My goal in spending so much time on this review is hopefully to be helpful. It took me months to…read moreselect a surgeon and it was a long and difficult process. In my experience, many surgeons seem to be "assembly line" surgeons and because of my age and other health factors I needed more care than that type of physician could / would provide. Dr Hulst replaced my hip in August of 2021. I'm 67 and was born with hip sockets that weren't fully formed. I had the other hip done in 2007 and since that time have come to find that my surgeon at Virginia Mason (Dr Ray Robinson I believe) was "a legend in his field". He's since retired but because of my experience with him I guess my standards were pretty high. Seriously, both times I just wanted full mobility afterwards and ease with the process. I've been active for most of my life and I hoped to continue. First off, this process with Dr Hulst was amazing. I found him to be as good and maybe even better than my former surgeon was. Whew. That's saying something. Just a few bullets - My surgery took place mid-covid when Overlake Hospital was cancelling everything considered non-essential. I couldn't walk, but my surgery was still considered elective (not "life and death" like covid was). Despite this, Dr Hulst got me in and somehow kept me from getting booted. That was a feat in itself. - From the moment I stepped in his office Dr Hulst was very detailed and appeared to be very skilled. He was making everything seem so easy. (And today I can say that it was). Before surgery he generously gave me the time I needed. I had a lot of questions (major surgery after all), I needed explanations and he wasn't in a hurry.at.all ... until I was finished. Then he literally ran out the door. (he has his priorities straight :) ). He made it very easy for me to ask questions and spoke in terms I could understand, not surgeon lingo. More importantly, I didn't feel stupid even though he's 1/2 my age. - My age was a concern to me. I also have a very low white blood cell count resulting in not much immunity. Lastly, I live alone. For all these reasons I needed different care post-surgery than a classic 30, 40 or 50 year-old would need. None of this appeared to be a problem for him. - There were some unforeseen complications when he opened me up. They weren't caused by anything he did - when he cut through my bone, it bled way too much. This resulted in an extra day at Overlake which he magically arranged (mid-covid) without putting any stress on me. I don't know how he did it but he handled all this with what appeared to be such ease, skill and professionalism. He pivoted easily and moved quickly to arrange the changes that needed to happen at Overlake as well as with my post-op care. He communicated openly with me, but kept any stress all this may have caused him away from me. - Today, my hip feels like nothing ever happened and surprisingly, I could have said the same thing back in October 2021. I have full mobility and am doing all the things I was doing before. After looking in hindsight, I'm realizing now I'd even recommend Dr Hulst to my kids. That's saying something. I didn't ask for this level of care but it's so rare these days. In looking back and feeling as great as I feel now, I'm still very surprised. I've had some disastrous care (wrong treatment, appointments that run on a hospital's quota system and physicians giving me "in and out care"). Dr Hulst isn't like that. From my experience and from the things I've heard from others, he's in that rare, top 1% in his field and because of this I'd recommend him to anyone without blinking an eye. Karen G Sherwood Bellevue WA PS I've been in sales all my life and know how important recommendations are. When a physician this great comes along, well, it brought a level of hope and assurance to me as well as my family that isn't common - we don't often see it these days - I also wasn't paid or even asked to send this review :)) Lastly, don't be deterred by his office staff. They're very, very difficult to say the least. They're unresponsive, even when working towards a deadline. They're very rude when you do manage to get a call back and they can't wait to get off the phone and they'll just ignore it when you call or leave a message. Since I was very nervous about having major surgery, this was so maddening and so frustrating. Surprisingly tho, now that it's in the past and I feel so great, for me Dr Hulst was very much worth it. As I said, I'm pretty sure he's in the top 1% in his field and at this point it's the outcome that matters to me.

Dr. Hulst did my hip replacement and it was the best experience I have ever had with a surgery. He…read moreis very intelligent and kind. He cares about you and listens. I recommend him to anyone needing the type of surgeries that he performs. Exceptional surgeon! I had my surgery at Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, which was fantastic, too.

