Orthopedic Surgeons
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Orthopedic Surgeons
June 2009
Can anyone recommend a pediatric orthopedist for my 18 month old son?
We need someone to take a good look at the position of his feet and
help us find some good shoes. Thanks
anon
I can highly recommend the medical staff at Oakland Children's
Hospital Orthopedic department. I have heard many wonderful
things about Dr.s Policy and Hoffinger. However, our daughter
could not wait for an appointment with either of them and saw Dr.
Friend who we thought was excellent. My daughter is currently
completely her treatment with the Sports Medicine Center for Young
Athletes at Children's Oakland and we are quite pleased. My only
warning is for the billing department. Get ready for lots of work
to actually get the visits paid for.
Lisa
Jan 2009
I had an MRI and was told that I have a torn meniscus and an either
partially or fully torn ACL. The doctor sent me to see an
orthopeadic sports surgeon. As far as I know, there are only two
of those at Kaiser Oakland: John Cummins and Jun Yang. Would you
recommend either one of them? Or is there any other orthopeadic
surgeions in Oakland who specialize in knee surgeries who you would
recommend?
Anya
One additional sports medicine doctor at Kaiser Oakland is Josh
Hatch. Outside of Kaiser, I would highly recommend Dr. David
Chang in Oakland who specializes in orthopaedic sports medicine.
He is very good about explaining things and talking to patients
about all their options. He is conservative by nature but is
known as a very skilled surgeon with the latest minimally
invasive techniques. His office is very personable which is a
bonus. He is located on Pill Hill across from Summit Hospital
at 3300 Webster, Suite 907. His office number is (510)
834-2276.
anon
May 2008
My teen age son need arthroscopic surgery on his elbow and we are considering
using Dr. Joshua Richards. Does anyone have any experience to relate
regarding Dr. Richards? Anyone have a great orthopedic surgeon? Thanks.
Mom
Hi there,
Dr. Jensen is a fantastic orthopedic surgeon. He has worked on both my elbow and my
shoulder and has offices in Oakland and Orinda.
jamie
Sept 2004
I have a broken bone in my foot that is not healing correctly
and have been referred to Dr. Landrus Pfeffinger. Does anyone
have any experience with him?
anon
Berkeley Orthopaedic Medical Group, Inc. is excellent. They
have two offices, one in Berkeley 510-845-3856 (across from
Alta Bates) and another in Orinda 925-254-4060. I have
personal experience with Dr. Robert Eppley. He specializes in
knees and shoulders. There are 11 doctors in the practice.
Karen
Sept 2004
Can anyone recommend a good orthopedic surgeon with specific
expertise in shoulders? My husband's current orthopedic
surgeon has advised surgery for a nagging shoulder problem and
he would like a second opinion from someone trustworthy.
Thanks,
Molly
Dr. Robert Eppley is a great shoulder surgeon in
Berkeley/Oakland
Dr. Steven Isono is great too,he is located in Emeryville
dawn
Sept 2003
My partner needs reconstructive ankle surgery after an accident.
The emergency doctor at Alta Bates who saw her referred us to
Berkeley Orthapedic for the surgery. Does anyone have any
experience with ankle surgery that can give me any leads as to
the best surgeon?
Thanks for any help!
Heather
I can highly recommend Dr. C.R. Strotz at Berkeley Orthopedic
Medical Group, p 510-845-3856.
Granted, my experience with him was for internal fractures and
two torn ligaments in my knee, not ankle, after an accident, but
I would imagine he does ankles very well too. He has truly deep
experience, is very patient, knowledgable, gentle, and willing
to explain. He can help you evaluate options, and has the solid
and effective reputation that caring for the Cal Bears' injuries
for years brings (being female and not a huge sports person, I
still felt very comfortable with his experience and manner). He
wound up advising AGAINST surgery in my case, recommending
various non-invasive techniques instead, and was successful.
(How often do you get a specialized surgeon NOT promoting his
more expensive services?!?)
