@@My Journey With Knee Pain -- And an Unexpected Alternative to Knee Replacement…read more Good morning, everyone. I wanted to share my personal journey with knee pain and the treatments I've tried, in hopes it might help someone going through the same thing. The Beginning of My Knee Pain About 10 years ago, I began experiencing serious knee pain. I'm now 67, so it wasn't exactly a surprise, but it was still life-changing. My orthopedic surgeon diagnosed me with bone-on-bone arthritis and recommended a knee replacement. Instead, I started with cortisone injections every three months. For years, those shots worked like magic. Along with physical therapy, knee braces, topical creams, and supportive orthopedic shoes, I was able to manage the pain and live my life. When the Injections Stopped Working Unfortunately, this year everything changed. The cortisone injections only gave me mild relief, and the pain returned long before I could get the next one. I tried: * Hyaluronic acid injections - no improvement * PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections - mild relief for about a month By June, my surgeon and I agreed it was time for knee replacement surgery. He also advised me to stop cortisone injections to reduce surgical risks. I scheduled the procedure and began preparing. A Setback I Never Expected Around this time, I joined this online knee replacement group for support -- but reading story after story of months-long pain and slow recoveries honestly scared me. Still, my pain was unbearable, so I was ready to proceed. Then, the unthinkable happened. I fell off a ladder and suffered a severe injury to my right leg -- the same one scheduled for surgery. I had an 8-inch skin tear, all the way to the bone. My surgeon immediately canceled my surgery, saying I'd need to wait at least a year for the skin to fully heal. The worst part? No more cortisone shots, ever. My skin was now too thin, and the risk was too high. My daily pain level was a 7 or 8 out of 10. I couldn't sleep, walking was torture, and my quality of life plummeted. Searching for Another Option Desperate for relief, I kept researching and came across Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) -- a procedure that blocks inflammation by targeting the tiny arteries around the knee. I asked about it on social media, and a few people shared they had tried it years ago but only got short-term relief. However, the procedure recently received FDA approval, so I decided it was worth investigating. I contacted the San Francisco Vein and Vascular Institute, and Dr. Nathanson was incredibly helpful. After discussing my situation, he encouraged me to give it a try. The Procedure On Monday, I went in for my GAE procedure. The facility was beautiful, the staff welcoming, and the equipment state-of-the-art. The entire procedure took less than an hour. I limped in with a cane... and walked out normally just a few hours later. No sharp pain -- only a dull ache. Over the next couple of days, I experienced mild soreness when standing, but it was nothing compared to before. Today, three days after the procedure, I am 99% pain-free -- no pain medication, not even Tylenol. Looking Back What I once saw as a disaster -- my fall -- turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It forced me to seek an alternative to knee replacement, and I am so grateful I did. I know GAE may not be permanent, but it can be repeated if needed, and by then, there may be even more options available. Today, I am deeply thankful to Dr. Nathanson and the San Francisco Vein and Vascular Institute for giving me my mobility and my life back. If you're struggling with knee pain and looking for alternatives, it may be worth exploring GAE. I'll continue to update my journey in the weeks ahead. Good luck everyone.

The SF Vein and Vascular team have been excellent from start to finish. Scheduling, billing, and…read morethe care team are professional, caring, and supportive. Dr. Nathanson performed three procedures for me with great skill and an excellent bedside manner. I experienced no pain, and my recovery was almost immediate with no downtime. The Bay Area has many options for vein care, but in my opinion, this team is the best. I traveled 90 miles for my appointments, and it was well worth it. The facility is easy to find, modern, and welcoming. I highly recommend SF Vein and Vascular.