I want to update this in 2026 specifically to call out the care provided. The billing issue was a…read morebummer but the care provided by the office is excellent. Without violating my own HIPAA rights, I've had to go back several times recently and they have provided exceptional care and much better communication. Will definitely recommend the ENT team.

I've had several surgeries from doctors in this practice. I highly recommend Dr Chris Boone for hip…read moresurgeries. He is a very good surgeon and his staff is responsive. He provides a booklet that provides information about the entire process. This was very helpful. My only complaint is trying to get FMLA paperwork completed by Linda on the FMLA team. I needed an extension for 2 weeks and sent all of the information several times to that department, but was ignored for 1 month. I'm into my second week of no pay and am furious about it. My doctor's assistant tried to help. I had to escalate to the office manager, who has not returned my call. Unacceptable.

Dr. Ratcliffe is an amazing orthopaedic surgeon! He completed a total right knee replacement on me…read morein December 2017 after my knee had multiple issues with it. IE: bone on bone arthritis, torn acl and torn meniscus. He is very knowledgeable about osteo issues and the long term and short term impacts on any surgery. I would highly recommend him to anyone having major joint issues. He is very popular and difficult to get into but be patient the wait is worth it!

I could not make a higher recommendation for an ortho doc. Dr Ratcliffe is who I would want to do…read moreany ortho operation that myself or a loved one needs. I say this as a healthcare professional and patient. He is top-notch in talent and knowledge, coupled with intelligence, compassion, and all the attributes we hope to see in a physician.

Seeing Dr. Robon was one of the most frustrating medical experiences I've ever had. I came in with…read morecarpal tunnel in both hands, in pain and looking for help. I could not work, I could not sleep or function with simple daily activities and I needed help. Instead, I was ignored, talked over, and completely dismissed. Dr. Robon showed no interest in my condition, instead he took the time to talk about himself, how good he is and what Labor & Industry needed from him, not what I needed as a patient. It's taken me a year to write this because the experience was that upsetting. Thankfully, I found excellent care and real support at Swedish Hospital. I've since had two surgeries with a compassionate, skilled surgeon I trust, or in short: everything Dr. Robon was not.

Been getting cortisone injections in my right index finger for years. They seemed to be less…read moreeffective as time went on so I opted for a joint replacement. Dr. Robon was confident and competent throughout the process. The recovery from surgery was pretty painful as I had been made aware of. Lots of visits to PT but, now 2 months in, things are getting close to being back to normal. Dr. Robon is very thorough in his reports. Great guy if not slightly eccentric. Called me the day following surgery to see how I was doing. The somewhat gnarly looking surgical site has healed to the point where the scar is almost invisible. Wouldn't want to go through this again, but if I did, I'd definitely see Matt.

A member of my family recently underwent shoulder surgery with Dr Sailer. I was very impressed with…read moreall aspects of working with Dr Sailer from start to finish. This is what went well in the process: Consultation: His explanations in the initial consultation were very clear and it was clear that the course of action to do surgery made complete sense. We were deciding whether to pursue a second opinion and his calm and clear explanations helped us make the decision to proceed Scheduling: His scheduling staff was very patient with our decision making process during a day when an unexpected surgery time opened up. We needed to do some verification of insurance and to discuss whether surgery was the right way to process. Operations of the Surgery Center: The Proliance surgeons do surgery at their surgery center in the 1st floor of their building. Apparently the surgery center is owned by the surgeons in the Proliance medical group and it shows. Check-in was prompt. Surgery prep was efficient. The waiting room had ample seating. For family members waiting for a patient to have surgery, the WiFi speed is good. There is a television monitor showing the status of the progress in the surgeries. After surgery care was good as well. There is plenty of time allotted for recovery and the staff is attentive. After-surgery follow-up: The shoulder surgery was done on Friday, December 30. It was a pleasant surprise that Dr. Sailer himself called us on New Year's Eve (Saturday, December 31) to check in on status. He even called us twice since his first call went into voice mail. I was very impressed that Dr. Sailer would personally call his patients to make sure that the results of his work were good. After-surgery recovery: My experience is that the speed of after-surgery recovery depends in part on how well a surgery is done (along with the patient's willingness to comply with best practices for recovery). In our case, the member of my family that underwent surgery was only on heavy-duty painkillers for a day and part of the next day. Swelling was minimal. Recovery from shoulder surgery takes about 5 months and requires the patient to be diligent in keeping the shoulder immobile in a sling for the first month or two. We did that & recovery seems to be going MUCH better and quicker than I expected. Even the range of motion in the shoulder has been restored.

