We visited Dr. Laura Timmerman on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, after my wife continued to experience problems with her left knee following two surgeries performed by Dr. David Jupina of Tri Valley Orthopedics. An MRI report showed that her tendon had ruptured. Before the second surgery, we had asked Dr. Jupina to order an MRI, but he told us it was unnecessary. When Dr. Jupina recommended a third surgery, we asked about his experience. He said he had been performing these surgeries for 25 years, but that my wife would be his first patient to undergo a third surgery with him. We decided to seek additional opinions. Dr. Timmerman was warm, empathetic, and attentive. She expressed concern that Dr. Jupina should have performed due diligence before the second surgery and encouraged us to consult orthopedic specialists at UCSF, Stanford, and Sutter. She also offered to provide referrals. When I called her office, her assistant, Leslie, promptly faxed the referrals to the specialists' offices. We are grateful to Dr. Timmerman and her staff for their compassion, responsiveness, and excellent bedside manner. read more

I had rotator cuff surgery performed by Dr. Timmerman a week ago. From what I understand, the tear was fairly substantial, and it was not automatic that surgery would be able to repair it. Also, from what I understand, including the pictures she showed me, she was successful in reattaching it. Without being an expert on these things, it still seems to me that Dr. Timmerman is an experienced and skilled surgeon. That, of course, is by far and away the most important thing in looking for a surgeon. The reason I am not giving her an unreserved five star rating is the following: In our postoperative visit one week after the surgery, I felt Dr. Timmerman was very rushed. She showed me pictures of the shoulder and the surgery, which I appreciated, but kind of rushed through her explanation of what the pictures represent. As somebody who has zero knowledge or understanding of such things, I really did not understand it all and did not feel comfortable to ask her to repeat her explanations. Nor did she really take time to just sit down and say, "OK, how are you feeling? How is everything ?" I did not come away feeling clear on what I can and cannot do during the entire three months of my recovery period, nor on what the prognosis is for a fairly full recovery of the use of my shoulder.The whole appointment was maybe five minutes and I was asking her questions as she literally had 1 foot out the door of the room. Now I understand that doctors can be very busy, but I really do feel like they have to make time to create an atmosphere in which a patient can feel comfortable asking questions. After all, the recovery period is important. I am not sure how to say this: I appreciate the experience and apparent skill that Dr. Timmerman brings to the table. But as just some older guy who just wants to live out his remaining years being comfortable, active, and as productive as he can, I have to wonder if in the field of sports medicine us older people are sufficiently recognized for who we are. read more

My experience was very similar to the two other low ratings. I went in for my second appointment, and she rushed through the appointment. She did not allow me time to ask questions. I left frustrated and forgot the MRI disc. I went back and thought that I might as well try and talk to her and if she couldn't see me then, to make another appointment. The receptionist reluctantly went to ask and Dr. Timmerman yelled that I had told her that my leg hurt 7 times and that she could not address it. I have never had a doctor tell me I need surgery and refuse to answer questions. According to the other reviews, she seems to be a good surgeon, but her patient care has a lot to be desired. If you are okay with blindly letting a surgeon cut into you, this is the doctor for you. If you want information about the process or even alternatives, don't bother going in for an appointment. read more

Dr. Timmerman has helped me with a few of my injuries. She is involved in the recovery process and her experience shows in how well she knows exactly what I need. My recovery has been really good under her care. read more

My pain is finally over! After 3 years of shoulder pain I was referred to Dr Timmerman. From the moment I got my initial exam to ultimately two rotator cuff surgeries I was swaddled in excellent medical care. Dr Timmerman is amazing and Janee runs the office like it's on wheels! Do it now and end your agony! read more

As a first time, patient, I appreciate Dr. Timmerman's frankness and approach. Though I am not a candidate for her particular care, she took the time to talk with me, and suggested other avenues I might try. She also was very upfront, and kind in being so. From what I've heard, as well, she is a particularly fine and skilled doctor in her field. Definitely worth the trip! read more

Dr Timmerman did a surgery on me to repair/replace an ACL/PCL. Not an easy surgery and I was only the second one she had done. I am happy to say, 20 years later it still holds. Thank you Dr Timmerman! I think of you often. One of the fancy orthopedic doctors in a Danville orthopedic group wouldn't even touch it and let my leg atrophy. read more

