I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Carlos Guanche for all your shoulder orthopedic surgery needs. I'm 12 weeks post op (arthroscopic surgery - slap 5 tear repair, 3 anchors put in and debridement) and I've been able to do normal activities since week 5 with caution. Even went back to fitness training (scaled and modified ofc). I was recommended to Dr. Guanche by my other orthopedic surgeon, Dr Trentacosta. She's incredible as well but her specialty is with knee injuries, not shoulder. After my shoulder injury, I tried extensive physical therapy. PT went on for 6 months, but unfortunately the pain was still there. Per my doctor, an injury like mine needed surgery, it won't heal otherwise. I didn't want the tears to get worse, so I looked into getting surgery. I was hesitant at first, but Dr. Guanche quickly calmed my nerves and discussed all my worries away. Fast forward 5 months after I had my first meeting with Dr Guanche, I'm now post op and able to do more. Slowly but surely, I'm getting more range of motion back day by day. So grateful for Dr. Guanche! read more

CAUTION ‼ PLEASE READ ‼DONT DO IT ‼ I regret not discovering Guanche's patterns sooner and wish I had pursued care elsewhere from the outset. I strongly advise anyone considering treatment from Dr. Guanche, particularly for procedures involving the hip, shoulder, or other orthopedic repairs, to thoroughly research alternative providers and seek second opinions‼ I'm writing this as I sit in the emergency room for the 3RD TIME!!! I wish I could rewind time and would have read through all these reviews and complaints. This doctor will do to you what he's done to me and countless others, ruin your life. After multiple failed surgeries , Guanche will attempt to blame you for his continued failures. After reading the complaints from previous customers I see this is a recurring issue for Guanche's patients. Go somewhere else, anywhere else if you want to have a Successful Surgery. DO NOT TRUST THIS DOCTOR UNLESS YOU WANT TO COME BACK TO HIM FOR REPEATED REPAIRS AND REOCCURRING COMPLICATIONS. read more

I can confidently recommend Dr. Guanche for any shoulder surgery that you need! My first shoulder was messed up with rotator cuff big tear, labral tear, arthritis and A-C joint issues. That was about 4 years ago. He was at SCOI at the time, and did an amazing job. He always explains everything thoroughly, has a nice bedside manner, and most importantly he knows exactly what he's doing. I decided to go with him, and after my surgery I really had no throbbing pain, used Tylenol for a couple of days (no narcotics) and recovered completely, resuming my beloved yoga and Pilates afterward, after completing the recommended P.T. Guess what? The second shoulder gave out a few months ago, with the same complaints and issues. I did almost 2 months of P.T. in Feb and March, which helped with mobility for my very frozen shoulder, and stubbornly continued yoga and Pilates to the best of my ability. It seem like PT was not going to fix it. So I went and saw Dr. Guanche, now at Providence-Cedars Sinai Tarzana. Same great care, wonderful support staff. He fixed it last Thursday (4 days ago) and had the same great outcome. NO throbbing pain, up and about, worked a half day the next day, went out a couple times over the weekend with friends and have done all this with Ibuprofen (lucky me) and ice packs. I feel great today as I type this with BOTH hands. Obviously, results will vary. But just saying, there is something about having a very experienced shoulder expert, who also happened to be a team doctor for Minnesota sports teams and a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at several universities, do your surgery. Anyway, DO NOT HESITATE to have Dr. Guanche do your surgery. He is GREAT! read more

I had a total hip replacement from Guanche. After a few weeks of listening to me complaining about excruciating pain, I felt he gave up. HIs only tool in the tool box was steroid shots and going to see a back doctor or a pain doctor. He told me to stop seeing so many doctors with conflicting approaches and pick one. While he may not have violated the standard of care, I have come to find out that other doctors would not have done what he did. He told me that these surgeries go badly in "1%." I am the "1%." I should have felt he was 100% behind me during a very long year of pain. The cascading effect of his surgery is far reaching. My year of magical thinking that I will recover is now over. I will have pain for the rest of my life. Pain I did NOT have before his surgery. While you may recover and have a good outcome, I felt he did not help me past being sorry I'm in pain. read more

Please see my review from 1/22/2015... I am from Louisiana, married to an orthopedic surgeon, and traveled to LA for a second surgery from this doctor. Dr. Guanche performed a hamstring tendon repair on my other hip on 1/8/2024. I had another great experience with this doctor and his team. They were very accommodating and I have been feeling great! I can't recommend him enough!! read more