I hope he can also help your partner get better soon.
(PS: The BOMG's admin staff, however, occasionally tried my
nerve with their attitude and the difficulty in scheduling
convenient appointments. Yet I found Dr. Strotz worth that
hassle, and he also forwarded my feedback to his group's staff
as constructive criticism...)
Back on my feet
Franziska
Sept 2003
My son is currently seeing Dr. Monica Kogan at Childrens'
Hospital in Oakland, but for insurance reasons we may be forced
to use Dr. Townsend or switch to a doctor at UCSF (we have Hill
Physicians). I am wondering if anyone has experiences with Dr.
Townsend they would like to share (my son will need surgery and
long-term follow-up). Also, does anyone have recommendations
for an pediatric orthopedic surgeon at UCSF?
Thanks
Sarah
i go to ucsf and monica kogan came to one of my classes last
year to do our pediatric orthopedics lecture. i bet she can
refer you to someone good there since she has a relationship
there.
michele
Oct 2002
Hello,
I am seeking information on orthopedic surgeons,
specifically those who work on the neck. Does anyone have
any experience with Dr. Slucky in Oakland? Please email
me with any comments or suggestions.
Thanks,
Jamie
Recommendations received:
Dr. Slucky (2)
Donald Townsend
March 2004
I have a serious shoulder separation and need surgery to replace
the ligament and repair the separation. I have been referred to
Dr. Kenneth Caldwell in Oakland (he also has an office in
Lafayette). I'm worried about this, obviously, and don't know
anything about Dr. Caldwell, who I've heard is a knee guy. Is he
the guy to have do this? Will I regret going under the knife?
Currently, I don't have a lot of pain, but my range of motion is
somewhat limited because my collarbone gets in the way. (For
example, I can't do the crawl when I swim). I'm a fairly serious
athlete, and I don't want to hurt myself even more. The internet
only has horror stories, of course. Thanks for any
recommendations about either your experience with the surgery or
with Dr. Calwell.
Dr. Caldwell did my husband's knee surgery about 8 years ago,
and he recently saw him again for a ski injury (knee again). I
don't know anything about his knowledge of shoulders, but I do
know my husband has always been very happy with the care he
recieves. Good luck to you
Re: Great doctor
After a MRI showed that I had a torn shoulder (rotating cuff), I was referred
to
Dr. David S. Chang, an orthopedic Surgeon at Bay Area Sports Orthopedics. He
turned
out to be a skilled arthroscopic surgeon. Dr. David Chang used only ONE
stitch to
repair my torn muscle which likened to an art work (when viewed from the
arthroscopic pictures) and I cannot find any scars around my shoulder. I am
now
pain free with great range of motion and really happy with my recovery from a
year
long shoulder problem.
I’d like to recommend Dr. Chang for not only his expertise but also his
impressive
caring manner. Dr. David Chang, although a surgeon, was very conservative in
using
surgery to solve my problem. He initially sent me to physical therapy for
rehabilitation to see whether surgery could be avoided. When my condition did
not
improve with physical therapy, he explained the alternatives in the most
patient
and considerate manner. Later I learned from other medical professionals that
they
held Dr. Chang at great esteem, regarding him as one of the best surgeons, and
admiring him to be a most caring doctor. I observed the way he interacts with
other
patients in his office, and I must say I agree! (His office takes all
insurances
and is located at 3300 Webster Street, Suite 907, Phone: 510-834-2276.)
Wenny
Re: I need knee replacement surgery (Sept 2005)
Dr. Scott Dye, he is on staff at UCSF. Phone is 415-861-9966.
He is one of the top knee specialists in the country. I haven't
tried him, (but will need to)but a really good friend has. Our
friend can now ski better than he did before the surgery, due to
better knee strength.
April 2005
hi, has anyone heard of Dr. Eppley in Berkeley? i need a
shoulder surgeon and was give his name.
thanks
Dr. Eppley is *very* good - I have confidence in him and would
choose him again for surgery. He repaired my torn rotator cuff a
couple years ago. His name comes up all the time for sports
injuries.
