I recently tore my ACL playing soccer and was recommended to Dr Dye. He's a pretty typical surgeon in many ways: he spends very little time with you, is gruff, condescending (he called me a "girl" so many times i thought i needed to show him my drivers license to prove i was 35!), and has a big ego - he will give you a pack of literature that really is going to be way over the head of most ppl not in the medical world, but it feels like hes giving it to you because it comprises articles that he's had published or mention him. However, he is a very "radical" surgeon ( as he will tell you), in that he believes that the human body can heal real well with out surgery. And that many times in the long run the non-surgical option will be better for you knee. So, he doesn't push surgery on you - but is realistic about it. If you are looking for a knee specialist who may not have a knee-jerk reaction (no pun intended) of surgerysurgerysurgery, i recommend Dr. Dye. He's also really wants to work with you on disability stuff and prescriptions for things so that they can get covered by insurance. Drawback - he is not around alot - everyother week he is out of state. so appt. can be hard to get on short notice. read more

I have to disagree with the negative comments about Doctor Dye. Approximately 7 years ago my mother was experiencing severe pain in her right knee she was 83 years old and could barely walk, her personal physician recommended Doctor Dye.. he said he was one of the best knee doctors in the SF Bay Area...Doctor Dye told my mother she would need a knee replacement she had the surgery and after recovering never had any pain or problems with her knee.. I have been running since I was 17 years old I am now 63 years old 2 years ago I started experiencing pain in my left knee I could not run and was feeling pain just walking so I went to see Doctor Dye.. I have to admit that he does not have the best bed side manners, if your going to have surgery do you want good bed side manners or a skilled surgeon...Doctor Dye was very thorough in his examination and he explained everything to me.. After having the surgery I have had no pain in my knee and I am back to running every day.. I am very happy with the results and I would strongly recommend Doctor Dye to my family and best friends... read more

Dr. Dye spent 2 hours with me in two different appointments helping me understand what my best knee treatment options were. I have had very few doctors spend so much time with me to sincerely approach my knee as though it was theirs. The time he spent listening to my history, examining my joints and reviewing MRIs was very different than my experience with other orthos. He seems to truly care about his patients and wants them to really understand their options. I haven't decided whether I am doing surgery yet (synovectomy after 2.5 years of knee issues), but wanted to write this review because I was so impressed by his outstanding patient care. read more

Dr. Dye recently did surgery on my knee - meniscus, synovectomy, micro-fracture. I had a few meetings with him prior to my surgery. In each of those meetings, he spent a considerable amount of time with me explaining the condition of my knee, my options, and what I can expect after the surgery. The fact that he allocated as much time as he did was important to me, because I had a much better understanding of what was going on. He patiently walked me through the different stages of my recovery post surgery. All my appointments with him have been on time. I most appreciated the fact that he set realistic expectations. He seems fully devoted to caring for knees. read more

My feelings echo 2 other previous writer's sentiments exactly (Ron & Dan). I had 2 surgeries approximately 10 years ago and after 2-3 months of excruciating pain and P.T., I went for a follow up exam with Dr. Dye. Even though his initial thoughts about my knee were that he could "help me" that was completely reversed at the follow up last exam and appointment. He told me that he had never worked on such a bad knee and that he did all he could do and that unfortunately I wouldn't be walking in 6 months, and then callously and coldly walked out of the room. He is the most blatantly unkind doctor I've ever come acrossed and left me completely depressed and demoralized. A week later, I elected to go to another doctor for a 2nd opinion (and more of a holistic/non invasive approach). This doctor was very caring and kind, and had a great bed side manner, unlike doctor Dye, whom obviously is more into this business for the money than the actual physical caring of his patients. The 2nd doctor recommend doing the Hyaloronan (chicken cartilage injections-3 sets), of which I did and I'm still walking and have no incidences of the "collapsing" that I had previously and at least he gave me hope and and alternative, unlike Dr. Dye.. I wouldn't recommend Dr. Dye under any circumstances. I learned my lesson. read more