I had seen Dr.Guanche yesterday and other visits. He lives up to every inch of experience he as a physician. He is a is A pioneer in his field! I was taken in early, didn't rush the appointment and treated me with the upmost respect. I had an injection pending a shoulder replacement. Dr. will do a hip replacement after my shoulder replacement with another physician. He was in no way going to leave me in pain. The staff from the phone call to make an appointment to the back office staff is a bonus. Thank you Sir for your expertise and experience as a top level professional care. read more

He diagnosed me with labral tears and gave me steroid injections. That was 9 days ago and I have been in pain since (far longer than a flare). He returned none of my calls or emails until l was screaming in pain and my husband called the after hours line. He told me to take Tylenol or go to urgent care and said there was nothing else he could do and got off the phone. He never followed up with me to see if I was ok or to set up a follow up appointment, never asked me a single question to make sure I didn't have an infection and continues to be unresponsive. Both my internist and urgent care told me this is unacceptable and unethical. Do not see him unless you want to feel worse and get dismissed and ignored. read more

I had a routine hip replacement with Dr. Guanche early April 2022. Three weeks later Dr. Guanche informed me my femur had broken. There began my nightmare. 9 1/2 months later, two surgical procedures for debridement and a wound VAC machine attached to my body for 9 1/2 months. Dr. Guanche and his team failed to provide me with the quality of care necessary to continue my recovery and prevent further septic infection. Dr. Guanche and his team failed me at many turns within my treatment with him and his team. January 2023 with sepsis oozing out of my incision for the 3rd and final time, Dr. Guanche informed me he could no longer fix his own work. He passed me to the man that saved my life and gave me back the ability to walk. Dr. Guanche took my able body and left me without a hip for 4 1/2 months. Dr. Jaime Hernandez is the man who removed my septic hip replacement and left me without a hip for 4 1/2 months until April 2023. I am one year post surgical from a hip revision and my fifth and final surgery. I give all of the credit to Dr. Jaime Hernandez and his team at Northridge Hospital for their ability to restore what I had taken away by Dr. Guanche. The lesson learned through my experience is to go to the surgeon who can fix their mistakes. I probably would have saved my body months of sepsis ravaged infection. I will not bore you with all of the gory details. I have far exceeded Dr Hernandez's expectations of "success" although I will forever have limitations not expected with a routine hip replacement. Thank you Dr Hernandez!!!! read more

Was an awful experience!! He did a few surgeries on my shoulder. After the 3rd one he blamed me for continuing. I have Grand Mal seizures and dislocate my shoulder in my sleep. I explained that and he didn't believe me. As I was working on setting up another surgery he came into my appt. with medical students. All he said was he doesn't take my insurance anymore with a big grin on his face. I have state Med-ical. I reached out to the hospital right away and they said they/he absolutely does take my insurance. Also during my time with him he refused to sign some documents to help me get on disability. Never in my life have I had experiences like this with a doctor. You're supposed to get help from them. Not have them blame you and go out of their way to not have you get the care you need. Awful experience! since I never got that surgery from him my shoulder got much worse and there is irreversible damage. He should be reported for malpractice, I'm sure I'm not the first patient he's done this to. read more

Over 10 years ago, I had surgery by Guanche. As I sit here in pain - a common occurrence - in the exact location which I believe he botched, I finally felt compelled to write a review. Particularly after reading the other reviews. The surgery was for a torn acetabural labrum. (Like a torn rotator cuff, but in your hip.) He claimed he could only "clean it up" as there was no proper surgery to repair it at the time. (I believe this has changed subsequently.) He may or may not have done that. What he did do was alter my quadricep muscle in a bizarre way. I believe he improperly cut it, but I have never had that medically verified. However, it is visible simply by looking at my quadricep, which was normal prior to this surgery for the labrum which is deep within my hip. When I pointed out how my entire quadricep muscle was in a ball and physically altered, he dismissed it as normal. He spoke down to me and didn't entertain my concern as valid, something you can see in other 1 star reviews.. Many years later, it is abundantly clear that he was lying to me. That muscle is still bizarrely situated and my hip is in near constant pain. But, rather than discuss what went wrong so it could be repaired or dealt with, he gaslighted me into believing that my thinking was the problem. THAT is the real problem with this guy. As you can see from reading all the reviews, he often gets it right. But, if you keep reading you will see that other times he gets it way wrong and he is anything but accountable. Worse yet, instead he is dismissive of the concern. Narcissistic behavior. When I saw that theme in the reviews (which l perused out-of-curiosity since my pain is so bad tonight ) I decided that I should add my review. That form of mental anguish, caused by being told by your doctor that your concerns aren't valid, is corrosive. Further, it is never too late for someone to become a better person. Perhaps Guanche will read these and realize he can be better. It would have been so much better if he admitted a mistake rather than flat out lie. I assume he is concerned about being sued, but he has insurance for his mistakes. More importantly, there shouldn't be a price on his morals. read more