I was referred to Dr. Sailer by an Urgent Care doctor following a shoulder injury. (I also saw my…read morePrimary Care Physician, who agreed I needed to see a Specialist.) The staff was not very friendly, my appointment was late to start and extremely rushed. Dr. Sailer is a terrible listener and seemed to question the legitimacy of my injury and judge me throughout my appointment. He did nothing to address my pain, never scheduled a follow-up, failed to acknowledge my questions, did not put me at ease, and never provided me with a timeline nor did he set my expectations. He seemed distracted and annoyed with the idea that he even needed to converse with his patient. He quoted his many years of experience in the field while his atrocious bedside manner suggested otherwise. To say I was appalled by Dr. Sailer is an understatement, he might just be the worst doctor I've ever seen.

Dr. Castle breezed into the room right on time after my daughter's initial information was entered…read moreinto the computer by two different staffers (Jen at the front desk and the other gal who took us to exam room 2 in Zone F - this is a BIG clinic). He somewhat overwhelmed my sometimes-shy 13-year old with his bold, friendly greeting and then launching right into a whole bunch of questions about her long-standing ankle injury. He had x-rays taken of her ankle - digital machinery right there made this fast and easy, and the x-rays immediately appeared on the computer screen, which was excellent and made for easy analysis by the doctor. He did a very thorough exam of the structures and then had her try a number of maneuvers standing up and then seated. He arrived at a diagnosis and proposed a fairly simple three-week treatment plan, with the caveat that he doesn't like to see this kind of problem go on so long and that it could be something more complex than a strained anterior tibial tendon. If she still has pain after three weeks, we are to return for an MRI and a more complete diagnostic work-up. I was very pleased with the amount of information he shared in a short appointment. He was bright and very engaged... this was no checklist diagnosis without any connection to the actual patient. You might want to be prepared to take notes... he speaks quickly and you might find that twenty minutes later, you can't remember what he said. I liked how efficient their office staff was; they didn't keep us hanging around for anything, they didn't run late, and we were out of there in much less time than I expected. The entire clinic appeared to be very clean and the equipment and systems were top-notch.

Dr. Castle has been awesome through a knee replacement surgery for my husband. He was honest and…read morethorough from the beginning of our process as my hubby has diabetes. Dr. Castle delayed the surgery until he was healthy enough to handle and has been very proactive in his care. Everything went perfect and he is healing well. We will be scheduling a second knee replacement with Dr Castle soon. His assistant Kelsey (sp?) has also been prompt and helpful when needed. I would HIGHLY recommend Dr Castle. We have 3 sons, all were athletes through college and 2 professionally. I have been through many orthopedic procedures and surgeons and I think Dr Castle is one of the best!

Physical Therapy that worked! PT with Phenix was an enjoyable experience all around and I looked…read moreforward to my sessions. After developing hip pain over several months, an X ray showed no arthritis present. I was referred to Reid at Phenix PT. After 5, maybe fewer sessions with Reid my hip pain was completely relieved. I learned hips need to be flexible to function properly and I'm still doing the exercises I learned from Reid at home and feel great! After my hips improved, I asked Reid if he could help me with chronic neck and shoulder pain that I thought was something I thought I had to live with forever since my early 20's. What an improvement! Now at 64 my neck and shoulders feel better than ever. The "balloon" exercise that Reid talk me is a game changer. Wish I could thank Reid enough! Thank you Reid, best PT ever!

Going to PT is never easy. Doing the work is never fun. But the team at PHENIX have created a calm,…read morecool, friendly environment and have changed the overall PT experience for me -- making it something I actually look forward to vs. dreading. You can always count on a warm welcome, good music, and amazing care.