In the style of many doctors these days, he has a high level
assistant who does most everything except the surgery. I'm not
crazy about this - it's efficient for the doctor, rather rushed
for the paitent. But that has no effect on my recommendation -
you'll be in good hands if Dr. Eppley does the surgery.
jessica
I saw Dr. Eppley a few years ago for long-standing biceps
tendonitis. He's the shoulder guy in a practice of people who
each specialize in a different body part. At one point he (or
somebody) suggested that maybe I ought to see the neck guy
instead because it was unclear exactly what my problem was.
Essentially what he did for me was order an MRI, read it, and
tell me that yes, I did still have tendonitis in my shoulder and
arm. I knew this, but it helped to have medical confirmation. I
didn't follow it up because at that point there were few options
that I hadn't already tried, but I appreciated the diagnosis. He
was professional and seemed to know his stuff, but it was a bit
disconcerting to be dealing with a group of MDs whose approach
was the opposite of a holistic approach. What if it had been my
shoulder AND my neck? How would they have decided who I belonged to?
A second opinion
My husband recently had his shoulder opperated on by Dr. Eppley.
I asked him for a recommendation. This is what he wrote: Dr.
Eppley operated on my shoulder in December. The diagnosis was
'iffy', and the procedure was altered while I was out. However,
I glad he did this - the recovery was difficult, but after 3
months, my shoulder is much improved from pre-surgery. His
surgical assistant and physical therapist are both excellent.
They were very concerned about post surgical pain management,
writing Rx's for drugs and therapeutic devices. Shoulders are
his specialty, and he does excellent work. Would definitely
return for the other one, if ever necessary. Robert
Re: Orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knees (April 2004)
I'd give Dr Robert Eppley at Berkeley Orthopedics a strong
recommendation for a knee surgury. He's done both my knees,
things turned out fine, and I'd use him again if I have to go
under the knife again. He specializes in shoulders and knees
only. He operates on UC Berkeley athletes. And he's had knee
surgury himself, so he is very cognizant about doing the best he
can to get you back to 100% (or as close as possible).
Bob
Re: Husband needs surgery on his meniscus (March 2004)
I highly recommend Robert Eppley at Berkeley Orthopedics. I've
had three arthroscopies to fix/remove meniscus in both knees.
Dr. Epply did the last two (in different knees). The most
recent was two years ago. He went to great efforts to repair
the meniscus and leave as much as possible in the knee. He
actually had a menisectomy himself many years ago, so he knows
how important it is to repair rather than remove. All he works
on is knees and shoulders. He also works on injured athletes at
UC Berkeley.
newparent
Re: Seeking knee specialist for 12-year-old (Feb 2003)
Dr Goldman in Oakland (I believe his first name is Jerold?) is
one of the top knee surgeons in the US (the man LOVES knees), if
he's still practicing. He performed my medial meniscectomy
about 8 years ago and I have had absolutely zero problems since
then (even ran off and survived military boot camp about 2 years
after the surgery with no problems in that knee)
stevew
Scott Hoffenger
Anyone have any experience with Dr. Scott Hoffenger (at Children's Oakland)?
We have a referral to him (my son has a funny limp several weeks out from a
sprained ankle). (4/00)
Dr. Hoffinger was the surgeon for my daughter's club foot. (We switched to
him because the first surgeon would not look her in the eye or acknowledge
that she was in the room) He is a teaching doctor, and there are usually a
few student docs at his heels. He is professional, has a great way with
kids, and is very informative to parents. I did not have the impression
that he was radical when it came to having surgery or not.
I have readily referred several folks to him, who had similar experiences.
Tavie (4/00)
Dr. Hoffinger is kind and caring. (I believe he's the chief of pediatric
orthopedics
at Children's.) He was the lead orthopedist on my daughter's knee surgery.
