I never thought I would need a neurosurgeon, let along at the age of 35. Ironically, I was…read morescheduled to take a week of vacation because I was planning my to go to Disney Land and finally explore the new Star Wars Land and Tiana's Bayou adventure. Instead, I needed a neurosurgeon. See, I use my hands for my job and I am hypermobile. I think this makes me prone to literally being being out of shape, and apparently there is a name for this rare, but somewhat-common-in-Koreans, arthritis: OPLL. Well, I've had neck pain pretty much my whole adult life and constant cervicogenic headaches. I've learned how to maintain myself for the most part but on August 16, 2024, I woke up and couldn't really lift my right arm. It kinda hung there limply by my side, but I just thought my shoulder must be exceptionally stiff from being overworked. I reverted to my routine of resting, stretching and applying heat and taking NSAIDs. It marginally got better but five days later at work, I couldn't lift my arm at all and had to use my left hand to keep my right arm up at work. So I went to the Parnassus ER, where (although I was gaslit by a very grumpy nurse who is burned out and I just appreciate showed up to her thankless job in the ER so people like me could get care) the triaging NP diagnosed my sudden neuro weakness and consulted neurosurgery. As you can tell from the photos, my spinal cord was being squished by a herniated disc at C5/C6. For YEARS, I've been having chronic pain and increased neurological deficits, just thinking I was aging and becoming middle aged. After a course of medrol and a new C5/C6 artificial disc replacement, I have a new lease on life. New neck, new life! I am so appreciative to Dr. Tan and his team for explaining my condition (as thoroughly as neurosurgeon can lol) and treating it promptly. He took my job into account, as well as my personal health, and he chose the best route for me - which was to remove the destroyed disc and replace it at that one level minimally evasively but not fusing the posterior/back part of that neck that had OPLL arthritis. Although Dr Tan warned me I'd still have posterior pain since he went in anteriorly and didn't correct the posterior compression, I got much better sensation in that part of my neck so the posterior compression is actually a lot better now too with surgery, PT, personal training and strict personal ergonomic adherence. I just had my one year follow up with Dr Tan's clinical fellow, and I really appreciated the explanation and care. I am so grateful to UCSF ER, neurosurgery, and peri/surgical teams taking care of me. From the house staff who shared with me how she lost her sense of smell that devastated her when she was an aspiring cook, to the resident who was working over 24 hours and still treated me with dignity and respect - I will never forget the simple kindness afforded to me in the hardest of times. That was the worst night of my life, but I wouldn't have wanted to have it anywhere else but at UCSF.

Dr Lee Tan Excellent surgeon, great bedside manner, and…read moreknowledgeable. I had visited another doctor (orthopedic) in Walnut Creek that told me my lumbar was fine, not to worry. I couldn't lay flat on my back for more than 10 seconds. Dr Tan looked at my MRI and said I needed surgery. I am 2 months out from a L3 to S1 spinal fusion. No complications, very good instructions from Dr Tan and his office staff, and wonderful follow up. I felt looked after. Highly recommend. But most importantly, my back pain I've had for 3+ years is gone. Thank you Dr Tan and your staff.

Dr. Valone and his team are top-notch. I thought I was destined for a life of pain, but Dr. Valone…read moretook care of that. I'm now living pain-free, thanks to him and his team of professionals. However, it's not just Dr. Valone; the nurses who cared for me after surgery were absolute angels. They were kind, attentive, and very friendly, making me feel assured and safe during my time with them. BRAVO to CPO! Gonzalo

Dr Valone is kind and patient, and an excellent surgeon. He listened carefully to my questions and…read moreanswered them thoughtfully. Surgeons are sometimes thought of as not having a good bedside manner. Not true with Dr Valone. He's got your back. His team is also very helpful. Knowing I'll have future needs for a spine expert, I'm comforted knowing Dr. Valone will be there.

I now know what needs to be done to correct my back issue. Dr.Kim is great! She is knowledgeable…read moreand empathetic.

I'm writing this review about a year after I met with Dr. Kim…read more I'm 30 years old and have been struggling with chronic lumbar pain for two years at that point. I do my research, and she also came recommended by a friend; so I was really looking forward to getting some valuable insights and hopefully solutions. Unfortunately, I left her office crying out of hopelessness. Since then, I have met with three other doctors who unlike her, gave me hope, provided actual solutions and recommendations to ease or eliminate my pain. Dr. Kim not only made me feel like a serious inconvenience to her day during our appointment; but she was also short, had terrible bed-side manner, got irritated and condescending when I asked questions, and provided really stupid solutions. As an example, she told me I should stop working out if I feel pain afterwards, eat my meals standing up since "sitting is America's downfall", or just fuse my spine if I was worried about further degeneration in my disc. I was devastated, vulnerable and didn't think to question how dire she made my situation sound since she came so well reviewed. THANK GOD I got other opinions. She might be the worst doctor I've ever seen. Could very well have been an 'off day' for her.. but it made a really huge impact on my morale, emotional and physical wellbeing for months thereafter. Did I mention I found out today from a different doctor that I'M MISSING A VERTEBRAE? Baastrupp disease. How could she have missed that, or thought it irrelevant to mention.. is beyond me. Never again.

