I saw Dr. DiFelice (HSS) in Paramus NJ. From the moment I was greeted upon entering the facility to the end of my appointment was great! Dr. DiFelice and his staff were welcoming, friendly, all smiling & great senses of humor. I was told I needed ACL surgery. Because I am allergic to metal, I needed to find a surgeon who used other materials other than metal, and I found him through OSSIOfiber. It technically was a 2nd opinion and boy was I lucky to have gotten this opportunity. I was relieved to find my ACL did not need surgery. You could imagine my confusion. Dr. D walked me through my MRI as well as provided a thorough exam while he explained in detail what he found. I still have knee issues but I don't need surgery at this time. I highly recommend HSS, this facility and Dr. DiFelice! read more

Dr DiFelice performed a total hip replacement on my left hip 5/17. It is 5/29 and I am able to walk without a cane with very little pain, aside from my muscle healing. I believe that initially, about 2 years ago, I did have to wait for my first appointment, but nothing out of the ordinary for a NYC doctor. They took an x-ray and the doctor was able to show me the thinning cartilage, and said I would need a total hip replacement in the near future. Not what anyone wants to hear. He is not warm and fuzzy, but I feel he did take time to answer my questions at every visit, and gave me practical advice on what to expect, he told me that if my quality of life was going downhill, that was when it was time for surgery.. I opted to wait on surgery, getting a steroid shot then, and again a year later. Did they help-- don't really know as my pain was intermittent at the time. Remember, you need to advocate for yourself, so come prepared with questions, and always get a second opinion. I went to NYU for my second opinion and with the diagnosis from Dr DiFelice I was able to research and ask about alternatives...like stem cell and PRP, the NYU doctor told me he tried them all, they aren't ready yet, but he echoed what Dr DiFelice said about life quality. My experiences with his care team, Sabrina and Yashira have been pleasant and professional, always receiving a reply within 2 days-again to be expected in NYC, at the best hospital for orthopedic surgery. The X-ray techs, his nurses--all pleasant, friendly and professional. One nurse in particular--I want to say her name was Grace--held my hand and kept me calm for my first steroid shot. My surgery date did get moved a week later, which I was not happy about as I had to change my sister's flight which did cost money-but what can you do. There are some policies in place at HSS, that seem like a money grab, but that's not on the Doctor. You have to have your pre-op screening with an HSS doctor--which charged my insurance upwards of $700-my PCP visit is only $300...so things like that add up quickly, in terms of your out-of-pocket costs. Had my surgery Friday morning was home by 5 the same day. You are v loopy and feeling no pain that day, but you 100% need someone with you that first week. You don't realize how many things you will need help with-everything! My sister stayed 10 days and that was perfect. Do get yourself the raised toilet seat and I did rent the NICE compression and cooling machine for2 weeks. IMO it is worth the $370. I used it not only on my hip, but managed to wrap my lower leg as well when it started to swell. You will not be able to put socks on, or bend down. It will be hard to get comfortable--I ordered a 6" piece of foam from Walmart, which really helped with being able to sit on my sofa--father pillows were not cutting it. The good news is that around day 5 you turn a corner, the pain is less, you're not as stiff and you feel a lot better. At 12 days, walking without a cane, PT is going well. Just don't overdo it. I do PT and home exercises-while watching TV. I take a walk outside every day. You really need 3 months to get that replacement sealed in. Overall I am v happy with my results, and the care I received from Dr DiFelice and his staff. He is an excellent surgeon, and I plan to use him for my right hip as well. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. read more

Save yourself the disappointment with this guy. One star too many! I traveled 4 hours to see this DR and met an unprofessional very negative guy. If your an athlete this guy will sideline you. If he was once a good surgeon I'm not sure what has happened to him.... My experience with HSS was great but he tainted the entire experience. I've since discussed my shoulder issues with a DR at Upstate Medical and wow what a stark contrast. You don't get many chances to remain an athlete so be careful on who you allow yourself to work with. read more