Because
he did not routinely perform this particular operation, he asked a sports
orthopedist
(Cal football and soccer MD) to operate. He assisted and did thorough
follow-up exams
and coordinated the physical therapy. His staff is also very caring of
children.
Trish (4/00)
My experience with Dr. Hoffenger was OK but not great. Six months ago,
we took our then 16 mo old son to the Orthopedic Clinic at CHildren's
because he had fallen down and would not walk for a week. THe Orthopedic
Clinic when we were there was very hectic, Dr. Hoffenger's resident saw
us first, (didn't seem like he had much experience)and then Hoffenger
came in. Although he seemed to have experience with our situation, he
came across as rushed, arrogant and did not give out much information.
I have experience looking at X-rays, so I was able to see the hair line
fracture and so believed him. After the cast was put on my son's leg,
I had to ask him about bathing, outside play - he did not come forward
with any information and the cast person did not give me any information
either. When we returned 3 weeks later, and the cast was taken off, Hoffenger
looked at my son, said he is done and again did not offer any information.
If you see him, try to inform yourself about your situation as much as possible
and make sure to make him take the time to answer your questions. He seems
to be more interested in impressing his residents than taking time with his
patients and their parents.
Ludewig (4/00)
Dr. Scott Hoffinger is supposedly the orthopedist to be seen at Children's
Oakland.
He has a great reputation, but it takes a long time to schedule an
appointment. My
son was seen by him at 11 months for concerns regarding delayed motor
development.
I wasn't terribly impressed by his evaluation -- but I also didn't think we
needed to
see an orthopedist in our situation (it was recommended by our pediatrician
to rule
out concerns he had). We waited about 45 mins in teh waiting room and almost
another 45mins to 1 hour in the exam room before the dr. entered the room to
examine my son. He was very nice and professional and seemed to know what he
was talking about -- but he was in the room for all of 5 minutes after a
horrendous
wait.But he is supposed to be the man, so it'll probably be beneficial in your
situation since your son has a known medical problem to be evaluated. Good
luck.
(4/00)
I believe Dr Scott Hoffinger is very competent as an orthopedic surgeon and
dealing with bone problems, but not soft tissue injuries. We did not have a
good experience with him when my daughter injured her knee playing soccer at
age nine. Following his advice, she was off and on crutches for six months.
There was no way to talk to him directly when we followed his advice and she
got worse and was in terrible pain.
We finally went to Dr Jim Garrick at the Sports Medecine Center at the St
Francis in SF who is an incredible healer. My daughter got better and resumed
her soccer almost immediately to our delight.
Also we oftern waited one to two hours to see Scott Hoffinger for about five
minutes at a high cost It was totally worth the drive to SF to see Dr Garrick.
who told us to call him if there was any problem and always would call back
the same day. He is caring, compasionate and very knowledgable about sports
related injuries, using therapy rather than surgery. He does occasionally
come to the sports medecine clinic in Walnut Creek.
I don;t know anyone like him in the east bay.
Arlene (4/00)
We had a very positive experience with Dr. Hoffinger.
He really went out of his way to help us in a very
difficult time. He seemed interested both in us
as patients, and in our case as a doctor, consulted
other doctors for us, etc. I highly recommend him.
Karen (4/00)
Michael Holmes
I liked Dr. Michael Holmes, who affiliated with
Berkeley Orthopaedics and Childen's Hospital Oakland.
He is a micro-and reconstructive surgeon (specialized
in hand/wrist). I has a nasty wrist fracture last
winter and he performed the surgery (said it was like
putting egg shells back together).
You don't say how old your nephew is but Dr. Holmes
had a wonderful manner and was very good at explaining
everything. I think a young person would like him,
too.
Kathryn
Re: I need knee replacement surgery (Sept 2005)
Dr. Isono in Oakland is one of the best knee surgeons in the
country. He does a lot of professional athletes and isn't
surgery-happy from what I understand. Don't know about the
medical insurance side of things, however. It's possible that
his is an all-cash practice - you would have to inquire.