Great care and bedside manner- listened and gave good counsel- did not push surgery or rush to that in any way

I'm an old trainer and I had a lot of problems with my non-dominant arm ..so I needed a reverse shoulder replacement and Dr Guanche was so fantastic with his rapport and his Amazing skill!! He came into the hospital to visit me the next day! ! ! He has helped my recovery so much ! You don't see the scar at all! it's invisible! And my healing is going so beautifully ! I'm back to Pilates outdoor of course with Covid! I don't have any of the pain I had before.. absolutely thrilled !! I heard he was the best! And man did he and his staff deliver ! I am so grateful!! read more

Dr. Guanche and PA Clark are great! The nurses and staff are friendly and accommodating. My surgery and care earn everyone 5 stars plus. The office called several times after post op. read more

I was scheduled for an appointment 6 weeks after I called Dr Carlos office. I decided to wait despite that I have a serious condition. The doctor's office called me two weeks before my appointment just to cancel my appointment and say "sorry the doctor won't be available". This doctor doesn't care about anyone's health or feel any pain patients go through while waiting for their appointment; if he was busy why he accepted to see me at that time. This doctor just wasted my time. Totally unprofessional, indifferent, mismanaged and unreliable. read more

Today is the one year anniversary of my right hip arthroscopy with Dr. Guanche. I waited exactly one year to write this review because every time I expressed my concerns with the ongoing pain I was experiencing I was told to "give it 1 year" even though I was previously told recovery would only take 3 months. When I first found Dr. Guanche he gave me hope that I would get my quality of life back. I had been experiencing pain in my right hip for some time and medication and physical therapy did nothing to help. I told Dr. Guanche that I missed running, riding horses, and going to the gym. He explained why I was in pain (bone spur and torn labrum) and that this surgery would be the only option to get back to the same leven of physical activity. He seemed sure and confident and I trusted him. Im in my 20s so missing out on my riding and runs we're taking a toll on my mental health. I had my surgery on august 4th, 2020. I took months off of work to make sure I could dedicate all my time to recovering properly. Even though I was relatively fit before the surgery and never missed a PT appointment I felt like I wasn't making the recovery milestones.. I had a very hard time getting off the crutches. After many months I was still experiencing pain and walking with a limp. They prescribed me more PT and told me to give the process a full year.. I kept with the PT and kept a positive attitude... for a while... Fast forward months later.. I finally decided to get a second opinion. The doctor informed me that because of my hip dysplasia this surgery was not right for me as puncturing the joint capsule could risk making it worse! I was told the only real fix to the pain would be a full replacement at this point. That is not something I wanted to hear at age 29.. Overall, I'm sad to write this review... I harbor no resentment, I just truly and wholeheartedly regret this surgery. My daily pain AND range of motion are WAY worse than pre surgery.. I was told this would be the fix and somehow I'm worse. All I was hoping for was a better quality of life.. read more

had a reverse total shoulder replacement . two months later, I can basically do the same activities as before . just a little weaker but that's what PT is for. from start to finish Dr.Guanche was kind and caring. He took his time with me and made sure I understood all the pros and cons. he (or someone on his staff) checked in on me everyday, if I needed anything I got it in a timely manner. for Sugery I have to say it was a great experience. we need more surgeons like Guanche read more

Great MD. I am amazed how smoothly the surgery went and pain free after surgery so far. He is a natural at orthopedic surgery. I was lucky to have been referred to him since there isn't much freedom if choice with my insurance read more

Yay! I can walk again... and climb the stairs like a crazy teenage rockstar! When a neighbor did a homestyle oil change in our community garage and didn't bother to clean up his mess, I went flying on foot and crashed hard on cement. DR. GUANCHE managed to put Humpty Dumpty back together again remarkably well in caring compassion and unsurpassed expertise. -Trailer "Trash" from The Osbournes read more