I have filed a complaint against Dr. Scott F. Dye with the Medical Board Of California. After my operation Dr. Dye prescribed 6 weeks of physical therapy. After that time he reviewed the knee and prescribed another 6 weeks and then to come in for an appointment. The surgery had left my knee much worse than before and he requested that I come in for follow ups for a few months. Many months later I received a bill from his office for these appointments. I wrote a letter to his office questioning the bill. Shouldn't the followups be included with the cost of the original treatment? They answered that it is included but only for 2 months after the surgery. I explained that Dr. Dye's prescription for physical therapy lasted past 2 months and that he requested that I come in after for the follow-ups. They have not responded and I have continued to send them my explanation for refusing the bills. Their arrogance in this is appalling. read more

Dr. Dye was recommended to me by several orthopedists after I moved here from Boston. he was recommended as being an expert on knees and as a doctor who is very thorough in diagnosing and judicious about performing surgery (I.e only when necessary). I met with four orthopedists before settling on dr. Dye and I chose him because he Spent time carefully assessing my injury which was complex and started with the premise of avoiding surgery unless there was strong data to support that it could help me. (Note that all three of the other orthopedists were immediately ready to jump to operating and doing major procedures like knee replacement and osteotomy with just an MRI in hand.) Dr. Dye did not think such extreme measures were warranted after he carefully reviewed my tests, had me get a bone scan, examined my knee and learned my knee history. After careful assessment, I ended up having surgery on my meniscus and he was fantastic. I had an unsuccessful surgery in Boston just over a year ago with a famous knee surgeon and dr. Dye was such a completely different and positive experience. My knee is healing beautifully and i am sure it was because of dr. Dyes skill as a surgeon and his clarity about every aspect of the procedure. I was given clear and realistic expectations and even an education about knees. I feel like my rehab is truly a collaborative process with dr. Dye giving me clear instructions, dos and donts. I had no idea that knee surgery could be this positive of an experience after my last bad experience in Boston. Dr. Dye is sincerely invested in having my outcome be the best possible given my circumstances. I know that however my knee turns out, dr. Dye has stacked the cards in my favor. And as an aside, he is a genuinely caring surgeon. He will be realistic with you, no false hopes or promises, and at the same time he respects the knee and bodies ability to heal in the right conditions. I can only say tons of positive compliments about dr. Dye. I hope that anyone considering knee surgery would see him for a consultation before they jump into surgery with another surgeon. Dr. Dye understands the data, has done lots of research, and is an excellent clinician - a rare combination in a doctor. He will think about your knee in the long term(your life) and will treat you with that in mind. Dr. Dye is truly a knee surgeon rock star. (also note that his staff was great as well.) Sheela, mv, ca 1/22/13 follow up to above, two months post-op After suffering a long time with knee instability, I am finally on the mend and i am so grateful that i can walk with confidence that my knee will not give way or be in pain. Prior to surgery he wrote and graphed the recovery process and its remarkably on target. my rehab has been smooth sailing. dr. Dye has monitored my progress and gives clear instructions on how to stack the cards in my favor for a much happier knee. I have met some of his other patients at physical therapy and the therapists as well- and they all are as impressed with his skills as i have been. Dr. Dye deserves 5 stars and more. read more

We are former San Franciscans currently living out of country and found Dr. Dye through general word of mouth, physician referral, and cross-checking through Yelp and other sources. My husband and I both have significant histories with our own knees (and SF-based surgeon experiences we didn't love) so we really did our research before choosing our teenager's surgeon from afar. After two trips back to the States, we can unequivocally recommend Dr. Dye and are beyond pleased with him and his kind staff on all fronts. To be clear, we have been a very high-maintenance patient family, yet through surgery, three appointments, well over a dozen phone calls, emails, and related needs, Dr. Dye consistently distinguished himself as a star in the field. He is a highly knowledgeable knee expert and skilled surgeon, to be sure. But he was also unlike most other doctors we've encountered in that he proved genuinely kind, caring, and generous. I believe he has won recent awards for precisely this aspect of his practice and it makes sense. Even my physician brother was blown away by the level of concern and attention we received. The few negative reviews here are perplexing. I am a professional as well so perhaps I'm sensitive, but to go online and unilaterally trash a respected surgeon over things like office decor, degrees, etc. on the wall (which, BTW, are impressive), and subjective administrative/insurance grievances -- with no meaningful way for the provider to respond -- strikes me as profoundly unfair. It's really the ugly side of Yelp and what caused me, a longtime lurker and user, to write my first review. The Davies campus at Cal Pacific might not be glamorous, but I would take high-competence substance over gloss any day -- and our family has fallen victim to the latter on a few occasions. For the record, we were were happy to comply with Dr. Dye's request to do x-ray, MRI and bone scan on site with the radiologists and other specialists he trusts and relies on. An erroneous or incomplete scan/read could really make a difference so why not defer to the professional in question when it comes to something as significant as potential surgery? Anyhow, thanks Dr. Dye and staff. Our child's knee is getting stronger by the day with your gentle approach and we are profoundly grateful for your services. read more

