I was referred to Dr. Crozier for numbness in my left leg and foot and she spent an hour carefully…read moreevaluating me. She referred me for a brain MRI and called me an hour after that test was done to discuss next steps and helped set up my surgery appointment. She listened well, expedited my medical services and was instrumental in the medical breakthrough I am now experiencing. Thank you!

I went to Dr. Crozier in February and March of this year because I was having some bad…read morepseudoparkinsonism as a side effect of one of my medications. And also might have been having absence seizures (?) She spent a long time interviewing me, longer than the 15 minutes that the appointment was supposed to last. She took a complete history, asking thoughtful questions. She was sensitive and considerate of my other medical conditions. She did an extensive physical examination. She told me to get an EEG, and after I had that done I went back to see her again, at which point she made recommendations as to how I could solve the problem. I saw her a few times, but now I won't be going back anymore because, thanks to her, my pseudoparkinsonism is all gone.

Some physicians practice medicine as an art. Dr. Weisserstein is one. I will always be grateful for…read morethe meticulous care he took in discerning my diagnosis and crafting my treatment. In the three long years that passed before I arrived at his door I suffered excruciating pain, anxiety an depression. Granted that my condition is very rare but none of the other doctors at PAMF listened to me. Dr. Wasserstein did. He was patient, empathetic and thorough.. How rare is that these days? As a result of the extraordinary care I received from Dr.Phillip Wasserstein I have a new lease on life. I am finally on the road to recovery. Thank you, kind sir. Truett CV

Dr. Wasserstein changed my life…read more In eighth grade I had a gran mal seizure. Full on unconscious, frothing at the mouth gnarliness. No underlying cause could be found and I haven't had one since, but after that I started having these small "episodes" where my muscles would tighten uncontrollably when I started to walk or run. Unless I stopped and/or leaned on something, I would fall over. It would last for 5-10 seconds and then go away. The neurologists I saw in New Jersey, where I grew up, didn't know what was happening except that I had irregular EEG (brain-wave scan) results. They said it seemed seizure related, but it wasn't epilepsy. They prescribed phenobarbital which helped the EEGs become normal, but didn't do anything for my symptoms at all. At least I could get hopped up on barbiturates, if I was so inclined (I wasn't). I came out to California for college and a couple years in I decided to see a Neurologist at Stanford to see if they had any ideas. At that time, Dr. Wasserstein was heading the Motion Disorders Clinic at Stanford, though as you can see from the listing, he has since moved to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. I described my symptoms. He nodded and said, "It sounds like you have PKC (Huh?!?) or Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Choreoathetosis. ([slaps forehead] Of course!!) It's a movement disorder. Not very common, but I've seen several patients with it . . ." Yada, yada, yada. Long story short. He ran some tests (sleep deprived EEG's are the bomb) and changed my meds and I haven't had an episode since!! (well as long as I don't forget to take them (Bad, Andrew!!)) That was 17 years ago. Now I don't have to take awkward pauses when I start to walk and have to explain why over and over again to quizzical friends and acquaintances or keel over in a crosswalk whilst grabbing a random person next to me for support (it's happened). Wooo hooo!!! Sometimes seeing a specialist isn't enough. You need to find the specialty within the specialty. Motion Disorders? Who knew? Thanks Dr. Wasserstein!!

My dad was recommended to see Dr. Cassini when he wanted an evaluation related to his ability to…read moredrive. My mom joined the appointment and was stunned that the doctor did not perform any evaluation. He talked about trucks for 30 mins and how men need to be able to drive. Rather than perform an objective test, he looked at my father and told him "you seem fine to drive" and insisted that he go get his license. Insisted. I assume this was because he knew that's what my dad wanted and it was an easy $500. I wouldn't go here if you need a true and honest evaluation.

My partner and I saw upwards of ten medical professionals before getting him a diagnosis, but the…read moreonly one that leaves a sour taste in my mouth is Dr. Cassini. We were under his care for several months, and probably saw him for 5 appointments. When we came to Dr. Cassini, we had a neurospych analysis that showed that something was really wrong, and he made clear that he was going to use that as his basis - not what we were seeing or experiencing. He also did not perform basic neurological tests. Instead, he said that he wanted to get imaging done. At the time, while that seemed reasonable, Dr. Cassini thought everything on the imaging looked "normal" after 2 MRIs and 2 EEGs. We just found out from UCSF that his imaging was not normal, and that in fact it showed some significant shrinkage in the region consistent with Alzheimer's. Our doctor at UCSF made clear that he would never use the imaging alone to make a diagnosis, but it is what he would expect to see with Alzheimer's, given all the other evidence we had provided. Since all Dr. Cassini thought he needed was imaging, he never had the other evidence present, and therefore... could not provide a diagnosis. Except he didn't really ever tell us that. He just kept stringing us along, lethargically (though personably) suggesting a next step. I am really glad that other patients think that Dr. Cassini is a more attentive doctor than I did, but I do want to document what I think were severe weaknesses on the part of this doctor. He did not listen to us, and he did not take the time to put together a picture of what was happening, and even though he wasn't sure what was happening, he never suggested anyone (like the Stanford memory clinic or UCSF) might have a better idea than he did. If they had, we would have had answers months sooner than we did.