Anon
Re: Husband needs surgery on his meniscus (March 2004)
Steve Isono is the best! He works with lots of
athletes (just take a look at the signed photos of the pros on
his office walls). He is very skilled and very professional,
but is also a really nice guy.
Been there done that
Isono is considered the best by medical/surgical colleagues and
professional athletes. He is also not inclined to do unnecessary
surgery. He is inaccessible for some people since (when I
consulted with him a year ago) he is a cash only operation. His
fee structure might have changed since then. Very committed
athletes I know, in their 40s, 50s, etc. credit Isono with giving
them back their formerly active/sporty lifestyle. Isono is
located in the Jack London Square area, in a really cool setting.
Knee not so bad, after all
Re: Orthopedic knee doctor under HealthNet (March 2003)
An excellent orthopod who only does knees is Steven, Isono, M.D.,
in the Jack London loft area in Oakland. Be forewarned, however,
that like a lot of popular sports medicine docs, he does not take
insurance--cash, only. I think, however, that he does accept
workman's comp. Yet another nice quality of Isono's is that he
is reluctant to do surgery unless it is absolutely mandated and
is a historically successful pro
Knee knowledgeable
April 2004
My son is scheduled to see Dr. Kogan, a pediatric orthopedist at Children's
Hospital, after a frustrating 3 weeks with my son's broken wrist not staying in
place after being casted three times. I was unable to get an appointment with
Dr. Policy or Dr. Hoffinger, the
specialists recommended by my pediatrician. Does anyone have experience
with Dr. Kogan? Please email me directly as well as posting to the list as I'd like
to get responses as soon as possible.
Dr. Kogan is the doctor who just operated on the little girl
whose leg was almost completely severed by the small
plane that landed on top her car. It sounds like she saved
her leg (which was a miracle) and I think you can't get a
better recommendation than that.
She recast my son's broken arm and did a fantastic job and
had great interpersonal skills, important with a kid going
through a very painful scary procedure.
dc
Re: I need knee replacement surgery (Sept 2005)
I had both knees replaced by Douglas Lange, MD, at John Muir Hospital in
Walnut Creek in September, 2001. I am so happy that I had it done: I can walk
3+ miles at a good pace and without pain, and I am not incapicitated in any
way. I went to Dr. Lange because he is willing to do both knees at once--which
means one recovery, not two. Everyone in the hospital said he is the best. My
insurance (Blue Shield) allowed me to be moved to the rehabilitation floor after
surgery, so I was in the hospital for nine days, but went home in pretty good
shape (and had home physical therapy followed by lots more outpatient). Dr.
Lange's phone in 925 929 8585, address 2405 Shadelands Dr., Walnut Creek
94598. He is wonderful.
Joan
Re: Seeking knee specialist for 12-year-old (Feb 2003)
You want to book an appt with David Lowenberg, M.D. in SF. He is
considered by a lot of orthopedists, I respect, the best. He
also has worked on the Miami Dolphins and the Raiders. He is not
hungry to do surgery but is considered one of the top knee people
in the country. He is located over by CPMC.
Dec 2002
Has anyone used Dr. Jeffrey Mann? We are looking for a good
foot/ankle doctor to help with a foot injury or condition that
is seriously impacting my running partner's ability to train (or
walk for that matter). We were referred to Jeffrey Mann. If
you have any feedback on him, please let me know. Also,
recommendations for a good sports medicine person would be
appreciated.
Lori
He's the best. My mom checked him out thoroughly and got an
experimental ankle replacement from him. She's thrilled with it
and heard over and over again that he was the man. Nice friendly
office, too.
virginia
Roger Mann
Roger Mann is world known for orthopedic work. I was informed by
an orthopedic surgeon at Childrens Hospital that he wrote the
textbook that is used in the medical schools. Other doctors take
a leave from their practices and understudy with him at his office
for 3 to 6 months. I first went to him 20 years ago and he is terrific.
My sister had foot surgery and flew back and forth from LA to use him.
