Dr. Hetzler saved my Son today. He's Amazing! My son was in terrible misery dealing with an abscess on his tonsil. Dr. Hetzler was so caring , kind, patient , compassionate and extremely detailed and thorough. After 9 days of of feeling awful my son was able to break a smile tonight and he said "Mom, I can't believe it but I'm already starting to feel a bit better". My heart was so happy for him. We are so grateful for Dr. Hetzler, he is extremely skilled, talented and so so nice ! What a great guy! We were super lucky to have him today ! read more

I don't know why he gets good reviews or most doctors with PAMF these days. If you have an emergency you shouldn't have to wait 6 months for an appt. And to be told to get a referral from your PCP or Urgent Care is not acceptable. Today I had a serious hearing problem and this is what i was told. Not acceptable. read more

Dr. Hetzler is incredible for his technique in his pioneering method of surgically microchipping out auditory canal extoses (boney growths that are the result of cold water exposure over time), ie., common in surfers. I grew up in Southern Califirnia, as a competitive swimmer, beginning in the 1950's, training in cold water pools before they were commonly heated. It was finally in college that I could swim in heated pools, but by then I was also an Ocean Lifeguard for 7 years during college and shortly after. Spending many years surfing during this period of time, along with the prior years of swim training wiyh cold water exposures, I experienced significant "Surfers Ear" which by now blocked 70% of my left ear canal, and 80% of my Right ear canal. Because of the east canal blockages, I experienced so many rear infections from water not normally draining from my ear canals after water activities, that I ended up with severe scarring of the Tympanic Membranes (ear drums), impacting my hearing acuity and hearing loss. By the time I reached 70 years old, I had lost significant hearing in both ears, but could not use hearing aids because of the extoses growths. I needed extoses surgery. Typical extoses removal surgery basically cuts along the back of the outer ear near the hairline, folding the outer ear flap forward towards your face. Then the surgeon drills into your scull behind each extose growth and drills it out from behind. By appearances, this is a severe surgery that I did not want to take. I have a PhD in Physiology, and had been in Clinical Cardiac Medicine for 40 years. I had heard of the ground breaking surgery technique that Dr. Hetzler had invented, devising special micro chisels to chip off layers of each extose growth, from within the ear canal itself, a time consuming 3.5 to 4 hour surgery for both ears. I was able to make an appointment for surgery for both ear canals. It has been 5 years since the surgery. The surgery changed my life. It had been a very successful journey from Seattle. making the trip to Santa Cruz with Dr. Hetzler. I now am able to wear hearing aids, but still with ompairment from thr Tympanic scarring. Also, I live on Lake Washington here in the Seattle area, and am now protecting my ears from the cold with ear plugs while wake boarding, swimming and during water activities in the cold water lake. My experience with Dr. Hetzler and his team was nothing but outstanding, from initial acceptance, to the surgery center itself, to the clinic and surgery center Medical Staff; it was all very professional. My experience with the actual surgery, and the followup appointments, was excellent. Having been in many clinical medicine settings, I was able to evaluate my experience with Dr. Hetzler not only from a professional medical perspective, but from a patient perspective, which is rare. David L Parker PhD read more

Dr. Hetzler is a world class doctor for those suffering from surfers ear. He has tons of experience with the best technique that he developed. I had both ears done recently and I feel really good in only a few weeks. He was professional And has excellent responsiveness And has good people skills - listening/makes you feel at ease. Best surgeon I have deal with and I have had quite a few surf/rugby related surgeries. read more

Very knowledgeable and good bedside manner. He is passionate and keeps up to date on his practice.