Dr Guanche had operated on me twice, first time for a hip labra tear 10 years ago and last year for a gluteal tendon rupture. Also, I'm a retired surgical I C U Nurse, and I can say unequivocally that this man knows his stuff and he's a nice guy too! I would recommend him wholeheartedly. read more

I have read the reviews by the women who claim to have been verbally abused, even bullied, by Dr. Guanche. I believe them and I am sorry they had to go through that. Clearly he has a temper, and I hope he is taking care of it. That said, I had a very different experience. Dr. Guanche was professional and responsive to my needs. I am not even 4 months out of surgery, and practically back to normal. I am most grateful that someone as skilled as Dr. Guanche takes low-income patients, when he really wouldn't need to. read more

This is very overdue but I had surgery back in 2015 by Dr Guanche, MD, for a right hip (torn labrum) and had a wonderful experience. Not only is Dr Guanche extremely knowledgeable but he is so kind and has a great bed side manner. I continue to appreciate everything he has done for me, he gave me my quality of life back and more! Thank you again! read more

Had a really bad experience at this place. The staff is unable to answer basic questions like what the cost of their services would be although I provided them with my insurance info ahead of time. My appointment was with Carlos Guanche and it was a big disappointment as well. He is absolutely arrogant and unable to listen to the patients. I have a complex health issue that is involving lower back, hip joint and tear in hamstring, however, he walked into the room with assumption that it was solely hip joint problem even before talking/seeing me and kept insisting on it even after X-ray showed there was no joint damage. He didn't even take a look at the reports of my previous MRI screening that clearly indicated the tear in hamstring and bulging lower back discs. Wish I wouldn't spend my time and money on this horrible and useless visit. read more

Dr. Guanche is an amazing doctor! The only one who helped my teenage daughter finally! After seeing several doctors who just kept telling her to take ibuprofen 3 times a day forever and to keep doing physical therapy. Dr. Guanche saw the MRI, saw she had a torn rotator and some tearing on the other. Upon surgery the rotator tear was worse than what could be seen in MRI. Im just so thankful he took the time and was caring and helped her. He's an amazing doctor, and we are so thankful we got to see him! read more

I was contacted by Southern California Orthopedic Institute (Dr. Guanche's group) to share my experience in regards to my visits with him. Here is what I wrote: I am a 61 year old woman who went to Dr. Guanche on in September 2020 for pain in my hips. He gave me a cortisone shot and informed me, after viewing xrays, that I would need both hips replaced in about a year as the cartilage in my hip joints was wearing out. I saw him again in July 2021 and received another cortisone shot and he reaffirmed that I would need double hip replacement. Finally, realizing it was nearing the time that I would need surgery I went back to him February11, 2022. He took more xrays and confirmed that I would need hip replacement very soon. Preparing myself mentally and physically for the double hip replacement, I got a second opinion just to confirm. I visited Dr. Kevin Erhart in Santa Monica Orthopedic Group. He took xrays, and he and another orthopedic doctor reviewed the xrays along with me and my husband. Dr. Erhart explained that the xrays showed no indication of joint deterioration and no evidence that surgery was required. His opinion was that I suffered from bursitis of the hip. Dr. Erhart recommended that I cease with my daily 6 mile walks and try another form of exercise, and gave me a shot of cortisone. I have been fine since. From Mr. Guanche I received a complete misdiagnosis three times, and a recommendation for multiple surgeries. I find it extremely disturbing that I almost entered into a major surgical procedure that was completely unnecessary, and now after going on the UCLA medical portal to review Mr. Guanche's notes on my visits (to write this summary) I see that he makes no mention of me needing hip replacement surgery. Wow. I am livid about this and I believe there should be a thorough examination of the imaging record to determine exactly what lead Mr. Guanche to reach such a completely erroneous diagnosis. If necessary I can make the imaging done by Santa Monica Orthopedic group available for you. I understand that there is no paper trail to this, I'm not trying to sew him or get involved with him in any further way but you should be aware that in all three visits he told me I need both hips replaced but there is no mention of it in any of the post-visit notes. I'm now in a state of shock. read more