Dr. Hui is the rare genius you will come across in medicine today. He thinks for himself, studies…read moreyour individual case in advance of your meeting and goes back and studies it again till he gets it! I cannot say enough about Dr. Hui being an exceptional doctor now that I have been in the extremely broken and concerning world of medicine. Dr. Hui, in 2 meetings, solved my complicated condition which 5 other cardiologists passed over as they didn't take the time to really analyze my case. 3 of them were in his practice (!!) and 2 at the Mayo clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I had been on a wild goose chase for 5 years until I met Dr. Hui. Cut to the chase and put your health in the hands of a doctor who actually treats you as an individual /personcase, not a statistic!

Doctor Hui is a very good cardiologist, intelligent, a lot of experience, cares about his…read morepatients. However, it is very difficult to get appointments whether you are a new patient or an existing patient, just FYI. There is at least one excellent physicians assistant, Connie, Wong, and also Excellent admin staff in the office to try and help with communications and back up. Dr. Hui says if it's an emergency, he will find a way to see me soon. Fortunately I haven't had emergencies to test this, but I have to believe it's true. Been a patient there over 10 years.

SFVVI is wonderful! Recently Dr Nathanson came to my…read morerescue and pretty much saved my life. I was having less than adequate care at other places and Dr Nathanson took my call for help, stepped in promptly, and did the necessary surgery I needed within two days. I am very grateful! The staff is also very professional and personable. I have met Dr Levine, Shae, Jake, Amy, and Veronica. They are all very kind and help to make my visits less stressful then they could be. Thank you!

Dr. Nathanson did vascular surgery on my knee 8 days ago.. yesterday I hiked 5 pain free miles…read more Quite the doctor. Rob

I was really blessed to see that Dr. Levine was on the providers list for Vascular Specialists…read moreunder my insurance. After brief research I knew he was the one for me and when I stepped into his office and met him, I was right! I had to find a specialist after learning I had a blood clot from my ankle all the way to my groin and it went right up to the deep vein. Doc placed me on Xarelto and kept tabs on me with my ultrasounds. Within a few weeks I was able to get off of the meds and followup. The good news is that after a few months the clot was gone the hit so great news was that the vein was damaged. Solution according to Dr. Levine, a venal ablation. Whatever you say doctor! Had my procedure on Monday and man oh man I have zero pain or discomfort! I tease with my friends and joke that perhaps the doctor forgot to Operate I'm not one for sugar coating nor do I want that with me especially doctors, Doc is straight to the point. I like that! As for his staff !!! All I can say is 5 stars from the front desk to the back office! Love my ultrasound tech although his names escaping me right now, Veronica is the bomb and Vanessa and shay up in the front are rockstars too! I feel pampered every time I call or stop in. Varicose veins, or any vein for that matter, Dr. Levine is the man! Thank you again and again! See y'all in a few weeks.

Great surgeon. He literally saved my life. If you are in need of a vascular surgeon, Dr. Levine…read moreis the one to see. Pure genius

Dr Brent is an excellent cardiologist with an AMAZING support staff…read more His attention to detail and listening skills keep my visits on point and targeted to getting appropriate tests, while his staff follows through with the process of scheduling those tests . When I had a lapse with my primary care physician who retired, it was Dr Brent who helped me get required tests for a prescheduled surgery. I would recommend him without qualification, and his staff are a model for any medical office to emulate. Lee Reynolds

Excellent care Support staff was knowable and provided the…read moreneeded information. I highly recommend the doctor.

Dr. Sharma is excellent at what she does. She's very friendly and she has always taken the time to…read morelisten to my issues and she's explains things in a straightforward, easy to understand manner. I don't have a single complaint about Dr. Sharma.

Goes the extra mile. Does not rush the visit and is quite thorough. She even called me after my…read moreappointment to discuss medications.

Dr. Motiani embodies a multitude of qualities: She is kind, attentive, inquisitive, responsive and…read moreknowledgeable. She approaches her specialty, managing hyperlipodemia (high cholesterol), with an open mind (based on peer reviewed studies) and listening ear, creating a partnership to help me manage my health. I am grateful to be under her care.