Dr. Ames is one of the best spine surgeons in the world (no exaggeration here...). I had two…read moresurgeries with him, 2011 and 2017. Both were successful. I came at the second surgery in a wheelchair due to my scoliosis and degenerative changes in the spine. I left walking without any pain after 2 days in hospital. His team is is outstanding, Crystal Bravate is a great PA with lots of knowledge and understanding and the nurses at UCSF are the best. I am thankful.

Dr Ames completed a very complex surgery on my spine, fusing 16 vertebrae. The scoliosis curve was…read more80 degree with spina bifida (Diastematomyelia) lumbar area. My 3rd back surgery (two previous by different specialist) upon completion Dr. Ames told us that the degree of severity with my back was a 9 1/2 with 10 being the worst. Prior to surgery I took pain medicine around the clock, could barely walk, and mentally to a point of giving up. I am now 3 months post op, pain free (most of the day), walking 1 mile several times a week and learning to live with the hardware installation of rods and screws ; ) It's a great feeling to live relatively pain free, walking and enjoying my life again. Thank you Dr. Ames

Dr. Oshtory is the best orthopedic/spine surgeon in the Bay Area. He grew up in Stockton, CA…read more(Lincoln High School!), graduated from MIT with a mechanical engineering degree with a minor in biology, earned an MD/MBA from UCLA Medical School, then completed his residency and fellowship in Orthopedic/Spine Surgery at Stanford, where he taught for a few years. Dr. Oshtory towers over you at 6'3" tall and is both brilliant and kind -- he's quick and accurate, reads MRIs and diagnoses both common and rare problems like a superhuman AI with two decades of surgical experience. I was amazed that he only needed a 10 min read of my images and a basic test to diagnose the root cause of my complex problems. Dr. Oshtory has great communication skills and bedside manner and his office manager runs a pleasant and efficient office. His partner Konrad Ng, MD is an expert in physical therapy, so you will get the best full-service surgery experience from diagnosis to surgery to recovery. When you are in pain and need to have the most competent orthopedic/spine surgeon with impeccable CPMC, Stanford, UCLA credentials, Dr. Oshtory should be the first surgeon you call.

TL;DR Dr. Oshtory performed a microdiscectomy on me (24 year old female) and it almost instantly…read moregave me my whole life back. I seriously have gotten my life back because of Dr. Oshtory's treatment. I became a patient when I herniated my L4-L5 disc in 2017 (when I was in high school). Since it was my first herniation and I was still growing, he did not suggest surgery. I just want to point that out because some people are worried going to a surgeon will mean they will push surgery, but Dr. Oshtory tries to avoid surgery if possible which is very reassuring. At the end of 2024 I re-herniated and the pain was bad and kept getting worse. After a few months of pain I could barely walk half a block and had such bad sciatica no matter what position I was in. Sleeping wasn't fun... I was 24 years old and felt trapped/powerless in my body. I spent so long trying to get an appointment with a local back doctor, and then even longer trying to get an MRI. But when I contacted Dr. Oshtory, I had an appointment the very next week. I was so relieved. And when I went to see him, he spent a long time answering all of my questions, explaining my MRI to me, talking about a microdiscectomy and all of the pros/cons of it. He is really kind and patient and made me feel like my concerns were taken very seriously. He recommended I start with a steroid epidural first, but when I didn't get any relief I decided to go with the surgery and it was scheduled for only a few weeks out. I'm very impressed with the efficiency of his office. When I got to the surgery center, he came by to talk to me while I was getting my vitals checked and IV placed, and spoke to my parents. He was also very nice and chatty in the OR (before I was put under obviously haha) which really eased my nerves. When I woke up after surgery, he was the first person I saw and he let me know the surgery was successful and even showed me the herniated material that he removed! (I had mentioned wanting to see it beforehand, so that was pretty cool). Since I was still kinda loopy coming out of anesthesia, he went to speak to my parents and let them know how it went as well. Once I was awake, I was able to WALK OUT by myself. And already felt the difference in pain. When I say I am pain free... I really am pain free. Its the first time I can remember being able to drive for hours in the car, walk long distances, pick things up, etc., with no pain. It is seriously unbelievable and I couldn't be more grateful. Of course normal soreness and weakness of my muscles post being bedridden for months prior to surgery still leads to some pain, but not sciatica. I'm now 7 months post op and just started going to a personal trainer to get my strength back and protect my spine. And one last anecdote... people are way more likely to leave a review if they didn't get the outcome they wanted. Take negative reviews into consideration but don't weigh them too heavily. Dr. Oshtory is an incredibly accomplished surgeon, ESPECIALLY with microdiscectomies. He has done this surgery at least a thousand times (he told me the exact number but I forget it ) and has never EVER had anything bad happen during one of these surgeries. It is such a short and specific procedure (I believe under an hour) and from someone who was really nervous to do this, I trust this man completely with my back. Make the appointment. Trust me.