I had a ski accident in that resulted in emergency surgery in Tahoe to fix an open wound multiple compound fracture of the patella. After arriving back home in San Francisco I needed to find a surgeon for my follow-up visits. My husband did a bunch of research and found Dr. Dye. He was in our insurance, close by, had great medical and Yelp reviews AND is a knee specialist. I've now seen Dr. Dye for all my follow-up appointments over the last 4 1/2 months. Scheduling an appointment has always been easy, and he has never made me wait more than a few minutes to see him. Dr. Dye is clearly a brilliant man, but is able to communicate information and concepts in a way that is very clear for me to understand. His philosophy on the envelope of function makes absolute sense to me, and I've applied it to other situations in my life as well. He also takes the time to answer my many questions during each visit. I have followed Dr. Dye's gentle approach to recovery, including PT and riding the stationary bike. The healing process for my injury is expected to take up to 18-months, but I'm happy to report that I'm well on my way. I feel stronger and more comfortable every day. I also need to get give a shout out to the business side of Dr. Dye's office. I have e-mailed his assistant, Lesly, on multiple occasions requesting paperwork (for work, the DMV, an airline ticket refund, etc) and I have received the requested paperwork back, completed correctly and signed, incredibly fast. This really takes the stress out of an already stressful and daunting process. I have emailed Dr. Dye several times between visits with questions. He has also responded quickly with real answers to my questions. They have also submitted my insurance claims correctly. Dr. Dye is a great surgeon with a warm and competent staff. Thank you Dr. Dye for bringing me back from this serious injury. I am so pleased to have found you. read more

Dr. Dye is one of the foremost thought leaders on injuries of the knee synovium, the thin layer of soft tissue in the knee that is highly innervated and therefore highly sensitive (painful!) when inflamed following an injury. Like many of the other patients who have had successful outcomes here, I suffered a knee injury playing rugby and after months of physical therapy with incremental but not substantial improvement I decided to see a specialist and made an appointment with Dr. Dye. He explained that the historic dogma of strengthening the quads and calves actually causes additional stress to the knee that impedes proper recovery. Instead, he prescribed reduced activity, icing, and anti-inflammatory medication and after one month my knee had returned to a more stable level of health. I'm now continuing into a gradual strength program and am on track to be healthy for the fall season. Had my injury worsened, Dr. Dye was prepared to move to imaging (e.g., MRI) and consider more invasive approaches, and he was incredibly straightforward/transparent with me about this. I found his staff to be nice and welcoming and his office was easy to get to and find. What I enjoyed most about visiting Dr. Dye was that despite my minor injury and new-patient status in his office, he sat with my well beyond our allotted appointment time to make sure that I fully understood how to best approach my recovery. If you have suffered a knee injury and are looking to get back to your favorite sports and activities of daily living, I would highly recommend consulting Dr. Dye, an excellent physician who surely help you get back to health as he did with me and many of the other happy patients who have shared their stories here. read more

I was referred to Dr. Dye from another patient of his who raved about him, and 1 year after he operated on my torn meniscus, I too am a true believer. To put it succinctly, he gave me my knee back. He was patient, personal, and took the time to talk to me in a way I could understand, accept, relate to and adhere to. He never pressured me into anything and did an innovative bone scan that finally identified the real problem. I switched from Kaiser to a PPO that he worked with, and one year later, I have complete and total use of my knee back, after two years of needless pain and useless physical therapy. (I'm not saying PT doesn't work, it just didn't work with my diagnosis.) He made sure I took my time with the healing process, didn't overdo it, and stayed within my comfortable "envelope of function." I recommend him whole heartedly after seeing real results, and am so glad he was my surgeon. I also love that he works on knees and only knees. He's a true expert. I listened to him, did exactly what he said, and I am healed. So very grateful. read more

