Patient Reviews

Samantha Elliott “Sam” is simply the best. We are very grateful for her always expert and gentle care. My husband and I have both had wonderful skin improvements – wrinkles, age spots, etc. are all greatly diminished. For each of our treatments (using state-of-the-art equipment and techniques), Sam carefully explained the procedure, the time it would take, and what “aftercare” should be done. We plan to continue all of our skin treatments with Sam. We are delighted with the care she provides her attention to detail and the results. Sam, thank you for helping us feel our best!

My daughter had to follow up with Metropolitan ENT after a hospitalization. I just have to praise Joseph the clinic supervisor, and Dr. Comstock for going above and beyond to ensure my daughter and I were taken care of! We've been in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals for the past few weeks, and they were by far the most professional and caring! We do not live close by, but I will gladly make the commute to come here again! truly felt like they genuinely cared about my daughter's wellbeing, and I would highly recommend this practice to anyone in search of an ENT! Thank you so much for everything! Courtney

"Dr. Saidi & Staff, I wish to sincerely thank you for your services which went far beyond your duty to any patient. Your service was quick and no matter how many times this recruit had to get new documentation or schedule changes your office always flexible. This recruit has never had such attention to detail and dedication to a single patient. Without all the help provided by this office this recruit’s ship date to boot camp may have been gravely affected and pushed back. This recruit wants to thank you all again for your dedication to superior service in an unmatched timely manner." Sincerely, Recruit Brody USMC

Breaking the generational cycle of Sleep Apnea

"Ten years ago, I did not know much about sleep apnea. Back then, I just thought of myself as someone who had trouble sleeping from time to time. When I was younger, I could go without sleep and go about my day. Little did I know that sleep apnea was already impacting my life and about to get worse as I got older. When I was a teenager, my father kidded around with me that I inherited his big neck. It turns out the big neck was also a feature of my grandfather and great-grandfather along with a receding hairline. I actually inherited a medical time bomb that could go off at any time as I got older. Sadly, my father suffered multiple heart attacks and strokes. His last heart attack unfortunately killed him. The root cause of these tragic medical conditions was his severe sleep apnea. In the meantime, as I got into my forties, my sleep apnea was getting worse. I was getting accustomed to the tread mill of little sleep, lots of coffee, and becoming less physically active. The added stress of a high pressure job in federal contracting was making things more difficult. In the end, the treadmill at the gym was replaced by sitting on the couch after work watching the television. So many nights after work, I had almost fallen asleep at the wheel. My wakeup call was when I was on a road trip to visit family. I stopped off at a gas station to fill up on gasoline and coffee. In my sleep deprived state, I accidentally popped the hood of my car thinking it was the gas cap. 100 miles later, I make a stop and someone walking by noticed my car hood was popped. That was the moment I knew I needed to see a sleep doctor. I made an appointment at the Metropolitan ENT medical center for an initial check up. During my first visit, I was informed that I had a deviated septum in my nose and probably had sleep apnea after the doctors peaked inside my neck. I was being introduced to a whole new medical vocabulary - deviated septum, apnea, oxygen deprivation, and sleep studies. I soon became familiar with going to sleep studies. That was I also met Dr. Michael Abidin. After looking at my sleep study results, he diagnosed me with sleep apnea and made a promise to treat my condition. Dr. Abidin also promised me that he would become my new favorite doctor. Over time, that did become true. As we were going over my serious condition, his sense of humor helped to ease the tension and take the next right actions. By the time I had initially visited Metropolitan ENT, I had been harsh with myself that I had not accomplished more with my life. Many people go through that as they get older. Dr. Abidin explained to me that my deviated septum and sleep apnea was causing significant oxygen deprivation which causes significant cognitive impairment. If anything, he told to appreciate all that I had accomplished given that I had this progressive condition. Looking back, my sleep apnea was starting to impacting my life back when I was a teenager. I was up against a progressively fatal condition and my sleep apnea was going to win out unless I made some changes. It was time to take some action. I gave the sleep mask a try and found it did not work for me. Many people swear by their sleep masks and I am glad that is available to those that can use it. That meant I had to explore surgical treatments. Dr. Abidin recommended that we first try treating my deviated septum with surgery. This was my first surgery I ever had. This surgery was an outpatient treatment and I was able to go back home and recover. Besides having a temporarily painful nose for a few days and better breathing through my nose, an unexpected result came from the surgery. My follow up visit with Dr. Abidin indicated that my blood pressure came down significantly. Soon afterwards, my primary care physician at the time recommended that I discontinue two out of three blood pressure medications. My sleep apnea's progression was lessening but was still causing me sleep problems. About a year later, Dr. Abidin and I explored throat surgery. It was recommended that I have my tonsils out along with my adenoids to help increase air flow in my throat. I was also encouraged to get what was called a hyoid suspension. Until then, I never even knew I had a hyoid bone. From what I researched, a hyoid suspension is a surgical procedure to treat sleep apnea and can help to improve the airway behind the base of the tongue. I was facing the prospect of having three surgical procedures done in one day. At first, the prospect of these surgeries seemed a bit scary. I then recalled the popped hood incident with my car and the many times I had almost feel asleep at the wheel. Taking a risk with surgery seemed less scary when I also recalled my family's history of heart disease and sleep apnea. I decided to take a chance. Dr. Abidin was candid that there were no guarantees that this surgery would ever cure my apnea. I was willing to go forward with surgery but had my expectations in check. I went through with the surgery and earned an overnight stay at the Alexandria Hospital. It took a few weeks to fully recover. My blood pressure had decreased even more since my deviated septum surgery. Dr. Abidn told me before the surgery that a new world would open up. He even mentioned that I will notice more of the world around me. Now that I was having better air flow of oxygen, the color of the sky, trees, and bodies of water do now seem brighter. A recent sleep study indicated that my sleep apnea was officially declared "cured." For that, I am truly grateful for a new quality of life. Thanks to this surgery, I now have a more active lifestyle. Before I started my sleep apnea treatments, I used to get out of breath going up the stairs. Thanks to these medical procedures, exercise classes are now a regular part of my life. I am grateful to have an active life that seemed lost for good." Dr. Abidin is still my favorite doctor. Many thanks.

