Full knee replacement on 12/20/24. I was scared enough to avoid this for 25 years. This referral was from a friend at Weight Watchers whose wife had a difficult history. His time and listening, highest quality team, follow up care , planning, establishing a raport with the entire team was of the highest caliber, and establishing PT immediately. All went smoothly. On the other hand I would recommend staying away from Dr. Owens who treated my best friend. No bedside manner, no listening skills, lots of pain, no accomodations. read more

My husband died almost 10 years at age 85. in 2002 my husband had hip pain. He saw an orthopedic surgeon in our medical clinic. He said my husband was not a candidate for surgery since he could everything he always did. I asked the Dr. about hip surgery so I would know what to expect when the time came. He said he would be in the hospital for 7 days and then discharged for outpatient pt. I knew my husband would not like being in the hospital that long. At the beginning of the year my husband had heart by pass surgery and was in the hospital for only 2 days and hated it. He said someone would come during the night to do things to him so he could not get a good nights sleep. He did so well after surgery he went straight back to his room. He had no pain and wanted to go home. He had pt an hour after surgery. He was able to have it 2 times that day. I asked his Dr. that evening if he could go home. He said tomorrow if everything is fine. I found a wonderful top rated heart Dr. through a newspaper article. I saw an article in a paper about Dr. Dorn and his Associate Dr. Gilbert. One day my husband fell and could not get up. I knew his hip had given out. I immediately called Dr. Dorns office. The lady said he was booked up for 1 month. Would you like to see his associate Dr. Gilbert. Never mind we already have an appt. with him. This was on a Tuesday. The next morning he had hip surgery and went home the same day 8 hours later pain free. Lucky the nerve block did not wear off for 4 hours. I called several other orthopedic Drs. No other Drs. discharged in one day or used a nerve block for pain Dr. Dorn and his associates were years ahead very advanced in the medical field. My husband had his hips and knees replaced by Dr. Gilbert. One day hospital stay every time. In one month he was back to normal. No walker or cane. I do not understand the negative reviews about the Dr. Some staff members yes but not the Dr. Our friend of many years from church saw Dr. Gilbert for knee surgery. I asked her how she found him. She said her neighbor is a nurse at the hospital he works at. She told her neighbor find me the best Orthopedic surgeon there. She recommended Dr. Gilbert. My neighbors mother was over 80 and her Dr. would not operate on her knee. She was in so much pain she fell may times. Dr. Gilbert told us once I will still do surgery on you if you are over 80. Thank God for that. At age 83 my husband had his last surgery knee. If the DR. did not do the surgery my husband would have spent the next 2 years in a wheelchair in pain before he died. Thank You, Mary Love read more

Partial knee replacements (PKR) remain somewhat of a specialty, within orthopedic surgery and lateral replacements are particularly tricky since there's rotation in the knee to contend with. Alignment of the device is particularly important, for a successful procedure. I did a consult with Dr. Gilbert and decided to wait on my procedure, but the information he provided was invaluable, to me. His staff is friendly and professional. Unlike so many other doctors, he was on time, too! read more

I preface this review by stating I am not a patient of Dr. Gilbert's, but I am lucky enough to be a therapist who gets to partner with him on many of his patient's in their post op knee recovery at home. We have never met so my review is not being solicited in any way. I have been a therapist for over 27 years, worked in 33 hospitals and worked with countless Orthopedic MDs and yes, a lot of things have changed in how surgeries are done which affects the recovery for patients. What has pushed me to do this review is for several reasons. 1) I am impressed with what my patient's and their family members have to say about their experience at USC Keck and their surgeon Dr. Gilbert. They all ONLY have great things to say about him. That alone is surprising as patients will usually have one complaint. None. It appears his genuine care shown to his patient's and him being able to listen to the patient's concerns/needs has resulted in the patient's telling me : "I want Dr. Gilbert to be happy with my knee. He did a great job!" Music to a therapist's ear when a patient is driven to work hard. Definite "win win". 2) Secondly, Dr. Gilbert's knee surgeries come out beautiful. Minimal swelling and scarring and clean. In my career, I have seen some very ugly incisions but not Dr. GIlbert's. 3) Patient's report that their pain is controlled very well with the pain protocol that Dr. Gilbert has given them. That is so important as no one needs to be miserable. 4) As a clinician, Dr. Gilbert's knees just rehab better than other's I have worked with thus better for the patient, Dr. Gilbert and myself! Very straight forward. I am usually very busy but when I am asked if I can take another client and I know it is Dr. Gilbert's, I always make it a point to squeeze the client in. I truly enjoy and am honored to be part of his team :) So, if you or your friends are thinking of having a partial or total knee replacement, this is THE surgeon to go to. Very impressive work. I know he would be my pick if I had to have Knee surgery in the future. Absolutely no hesitating to recommend him to anyone! read more

Dr. Lawrence Dorr recommended Dr. Paul K. Gilbert to us, and Dr. Gilbert and his team at Keck Medical did a tremendous job resurfacing my husband's left knee. My husband was walking as soon as he woke up from surgery, and went home the very next day. Dr. Gilbert's team was very professional, explained every step of the way, and made us partners in the procedure and in the recovery. My husband is now pain free, and walks with ease. Many thanks to Dr. Gilbert, Dr. Dorr, and the entire orthopedic team at Keck Medical! read more