Had my bilateral surfers ear surgery on Dec 4 2020. I flew in from out of town and they scheduled my pre-op the day before at 5PM. Hetzler spent an hour answering all of my questions and giving great tips for ear care. For instance getting a small ear camera. Surgery took around 3 hrs, woke up and other than barely able to hear anything, felt great. Other than an advil, never needed anything after the first day. Pain was almost none existent. Be prepared to not hear much the first week, but after getting the blood clots pulled out, BOOM, a whole new world. Healing took about two weeks and I got back into the ocean after 4 weeks just to be sure. I wish every surgery was this effortless and Hetzler is the best. Highly recommended. read more

Sheer GENIUS! I Just returned from surfer's ear surgery this morning. I have zero pain or discomfort. Minimal drainage. The Santa Cruz surgery Center is incredible. The staff is so helpful and informative. They made my short stay perfect. On to Dr Hetzler. He is a magician. His knowledge and professionalism is amazing. He used his 'micro chisels' to open my ears (98% closure). It was seamless. He is clearly an expert in this procedure. I would HIGHLY recommend Dr Hetzler to anyone considering having the 'surfer's ear' operation. read more

Surfer's Ear surgery. Amazing. I canceled surgery at the Stanford Medical Center 24 hours before I was to have it, because last minute I heard from a few different sources that I really should see Dr. Hetzler. I stayed up all night researching, freaking out, hesitant. Dr. Hetzler himself called me to assess the last minute decision, which was unreal anyway these days. I canceled Stanford, though I respect the surgeon, as he was going to slice the back of my ear for access to the ear canal, and use a drill. With Dr. Hetzler, at about 90+% closure in my left ear, it was so non-invasive, over in a few minutes (relatively speaking), and we threw in the right ear too because it was headed toward total blockage. It has been two weeks and I am ready for everything. I gave him a big hug. He was so thorough with me that I almost felt undeserving. He has passion for this, he custom designed his micro-chisels... He is the Man. Sorry to hear about the guy who thinks he sucks. Hmmm, non sequitur. read more

I went to Dr. Hetzler for my surfer's ear procedure. The experience was a very good one and Doug is the best. Three weeks after the procedure, he gave me the go ahead to get out in the ocean again. I was a little anxious before the procedure but I can honestly say there was no need to be. He is great at explaining things to you as well as answering any questions you may have. Everyone involved in the process from staff, nurses, etc. were also the best. Anyone that has surfer's ear should definitely go to Dr. Hetzler. read more

Surfer's Ear is no fun - and the thought of getting your ears drilled is very scary. Most people put off the inevitable surgery, and just stop surfing. Which is what I did, for several years. Dr. Hetzler uses a no drill technique which he has fine tuned to a point that there's virtually no pain - the healing is straightforward, fast and free of complications. I didn't even need a motrin after this surgery. I flew up to Santa Cruz from out of town for the surgery, and it was a small price to pay. Thank you for the great result Dr. Hetzler, and the Santa Cruz surgery center! read more

I hope that you read my review before you decide to have surgery with Dr. Hetzler. Please also read some of the reviews at the bottom that Yelp deems 'not currently recommended'. Dr. Hetzler may be a pioneer in the surgery of surfers ear. He may be the best to do this surgery. But he is also completely dishonest and not the most knowledgeable Dr. overall. In my opinion he is a 'one trick pony' I will explain why. In my informed consent Dr. Hetzler noted the risks involved with the surgery. But, he claimed, in thousands of surgeries he's never had an issue. This is not true. Read the other reviews and my testimony. I had surgery in both ears for surfers ear. I was on the fence about getting the surgery, was my condition really that bad to take the risk? But based on Hetzlers supposed 100% track record I felt the benefit outweighed the risk. The surgery went fine, but after the surgery I lost about 50% of the hearing in one ear. Now note I had a hearing test right before the surgery and in the weeks after. Significant and measurable hearing loss. In several subsequent visits with Hetzler he put forward the theory that I had 'sudden onset hearing loss' which would have nothing to do with the surgery. But the hearing loss started immediately from the moment I woke from the surgery. We talked about all the other things it could be. No, it must be sudden onset hearing loss. I followed up with Dr. Jennifer Maw (she is excellent), an ear specialist in Santa Clara. She immediately diagnosed and confirmed with CT and MRI that I had Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCD). This is when the skull bone separating the ear chambers from the brain cracks open. Symptoms can be quite severe, so in this case I feel lucky, but there is nothing to be done for it. She asked me several times if I had a 'blow to the head' as this is what generally triggers it. The only blow to the head I had was from Hetzlers chisel. I read that about 3% of the population is at risk for this condition, that is, the bone is thinner for them. How come Dr. Hetzler doesn't know about this? How come he doesn't mention this risk to his patients? How come he doesn't screen for this susceptibility before doing the surgery? Sure, if he had never had any issues in any surgeries that would make sense. But I know there are other people out there who have had the same thing happen to them. Just read his reviews. Dr. Hetzler has never followed up with me since then and I am sure he won't mention my case to you when he claims 100% success rate. I thought to sue Dr. Hetzler. Not because I lost hearing, but because he lied to me and that made me so angry. But there is not much of a case. I had signed informed consent and most lawyers didn't see it as a big money maker for them. If surfers ear is keeping you out of the water, the surgery is definitely worth the risk. But please know what you are getting into with Dr. Hetzler. He lies, he doesn't follow up, and he is not the most knowledgeable about ear issues. read more