Two other very concerning things occurred subsequently with this Physician. 1) During my recovery period, when I had false hope that my surgery would be helpful, a friend called with a 3 tendon hamstring avulsion. I foolishly sent him to Dr. Guanche. Weeks after his surgery, he called me complaining of poor leg control. I won't violate his identity (see #2,) but this was a personal communication and I was terrified to hear that his hamstring was attached to the wrong bone. Per my orthopedist, that should "never happen." He was revised and thank goodness he's not disabled. 2) After my return from Finland from what ultimately only a palliative surgery, (No restoration of strength, still limping, but less pain) I left my Yelp. He reacted with a response which tried to justify his actions. It contained tons of my PHI (protected healthcare information). His putting that on the web was illegal. I contacted Yelp and they pulled it down immediately. Thank you Yelp! From my experience, my friend's experience, and his reaction to my Yelp, it's reasonable to conclude that he has poor judgment. If he's a mid career surgeon having multiple problems this severe, it's highly unlikely that he's going to learn from these experiences. If he continues to operate, they'll probably be more problems. Don't be one. read more

DO NOT GO TO THIS DOCTOR. PLEASE READ THIS I was a physically active runner, when I developed pain along my right IT band, and found running and hiking sparked pain along my right leg/hip. After trying PT unsuccessfully, I went to see Dr Guanche who said he could release my IT band, remove the Bursa and I would be back running in a month. That it was a very easy, non invasive operation. At my one month appointment I was still on crutches. At my 3 month appointment I was in pain and unable to move my leg properly. Dr Guanche was so dismissive, and after waiting an hour I left feeling very despondent. I tried to see him a couple of months later, but he would not see me, or take my calls. Instead I saw his assistant who gave me a cortisone shot. I was unable to ever talk to him or get him to see, or talk to me again. I then went to another wonderful surgeon, who after taking an MRI, explained that not only was the original surgery never performed (IT band not really released), but my psoas had been cut and had atrophied, and would never grow back. For 3 years, I tried different Physical Therapy techniques, pilates, and even went to a Psoas workshop. The result of the surgery is that I will never be able to lift my right leg from a seated position again. Ever. What I failed to do, was read reviews before the surgery, but as I found out, there were 4 other women who were operated on by Dr Guanche in a 3 month period, and he did the same thing to all of us. Before the surgery, I got an MRI, which is standard procedure, so I have proof of what my psoas and leg were like before, and after. The other women who's psoas he also cut are in worse condition than I am, but we believe that he was trying an investigative surgery which clearly did not work. He never told me that this happened, he never asked my permission and instead when I wasn't able to move my leg, and told him so, he refused to ever see me again. read more

Dr. Guanche operated on my hip to treat IFI (ischiofemoral impingement). At my initial consultation, he took his time to explain my diagnosis, referencing my CT scan, and the treatment I needed. He answered all my questions thoroughly and at no time did I feel rushed. My surgery went excellently, as did my aftercare, and I couldn't be happier with my result. As well as being as excellent doctor, he is an extremely nice person and I would highly recommend him. read more

I am furious about my experience with Dr. Guanche! I have already let his office know but I felt as though I should warn others who are considering using his services. He seems very nice but very rushed. After waiting over a month to see him he should have had the courtesy to not make me feel rushed at my appointment. Yes, I ask a lot of questions but who wouldn't when surgery is the only option supposedly according to him and his poor rushed judgment. The rooms are small so having 3 other people in them was already overwhelming as he apparently travels with a nurse typing on a huge computer system as well as an intern. The first time I saw him he said he had seen my injury many times in his career and knew exactly how to treat it with 100% certainty. He sent me for an MRI as I had already had an x-ray. The results weren't great according to him so he gave me a cortisone shot and sent me to PT and neither worked so I went back and his only other suggestion was that I live with the pain possibly forever or have surgery so of course, I opted for surgery. I am SOOOOO glad that my family insisted that I get a second opinion as that is why I am almost 100% healed months later with no surgery needed! In case you are wondering who I saw it was Dr. Yacoubian at OSS Burbank. He was beyond patient with my questions and told me that in all of his years he has NEVER seen a surgery for this type of injury and he would never recommend it! He was looking at the exact MRI that Dr. Gaunche had sent me for! I am so relieved and grateful that I listened and got a second opinion. The majority of reviews on here are good but be sure to sort them lowest first and you can see that I am not alone. read more