An outstanding caring professional. Palo Alto Medical Foundation is fortunate to have him on its…read morestaff.

I met Dr. Saleh so many years ago I can't remember how far back we go! What I do recall is I had a…read morestroke in 2012, and I suddenly remember him being in my life. He brought me back to health- giving me the encouragement to regain my left side, my vision, walk again respectably, and be able to speak and be understood. Years later I am indebted to him, and see him for shots for Migraine headaches on a regular basis. I owe my life to this man, and hold him dear in my heart!

Excellent physician recommended to me by two friends of mine. I trust his judgement and diagnosis…read more He is also a warm and personable Neurosurgeon with a ton of experience dealing with difficult cases. Office staff are very nice and so helpful. Highly recommend this physician. He takes on the difficult cases.

I saw Dr. Ryu for a year before finally being told that I should have seen a different specialist…read morefrom the start. During that time, I could have begun treatment for my neurological condition--something that was later confirmed by other doctors and lab tests. Unfortunately, Dr. Ryu repeatedly assured me that I did not have the disease, which led to a delay in my care.

All my diagnostics were acurate my L4 and L5 were really agitating me preventing from me enjoying…read moremy retirement after the first visit I felt better were work in progress and the reliff is amazing I can do what I want at 66 and active im so glad to have meet Dr. Joelson , He listens and is concerned about my health and I like that ,highly recommend Dr. Joleson

Dr Joelson does not accept new patients. Or, rather, he picks and chooses. What is worse, his…read moreoffice gives insane excuses and runarounds, gives additional hoops to jump through, cancels appointments, and then refuses to give any explanations.

I feel lucky to have found Dr. Von Koch. She is a skillful…read moreneurosurgeon who loves her work. Dr. Von Koch is meticulous, careful and will not be rushed to finish your operation. This is a surgeon you can trust with a scalpel near your spinal cord! Dr. Von Koch was referred to me by the head of the UCSF spine center because I was a member of Kaiser health plan. I didn't know at the time she was part of a neurosurgical specialty hospital which serves the S.F. Bay area. Everyone at this center was friendly, supportive and competent. All the nurses told me Dr. Von Koch was the best surgeon. At 80 years my back had many issues but the most urgent one was stenosis at L2-3 and L4-5. It has been 3 months since my operation and my back is far more flexible. Before the operation for the "bridge pose" I couldn't get my butt more than one inch off the ground. Now I can do a full bridge pose even supported by one leg. I am so very grateful for Dr. Von Koch's skillful surgery.

This is my story of how I came to know, trust and revere Dr. Cornelia Von Koch, M.D., as one of the…read morebest neurosurgeons at Kaiser. It has been eight months since I visited the primary care doctor for my neck pain and left leg pain. My journey to Dr. Von Koch began about 3 months ago, I started having tingling and burning sensations down my left side of the body down from the chest. I described my symptoms to my primary care doctor, and initially, he said that my condition was common and referred me to a physical therapist who would teach me to strengthen core muscles in order to improve my posture. After a couple of months since my symptoms didn't go away, he referred me to a rehabilitation specialist, who in turn has referred me to a neurosurgeon at Kaiser. I did a lot of research, explored all the alternatives, and visited Dr. Von Koch of my own choosing and decided to put my faith in her. So glad I did. I checked out Dr. Von Koch's credentials at https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/providers/corneliavon_koch and was favorably impressed. My first appointment with Dr. Von Koch was very encouraging. She's a happy person who enjoys the respect of her staff and is a pleasure to be around. She performed some strength tests on my hands and legs. She looked at my MRI and said that my condition was caused by C6-7 stenosis. She explained what spinal stenosis is and initially offered c6/7 arthroplasty vs ACDF. She asked me a lot of questions and suggested I get all the prior images of my cervical spine to further investigate, none of my earlier doctors cared about those prior images at all. On the next visit, Dr. Von Koch showed me the bone spurs in the MRI that were threatening my nerves. Given the extent of disc osteophyte at c6/7 and congenital narrow canal, disc arthroplasty is less of an option and recommended ACDF c6/7 instead. She also encouraged me to get a second opinion if that makes me comfortable and gives me peace of mind. It was a hassle to catch hold imaging department at Kaiser to upload my prior images, Dr. Von Koch is very compassionate about her patients and made things easy for me by asking to drop prior images at her office and she took care of the rest. After my prior images are scanned in, Dr. Von Koch sent a message explaining that there is a slow progression in my condition over the years. Meantime I went to see an orthopedic surgeon at the UCSF Spine Center for a second opinion. Not only Dr. Von Koch reviewed other doctor notes of my visit, but also explained to me that he proposed a potentially bigger surgery 'corpectomy' depending on the amount of calcifications at the disc level. She explained to me that it would be good to avoid the corpectomy but if the calcified disc is too high then the whole vertebral body may need to come out. Dr. Von Koch encouraged me to confirm again with the UCSF doctor about his surgical plan so that I can make an informed decision. While I am still going through the pain and confused about the next steps, I feel fortunate to have Dr. Von Koch as my doctor who is always kind and compassionate about her patients. If you are looking for a neurosurgeon at Kaiser, look no further. You found one. She is a true gem of a person and an awesome neurosurgeon!