My left knee needed replacement. I had a right knee replacement a couple years earlier, however…read morethat wonderful surgeon retired so this time I chose Dr. Barry. I have had an epically fantastic experience. Everyone involved has been professional, accessible & on schedule for appointments & any follow-up inquiries I had. I live in Marin so after the first appointment in SF, all other care, including the surgery occurred in Marin. Having had a prior replacement, which was relatively easy for me, I knew what to expect. If that was easy, this has been a breeze. I was standing without holding onto anything immediately after surgery. No trouble sleeping all night in a comfortable position. Followed all PT exercises as recommended. Now, at the 4-month mark I can walk 4-5 miles a day with no stiffness or pain & I'm walking up/down stairs the right way. Both of those took 7 months last time. I am extremely pleased. Highly recommend Dr. Barry. He's an excellent surgeon.

I have been seen there several times for both my shoulders and knees. I first met Dr. Ellie…read moreLaRoque, who put me at complete ease. She is compassionate, knowledgeable, skilled, listens and has top quality advice for guiding people through the process of understanding what their diagnosis is and what that means in practical terms. For me, it meant a reverse shoulder replacement and two complete knee replacement surgeries. She listened to my questions and the order of the surgeries, explained her thoughts and recommendations. I left with a plan. My confidence in her abilities was high. My husband subsequently had several major heart problems that required surgeries and long stretches in the hospital. It was over 12 months before I could get back to the plan Dr. LaRoque had established. I had been moving a man who weighed more than twice my body weight. I was in worse shape. She didn't judge or say anything other than that she understood. She ordered new tests and offered to meet via video call so I could be home caring for my husband. I had the tests done and she spoke with the surgeons she thought would be best for my surgeries. I just completed the reverse shoulder replacement surgery and am very pleased. I am going to meet with the knee replacement specialist soon. I couldn't be happier. I love that you get x-rays upon arrival, ultrasounds as required, and that the after visit summary is very helpful and reliable.

Dr. Oshtory is a lifesaver…read more After having severe, disabling back and leg pain for many years, I woke up from ATEC surgery with that pain GONE. Sure, I still had to recover from surgery, but I was walking that night and was discharged from the Pacific Surgery Center 23 hours post-op. I had severe central chord stenosis, many arthropathies, and an L5 anterolisthesis. I had been through all kinds of physical therapies, with limited success. Pilates kept me going. Steroid injections, once effective for up to 6 months, no longer gave me relief. I had avoided surgery for years, after seeing the hardware that would be installed for L4-5 fusion. When I realized I couldn't avoid surgery any longer, I was referred to two different surgeons.Dr. Oshtory was my second opinion. The first doctor offered me a medieval sounding 6 hour procedure with surgery through the front and back. My stenosis would be fixed with laminectomies. Donor bone would jack up my L4-5 where my disc was basically gone. Transfusions were probable. Screws and a V-shaped plate would be installed on the outside of my spine. I could expect a 5-7 day hospital stay. I'd be wearing a brace after surgery. It sounded horrible. So, I got my second opinion. Dr. Oshtory was confident without being arrogant. He was kind and thoughtful in my initial consultation. He offered me a fantastic alternative: an ATEC procedure. Surgery was through my right side. The remains of my disc were removed and replaced with a box (full of a bone-growth stimulating gel) which was screwed in place. During surgery he pulled my L5 into alignment through a small incision in my back, and the whole thing was screwed together with hardware flush to the bone. And he did this in about an hour. He said in my initial consult that I didn't need laminectomies (which would disturb the micro-musculature around the spine) for the stenosis because once my spine was in proper alignment, nothing would be impinging my nerves or the central chord. He was right. I have two tiny scars. I needed pain medication regularly for about a week, then much less over the next week, and almost none by the third week. At 4 weeks and 4 days out, I don't need any. After what I endured for all those years, even the uncomfortable parts of healing are a pleasure. I can walk 4 miles a day without a problem, as long as I am mindful about my posture and holding my core. (I appreciate that Dr. Oshtory considers how much effort a patient can or will put into recovery. A few years of Pilates definitely helped.) I read all of the Yelp reviews of Dr. Oshtory before my surgery. I was struck that the great reviews were from those he operated on and the one-star reviews were from patients not offered surgical solutions. I think he'd operate if he thought he could help. Too bad all surgeons don't have that kind of principled restraint. Any time I had questions I just emailed them to his office and they were answered right away. Camila, who runs his office, is kind, supportive, and diligent. I am absolutely satisfied with the treatment I received from Dr. Oshtory. Highly recommended. P.S. I do suggest if you have this surgery you get a bedrail that slides under your mattress, to support getting in and out of bed properly. PSS. I originally wrote this review 8 months ago but I needed to edit so I'm reposting. I'm now 10 months out and feeling fantastic, never had any issues or complications. Totally satisfied.