After consulting with many different hip specialists in So. Caliiornia, it was Dr. Guanche who was able to identify the problem that I was having with my hip pain. I was only about 40 years old at the time, and already having pain with hiking and running. Two arthroscopic surgeries later, I was back to an active life! I'm 55 yrs old now, and have no pain whatsoever. So grateful to have found Dr. Guanche! read more

I was scheduled for an appointment 3 months after I called Dr Carlos office. I decided to wait despite that I have a serious condition. The doctor's office called me two days before my appointment just to cancel my appointment and say "sorry the doctor won't be available". This doctor doesn't care about anyone's health or feel any pain patients go through while waiting for their appointment; if he was busy why he accepted to see me at that time. This doctor just wasted my time. Totally unprofessional, indifferent, mismanaged and unreliable. read more

Carlos Guanche has replaced both of my shoulders and Dr. Guanche is the man. His surgical capabilities are excellent. Great guy, great surgeon. read more

This guy is careless and doesn't listen to his patients. He is arrogant, dismissive and insists he knows what is right but doesn't listen to his patients. And that puts you in danger as the patient. More importantly he makes mistakes that end up causing you as the patient pain and discomfort (and he doesn't take ownership for his mistakes or lack of care). He did a right hip replacement in 2020 for me and I noticed the incision was not healing properly. He completely ignored my concerns about the pus, pain of the incision for weeks and finally I went to a wound care doctor who discovered a 1.5. inch diameter hole by 1 inch deep hole right in the incision site (it was not properly sealed during the surgery). Dr. Guanche saw the problem when I visited him and ignored it. I had to spend two months with a wound surgeon to make sure it healed. Once again he ignores what you have to say hoping it will go away. Then two months ago he sent me to PT at SCOI for my right hip PSOS (not healing properly --see previous reviews from other patients about this - he probably caused this problem with his ineptness) and something happened in the PT treatment causing knee pain. I sent him messagaes and he ignored them and said it was probably caused by the hip and not the knee. He didn't even want to see me and suggested I see someone else for the knee. So I went to a doctor who did an MRI and found that I had a cyst in my knee that was filled with fluid. So, Guanche doesn't know what he is talking about and doesn't care. Further I just went to him a week ago for a cortisone shot in my left hip and he caused me a lot of pain while doing the injection (and didn't use an ultrasound guide). Guess what? I have major pain, swelling and a rash at the injection site. I'm going to find another doctor to treat my left hip. This guy is dangerous. BEWARE read more

I've had 2 surgeries performed Dr. Guanche on my right leg. The first one was 3 years ago to repair my torn hip labral. The second one was almost 1 year ago for a torn knee ACL. I LOVE Dr. Guanche! It is because of him that I can walk. He never rushed me into surgery. With each injury, he prescribed PT first. Only after PT did not work and the pain was so acute that I could no longer walk, did we turn to surgery. The man is ground breaking and because of that people confuse his confidence with arrogance. I have seen him no less that 12 visits and he has always been the same professional and caring man. I recently complained of pain and limited motion in my right shoulder and MRI revealed a deposit of minerals/calcium. Dr. Guanche recommended PT and I'm doing water therapy and to date feeling great! read more

So grateful to have found Dr. Guanche for what needed to be a total hip replacement last summer. He is an amazing surgeon who is also exceptionally kind, personable and patient. He took the time to go through everything, reviewing scans and x-rays and discussing options. From the first appointment through the procedure and the recovery, I knew that I was in the best hands. I just cannot say enough about him. Dr. Guanche is a gem! read more

A work colleague highly recommended Guanche to me but my experience was very poor. Long wait. I had to meet first with a PA who didn't add anything to the clinical assessment. When I finally met with Guanche, he wanted to replace my knee, saying "I know how these things turn out." I received a very painful cortisone shot -- he must have hit the bone. I'm shocked by all the excellent recommendations here. He must be very hit and miss (whether he likes you for some reason or doesn't? Maybe it's personal? ). I never went back and I can't recommend him. read more

Dr Guanche , He is the best caring doctor out there and the best surgeon . He could have replaced my hip it would have been much easier for him, but he decided not to and used a special technique . I can run and go about as if I had no surgery . God Bless you Thank you Sarks read more

