I've been going to Dr. Hinshaw for 8 months, and despite my thinking it couldn't get better after…read moreevery visit, it somehow does. He is so patient, gentle, kind, knowledgeable, and speaks in a way that is accessible to anyone. I feel exceptionally lucky to have him as my PCP (type of care he provides me is being my primary care physician). Whoever the CEO is: pay him more because I truly hope he never leaves. He is the consummate healer.

Dr. Hinshaw is a superb physician. My wife and I recently were in need of a new GP when our…read morelong-time primary-care doctor suspended her practice. After searching for a replacement a good bit, we finally found Dr. Hinshaw and could not be more pleased with him and the care he has rendered us. He is extraordinarily thorough, curious, and probing without being the least bit intrusive. We are most happy with the care we have received from him and have no hesitation in giving Dr. Hinshaw our most enthusiastic recommendation.

Dr Jacobson has been taking care of me every six months for the last 35 years since having a heart…read moreattack in 1987. His experience, knowledge and incredulous dedication to the field of medicine is unparalleled (as can be witnessed by the hours he is available). He far excels any doctor I have ever seen relative to his level of care.

I cannot possibly imagine a better primary care physician/cardiologist. Easily available,…read moreprofessionally, responsible, magnificently, trained, and a fine human being. Professor James W Guthrie

@@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.

I've been a chronic pain patient for a little over 20 years. When the problem first appeared I…read moretried to work through it for nearly a year and finally had surgery to correct it, which it only partially did (no reflection on the surgeon) so I entered the world of chronic pain management. It's not a pleasant place that can also be confusing. After a number of years with different providers I was unhappy with the results. Fortunately I was referred to Dr. Robert Savala in San Francisco and his assistant Dierdre Jo about 15 years ago for interventional pain management. Within no time it was apparent that I was dealing with the right people. My chief pain complaint was lower lumbar, from L-4 to S-1, with significant and crippling bouts of sciatic nerve problems. After a thorough evaluation we agreed that Transforaminal Epidurals were the most likely procedure to yield good results for me. The decision was made after a strong collaborative approach, where he listened to me outline my complex medical history for as long as it took, and he then thoroughly outlined possible approaches and we agreed on a course of action. I'm happy to say that the results were excellent, and every time I've run up against another episode we repeat that same process as needed and keep getting good results. Finally, as for collaboration, his assistant Dierdre Jo is a huge part of the process from start to finish, getting me in to see him and then into surgery centers as quickly as possible. People typically only write reviews if they're either really pleased or really not pleased, and that's true here. Real chronic pain is bad enough to live with, I've seen and been treated by the best, and I've never met anyone I'd rather work with than Dr. Savala and Dierdre Jo.

I am a nurse and have known Dr. Savala professionally and personally for 25 years. I am now a…read morepatient and am thankful that he is my doctor. I've had long covid symptoms for 3 years and the fatigue has been debilitating at times. A friend told me about a stellate ganglion block helping someone she knew and I talked about it with Dr. Savala. We agreed it was worth trying and it has been a game changer and I feel like I have my life back.

Longer overdue review…read more I saw Dr Akizuki about 2 years ago for a torn meniscus. He was honest in saying surgery was in the horizon, but a temp fix was a cortisone shot which he did. The shot worked for about 2 years and now it's time to either get another one, or surgery. I would not hesitate to have him as my surgeon, as I was referred to him by someone that had him as their surgeon and he's a great doctor.

I had seen Dr Akizuki 5 times in the past 5 years. The last time I went he changed his tax ID…read morewithout informing me, so he is out of network expecting me to foot the bill. Do not go here.

Dr. Wardwell and his team stands out as one of the most brilliant, innovative, honest and effective…read moredoctors I have seen in my life. He was highly recommended to me by my acupuncturist who has seen him several times for therapies to heal long standing back and neck injuries. Dr. Wardell has an extremely impressive and well rounded background and education which enables him to understand underlying issues and causes in a way that most doctors do not. I have recommended him to so many people who have chronic illnesses and pain/injuries who are unable to get relief by traditional methods (cortisone injections, PT, surgery). Not only does he have a deep understanding of any medical issues I've asked him about, his approach is always focused on getting to the true cause and healing them vs a band-aid approach used by so many doctors. His treatments / approach are all quite reasonably priced and has helped people avoid major surgeries that would be much more costly and not actually fixing the underlying problem or condition. I feel that Dr. Wardwell has a strong sense of integrity and ethics and treats his patients with genuine respect, never pushing profit over the best interest is his patients. I have been trying to recover from a severe case of Bells Palsy 7 years ago which I was told by some of the top doctors in the field that I would never be able to heal from it, and the only options were Botox and invasive surgery in my face. I'm so thankful that I have found PRP (plasma rich protein injections, same used in "vampire facials") therapy with Dr. Wardwell which has already healed and improved my symptoms in 3-4 months post PRP therapy. My other doctor who has been treating me, who is the head of plastic surgery at Stanford, was amazed as the most recent progress and never heard of PRP being used to to treat Bells Palsy, which is quite sad. I'm getting the word out. If you are looking for a doctor who will truly get to the bottom of your condition and treat you with the utmost care and respect, I highly recommend Dr. Wardwell. Randy on his team is also very welcoming and accommodating whenever possible. Do not hesitate to schedule a consult if you're thinking about it! You won't regret it.

Dr. Wardwell has great bedside manner and a lot of knowledge while being very flexible with…read moretreatment options. He is also transparent about the modalities he employs. The office is clean and calming. His response time is punctual. I received PRP about three times, physical therapy advice, HCG therapy, stem cell treatment once, along with ultrasound treatment and dextrose water injections. These were done over the course of four to five years for a labrum surgery recovery due to a torn in half labrum and torn nerves in both arms as well as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I'm doing much better now

I have called Dr. Schrader's office five times because of a distinct and frightening breathing…read moreproblem. I was told I could not schedule an appointment until after December 2025. I finally got a virtual visit with another doctor in his office and was prescribed allergy meds. I I don't have any allergies but took the meds anyway. No help. I then asked for an in-person visit with his PA and was prescribed antibiotics which did help for four or five days. I've since called three times to see if the meds could be re-prescribed and finally got a call back after three tries - the PA's office assistant wanted to know if I had taken the original meds. Huh ? And that the meds could not be prescribed again but he "would consider" a chest xray. Huh ? When ? Where ? No one has been at all helpful and my only recourse is the the ER where, I understand, one can actually see a doctor. Incompetent and uncomprehending staff, I guess, doesn't help.

Can't depend on Dr. Schrader. Very disappointed. He seemed like he would be a good MD. Listened,…read moregave good answers. But, really undependable.

Dr. Cox provided the answers to my questions and the care for my knee condition. The office is busy…read morebut fairly organized and I was seen pretty much on time at my appointment time, first by a nurse and then by Dr. Cox. Overall, a good experience.

I went in for a hip problem, and they took a MRI of my back. No one ever sat down with me and had…read moreme move my leg around to see where the pain was.