MY WORSE HORRIBLE, NIGHTMARE, EXPERIENCE EVER I saw Dr. Timmerman for the first time on May 5, 2021 for a lingering shoulder problem and after five months, August 5, she takes me to OR to do arthroscopic surgery; couple of cortisone shots didn't help. However, I sensed something terribly had gone wrong with the surgery based on my pain level six weeks later, but nothing I said made her listen. She would play a guessing game: maybe it's an inflammation, scar tissue, physical therapy aggravating it, (she stops my PT), and finally the pain is coming from your neck. With these guesses, she gives me cortisone shots to stop the pain and this was POST-OP. After six months post-op and still in constant pain, she gives me a reference for EMG test (nerve test) and see my spine doctor, because she'd researched and found my 5-year old cervical MRI report. The forms I filled on my initial visit has my spine history. Worse, she drops me with a voice message from her staff (on January 20, I still have the message saved) that, she can't see me anymore because, she doesn't accept my new insurance. YES, I have changed my insurance, but I asked and and she said she accepts it. I called my primary physician's office and they referred me to another shoulder specialist, Dr. Kirk Jensen, and my first visit was January 27, 2022. Upon reviewing my MRI reports and describing the pain to him, I was relieved when he said right away that, he knew what was wrong and promised to fix it for me.  The same post-op MRI ordered and reviewed by Dr. Timmerman. In layman's term he describes the problem as follows: Dr. Timmerman's arthroscopic surgery left two bones exposed rubbing against each other and/or and grinding and when that  happens, it accumulates fluid and causes inflammation and swelling.  The solution, another surgery, he said, but I COULD BE HAPPIER! After six months of intensive post arthroscopic surgery pain, and after just three weeks of seeing Dr. Jensen I was back to OR.  With the combination of arthroscopic surgery and a 5-cm cut, he's resolved the problem.  It's been exactly six weeks today and I am able to sleep well and use my hand fairly well albeit, still healing gracefully. I would be still running around and waiting for EMG test results and appointments to see doctors who are not relevant to the problem I was experiencing, if I had followed her suggestions. She inflicted this serious pain on my and left me dangling by essentially saying, it's not my problem. So for current or future patients, ask her for process/problem elimination before taking you to OR and NOT after. Make sure she LISTENS to you; she talks more than she listens, which is atypical as a doctor. HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE in the future. read more

I'm 56 yrs old and very active. My first surgery was in 2009 for my shoulder, impingement. I recovered 100% and eleven years later I have absolutely no pain or discomfort and I have full strength and mobility. March of this year my right distal bicep tendon tore completely off my bone. It was during the beginning of the quarantine so I was really nervous about having surgery but this type of injury needs to have surgery as soon as possible otherwise your arm will be disabled the rest of your life. I have Kaiser and was very disappointed in ther response to my injury and told me surgery would probably be weeks out. So I contacted Dr. Laura Timmerman and she told me to immediately visit her office after ordering an MRI. Despite the quarantine and obstacles in her way to quickly do an operation, she prevailed and within 72 hours of my injury she operated on my arm at the Sequoia Surgery Center which was magnificent. It's now been two months and although still painful I'm able to start arm curls again and have about 90% mobility of my arm. I expect a full recovery in no time. So if you want the BEST surgeon in the world Dr. Laura Timmerman is the one for you or your kid. Thank you Dr. Timmerman for your outstanding care, precision surgery and fixing my body so I'm back to my full potential again! read more

Very caring, excellent surgeon. Took very good care of me with my torn rotator cuff. I just wish I lived close.

Dr. Timmerman is a highly respected surgeon in the east bay and has treated myself and my boyfriend for several orthopedic injuries over the years. She has preformed three surgeries on my boyfriend and he has had great outcomes with each one. She is thorough with her evaluation and great with working with what works for you as a treatment plan. Her office staff is caring and available to help with any questions you may have. I definitely recommend Dr. Laura Timmerman if you are in need of orthopedic/ sports medicine care. read more

Wonderful, caring doctor. We live in Marin and needed a second opinion as a "tiebreaker" between two other doctors' opinions. She was able to fit us in same day. She very quickly figured out a way to do this, and helped us to get into her best radiologist early the next morning to obtain clarity about the situation. Her staff was also wonderful. She didn't take our insurance, so we ended up using another doctor for the procedure my daughter needed. But, one of my daughter's teammates used her for a very successful ACL surgery a couple of years ago. I highly recommend her, and we were very grateful for her help. read more