Stay away! There are many, many orthopedists in the area so there is NO reason to go to Dr. Gilbert. Seriously. Here's why: 1. The staff is AWFUL. Difficult to get a human to answer and when they do, not helpful at all. 2. Once you are in, same. Not welcoming, not helpful and, other than Manny, just plain rude. 3. Dr Gilbert is disconnected and not particularly forthcoming about options. For example, I called and asked for pain medication to help before my surgery. He finally called me back and said "What medication do you want?" REALLY???? He's the doctor and he's asking me what I want? If I asked for heroin what would he have said? Then, much later, his staff called late on a Friday afternoon and said "we can't reach the pharmacy so you can just come get the prescription." When I asked if they could just call the pharmacy, they said no. Yes, they expected me to drive, in pain, late on a Friday afternoon in traffic, to the office to pick up a prescription. Yes, this happened in 2019!!! 4. I scheduled my surgery and called a week or two later to inquire why I never received the packet they said they would mail. The guy who answered said, "Oh, we need to reschedule your surgery as the Dr will be out of town." When exactly were they going to tell me? 5. I NEVER received the packet and it's been months. Needless to say, Dr Gilbert is no longer my doctor. 6. Yep - you guessed it. I got a bill and they charged for 2 x-rays when I only had 1. Try unraveling that one! So, why, I say, when you could go to so many other doctors. Shame on Dr Gilbert for allowing such horrid customer service and shame on USC for not upping their standards. We deserve better. read more

I just looked up Dr. Gilbert's phone number and saw the inane review by M M. Physicians by the very nature of their jobs cannot always see patients punctually. Emergencies arise and some patients require more time than other due to unexpected or unanticipated problems. You are presumably going to an orthopedic surgeon because you think he/she is a qualified or even excellent surgeon, not because you necessarily expect to be seen exactly on time. If punctuality is your primary criteria for selecting a surgeon, you probably should make an appointment with a brain surgeon regarding a transplant. I expect to wait at least 45 minutes when I go to my dentist or physician. You should too. Factor that into your schedule when you make an appointment with a healthcare professional. Also when I go to surgeon's office, I'm not trying to make friends with the office staff or go out for a beer with the surgeon. From my experience Dr. Gilbert is an excellent surgeon...that's what matters. read more

I was having knee problems and chose Dr Paul Gilbert, because my husband had both his knees replaced by Dr. Gilbert with excellent results from his experience as an Orthopedic surgeon.I was impressed at the way he explained in details my knee problems with care and what to expect from the surgery. I would highly recommend his professional experience to anyone needing a knee replacement. read more

I asked my cousin who is a PA for an orthopedic group in San Diego for a recommendation for a surgeon in the greater LA area as I needed a knee replacement. The doctors he worked for suggested Dr Gilbert. Even though he was a bit of a drive, I thought it was worth the drive because of the recommendation. Dr. Gilbert met all of my expectations and more! He was able to see me for my first appointment within a week of my first call to his office. When i got to his office for the appointment, I was seen within 15 minutes. X Rays were taken. As expected, Dr. Gilbert told me I did need a knee replacement explained how the operation would be performed and spent as much time answering my questions without rushing me in the least. He gave me as much time as I needed to go over everything without making me feel like I was taking up too much time. Two weeks before the procedure I was scheduled to meet with his team to go over everything I needed to know to prepare for before, during and after. Two weeks later he did the knee replacement on Monday and I stayed over night at the hospital that night and went home the next day. It is now six weeks later and I just played my first round of golf. Due to his skill my pain has not been horrible and I have been able with a good physical therapist and the job Dr. Gilbert did been able to have a knee replacement that I am thrilled with. read more

Waited 45 minutes past our appointment time in the waiting room and then another 15 minutes in the appointment room. If you are seeking a kind, helpful staff and a doctor with a good bedside manner, I would look elsewhere. read more

I am 43, I had advanced arthritis in my hip. It was a pain that had grown with me over the span of many years prior. In a strange, but painful way, I got accustomed to "living" with the pain...and thought I would just need to somehow deal with it through my life. Eventually, it got to the painful point where I realized I could not live with it any longer... it's a real problem when you can no longer do the things you enjoy in life, or even go up simple stairs, or walk from the parking lot to the grocery store. I have heard so many positive things about hip replacements...and most who get them say they wish they did it sooner! I cannot say enough how very true this saying is! I do wish I did it sooner!!! It's a big deal surgery, and the thought of my surgery scared me. It was also stressful wondering if I selected the right orthopedist to do my surgery...and then follow through with him/her for life! It is a big commitment not to be taken lightly. If you are thinking of finally making that leap toward a better life through surgery with Dr. Paul Gilbert... I cannot recommend him highly enough! I am so very grateful that I found Dr. Gilbert and his professional and very knowledgeable team. I had my surgery at Verdugo Hills Hospital, it was the most wonderful hospital experience I think I have ever had. It was comforting to know that the team Dr. Gilbert worked with at Verdugo was always on the same page...communication was excellent... my needs and or concerns were addressed thoroughly. Dr. Gilbert is a very knowledgeable surgeon who is obviously passionate about what he does, and pays close attention to detail... and he is accompanied by a supportive team of people, including the most wonderful anesthesiologist group, who share in this devotion for healing. Dr. Gilbert's office staff is patient and helpful. If you do choose to visit Dr. Gilbert, I would suggest doing some research and going prepared with a list of questions or concerns to address... he is very busy, but very focused on the important things, which is what you want. I found it to be a better use of my time and Dr. Gilbert's when I went in with attempted preparation. I would recommend this with any doctor!... especially the busy, very good one's that you want working on your body. Good luck with your decision! Since my surgery in November of 2016, I am now living my life better and stronger than ever!! I basically have it back! Stay committed to the assigned physical therapy... it truly works. : ) read more