You can't go wrong with Roger Mann. I have never used his son or the
other doctors in his office. Joyce (2001)
Mathias Masem
My daughter broke and dislocated a finger last year and our pediatrician
sent us to Dr. Mathias Masem in Oakland, across from Summitt. He was
wonderful--very sensitive to the needs of a child, gently, patient,
everything you could ask for. His office staff was great--they even have
late aft./evening appts. My understanding is that he specializes in
hands--don't know anything about his surgical skills, but for our needs he
was terriffic.
J. Sanders
In the list you mentioned Mathias Masem whom we saw about a year ago,
although we are members of ABMG. So perhaps he sees both ABMG and non-ABMG
members, or perhaps he has changed his affiliation since last year. We saw
him when our daughter (11 years old at the time) broke and dislocated her
finger at 4:00 on a Friday afternoon. After being seen at the
pediatrician's, then going to Alta Imaging for x-rays, we were sent to Dr.
Masem. By now it was about 7:00 on Friday evening. When we got to his
office it was packed! We were finally seen about 9:00 and found Dr. Masem
and all his staff to be extremely warm, caring, and extremely patient.
They did a great job dealing with a hurting, frightened, hungry, tired
child and her very anxious parents. Her finger, which was broken at the
growth plate and dislocated into a very strange angle, is fine. He was
very low-tech--used a series of ball point pens as fulcrums to ease her
finger back into its proper location! We were very pleased with him and
his staff and appreciated the rather unusual office hours they keep.
J. Sanders (2001)
John Mattson
Mattson from Berkeley Orthopedics did arthroscopic surgery on my knee at least
15 years ago. He was on staff at Cowell Hospital at the time (besides having a
private practice and being surgeon to the Cal football team, I was told) and I
was a student so I didn't really have a choice of doctors, but he did a good
job. So far I haven't had any pain from my knee as I hear you get after awhile
because of the missing cartildge, and I play tennis and do a lot of bike
riding.
Fran (2001)
I just took my 16 year old to see Dr. Mattson for a knee injury. We were
referred there by our pediatrician who said Berkeley Orthopedics has an
excellent reputation, that they treat the Cal athletes, and that (most
important perhaps) they take Alta Bates Medical Group. Dr. Mattson seemed
thorough--preliminary diagnosis followed by MRI to ensure that a possibly
worse situation had not occurred.
Cynthia (2001)
Re: Seeking knee specialist for 12-year-old (Feb 2003)
There is a great orhopeadic knee specialist named Dr. Ramiro Miranda, who
just recently did surgery on my husband. He removed the meniscus and
replaced his ACL. Very professional and caring, supposedly the best in our
area. He is with the Muir Orthapaidic Specialists group in Walnut Creek.
Phone #925-939-8585.
Hope this helps, Joan
Re: Seeking knee specialist for 12-year-old (Feb 2003)
After two very different experiences I would definitely not
recommend Berkeley Orthopedics but would highly recommend Muir
Orthopaedic Specialists. Unfortunately they are located in
Walnut Creek, but the time you will save not waiting in their
highly efficient, new, clean, caring facility you can spend
driving there. Dr. Tischenko is especially wonderful, and I also
have good experience with dr. Contreras. They are contracted
with most providers, their surgical center is state of the
arts,they will accomodate special requests (I didn't want a
general anesthesia and they worked with me to only have a local
for my foot surgery) their cast technician fantastic.
Their phone no is 925 939-8585, address 2405 Shadelands Drive,
Walnut Creek.Good luck!
Ksenija
Re: Looking for Acupuncturist for Plantar Fasciitis (June 2002)
I saw your posting for acupuncture for plantar fascitis. While I
did not seek acupuncture for my P.F. (which plagued me for
months after healing from a fracture in my foot), I luckily
found Dr. Mark Reiley from Berkeley Orthopaedic Medical Group
(510 845-3856). He has done some published research on P.F. and
is considered an expert on it. He ran me through a physical
therapy regime that concentrated on strengthening the muscles
above my foot/ankle/calf which contribute to the P.F. I have
maintained the exercises, and have never had a flare-up since. I
highly recommend him, as well as the Alta Bates Physical Therapy
group that helped me.
maya
Re: Seeking orthopedic surgeons who work on the neck (Oct 2002)
Dr. Slucky is supposed to be the best in Oakland.