She has performed 3 surgeries on my knee, shoulder, and elbow. All of my repairs are perfect-- like new. She is a superb surgeon in the skill of her hands (that X factor in surgeons) and her diagnostic skills and experience. i refer all my family, friends and clients to her. She also knows when not to cut and can perform hyaluronin injections (orthovisc), cortisone shots or PRP as needed. As a bonus, her entire staff is superb. Lastly, her office administration is accessible, unlike the mega organizations (Golden West, or Sutter, or John Muir. Her phones are answered quickly, scheduling is flexible, and friendly. I recommend her as the first stop for orthopedic and sports medicine needs - hands down the best I have been to. And she doesn't turn you over to a PA like so many Doctors do now. I can't say enough good things about her and her staff. Even if she doesn't work on a certain joint, I ask who she would send me to. read more

Great doctor! Cured my husband and I's frozen shoulder in one visit. She also saved us money by giving us PT exercises to work on at home. I couldn't recommend her more! read more

Unfortunately, this doctor came highly recommended, and I was completely shocked by how she treated me. She walked rushed into the room and didn't ask me what happened. She immediately told me I was fine based on my scans, and when I told her I was experiencing pain for months, she completely discounted it and told me she couldn't figure it out. I asked if I could ask questions and she snapped with "not very many." I quickly asked if she could give me potential possibilities of what could be causing the pain even if she didn't know for sure, and she said that it could be an issue with my back but she's not a back doctor so she doesn't know and would not discuss the topic further. She then told her assistant to "deal with this" and walked out of the room. read more

The surgery that changed my life. I will just use dr Timmerans own words "I knocked it out of the park didn't I?"

I was referred to Dr. Timmerman through my physical therapist when I was having an issue with my shoulder. One year ago I visited Dr. Timmerman and she took an x-ray to see what my issue was and she made recommendation and immediately took action. I was pain free within a few days. I felt very comfortable with her procedures and her office staff was incredible. Prior to my visit to Dr. Timmerman, I had visited another well-known and large organization full of orthopedic surgeons names not to be mentioned. And simply put there is no comparison based on scheduling time/availability, office waiting time and bedside manner. She is incredible and have referred others to her whom all have been very satisfied beyond their expectations. read more

I remember when Dr. Timmerman was a ortho doctor for the Sacramento Kings! :) I am currently 32 years old and Dr. Timmerman repaired my (completely)torn ACL when I was 14. I was a competitive gymnast and tore it during competition. I was in her office the NEXT DAY after I injured my knee, went and got an MRI the day after that and was scheduled for surgery the NEXT WEEK. I was BACK in the GYM at full workout after 6 MONTHS! Til this day, I think my "Timmerman knee" is better then my original knee AND I you can't really see my scar!! :) Dr. Timmerman is a TRUE SPORTS SURGON! To all the injured athletes out there that keep living with a bad knee or shoulder: THIS IS YOUR GAL! read more

This surgeon is absolutely amazing! She repaired a large tear in my rotator cuff in January 2019 and my physical therapists continually marvel at my strength and range of motion after only 3 months. And you can't even see any scars from the surgery! read more

After crashing my mountain bike I had a bad rotator cuff. Like torn off. After calling around To a few friends I went and visited 2 surgeon s and chose dr timmerman. She did a great job and the shoulder is as good as when I was 20 something. Highly recommended. read more

Dr. Timmerman performed shoulder surgery for my torn labrum back in May. She did such a great job! Four months later and I am already back to throwing and playing sports. This was my first major surgery, but Dr. Timmerman made sure I was comfortable and that everything went smoothly. I also really like Dr. Timmerman's personality. She is very cordial, but she also talks fast and gets to the point. If you want a doctor that is going to coddle you and break down every little detail, then maybe she isn't for you. She respects your time and doesn't waste it. I'm almost always seen at my scheduled appointment time and I have even been seen before my appointment time when I arrived early and they weren't too busy. Her staff is very professional and I've never had any issues with payment or insurance. Hopefully, I won't need to use Dr. Timmerman's services again, but if I do, I will definitely be calling her up! read more

I came to Dr Timmerman after a terrible experience as TriValley Orthopeadic. She is no nonsense, pays attention to what you say and what you want, and discusses options in clear terms. She did my knee surgery and it went perfectly. I am so glad that I found her. Her office is very pleasant as is everyone on her team. read more

Dr Timmerman and her staff are exceptional in the osteo surgical business and know what they are doing. I trust my knees to no one else and have had excellent results twice. The whole team works to get you back on your feet quickly and they know how to navigate insurance policies effectively. There's a reason multiple athletes have become former clients! read more