This guy was informative but to be honest, I'm afraid of going under his care. Only because his energy was very negative. He was behaving like I was only there just to inconvenience him. He kept yawning and blamed it on his children. Ok fine. Then he basically was cold and very arrogant. Like he didn't want to be there. I even got a racist vibe from the man, but of course, that part is hard to prove. It was just the energy I was getting from him. Anyway, you have to wonder what kind of care you would get from him, if his attitude is this bad for a new potential patient. Someone recommended this guy so I was totally surprised by the attitude I received. Just giving an honest opinion read more

First, I would direct you to HSS's website which has a lot more reviews than Yelp. https://backinthegame.hss.edu/search/?q=difelice I tore my ACL playing Ice Hockey in Nov 2016. I lead an active lifestyle and I wanted to make sure my ACL was repaired properly. After doing some research, I concluded that going to a center that does a high volume of ACL surgeries was important, but this was not available in my home country. A doctor friend of mine recommend HSS since it specializes in orthopedics. On HSS's website, I read about Dr. DiFelice's innovative work in ACL preservation surgery in which he reattaches your ACL back onto the bone. The combination of not needing to harvest my patella tendon/hamstring for ACL reconstruction (longer rehab time), and not having to use cadaver tissue (which has a high failure rate) convinced me to choose Dr. DiFelice's ACL preservation method. I live in Asia so I had to overcome some hurdles to have the surgery in New York. My MRIs were done in my home country and emailed to Dr. DiFelice's office. I also had to schedule the initial consultation at the beginning of the week and the surgery later in the week. And I could not fly for a week after the surgery. HSS's International Center helped me coordinate a lot of these logistics. Another concern was that I tore my ACL in November and I could not do the surgery until January. Fortunately my (detached) ACL was still in good condition to do the reconstruction despite the two month delay. Dr. DiFelice and his team did an excellent job with my operation. My recovery time was very short. I have continued to play ice hockey and ski. I have no issues with proprioception or muscle strength or any "catching" within the joint. I lift heavy squats and deadlifts with no problem (~300lbs). I actually play ice hockey at a higher level now than before my ACL surgery due to a new found interest in training! I have no doubt this was the right choice for me and I would do it again. I hope more patients (including athletes) discover this option for the ACL surgery. read more

I haven't been able to see him because it was absolutely imposible to get an appt, his office manager make every step imposible, first she said she doesn't take my insurance, after I verified he does, them he won't see me unless I have an X-ray report from a previous doctor, I told her I was willing to get new xrays, no ..you need to have a previous report, because he has to see it to determine if he can see you, them the report has to be send thru a fax, which I don't have, she won't take emails, you will think that with everything we, humanity are going thru , doctors and people in general will have more emphatic, I felt I was calling for a manicure ..,no customer service or compassion for people in pain at all read more

Saw this doctor a couple years ago. He has the worst bedside manners I have ever experienced. He is rude with his comments and has a superior attitude about himself. I had a torn meniscus which he treated with cortisone and gel injections. Cortisone was good for about 2 weeks and the gel injections did nothing. He basically spends about 5 minutes with you. He comes in, gives you an injection says about 2 words and he's gone. After my 3rd set of injections with no results I left this doctor. I never felt good about seeing him and he became a waste of my time. Do your self a favor if you go to HSS...see someone else. read more

I learned everything I needed to know about Dr. Gregory S. DiFelice when he recently called on a Sunday evening. I had forwarded his office CDs with MRI imaging of my son's torn ACL ligament, as well as the radiology reports. I had done a lot of research on Dr. DiFelice, and was hoping he might be able to offer my son a less invasive repair of his ACL versus a complete reconstruction. A little background... my daughter is a collegiate volleyball player who had an ACL reconstruction 4 years ago. I am well aware (unfortunately) of the long term post-op complications related to ACL reconstruction. We had recently attempted stem cell therapy on my son's knee, in hopes of him avoiding a reconstructive surgery. It was a COMPLETE waste time and $12,000. My son endured painful stem cell therapy, 8 weeks of Physical Therapy and STILL needs an ACL repair. The stem cell clinic in Broomfield, Co, in my opinion, completely misrepresented the potential success/outcome of the stem cell therapy. I truly believe the clinicians at that clinic preyed upon our hope of avoiding surgery for our 17 year old son. Lesson learned. Dr. DeFelice was kind enough to explain to me why my son WOULD NOT be a good candidate for the ACL repair technique he utilizes, and recommended an ACL reconstruction, based on what he saw on the imaging. I was extremely grateful for his honesty. I shared with the doctor that I have worked in the OR as a surgical rep for over 20 years. Because of my clinical knowledge, he went on to explain in great detail why an ACL reconstruction was the only suitable option for my son. Everything he said made complete sense. I only wish I had found him earlier. He would have saved my son from receiving a failed stem cell therapy, and would have saved me 12k. Due to Dr. Di Felice's expertise in ACL repair, I was willing to fly with my son from Arizona to NYC to achieve a clinically superior outcome. His reputation as an orthopedic surgeon is clearly outstanding. In our phone conversation, he proved that his character is outstanding as well. Thank you, again, Dr. DiFelice. read more