Re: Seeking orthopedic surgeons who work on the neck (Oct 2002)
Dr. Slucky is an excellent orthopedist--great clinician and
bedside manner, and none-too-eager to do unnecessary surgery. A
lot of physicians are his patient
Lower Back Stuff
Re: Orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knees (April 2004)
I recently posted (March) a recommendation for Kevin Stone, MD -
- The Stone Clinic is located on Buchanan Street, across from
the Marina Safeway. Dr. Stone is a world-renowned knee
specialist, and either former/current doctor to the US ski team
as well as a host of other household name Olympic and
professional athletes, ballet dancers, entertainers and
politicians. People literally seek him out from all over the
world. He is a leading name in cartilage regeneration and ACL
research, too. He does not jump to the conclusion that surgery
is the best option, so it's nice to know that he's not always
recommending the knife (or arthroscopic needle, as it were).
He IS a huge proponent of hard work pre- and post-treatment and
I have a feeling that he works best with patients who have a
serious athlete's motivation to follow his recommended physical
therapy regimens. His office and PT staff are top-notch, but do
(for the PTs) have high expectations for the motivated and self-
initiating patient around prep and rehab. Dr. Stone doesn't
take insurance so may be cost-prohibitive, but since he's one
of the best around it seems worth it to at least meet him for a
consult and see if your philosophies and goals regarding
treatment and outcomes mesh. (415) 563-3110 and
www.stoneclinic.com
Former Patient
Re: Husband needs surgery on his meniscus (March 2004)
Kevin Stone of The Stone Clinic in SF is one of the best. He
is (or at least was) a doctor to the US Women's Ski Team and
has many professional and Olympic athletes, not to mention big
names from the entertainment industry and politics seek him out
because of his reputation. He is a world leader in the
research area of cartilage regeneration.
Dr. Stone is especially great with athletic types who are
interested (and REALLY motivated) to get back to where they
were pre-injury. He doesn't like to do surgery unless
necessary. He does expect a lot from his patients in terms of
prep and rehab, and probably ''clicks'' more with highly
motivated types who don't need to be coddled and will take
their rehab seriously with lots of self-initiative. He and his
staff of physical therapists can push you really hard in rehab
but they've achieved amazing results by focusing on proper
conditioning and prompt, intense rehab/hard work.
He doesn't take insurance, so his services can be cost-
prohibitive for some. But he has a world-class reputation and
people literally come from all over the world to see him. His
office is just across the street from the Marina Safeway in SF
on Buchanan -- number is (415) 563-3110.
Former Patient
Re: Husband needs surgery on his meniscus (March 2004)
I would recommend Dr. Kevin Stone of the Stone Clinic in the
Marina in San Francisco. My understanding is that he is the
best, or one of the best, around. His walls are filled with
pictures of very famous athletes thanking him for his
help/work. Very famous household-name athletes.
He is not in any insurance networks. I will be having surgery
with him in the near future. My feeling is that he is very,
very expensive. But I do not know this because I have not
compared him with other surgeons and maybe this surgery is just
very, very expensive. With my insurance I will probably be
paying out of pocket. I am choosing to do this because once you
have seen someone for your health who you perceive to be the
best it is really hard to go somewhere else.
His number - (415) 563 3110. You can also Google him and get
to the website for his clinic.
very satisfied thus far
Re: Orthopedic knee doctor under HealthNet (March 2003)
One of the best orthopedic surgeons for knees around is Dr.
