As a lifelong athlete, tearing my ACL has been one of the toughest recoveries I have ever gone through, but I am so glad to have Dr. Burnikel as my surgeon. His approach is both understanding and pragmatic. He was straightforward with the recovery procedures, and realistic in the time frame of my healing. Although it was not great to hear how long I would be out, it helped me to be careful and protect myself from re-injury. He was always happy to answer any questions I had; he did not just explain what needed to be done, but why it was that way. He was also good at communicating surgery protocol to my physical therapists. I would recommend Dr. Burnikel to any of my friends, and I am grateful for all that he has done to help me get back to what I love. read more

Requested my medical records and was told none were found, even though I was a patient. The doctor and scheduling were fine -- no issues there he explained things in a way that was easy to understand which I appreciate. The problem is getting your medical records. Almost every time I called, I didn't get a call back. I left countless voicemails and sent over 20 emails just to get any response. I called Dr. Burnikel's assistant so many times and they never once called me first. I spent way more time trying to get my records than they did actually sending them. Hours of calls, runarounds, and repeating myself over and over. Their staff was extremely disorganized and couldn't find my records. I was told they switched systems and no one knew how to access the old one. It wasn't until I put a complaint in writing that they finally got back to me. It took almost two months to receive my records. Horrible service when it comes to records. read more

I am a year out from my rotator cuff surgery with Dr Burnikel. He told me before we started. This is a fast surgery but a long recovery! He was not wrong! On every one of my visits I felt very well cared for by he and his assistant Mara. The office staff we're always very helpful. He released me today. If I ever have other Ortho issues in the future, I will definitely be seeking his care! read more

Well it appears that patient getting quality care here is a hit or miss, mine was of the latter. It seems all Dr. Burnikel cared about during my consultation was if I was suing the other party, writing down the wrong medical information told to him in office (after obtaining medical records, I learned everything was inaccurate) and it is amazing the couple minutes he spent belittling me, that he was able to hypothesize into medical notes. Luckily, I went to UCSD instead, I would suggest going elsewhere as it seems for "shoulder" injuries, he is not the best or experienced surgeon San Diego has to offer. Response to office manager - No patient should be treated the way this doctor treats patients and dismisses and belittled the serious pain/injury. There was a reason I never went back, I am happy to say I was FORTUNATE to not have to be treated by him. Never settle and thats what second opinions are for and covered by insurance. There needs to be better bedside manner and attitude towards patient care, no doctor should treat a patient the way I was treated or act like their time was wasted because you scheduled an appointment with them. read more

As a 1 yr patient of Dr Burnikel due to both a complete rotator cuff tear & absence of a meniscus in one knee, he's proven to be an exemplary surgeon to whom I give my absolute highest endorsement & put my complete trust in. The attached photo is 2 wks post-op arthroscopic repair of a complete tear of all 4 rotator cuff tendons plus internal bicep tendon repair. As a prIor patient, I requested Dr Burnikel because he is forthright, thorough, & takes the time to clearly explain all treatment options as well as answer all my questions. I knew exactly what to expect before, during & after surgery. I can honestly say any discomfort I've felt is minimal. Although I'm not ready for surgery on my knee, I appreciate Dr. Burnikel going the extra mile in providing me updated, realistic options to remain as pain-free as possible in the interim. Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid injections are successfully buying me the time I need, and the peace of mind that comes with being treated by such a knowledgeable professional, yet personable surgeon who actively listens to me is priceless. When the time comes for a complete knee replacement, I wouldn't entrust the surgery to anyone other than Dr Burnikel. Many thanks to him & his staff. read more

David J. Burnikel, M.D. - 2 wks post arthroscopic surgical repair of complete rotator cuff tear - Orthopedists Near Me - San Diego, California

I had total knee replacement surgery 4 years ago with Dr. Burnikel. The surgery went well and I had no problems. Waiting time in the office is typically less than 5 minutes.! I recently had total knee replacement surgery on my other knee. There were a few challenges and Dr. Burnikel was very attentive and concerned about my needs. I would highly recommend him. read more

I do not recommend this provider and his office. The office rarely answers the phone or made call backs to me. When I finally saw Dr. Burnikel he basically told me that even though my mri says I have torn rotator cuffs and a cyst in 1 shoulder (which the mri wasn't recent) there seemed to be no reason why I should be in pain every. Also that there are no signs of dislocation even though I did in the motorcycle accident and fully dislocated 3 times since then and went to er for it. I am a military spouse and I am letting you know don't waste your time here. Ask for a referral somewhere else. I got a 2nd opinion and 3 weeks later I started surgery. read more

I'm a full time athlete that came in for a knee injury. After explaining my symptoms, Dr. Burnikel told me he didn't see anything clearly wrong, and basically dismissed my issue, which is fine as I'm there for his professional advice. He then asked me if "he could put my mind at ease for anything else Dr. Google might have told me", which was completely off-putting and patronizing to my problem. I asked him if I could please have an MRI referral as piece of mind that nothing is truly wrong with my knee. I ended up paying for an MRI (my insurance is pretty slow, and I had a friend that offered to help) and it showed that I had a completely torn bicep femoris tendon, a torn LCL, a sprained ACL, and a bone contusion. How he could miss all of that in my visit is unsettling to me, and immediately turned me off to his expert opinion. I reluctantly scheduled a follow-up appointment, and it was cancelled by his office with no explanation the day I was supposed to go in to see him. I'm now seeing another Orthopedic and am finally on the road to recovery. I'm sure the man has done great work for others in his career, but I personally had a bad experience that made me reluctant to go further with him as my Ortho, let alone do anything surgical when my career depends on a healthy knee. read more