HOLY MOLY!!!! Lets start off by just saying that Dr. Guanche and his team are AWESOME!!!! I have NEVER had a better experience in my life. The way that Dr. Guanche went through every detail of my surgery, of my recovery and what to expect for the future was thorough, honest and professional. Pre-op was a breeze. Watch his team work together in the operating room(before drifting off to La-La land, lol!) Was quite a site to see!!! In post-op I told Dr. Guanche that I equated his team to a "NAS-CAR" pit crew, LOL! They nlknew exactly what they were doing and as he joked to me after that, "yeah, we've done this a few times", classic. If there is anyone out there on the fence about getting this procedure done or any other procedure that Dr. Guanche offers, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND going and seeing him. You Da' Man Dr. Guanche!!! I am looking forward to getting back on my board, paddling out this summer and hitting those waves. And I can thank you for helping me to make that happen! When I'm ready to get my knee/knees done, I know EXACTLY where im going. Thanks again Dr. Guanche and staff for such a great experience read more

Dr. Guanche is amazing! When you go to a surgeon, you want someone who knows what he is doing. I loved his bedside manner, but truthfully I did not care as I was really concerned with his ability to cut and cure! I had laberal tears on both hips, when Dr. Guanche was in surgery, he was able to clean up the arthritis and shave down the bone so I could get back on the road to recovery quickly. First hip was done in January, second was done in March, I am already walking 30 minutes or doing the exercise bike. The real judge should be my physical therapist who gets to see doctor's work all the time. They expected me to be in a lot of pain when i started my first pt and we started so slowly, it was actually funny. I told him, i had no pain and that i could do more reps than what he wanted. He told me Guanche is an excellent surgeon! Take my pt's word for it. I guess and both of my hips which hopefully will be back mountain biking in another month or so! read more

I see patients week after week who tell me my shoulder is better than it ever was when I was in my twenties. And they all say the same thing- the doctor was Doctor Guanche. read more

***I am writing a separate review for SCOI (Southern California Orthopedic Institute) and their PT department (where they will get 1 star) At first, I liked Dr. Guanche and he was thorough in explaining the degeneration in my knee. He had side by side comparison x-rays done of both knees to help show this to me. He thought orthoscopic surgery would be necessary soon and a knee replacement in the future. However, he suggested I try PT first and also gave me a shot of cortisone. PT at SCOI was horrible (see my SCOI review), but the cortisone shot helped. He still suggested I get the orthoscopic surgery though. I made my surgery appointment with Audrey (his surgery scheduler) for August 1st. One piece of paperwork I signed was the cancellation/reschedule sheet that said if I cancel or reschedule within 1 week, I pay $300; within 72 hours is $500. I ended up having to go to Seattle for work on the same day as my scheduled surgery. I called and left a message on July 27th (six days before my surgery) that I was going to have to reschedule my surgery. I was told that I had to pay the $300 even though I had my surgery exactly one week later on August 8th. Although I signed this paperwork and paid, it is just wrong to charge patients that. I understand if someone flakes or never reschedules and you then charge them, but I did reschedule...exactly one week later. My first post-op I saw the PA. For my second post-op, it was supposed to be with Dr. Guanche. But when I received the reminder phone call the day before, it was scheduled with his PA again. I didn't want to see the PA. I wanted to see Dr. Guanche. When I called to reschedule, his office couldn't get me in until mid-October, which by then, my insurance was cancelled (it cancelled on 9/1). However, Audrey was able to squeeze me in to see him which was very helpful before my insurance cancelled. So, now at my 2nd post-op with Dr. Guanche, NOT ONCE did he look at my knee. He didn't touch it or examine it. He showed me photos from the surgery (only because I asked a lot of questions but had actually saw them from my first post-op). I find that very odd. Why would he not look at it and examine it?? Then I asked him about the $300 fee I had to pay. I explained how I had to go to Seattle for work and I rescheduled as soon I knew. He said "I should be able to take care of that - not a problem". He said I would receive a letter in the mail. After a week, I never received that letter so I called Audrey. She knew nothing about it but would look into it. A few days later I got a call from Candy in the accounting department and said that Dr. Guanche would refund back half the amount of $150 but would apply it to my outstanding balances. I guess that is better than nothing but very disappointing none the less. Dr. Guanche did a great job with my knee and since surgery, I haven't had any problems except for some swelling and minor pain but that is to be expected. My issue was my last post-op. I felt like he was checked out and not interested in my case anymore. And that $300 charge. Thus the 3 star rating. read more