Kerlin Deborah L MD

Dr. Kerlin has done two surgeries for my mom in the past three years and both times she has taken the time to make sure we as a family have felt comfortable and well informed of what was going to happen from beginning to end.
Today, Dr. Kerlin had to do a surgical procedure to remove some abnormal cells from my moms breast. All went well with the surgery just like the last one and we were back home in not time. Mom was feeling good, but we noticed she had some unexpected bleeding in the surgical area. I monitored it, but by evening she was still lightly bleeding. We called the after hours number and the representative was able to page Dr. Kerlin. This is where I was truly impressed by her. She asked how quickly I could get my mom to her office… mind you… it’s 9pm! She told me the emergency room could be so costly and she would hate to have us waiting for hours. I rushed my mom to her office, she checked on my moms breast, patched her up and even helped clean the blood stain on her bra! Hello? Here is this super woman of a surgeon washing my moms bra??? On an added note, my mom has only taken one 500mg Tylenol for the pain that she describes as hardly there! Dr. Kerlin’s method of «less is more» has allowed my mom to have two almost painless post-​op experiences!
Dr. Kerlin is passionate about her work and it has shown through in each encounter my family and I have had with her. She handles herself with such professionalism and grace. So blessed to have a surgeon of her caliber in our area.

I just had an inguinal hernia repair in almost the same spot as I did 8 years ago. I debated about doing it laparoscopically versus a repeat of the «open» repair method I had done before. Dr. Kerlin was patient and supportive and helped me weigh the pros/​cons with this tough decision (after all that’s important stuff down there!) and we finally decided that, although either method was a great option, «open» made more sense for me.
Ultimately, it was a cake-​walk surgery with «as expected» but not excruciating pain, and an overall great experience with Dr. Kerlin and staff. She followed up the very next day after surgery and has been prompt to get back to me with follow-​up questions. I concur with all other reviewers… fantastic surgeon!

Dr Kerlin (and her staff) rock! Period, end.
My wife received the words we all never want to hear: «you have breast cancer». As anyone could imagine, it’s a scary place to be when the news first hits. The knee jerk reaction is to meet someone, anyone, who can help guide you through this difficult time. Dr Kerlin was that person. She is super passionate about what she does and it shows. I’ve met far too many Doctors who become jaded and make you feel like a piece of cattle waiting in line. Sparing the details, Dr Kerlin went way, way above the call of duty on a few occasions and the bottom line in all of this: she performed a flawless lumpectomy on my wife who is now cancer free. BTW, Vicki Rocconi (Nurse Navigator at John Muir Health in the breast cancer dept) is equally as awesome! Find her (Vicki) to start your journey back to beating this disease.
I was in a panic search to find the best team for my wife when this news hit earlier this year; be rest assured, should you choose this team at John Muir, at least in my wife’s experience (and mine, as her husband), you will be glad you did.
Thank you, Dr Kerlin and team for what you do!

Dr. Kerlin saved my life, literally. She is the one who diagnosed my breast cancer after it had been missed by my PCP. I met her on 10÷14÷13 and she has continued to be a part of my life as well as my treatment. She performed my bilateral mastectomy on 06÷06÷13 and am blessed because she is very meticulous with her work. She is a wonderful woman and doctor! Her knowledge is vast and her bedside manner is impeccable. If you are looking for someone who cares about you as a person and a patient she is the surgeon for you. I know that she has my best interest in mind and is not just «surgery happy». I can honestly say I look forward to our visits. Her staff is wonderful as well. Their communication is superb and they are always so happy, it’s easy to see they love their job. All in all, I have had a great experience with her office. At a tough, stressful, confusing time in my life they did everything in their power to make me feel important, at ease, and confident in their care! I wish all medical practices mirrored this professional integrity.

I am the referenced spouse of East Bay Mom T., and I couldn’t agree more with her review. My surgery was seamless (well, OK, three small seams on my abdomen) and recovery was quick, easy and nearly pain free. EBMT told me that Dr. Kerlin is known for careful work. Since the body is good at healing itself, some surgeons just cut and dissect and manipulate the tissues without much care beyond not doing any real damage. Dr. Kerlin on the other hand, is known for doing the least «collateral damage» reasonably possible given the surgery to be done. And it sure shows in how little pain I had and how quickly I recovered. She also has a very pleasant manner and is very easy to talk to about your condition and the surgery process.
The only reason I take away one star is for her staff. Her patient coordinator did a really terrible job of pre-​op coordination. I needed to get labs done and an EKG. She said she would mail the forms and instructions the day after I scheduled my surgery, six weeks ahead. Instead, I had to call two more times before she actually mailed them, and they arrived with so little time before my surgery that I had to drop everything, reschedule clients, and spend half a day at John Muir Medical Center to get them done in time before the surgery. I would still use Dr. Kerlin if I need surgery again, but now I know that I have to stay on top of her staff and not let them put things off.

I have the pleasure of working with Deborah Kerlin as a colleague, and now as a family member of a patient. She is a surgeon’s surgeon who possesses a wealth of knowledge and operates with tireless and consummate skill. She is loved by all her patients and now I can see why firsthand. She performed a laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair on my spouse (who is the world’s biggest baby, btw). In case you didn’t know, the recovery from a routine open hernia repair in a man is often painful for several weeks and can have other issues like urinary problems that prolong recovery. My guy had virtually no pain and 3 tiny incisions. She did such a great job that he was up and driving in 72 hours. In fact, she did too good a job because he is back to bugging me too soon – darn it! (Just kidding.). Dr. Kerlin, we love you!