After a bad experience at a large provider, I was fortunate to find Dr. Ostashko at Los Altos…read moreNeurology. While he reached the same conclusion as the other doctor, the way he explained the results--with clarity, context, and genuine care--completely changed my outlook. He has supported me throughout recovery by monitoring my progress, adjusting treatment as needed, clearly explaining test results, and, when medically appropriate, advocating on my behalf. His office is responsive, efficient, and easy to work with, and I can access appointment summaries, prescriptions, and invoices through a secure online portal. The difference between his care and that of big providers is night and day. If you want a neurologist who combines medical expertise with compassion and insight, Dr. Ostashko is outstanding.

I do not recommend Los Altos Neurology. My PCP recommended Anton Ostashko because of some…read moreconcerning movement problems I am having. During the office exam he asked me many leading questions but I never felt like he listened to my answers. He seemed to want to convince me that I was stressed out. He also seemed to want to convince me that I have a very healthy brain based on a recent MRI and that he could find nothing physically wrong with me. He told me my issues were likely due to something called Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). He referred me to Stanford's website where I found out that this is the newest name for what was historically called Hysteria in women, AKA Conversion Disorder. See Stanford website: https://med.stanford.edu/psychiatry/patient_care/fnd.html I compare this to taking your car to the mechanic and after only checking the fluid levels in the engine, they tell you nothing is wrong with your car, you just need to sign up for driving lessons. Who would go to a mechanic with such a shallow understanding of a car? I don't believe I could have ever received an accurate diagnosis with this doctor. I went to another neurologist and as it turns out, I have a very serious and physical neurological disease, one that requires medication and medical attention.

I recently met with Dr. Paul Jackson to discuss my ongoing spine related issue. The idea was to…read moreunderstand medical intervention options and get his expert opinion on whether a surgery is warranted for this condition. He was very forthcoming and answered my questions and concerns satisfactorily. The most important aspect of this interaction was that he was to the point and pragmatic in his view of the situation. He didn't try to scare me or influence me in any way. He simply laid out the facts of the matter and said that it is upto me to decide whenever I feel that my situation is affecting my quality of life. He explained the procedure and any risks involved and allayed any concerns that I had about this particular procedure. The check-in at the Sutter facility in Palo Alto was smooth. They do seem to enforce masks during the visit which, in my opinion, is a very prudent thing to do these days! I didn't have to wait long after the check-in and also didn't have to wait more than 5min for Dr. Jackson after the assistant added my details to their system in the exam room.

Paul Jackson is a highly intelligent person with a passion for science and medicine. He is also a…read morevery accomplished neurosurgeon. He gives his patients a realistic view of what a proposed procedure can and cannot accomplish. He explains all the possible upsides and downsides. He is not a marketer. He does not over promise. My wife had truly excruciating pain from a herniated disc. It was debilitating. We tried all alternatives to surgery including steroid injections. Opioid pain killers were ineffective. In short, nothing worked. Paul Jackson proposed a microdiscectomy. He predicted a good chance of pain relief, but was less optimistic about nerve recovery. Yesterday he performed the operation at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City. My wife had an incredibly good outcome. Her horrible pain is completely gone. ZERO pain one day post op. She's walking around pain free just like she did before the disc herniated. Before the surgery, she couldn't even walk a few steps without horrible pain. Some numbness remains as predicted but it's manageable. We are so grateful to Dr. Jackson. He has given my wife her active life back.