I am a physician in SF and have the experience of sending patients to many different surgeons in…read morethe Bay Area. When it came time to have my own family treated for complex spine problems, I couldn't recommend anyone more highly than Dr. Oshtory. He performed a minimally invasive procedure to correct a complex problem left over from prior spine surgery on my father-in-law. My father-in-law has made a miraculous recovery. At three months since surgery, he is now enjoying a pain-free and fully functional life again! Dr. Oshtory has a brilliant career ahead, as he is rapidly becoming the surgeon's surgeon. Other spine surgeons that we consulted with admitted that they even send their own cases to Dr. Oshtory as his outcomes are so good. Dr. Oshtory, my family and I want to thank you for all the years of dedication to your art and practice that have made you such a great surgeon! THANK YOU!

Dr. Halbrecht is simply the best. LOOK NO FURTHER!…read moreHe operated on my right rotator cuff several years ago from a sports injury. My outcome was perfection. I did precisely what he said to do to ensure full recovery. I was back doing push-ups, weights, lifting, everything and more I did prior to surgery, and only with a magnifying glass can you see 3 pin scars, basically no scarring. Further, my right shoulder hurt, I had to see a shoulder doctor close to my location. He recommended PT 10 weeks 2 X a week said it was a complicated, rare injury intimating surgery if PT didn't work. I saw Dr. Halbrecht today, he gave me a cortisone shot, would Not recommend PT, said I may need another shot would be fine back to training! Thank you Dr. H!!

I have a fractured tibial plateau near my knee from being the pedestrian in a pedestrian vehicular…read moreaccident. I got an MRI at Dr Halbrecht's office and then went for a first consultation with the doctor. Dr Halbrecht seems like a perfectly competent doctor and I'm sure his medical advice is sound. It's his communication style and "bed side manner" that I didn't connect with. I asked about something the MRI technician told me and he responded "oh mri technicians don't know anything about this". While examining my knee he put a lot of pressure on it which hurt, without giving me a heads up saying "this might hurt a bit". He was incredibly brief and didn't share with me any advantages and disadvantages of recommended treatment options. Any one of these may not be a big deal, but all of these together was a signal to me that i'd prefer a different provider. If Dr Halbrecht were my only medical option, I would use him, since again his medical advice seemed sound. However since he estimated it'll be ~6 months for treatment, I chose to switch to see a different doctor for my treatment.

I like to uphold Black Business but he doesn't have patience for his patience you try to answer his…read morequestions and he seems to get upset and start like grabbing his head and start telling you what type of doctor he is. It's like (I'm straight forward your not answering right) I felt some kind of way when I left i didn't know if we're done or did he get mad and stop

I waited months just to get an appointment to see Dr Clement Jones. During my visit, he was…read morecompletely rude and arrogant! From the minute he came into the room, he was berating me. Not once did he address any of my concerns nor tried to hear anything I had to say. Whenever he would ask me a question, he would follow it up by yelling "I don't understand! " then laughs. I came here in hopes of getting help and answers, but left crying. I can't even imagine how he treats his surgical patients when they are under the knife. I ended up going with another Ortho Surgeon who diagnosed me with a herniated disk which Dr Jones completely missed! The surgeon, is now placing me on a plan to recovery.

THE BEST! Dr. Kutzcher is everything you would want in a primary doc- timely, concerned, kind and…read morethoughtful. I feel privileged to have her be my primary

I echo the sentiments of the person complaining about the office staff…read more Dr. Kutzscher please FIRE your gate keeper. The person I spoke to was rude and aloof and she basically could not be bothered with my questions or concerns. You may be a competent physician but your administrative help is from Middle Earth!