Dr. DiFelice is absolutely incredible. Ten days before my wedding day, I completely tore my chest. He got me into surgery as quickly as possible and made it so that I could dance with my beautiful wife on our wedding day. He showed caring and tremendous expertise. My chest was in two pieces and looked destroyed after my injury. There were other surgeons who said that my injury could not be fixed and that I would have to deal with a divot and a lack of power in my chest. Not only did he masterfully resculpt my chest but he repaired it so that the functionality is back to the way it was prior to injury. I am a former division 1 football player and working out is my main hobby. I care about the way my chest looks and functions and Dr. DiFelice made it so that I feel as good as ever. One week after surgery, I was dancing with my wife on our wedding day. Week two after surgery, I was on my honey moon and enjoying it pain free. One month after surgery, I was doing pushups. Three months after surgery, I was back in the gym full force. It is now about one year after surgery and I almost forget I had it. My chest looks and feels great. Thank you again, Dr. DiFelice! read more

Dr. DiFelice is a top quality doctor, and surgeon, with an excellent staff. Everyone in the office has been great and made this process so easy for me. I went to Dr. DiFelice with a torn acl and meniscus. I had an acl surgery on my other knee years before using my patella tendon so I expected a similar process. Dr. DiFelice informed me of an acl REPAIR surgery that he prefers to do if conditions allow and gave me a few presentations to look at. I was impressed at the benefits this surgery offered. Most of all I liked keeping the original ligament, and in it's original natural position. As an athlete, I wanted the strongest option and Dr. DiFelice understood my concern. He showed me cases of athletes returning to sports with years of continued success. I agreed to the procedure. I've had 2 surgeries before this one. By far this was the easiest surgery and with zero pain. Went to sleep and woke up in the recovery room. Besides a little reasonable discomfort, it was the most painless procedure I've ever had. Post surgery I didn't take a single pain killer. Didn't need it. This part might not appeal to everyone, but I really appreciated getting pictures from the doctor of inside my knee taken during the surgery to be able to see exactly how the ligaments and meniscus looked before and after the procedure. As a craftsman, I can appreciate the neatness of the work done. After months of PT and strength training, I can appreciate the integrity of the job. Today I have my full range of motion back and strength returned. I enjoy being able to walk around day to day with stability and without pain. I'm being conservative about returning to contact sports, but I plan to do that soon enough. Grateful to Dr. DiFelice and his staff. read more

I saw Dr. DI FELICE today and very much echo the sentiments of the other reviewer. The procedures they have in place and the doctor himself left much to be desired. Major problems: 1) You cannot see a doctor for more than one problem. If you have two or three issues you'll need to make two or three appointments. This makes no sense to me. 2) The receptionist decides whether you need an X-ray when you make an appointment - it is performed when you get there before you speak or see a doctor. In my case, and I imagine in many others, it was useless because it was determined that I needed an MRI. In fact, I couldn't help but hear a conversation that the doctor had with another patient who was in a room next to mine, he was also told that he needed an MRI after taking X-rays. 3) Wait time for this appointment was 1:20. Time spent with the PA was 5 minutes, TIME SPENT WITH DR. DiFELICE WAS 2 MINUTES. Oh, did I mention that they don't even have an MRI machine? Poetic. Do yourself a favor and find a doctor/facility who actually cares about your health and not just about your wallet. read more