I had my left knee replaced by Dr. David Burnikel on June 10, 1019 and he did a wonderful job, the surgery went really good. It has been 3 months since I had it done and I am walking like new again, with no walker or cane. I did my PT like he told me to, went to alpine Physical Therapy and they were also very good. I feel great and highly recommend Dr. Burnikel. Sue Pimentel read more

I've met with Dr. Burnikel three times for a grade 3 right medial meniscus tear. I went in hesitant because I read one bad review. He was very straightforward with me. I really appreciated his no-nonsense approach. Seeing Dr. Burnikel was a second opinion because the first Ortho told me to pick a Friday to do a meniscectomy. After doing my research I came to get a second opinion. Unlike the first surgeon, I was happy Dr. Burnikel actually manually examined my knee instead of just looking at my MRI. He then explained to me my options. He had me come back in 6 weeks. I liked his approach to allowing my body heal. On my second 6 week visit he told me to start testing the knee and see if I could live with the tear. That lead to more healing and I started playing a little volleyball again. On my third visit I thought he might be impatient with me but to my surprise he was willing to go even further and take weight bearing x-rays and then answer all my questions Ina very warm and knowledgeable but not a know it all way. He seemed very up to par with outside healing options even suggesting a few to try before opting for surgery (PRP). He then explained to me every scenario and allowed me to decide the course I wanted to go. In my case I've opted for another MRI (6 months post tear) and then to see Dr. Burnikel for a final evaluation. At this point I feel very confident that whatever path I take I have a partner who happens to be an orthopedic walking the road with me. Couldn't be happier with Dr. Burnikel. Ps. My background is kinesiology, exercise science and I'm a personal trainer, yoga instructor and extremely active and knowledgeable in all areas on the body - especially the knee anatomy and physiology. At some point one must feel confident and trust their next decision. And whatever that decision is I trust Dr. Burnikel to help me back to optimal knee health and function!! read more

The most ridiculous front office I have worked with in many years. Referral from the VA due to distance from hospital. Reception can't seem to get it right. They then called the VA and said they had not been able to communicate with me, which was an absolute falsehood. Reception, (Chelsey) insisted that the doctor could not see me without a copy of the MRI CD which they didn't' order. I would have to travel 100 miles to auth the release of the CD in person, and I explained that's why they got the consult. He did have a copy of the MRI report. I told them to cancel the followups and I would start the process over with another office. There is no shortage of Sports Medicine in SD. If you are injured, don't waste your time here. Oh, BTW this was for a second Cort shot, not rocket science. They seem to be after the office visit fees. read more

I don't usually write reviews about doctors but this doctor really damaged my knee he gave me a gel injection in the wrong place. The sonogram showed later with the other orthopedic specialist that the needle Dr Burnikel used gouged the bone and damaged my knee for a year. I'm frequently in pain and walk with difficultly. He never apologized. He didn't take Xrays to investigate the cause of my pain. I'm glad he didn't do surgery otherwise I might be completely disabled. read more

I had arthroscopic shoulder surgery 2 months ago with Dr. Burnikel. The process was seamless! From the front office to the back they made the entire appointment process easy with x-rays, mri, insurance authorizations, scheduling surgery, etc. Every encounter with the staff at this office has been great! Dr. Burnikel is a really, really good surgeon. He was spot on with my diagnosis and I am so glad I had surgery. I am still healing and going through physical therapy but expect to be fully recovered and pain free in the near future. If you're looking for a good shoulder specialist, this is your man. read more

Quack doctor. I was in the Emergency room a few days ago. I broke my ankle. I was referred to this ortho doctor. I made an appointment for today. Even though I have Medi-care they said I need $185.00 cash today before the doctor will see me. I explained I had $50.00 towards the copay but they said either pay up or take a hike. I asked what was I supposed to do about my broken ankle? They said we don't know what to tell you. Would you want a doctor whose only concern was MONEY? read more

(Copied from my Google review) My review is for Dr. Burnikel, I followed him to SD Sports Medicine from his previous location. Dr. Burnikel is a ROCK STAR!! I broke my ankle very badly in an accident last fall, and Dr Burnikel put it back together. I've carried pictures of my xrays and showed them to other doctors, physical therapists, and generally anyone who wants to see them. Everyone comments on what great work he did. Better yet I'm functioning normally just a few months later, and believe me it was a BAD break (well two breaks). Best of all, I've had VERY little pain. I mean we're talking almost zero. I haven't even had to take a Tylenol since just a few days after surgery! Thank you SO MUCH Dr. Burnikel!! read more

Dr. David J Burnikel is great and we would highly recommend him to everyone! My mother in law had surgery on her shoulder a few weeks ago and he did a great job. My mother in law felt super comfortable with him going into surgery and he was very attentive afterwards. He called us to make sure we picked up the medication she needed and he personally followed up with her the next day. He's and amazing doctor! read more