Dr. Nelson and his staff are amazing and compassionate. He's extensively experienced, knows what…read morehe's doing. Nurse Charlotte is someone I'd describe as, "Aggressively compassionate." Reminds me of my time in the Navy as a field medic. Same level as my fellow corpsmen. Attentive, respectful, listens to what's going on, as well as diagnosing and evaluating, because a lot of these conditions are, at least initially, by touch-and-feel. Then go for the further diagnoses, to narrow it down. The bottom line is, they aren't a "churn them out as fast as you can," clinic, like larger hospitals like Evergreen (which does have excellent staff as well, they can just get overwhelmed). They do have an on-site surgery ward. They may have to pull in anesthesiology from out-of-house, but they know some of the best, so they pull in the best. My condition was compounded, bilateral Morton's Neuroma, with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome. It was a nightmare. They literally saved my life. The pain was to the point of suicidal. The benefit I had, was knowing medical terminology, anatomy, and being able discuss everything on, maybe not quite equal terms, but near-to. Dr. Nelson and his staff are a dream-team. When I say they don't, "churn them out as fast as they can," it doesn't mean they waste effort. They're just very experience. Do what needs to be done, without making you wait. Large hospitals, like I said, Evergreen, which is great, can have you on a waiting list for a month, where as Issaquah Foot and Ankle will have you in the next week, or as soon as available. If I were to compare them to anything, it'd be a frontier clinic, where the best go to treat people the best they can, treat their patients on a personal level, without having to deal with an overwhelming client base. As for surgical scheduling. As I mentioned, they bring in anesthesiologists from other clinics, as far away as southern California, so they have to schedule around their schedules. Other hospitals, it can take months. Another reviewer mentioned how they were referred to diagnosis specialists. There's one I went to in Tacoma. Electrical Skeletal-Muscular Diagnosis, wherein, it's like having a car electronics diagnostic given, which shows where there's impedance, or anomalies in the nerves. Nailed it. In any case, they're a little out-of-the-way, not too far, but if you want a team that knows what they're doing, go with them, before having to wait a month just to get an exam. This is, a bit long, as reviews go, I guess, but they're worth it. As to the complications of surgery involving general sedation, of *course* they'll require you to have someone to pick you up. You're pretty out-of-it for awhile after. Driving in those conditions would be dangerous to both yourself, and others, not to mention risking all the work done on the feet afterwards. I suppose there's medical transportation as an option. In my case, I had a friend who drove me from the clinic to home, and I needed some help.

Horrendous experience with their billing and charges. Found the practice to be very deceptive and…read moremisleading. Ask for all potential charges before receiving any care here, even with in network insurance. $490 for a foot brace! I repeat - $494.75 for a small foot brace, I kid you not. I had some pain in my heel lasting for a couple weeks and thought "let's get it checked out". Saw Dr Tim Young for a 15 minute, middle of the road appointment - he recommended stretching more (yes, stretching!) and to wear a foot brace at night. Ok, fine suggestions although pretty basic and to be expected. A few weeks later my bill came and I kid you not this is what was billed by this company: New patient appt: $330 Time for the visit: $180 Ankle brace: $480! Random charge I can't yet determine: $180 If you're counting, that is $1170 for a honest to god 15 min appt, where again the main recommendation was to stretch my calf more. Shameful and appalling. If you choose to visit Issq Foot & Ankle, good luck to you. Your wallet will surely need it

Before saying that Dr. Dayne Mickelson an extraordinary doctor, I want to tell that he is an…read moreextraordinary human being, person, and friend. Very few doctors have the magic of love, caring and compassionate soul behind the surgeon's hands like Dr. Mickelson, to replace the fear of illness and pain with peace, trust and confidence. The nightmare of my illness was almost a year long, visit's to other doctors and slowly became a dream of recovery only after my visit to Dr. Mickelson. He's really care about his patients. Thanks for showing me so much care, concern and for your highest level of professionalism! I highly recommend Dr. Dayne Mickelson to friends and family members