I'm surprised by the two poor reviews because I had the exact OPPOSITE experience of the other reviewers. Dr. DiFelice repaired my 14 year old daughter's ACL in December 2015. He used a revolutionary new procedure that allowed my daughter to return to competitive cheer only a few short months after surgery (compared to over one year with the traditional surgery!) Dr. DiFelice was polite, professional, and very friendly. He took the time to explain everything to not only me, but to my daughter as well. His staff was very courteous and professional, and I didn't have any issues with scheduling appointments. I've since referred several of my friends to him for procedures, and they've all had great experiences! I highly recommend Dr. DiFelice, especially for ACL repair surgery! He's top notch! read more

I am very grateful to Dr. Difelice for his excellent care towards me after my accident in Oct. of 2017. I tore my ACL, PCL and MCL and did other damage to my knee. At the time I lived in upstate NY and could not find a doctor there that would do anything for me (in 2 weeks I was passed down through 3 doctors). They said this is too extensive so we cannot do anything for you, put me in a restricting brace and sent me home. A friend recommended I contact the Hospital for Special Surgery, I did and they gave me several doctors to choose from, Dr. DiFelice specializes in multiple ligament tear repair surgery (his own technique), I contacted his office, upon seeing my MRI report they immediately scheduled me an appt. and possible surgery to follow. Upon examining my injury, it had become filled with fluid due to the time period and improper care since the accident so immediate surgery was not an option any longer, if I had known to go directly to HSS, my knee could have been repaired immediately but now I had to embark on 6 months of physical therapy and waiting for the swelling of the knee to dissipate before he could repair the ligaments. My surgery was in June of 2018 and I continued with followup care with Dr. DiFelice until Nov. 2019. My experience at HSS for surgery was excellent and Dr. DiFelice repaired everything for me, I found Dr. DiFelice to be personable, knowledgable and confident during my entire care for 2 years. I was so relieved to have a skilled physician on my side. His office staff was always kind and helpful to me, they are reachable by phone and know who you are. I was always given in depth detailed information of my condition and the MRI's were shown and explained to me before and after surgery. I couldn't have asked for a better experience except to have gotten to him sooner. read more

I separated my shoulder about 5 years prior to the surgery and put it back into its socket myself. I went to the doctor (not Dr. DeFelice, but keep reading) soon after, but the x-rays came up negative and the doctor at the time told me it was a "boo-boo" and to rest it for about 3 weeks before getting back into sports and the gym. After listening to his advice I did exactly that and got back into lifting weights and playing basketball. Over time my shoulder began to really hurt in the gym and would separate playing sports and when I lifted. Being the stubborn person I am, I continued to put the shoulder back and was embarassed to go back to the doctor for a "boo-boo," so I dealt with the pain. In the spring and summer of 2016 my shoulder was so bad that it was coming out of its socket 3+ times per month and at that time I felt the need to seek advice. I went on a consultation with Dr. DeFelice in NY. His team made the process very easy and let me know everything that I needed to do, when it needed to be done by, and set my expectations very well. This was my first surgery so I knew nothing of what to do or when to do it. We set the date for November of 2016. I came to the hospital where I was guided through their initial process before my surgery which was also extremely painless and easy because of the staff. After the surgery he came to tell me exactly what he did, what I need to do, and next steps. Dr. DeFelice I would recommend to anyone, not only shoulder surgeries. He is going to tell you EXACTLY what is wrong, how to fix it, and next steps. Very much a straight shooter and minimal fluff. If you want a hug and kiss afterwards, this is not your guy, but if you want it done correctly and given the attention that you need and deserve without the filler then look no more. After my first 2 weeks I could barely move my arm in any direction because of the nature of my surgery (new labrum, slap-tear surgery), but now 4 months later I have full range of motion and I am only focusing on building the strength back up. Based on the other people that I see at physical therapy with the same or similar injury, I am well ahead and I attribute that to the diligence that Dr. DeFelice puts into his surgeries. 100/100 all the way around. I actually cancelled my previous surgery with whom it was scheduled because I was talked into going on a second opinion by my mother. As they say, "Mom is always right" and it strikes again here. read more