Kevin Stone in the Marina in S.F. (415) 563 3110. He has worked
on many Olympic athletes, etc and has an MRI and x-ray right in
his clinic. I know you asked about a specific insurance - he
does not contract with any insurance companies, so it is always
out of network which of course may eliminate him from your
consideration. But I wanted to let you, and others, know about
him.
margo
Re: Husband needs surgery on his meniscus (March 2004)
My husand had an arthroscopic meniscus surgery done, about 2.5
years ago, by Dr. Cris Strotz, at Berkeley Orthopedics, who is a
knee specialist and was the Cal football or basketball knee guy
for years, as well as the women's athletics team doctor. The
surgery went great, and that knee is fine, although my husband,
who is quite active, gives it gets tough use.
Wendy
June 2004
Hello, I need knee surgery on my ACL and meniscus. I saw couple
of reviews on this site of Dr. Strotz. Does anyone have any
experience with him or have other recommedations? Please email
me with any comments or suggestions. Thanks.
I highly recommend Dr. Strotz (who gets the Cal Bears and other
famous athletes back in shape)!
After I got hit by a car in a ped xwalk a few years ago, both
my legs had various sorts of injuries, the worst one being a
torn ACL and inner lateral in my right knee. Dr. Strotz
recommended a very gentle, cautious approach to diagnosis and
healing that minimized necessary invasions and turned out to be
the best therapy for my injuries.
I was especially impressed that he as a knee surgeon (who could
have had much higher revenue from operating on me) actually
recommended holding off on surgery that other doctors (I got
another opinion from an orthopedist friend) might have pushed
for but that in retrospect wouldn't have given me better
chances of final range of motion nor quicker healing.
Dr. Strotz was always very professional, knowledgeable, patient
in explaining options and sharing his insight, yet caring and
understanding for my frustration with pain or slow progress.
(His office staff at the scheduling desk were a mixed bag, but
did improve after I commented on one wait time/staff attitude
problem I once observed.)
Overall, as I said, I do highly recommend Dr. Strotz!
Happily moving my knees again
2001
I had arthroscopic knee surgery with Dr. Strotz just last month. In a
nutshell,
I am now secretly in love with him. I was in pain for a year and a half before
the surgery, so the simple fact that he ended my pain is enough to make him a
mythic figure to me. But he was also extraordinarily patient about explaining
to me what he saw in my MRI, how my injury could and could not be repaired,
how the surgery would take place, and how the recovery would go. He was warm
(though he was not gooey), he was articulate (though he avoided surgeon-talk),
and he was, above all *right*, in the sense that his diagnosis and surgical
treatment went splendidly, went exactly as he said it would, and resulted in
what seems to me like miraculous recovery.
I also saw Dr Debenham for one post-surgery visit and thought he was probably
fine, but didn't have such an extensive experience with him as with Strotz.
Oh -- one more thing: I have some complicating medical conditions, so I had
to see a small committee of other specialists for pre-surgical consultations.
Every time I mentioned Dr Strotz's name, they offered approval; my
hematologist
(the other utterly brilliant dr I am secretly in love with) said, "Straight to
the top!" and told me Strotz "does the 49ers" and is very widely respected.
Sigh. I can't tell you what a joy it is to be able to bend my knee again....
July 2001
Dr. Strotz did my ACL repair (ski injury, natch) and I was very
happy with it. He is that practice's "knee guy"; that's all he does,
and he's totally up-to-date with what everyone's doing with knees
these days--not just surgically but with therapy as well. The
other thing that really impressed me was how well he
orchestrated post-surgical pain control (he did a nerve block the
day of surgery, then a home nurse gave me a shot of a
long-acting antiinflammatory the next day, then I went to oral
meds). BTW, my orthopedist friend told me there's no better
knee surgeon in the East Bay than he is.
Margery (2001)
Re: Seeking orthopedic surgeons who work on the neck (Oct 2002)
Dr. Donald Townsend, a pediatric
orthopedic surgeon to whom my HMO inexplicably sent me, was
extremely helpful and ordered the tests that another doctor wouldn't
do. Be persistent in your quest for health. Good luck.
nif
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