Dr. Hetzler ranks in one of my top 5 worst physician experiences ever. I went to him experiencing dizziness and other problems with my ears. Hetzler was dismissive of my concerns. He brushed off the three previous diagnosis I had received from three different general practitioners. He looked in my ears and did two very simple manual tests. He then proceeded to ask me if I had heard of a particular disease, then suggested I probably had that disease and then told me after I questioned the symptoms of the disease against mine that it probably wasn't that disease. He then told me to take baby aspirin and that I knew where to find him if it got worse. I left feeling unheard, uncared for and uncertain about this maybe diagnosis. I ended up going to EARS in San Jose where Dr Dear spent over an hour going through my symptoms, medical history and did a battery if manual tests. That was the first visit. He scheduled several other tests to rule out or assist in a proper diagnosis. And then took the final step of scheduling an MRI to rule out a tumor. Dr Hetzler did NOTHING in terms of investigative medicine. He was lazy and most certainly not interested in finding out what was really going on. read more

Dr Hetzler just did my ears (surfers ear surgery) I did a lot of research on this surgery and was very nervous about the whole thing from anesthesia to post op pain. Day three and so far haven't needed more than Motrin. He is amazing and very kind. Well worth the 5 hour drive to Santa Cruz. read more

Dr Hetzler performed surfers ear surgery on both of my ears, and I got through the surgery and healing with little pain (did not even take ibuprofen) and no ear complications. Only issue I had was nausea after the surgery because of the anesthesia. If you get nauseous easily, ask about nausea meds before surgery. I wish I would have inquired about a nausea patch before surgery. As far as Dr Hetzler, I have nothing but positive things to say about him. He was thorough, patient, and kind. I felt confident in him from the first time I met him and he did not let me down! My ears are now healed and ready for the water! I recommend him and his chisel technique. He really did seem to be the Kelly Slater of ear surgery! read more

Dr Hetzler is the kind of doctor I want for all of my medical needs, he's professional, intelligent, and competent. I trust his expertise and advice. read more

I flew from Philadelphia to be treated by Dr Hetzler. On the East Coast Surfer's Ear Surgery is an invasive process. Dr Hetzler's process is less invasive with a much faster recovery time. I had the surgery last week and was fully recovered within 3 days. Dr Hetzler is extremely professional, spent a great deal of time explaining the process to my wife and I. I just wish a had doctors like Dr Hetzler to handle all my medical issues. read more