One star is one too many. He and office manager are incredibly rude and do not care about their patients' time (maybe not even the patients). This is surprising because I've never heard a bad thing about HSS. I do believe this is a reflection on Dr. DiFelice and his staff and not of Cornell or HSS. I emailed and called to schedule and appointment for osteoarthritis in both knees (diagnosed by Dr. DeFelice 4 years ago and hip pain. The appointment was scheduled for the Friday before Presidents Day. I confirmed 2x on the phone that he was going to be in the office before the holiday. His office manager called a week before the appointment to cancel. She said he suddenly had a medical conference that day. She was unapologetic and rude when trying to re-schedule. She told that that I wasn't giving her much to work with since I'm was unable to go to the Paramus office (I live and work in the city. I also don't have a car). She told me that I was rude when I suggested that since he canceled, the office has to be more accommodating about squeezing me in. I arrived at my 4 45 appoint. They were late taking me in for the X-rays. I was then told that she can only x-Ray my knees or my hip, not both. The office manager came in and all she would tell me is that the Dr won't do more than one body part per visit. She told me that I was rude when I asked to talk to the doctor. She said she'd get him and security. Dr. DiFelice finally talked to me (only because I bumped into him). He explained that it is one body part per visit because of the that's what insurance covers. That turned out to be a flat out lie. We finally agreed to concentrate on my knees for this visit. As I was about to be X-Rayed, he came in and said he had a funeral he had to attend....this was after 5PM. ps - I was told by his department that there NO medical conference and likely no funeral. Who lies about a death?! read more

I had a great experience with Dr. DiFelice. I was recommended by a friend who heard about his new ACL Repair surgery. After a reconstruction surgery a couple years ago, I did not want to go through the same process. Lucky enough, Dr. D's revolutionary surgery made the rehab painless. Highly recommend the ACL repair if you fit the protocol. read more

My son had a multiple ligament injury sustained in Indianapolis during a collegiate national wrestling tournament. After transport to a local hospital, and then an immediate follow-up/MRI with an orthopedist in NJ we were referred to Dr. DiFelice. He was empathic, patient, and communicated directly to us and our son regarding his revolutionary approach to ACL repair/and surgical procedure needed to repair all other injured ligaments in our son's right knee. Our son needed immediate surgery and Dr. DiFelice operated on him the day we met him. Dr. DiFelice is an expert in the field of trauma surgery and is a skilled/innovative orthopedic surgeon. Follow-up appointments and all interaction with his staff have been positive. Dr. DiFelice is straightforward and candid; hands down the best on the East Coast if not nationally! Please know he does not sugar coat anything but is very realistic in recovery/rehab, return to sport timeframe. Our son received explementary care at HSS and with Dr. DiFelice. read more

The Hospital for Special Surgery is publicized as the place "the world comes to get back in the game." Unfortunately, my experience with Dr. Gregory DiFelice at HSS did not live up to that promise. My total knee replacement was not successful at all. On subsequent visits following my surgery, Dr. DiFelice tried draining fluid from my knee and taking blood tests to determine if there was an infection, all to no avail. The knee was still painful, swollen and significantly larger than the other knee. Dr. DiFelice asked if I would be willing to see his colleague for another opinion. Of course I agreed since I was very anxious to remedy the situation. I asked the office how to handle hearing from Dr. DiFelice after my consult with Dr. Ranawat. I was told not to worry about calling because Dr. DiFelice would be in touch after two weeks. I waited three weeks, then called the office. Yashira, the Office Manager, was very sympathetic and assured me she would give the message to Dr. DiFelice. I waited a MONTH and still never heard! When I called again, Yashira adamantly said she knew I'd been calling and would deliver the message and see to it that I received a phone call as to the next step. Well, I'm still waiting for that call months later!! I hope my experience is not indicative of all doctors at HSS. I truly believe a doctor's responsibility to a patient should not end with the surgery, particularly if there is a problem arising from the surgical procedure. read more