This is tough because I think Dr. Motiani is fantastic. She's empathetic, thorough, and does an…read moreexcellent job explaining complex medical issues in ways that anyone can understand. She helped me navigate an extremely complex health journey that ultimately resulted in successful open heart surgery. Unfortunately, her admin staff is garbage. I had to switch insurance on 9/1, and I dutifully let Sutter Health know by going to MyHealthOnline and then Insurance Summary and updating all of my insurance details. I marked my old insurance as ending on 8/31, and added my new insurance including scans of the front and back of the insurance card. It turns out this did nothing. All of my new insurance details are still marked "Pending" in their system and it's currently October 9th. I found out that Sutter hadn't updated my insurance by happenstance on 9/30, a week after my open heart surgery, when they sent a referral to cardiac rehab with my old info. I called Sutter Cardiology immediately to correct the problem and it was then that I found out I was out of network. This is my first cardiology appointment post-surgery, so it's a BIG DEAL. It's not some annual exam where switching providers is the smart and easy option. On 9/30, they could have helped kick off a continuation of care process to help me get one last appointment with Dr. Motiani, who I'd been seeing for the past five years. Instead they did essentially nothing. They provided empty promises of "we're working on it" and "we'll try submitting a prior authorization request". I called Sutter 3 times between 9/30 and 10/5, and only on 10/7, a full week after the problem was spotted, did anyone at Sutter Cardiology reach out to me indicating they were actually taking action. But they still over-promised and under-delivered. They discovered that my PCP needed to help out, and they said they'd get in touch with my doctor to keep the ball rolling. This was a lie. They never reached out to anyone in my doctor's network. Today, I ended up cancelling my appointment because it was clear that Sutter Cardiology did not care about my well-being in the slightest. Fortunately, another hospital network was able to come through for me, and I was able to schedule an appointment with an in-network cardiologist despite the extremely short notice. Insurance is complicated and frustrating, but I expect that. What I did not expect was that the people helping to keep my heart from failing would hold such little regard for my health. Even when Sutter is back in network for me, I'll think twice before using them for anything as important as my heart.

Dr. Yee is always thoughtful, thorough, efficient and caring as is her staff. Due to my heart…read morecondition, I see her at least twice a year and it is always a positive experience.

I had my annual check-up with Dr Rupsa Yess and as before she and her staff were excellent! She…read moreand staff are thorough; professional and nice in a professional way; asked the pertinent questions - listened - responded - made sure all was understood and ok with me; and on time! The staff is also great, organized and nicely courteous! Also scheduling, checking in, and scheduling next appointment was very smooth! I highly recommend Dr Rupsa Yee.

Arrogant and disrespectful. Horrible bedside manner. No actual care for his patients. He throws…read moretantrums too And front desk is just as bad. Rude!!! Customer service is nonexistent. Don't go to them if you don't have to.

Unable to review because whoever answered the phone at 650-652-8600 was RUDE RUDE RUDE. Had…read moreattitude and when I asked to speak to someone else she hung up on me. AWFUL customer service! Your front desk is a representative of your office and whoever that was needs to be spoken to or replaced.... Believe her name was Christine.

Dr. Hongo is an outstanding cardiologist who combines deep clinical knowledge with genuine…read morecompassion. He is incredibly thorough and professional, and I've seen his excellence firsthand through the care he provided my mother during her pacemaker replacement. As an OR nurse, I hold my colleagues to a very high standard, and I can say with confidence that his skill set and bedside manner are truly top-tier.

Dr. Hongo saved my life eleven years ago when he met me in the lobby of a hospital after learning…read morethat my Zeo device showed a 9 second delay in my heartbeat. He gave me a pacemaker at that time and a replacement one 10 years later. Last week I had an ablation that was very successful with Dr. Hongo. He did a lot of work inside my heart to make it right and I can think of no finer doctor, period. He is kind, patient, compassionate and has a great deal of expertise. In my opinion, you will be in very good hands with the care and treatment of Dr. Hongo.