We initially had a really hard time trying to get ahold of Hetzler's staff to book an elective Surfer's Ear surgery for my husband. However, after finally getting my husband's profile in order, we were able to book, cancel, re-book, cancel and re-book our appointment with Dr. Hetzler's team several times with ease (COVID19). Donna, Dr. Hetzler's nurse was incredibly helpful and diligent with us throughout the process. We live in Orange County, CA so getting up to Santa Cruz took a little extra planning and coordination, all of which Donna was able to offer great support. We made it to Santa Cruz without issue however, we arrived the weekend the CZU Lightning Complex fires were decimating the area. We actually got evacuated from our hotel while we were having our initial meet & greet with Dr. Hetzler! Dr. Hetzler was so kind, thoughtful and even called to check in on us several times to make sure we were safe and had a new accommodation. My husband had his surgery on a Friday and we spent the weekend in Monterey. The drive is about 35-40 mins to the surgery center from Monterey, which is a straight forward, easy drive. The surgery lasted about 1hr, during which, I had to wait in the car due to COVID, but everything went smoothly. We had one follow up appointment with Hetzler the Monday following surgery. Hetzler confirmed that all looked well and was healing appropriately. He took out a few blood clots, which is typical, and we headed home. My husband had two more follow up appointments back down in Orange County, and the doctor here was extremely impressed with Hetzler's work and technique - he even asked my husband if he could review the paperwork more closely because he was so surprised at how well the healing process was going, with zero damage to my husband's ear structure. If you're having your follow up appointments outside of Santa Cruz, Hetzler's team provides detailed paperwork for you to give your local doctor. The documents explain the surgery, Hetzler's technique, what the healing should look like, etc. As for healing, my husband had to avoid water in his ears and switch out cotton swabs with Aquaphor for about a week which was totally manageable - that's it! Overall, my husband is so glad he chose to have the surgery done with Hetzler. It was easy, painless and extremely efficient - even when living outside the Santa Cruz area. 10/10 would recommend Hetzler and his technique if you or a loved one need Surfer's Ear Surgery! read more

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Hetzler. He performed a tonsillectomy and removed my sons adenoids. Initial appointments were timely and he took his time with my son and explaining our options. My son is only 4.5, so I had to weigh all of our options. The same day my son had the procedure, he slept without any bouts of apnea, no snoring and nice streams of breath. I'm so grateful to have found Dr. Hetzler. He's extremely competent, kind and a master at his work. read more

I'm deaf in my right ear from birth and both my ears are 90+% blocked w surfers ear. My ENT in Albany NY tells me just let's manage it, the lack of draining, the lack of hearing as he would not want to risk making me deaf. I found Dr. Hetzler online and soon realized he's an amazing pioneer with a newer method minimally invasively. I flew to Santa Cruz and met him. He is kind, thorough, detail oriented and he's training drs.around the world to do this chisel method going in from the front of the ear vs using a drill from behind the ear, cutting the ear away from your head. He told me "why would your hearing be jeopardized by this procedure?" Dr.Hetzler is a pro and never saw this as an obstacle. I knew then and there, he was my choice for this surgery. From pre-op to post-op, the professionalism, attention to detail and Dr. Hetzler's overall approach was reassuring. Today, my ears are wide open and I hear SO much more, so much louder! I am forever grateful to have found this Dr. And for the amazing work he does. His passion is his patients. The only choice for fixing surfers ear is from inside the ear w a chisel. Day 1 little pain, Day 2 no pain. I flew home to the Adirondacks of NY the morning after surgery. Do not be afraid. Go to Dr. Hetzler. read more

My ear canals were 95% closed with the exostosis. Had Dr Hetzler do the surgery and am very pleased with the results. It is a full anesthesia out patient surgery so your in and out of surgery center in a few hours also Dr Hetzler has done over 2000 of these surgeries using his custom made 1mm chisel instead of a drill. Dr Hetzler is was booked two months out just to get him to look at my ears to get a surgical date then took two more months to get the surgery. So if you are thinking of getting surgery do not procrastinate. My surgery took 4 hours for both ears. The first 24 hours I had ear pain level 7 out of ten and a bloody drainage. Day 2 headache and pain went to a 5 pain still had drainage and day 3 about the same. Then around day 5 I was feeling not much pain and the drainage stopped. Now i am on day 14 and went to the doctor today and my ears are almost healed inside. Should be able to be back in the water in two weeks for a total of one month recovery! One thing I want to mention to whom suffer from exostosis is that the exostosis in my ear canals were giving me vertigo sometimes and something just did not feel right physically and after I had the exostosis removed I felt so relieved. No more ear infections and worrying about getting water in my ear since I now have new open unrestricted ear canals that drain water instead of trapping water . If you get the surgery you will see what I mean. Dr Hetzler and the Santa Cruz surgery center staff were amazing! I highly recommend and without a doubt would say do not go anywhere else for a exostosis surgery Dr Hetzler rocks. Where your ear plugs! read more