I came to Dr. Saidi following a very unpleasant bike accident in which, among other injuries, I’d crushed the cartilage on the right side of my nose. This injury made it nearly impossible to breath through my right nostril, not to mention how unsightly the caved-in area of my nose appeared. One might think that this would be a straightforward procedure to correct, akin to fixing a broken nose, however, this was not the case. Finding a physician that was confident in their abilities to fix this rather complex issue and willing to work within the confines of insurance was enormously challenging. After meeting with several plastic surgeons who were highly regarded but skeptical or unwilling to treat the physical and aesthetic ramifications of the crushed cartilage, I decided to research ENT’s. I was incredibly fortunate to find Dr. Saidi. Dr. Saidi seems to be one of those rare doctors who practices his craft because he genuinely wants to help his patients. His bedside manner can only be described as uniquely caring, patient and humble and the caliber of his work, in my opinion, is exceptional. In addition to opening up my collapsed right septum, Dr. Saidi grafted cartilage to provide continued support to that specific area of my nose. He also noted that both nostrils had a tendency to collapse when I inhaled, thus restricting airflow. Dr. Saidi worked on these areas as well, resolving my impaired breathing and giving me a nose that is every bit as efficient and flattering as I could have hoped for. While I don’t often write reviews, I want to ensure that Dr. Saidi’s name reaches those considering an ENT/plastic surgeon in the northern Virginia area. He is truly an outstanding physician in every measure of service and an extraordinarily talented and compassionate surgeon whom I recommend wholeheartedly.

"It has now been exactly 3 years since Dr. Saidi performed my balloon sinuplasty procedure in March 2014 that, in combination with oral allergy drops, literally - and surprisingly quickly - gave me my life back. After struggling over a year with severe, chronic sinus infections and bizarre new allergies, I was, quite frankly, in a deep pit of despair and barely able to function at work and at home, experiencing absolute misery from my terribly infected sinuses and allergies, as well as significant sleep deprivation, weight gain, and depression." "Thankfully, I found Dr. Saidi, the first doctor to take me seriously and truly listen to me, to show me such incredible kindness when I was so fragile and needed it most, to run extensive tests, and to relentlessly pursue the best possible multi-pronged treatment approach. Dr. Saidi pursued all possible less invasive treatments treatments first; when they were unsuccessful, the balloon sinuplasty proved to be the perfect solution for me! I immediately experienced incredible relief the very next day - for the first time in over a year! - and continued to improve drastically every week until I was 100% healed! I began breathing easily, sleeping, exercising, losing weight (40 lbs!), and experiencing tremendous joy for life again! Dr. Saidi and every member of his team exhibit unparalleled excellence, professionalism, expertise, problem-solving, rigor, patience, compassion, and kindness; I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for each of them every single day. Thank you, Dr. Saidi, for restoring me. Thank you for making me whole again. My family and I will forever be indebted to you." Gratefully, S Mooney

"My daughter had to follow up with Metropolitan ENT after a hospitalization. I just have to praise Joseph the clinic supervisor, and Dr. Comstock for going above and beyond to ensure my daughter and I were taken care of! We've been in and out of doctor's offices and hospitals for the past few weeks, and they were by far the most professional and caring! We do not live close by, but I will gladly make the commute to come here again! truly felt like they genuinely cared about my daughter's wellbeing, and I would highly recommend this practice to anyone in search of an ENT! Thank you so much for everything!" C. King

"I would like to thank you and your staff, Jennifer Little and Sara Archer, for your assistance to my extended family and myself, in addressing any and all hearing concerns. Your two audiologists have been most thorough in their attention to our needs, more than kind to us, and have both made themselves available to answer any questions that we might have over the course of the time that we were evaluated and fit with hearing aids. I love my hearing aids as they have given me the clarity that I sought, but I am most appreciative of the attention, thoroughness, kindness, and patience that your audiologists have provided to my family members and me. They are truly an asset to your office." Thank you, M. Mulloy

I just wanted to commend Sarah Archer, audiologist. She has been very patient in aiding my mother, now 96 years old, get her hearing aids adjusted. Prior to meeting Sarah, Mom has been relying on just one hearing aid, as the second one fit badly and was painful to insert into her ear canal. Sarah took careful measurements and made impressions that revealed a protrusion in Mom’s ear that prevented it from being worn for any long period of time." Special thanks to this very kind person. Jim B.

"Dr. Ravi Swamy is truly an exceptional physician! Not only is he personable, kind and highly skilled in his field, he listens, takes time to explain everything and readily answers questions. He saw my son several years ago, and recently I was his patient as well. He is the only ENT I would ever have my family see. As a physician myself, I have referred patients to him ever since he saw my son. I have never had a patient who doesn't adore him, and they all express their gratitude to me for sending them to such a kind, caring and extremely competent professional. I could not recommend him more highly!" Cynthia Costenbader, M.D