Dr. Dye has taken care of me, my family and my friends for many years. He is certainly the number one knee expert in San Francisco, and maybe the world. He is published and speaks all over the world about the knee. His theory involves preventing degenerative changes in the knee. I highly recommend him. read more

I have no idea why anyone would write that Dr Dye is not the absolute BEST in all manner - bedside or otherwise! He is a GENIUS!!! He has helped my two daughters and myself - all big players of extremely physical sports like waterpolo, rock climbing, skiing, soccer, volleyball, triathlons, and even participation in the '"Tuff Mudder'" - countless times! His knee expertise is known World-wide, yet he is the most conservative surgeon out there! I had no less than 3 other surgeons state I needed lateral release surgery, as well as removal of cartilage, 'immediately'. He DID NOT require anyone in my family to undergo additional or duplicate imaging or diagnostic tests - using only what I brought from other institutions. Dr Dye showed me through his published, peer reviewed, research (www.kneeexpert.com) that cartilage does not have nerve endings and so could not be the source of my pain, as well as the high failure rate of lateral release procedures - the problem was not "structural" - my walking gait was fine - I just needed to back off sports for a bit and let "Mother Nature" heal the over-use injuries. Imagine, a surgeon NOT pushing for surgery!! I HIGHLY recommend Dr Dye for anyone that wants to attempt to stay active! read more

I cannot sing the praises of Dr. Scott Dye enough! Not only is he a research doctor but he truly cares about his patients. When I went in with knee pain, I told him no surgery and he listened. After extensive testing he recommended a shoe alteration and the results are amazing. Pain is miraculously going away. I highly recommend him. read more

he is very skilled and very knowledgeable. he has ZERO bed side manner. i had a simple surgery for synovitis a year ago. three months later, i was still in pain and not healing well, i pushed for another MRI and have a bone condition that just 'developed.' he said it was "out of his scope of practice," referred me out and i've been in pain since then with lots of compensatory pain as a result. his receptionist is great and thorough. i would have got a second opinion before surgery read more

UPDATE 8/27/2018 - Dr. Scott Dye is still the best of the best. I slipped and re-injured my knee and Dr. Dye is there to help, diagnose, give instructions for healing and available. If you follow what he instructs, progress is made. This time a little slower than a few years ago but I fell confident under Dr. Dye's care I will improve and heal. OLD POST - 5/26/2018 Dr. Dye and his staff are the best of the best..!! I could barely walk and my knee had been killing me for months and years. Dr. Dye figured it out immediately it was Synovitis. He gave me a thorough initial intake appointment and was very kind and nice. The medical workup he ordered - an x-ray, an MRI and a bone scan - confirmed his initial diagnosis. When I returned to his office, he answered my questions, we went over together the digital onscreen reports from these tests from the previous week and he gave me a conservative set of instructions on what to do and what not to do. For the last month, I have followed his directions - anti-inflammatory prescription meds, ice packs daily, and to stay in my 'envelope' of pain. I was thrilled to hear from Dr. Dye that I did not need a knee replacement, surgery for a torn meniscus, not even physical therapy. I wanted to jump up and down in his office and hug him and his staff. I am doing what he prescribed and my knee has gone in the last month from a level 7-8 of pain back down to a 0.75 intermittent flashes of little reminders I have to be careful and gentle. I am thrilled to have found Dr. Dye and his office! I appreciate his kindness and will continue to work with him and listen to his advice and counsel. Thank you Dr. Scott Dye..!!! read more

