendation came from a physician there, records are usually straightforward to transfer and he will know the setting your care would happen in.
Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Beverly Grove, Hancock Park, Larchmont Village, Miracle Mile, Park La Brea, Carthay, the Fairfax District, Brentwood, Century City, Culver City and Santa Monica — and, for second opinions, from across Southern California.
6330 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 418, Los Angeles, CA 90048, near the Petersen Automotive Museum, LACMA and The Grove. Parking is in the building. See location & hours.
Questions
What patients ask about second opinions.
Do I need a referral for a second opinion?
No. You can book directly. If your plan requires a referral for reimbursement that is a question for your insurer, not for us.
Do you offer second opinions by video or email?
No. Dr. Kim is licensed in California, so second opinions are provided in person at our Los Angeles office to patients who can be seen here. We do not review records for patients located in other states or countries.
Will Dr. Kim contact my current doctor?
You are given a written summary of the opinion and the reasoning behind it. The records from your consultation are sent on to your treating physician at your request. Nothing goes anywhere without you asking for it.
Do I have to switch to Yunella afterward?
No. Most patients return to the physician they started with. If you would rather continue your care here that is available, but the consultation is not conditioned on it.
What records should I bring?
Operative and pathology reports, recent imaging, and the office notes from the visit where the recommendation was made. Imaging on disc is preferred so it can be reviewed directly rather than from a written summary.
How quickly can I be seen?
Most second opinions are seen within one to two weeks. Tell us if a surgery date is already scheduled and we will work around it.
Is a second opinion covered by insurance?
The visit can be billed to insurance like any other consultation, and many plans cover a second opinion before major surgery. If we are out of network with your plan, see out-of-network care for how those benefits work and how reimbursement is handled.
What if the second opinion agrees with the first?
That is the most common outcome, and it is a useful one. Going into surgery understanding why it is the right choice is different from going in because you were told to.
General information about a consultation at Yunella, not medical advice. What applies to you depends on your own history and records.
Start here
Bring what you were told. We will read it properly.
Call and describe the recommendation you were given. We will tell you which records to gather and how long they usually take to arrive.
Or call (424) 404-8832 · 6330 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 418, Los Angeles, CA 90048