I have been suffering from Severe Chronic knee pain for over two years & have seen 4 orthopedic surgeons before finally seeing Dr. Dye. The 4 doctors I saw before all misdiagnosed me with different knee problems resulting in an ability to get better & live my life. I flew into see Dr. Dye, we had surgery scheduled that same day. He ran an exam on me and discovered I actually had a trapped nerve in my knee. Immediately out of good faith, he canceled the surgery & we have just started a treatment plan. Dr. Dye has been the most helpful Doctor ive ever come across. While we are just beginning to treat the actually problem (nerve damage), he was the only one who was able to accurately diagnose me and he turned down a surgery that I think most doctors would have had for the money. Dr. Dye thank you so much, the world is a better place because of you. Now lets hopefully get me back to 100%! People, if you have a very tough knee problem and no doctor has been able to help you, you need to see Dr. Dye asap. Lesly his assistant was wonderful as well! read more

Wow! I went to Dr. Dye to discuss the confusing variety of opinions i have been getting while navigating the world of orthopedic surgery as a person with a recently torn ACL and meniscus. I found Dr. Dye through reviews and his (many) articles online, and I had a feeling he could offer a more comprehensive understanding of knees, knee injuries, and the pros and cons of knee surgery. Boy was I right! Dr. Dye spent an hour and fifteen minutes with me (and used up his lunch time in the process), explaining so much more than any other ortho I have seen (and I have seen more than a few) in detail about his research into the knee and what he believes is the best way to have happy, stable knees for a lifetime. His passion for knees is impressive, as is his dedication to sharing his wisdom! I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, and I left with some great reading material and feeling much more informed as I figure out what is best for me and my knees moving forward. Thank you, Dr. Dye! read more

I don't usually write reviews and I totally understand how with the same doc can differ from patient to patient. i initially went with the recommendation of my physical therapist who said this guy is the best around & so I had high expectations. Dr Dye performed a successful meniscus repair for me at that time. When I sustained a second unrelated knee injury recently I was actually eager to see him again. His successful bedside manner can be described as no nonsense patient empowerment through the sharing of information. He obviously loves his work . he values input from the patient & he's generous with his time. Even after a brief visit with him you feel like you know more than before you came. His personality is warm , his manner is efficient. After reading the many other positive & articulate reviews of this doctor I must say that they match my experience. I'm definitely a fan. He's the best I've experienced. read more

My experience with Dr. Dye has been fabulous. I fell walking and to complicate matters have a birth defect that renders the right side of my body with minimal function. After falling when I called my regular orthopedist he needed 4 weeks to get me in even though I was in a lot of pain so I starting calling around thinking why support a physician that makes you wait 4 weeks while in pain? I explained the situation to Dr. Dye's office and they worked a miracle and got me in the next day. Dr. Dye explained everything he thought could be going on, ordered a xray and MRI and today ( exactly 6 days later) I met with him for follow-up and a plan of treatment. As far I am concerned this guy is golden! He listens, explains what he will do and how he will do it and gets the evidence he needs to successfully treat you. In this era of little service and do everything yourself Dr. Dye is a breath of fresh air. I am very grateful that I lucked out and found him. He is simply the best and I highly and strongly recommend him! For a guy like me who has been dealing with doctors for 50+ plus years, there is no higher compliment! Thank you Dr. Dye! Finally, a physician is only as good as his front office and the gatekeepers. Leslie rocks and is one of if not the best there is. Thank you leslie read more

dr scot f dye was my orthoscopic knee doctor from 1992-2007. he did 5 surgurys on my left knee. 10 days after the firt 4 surgurys i went to pt for 3-4 months !! after my 5th surgury aug 07 i fell into a 5% area that caused a blood clot come into my left lung. i was taken to summit hospital and stayed for 3 days taking medicine to thin my blood the next week i had my first appt after surgury with dr dye. he did a simple test and went to get a weelchair a i was in the hospital at cal pac daviesn campus sf,ca for 3 more days.after i left the hospitasl i was in extreme pain riding in my mom's car for 2 months !! crying !!! dr dye said he would be my treating physician and would take care of me. my left knee is covered 100% per workmens comp award in 92. in dec . 2007 he told me he was dropping all workmens comp patients !! dr s dye has made millions of dollars from workmens comp. patients. also, tens of thousands from my workmensi comp. insurance company Crawford & CO, Broadshire a Crawford company taking catre of me !!! i feel this is decriminatory !!! read more