Dr. Timmerman is the go-to for injuries for Saint Mary's College and Cal athletes. The fact that D1 coaches put their valuable players in her hands is testament alone toward her ability. Even if you are NOT an 18-yr-old superior athletic specimen you should consider Dr. Timmerman. She is definitely no nonsense -- you are in and out and it kind of feels like a blur, but I chalk her bedside manner up to: 1) her extremely high level of knowledge of all things ligaments/joints (she seems to know your problem before you can manage to get the "nice to see you" out of your mouth); 2) she is able to hear and process your words quickly and respond in layman's terms easily to make for a very efficient conversation; and 3) she is a busy working mom and doesn't have time for fluff. If you are looking for warm and fuzzy, and a 1-hour long conversation about your injury, go somewhere else. She already knows everything important about your injury by just feeling said body part with her hands and looking at your x-ray. Just trust in her knowledge, ask whatever questions for which you need answers to make you feel more comfortable, and move forward. Her front desk and nursing staff is awesome, you can tell they love being there and helping people. They handled all health insurance pre-auth and billing issues for me, I never had to contact insurance myself before or after appointments (a HUGE plus in my book). My own issue was a very annoying "tennis elbow," from which I was losing sleep from the pain. Dr. Timmerman deducted it was from lifting and carrying heavy babies in one arm for several years. She suggested a series of steroid injections every 6-8 months to mask the pain until my youngest was walking, to see if that was the actual problem (and later we'd discuss other options if it wasn't). The issue 'magically' resolved itself once my kiddo preferred walking to being held, which was awesome because Dr. T. told me I was only allowed 1 more injection before we needed to move onto something more involved (surgery, ugh). Love, love Dr. Timmerman! I wish she could be my primary care physician. read more

Okay, Dr Timmerman ROCKS! First of all, I find her to be very personable. Her bedside manner is great! I don't know what those other people were talking about. I got my MRI and gave her office a call. I said "looking at the slides, it seems like you were right- my ACL looks totally torn up." When I got to the office, after the awesome friendly nurse (EVERYONE there is awesome. I think I'm gonna have to bake something for them, seriously) saw me, she just came bouncing into the room, all excited, and said "YOU WERE RIGHT! Your ACL is totally torn!" I don't think I've ever met a doctor who seemed so excited about their work. She is a surgery geek, I think, and I mean that in the awesome way. This is a person who seems to really enjoy and look forward to doing her job, and you know what? That's so awesome. I would much rather have someone like her working on my knee than some apathetic doctor, you know? Like most of them seem to be, all jaded and uncaring and half-assed. Dr. T. is not half-assed. Dr T. Is a friendly, considerate badass in a penguin-print surgical cap. She and her staff were with me every step of the way. Every question I have had, they have answered promptly. She has personally CALLED ME BACK! I mean the DOCTOR! Not a staff member- she has actually talked to me... ON THE PHONE. That is so incredibly rare these days, seems like. I have Medicare and am very poor, and instead of turning her nose up at me or giving me sub-par service (some doctors will) she and her staff really went out of their way to work with me on that. They have always worked to find people for the aftercare and physical therapy that take medicare, and they have always asked before signing me up for anything that isn't covered. Everyone they have had work with me has been really nice and personable. Even the nice lady who brought me my passive motion machine recognized me in Dr. T's parking lot and stopped her truck to ask me how I was doing. The surgery so far seems to be successful. When I came out of general, Dr T came by and let me know that it was a success. She'd promised me a strong young buck's ligament for my cadaver graft, and I trust her on that. She seems to really care about keeping up to date on what works best. She laid out all the options for my surgery, and she let me choose which one I wanted. I really felt like I was a part of the decision making process and like I was kept in the loop. I feel very well cared-for, and I feel like she really considers me as a patient, instead of seeing me as an inconvenience to blow by as fast as possible. I also am brought in for my appointments really promptly, and if I need a wheelchair, they have one waiting for me when I get there. Finally, she has operated on a couple other people from my dojo, and they can whoop my behind but good. That speaks pretty well for her skills, haha! We have a guy who keeps injuring his shoulders (it's a Kyokushin thing, heh) and she fixes him up... he can punch like a freight train. Dr T has my back! And now I've got hers too. CHOOSE HER! You won't regret it. read more

I saw Dr. Timmerman when I injured my elbow about five years ago. Originally, the physicians who looked at my MRI said I would need surgery on my nerve, but Dr. Timmerman saw this was wrong and saved me from damaging my elbow even further. She did an amazing job cleaning up my bone spurs, and I was back on the field within a couple months of physical therapy and the use of a brace every time I practiced throwing. Although my arm isn't as strong as before, I was still able to play catcher and shortstop pretty darn well and made it on my high school's varsity softball team. Five years later and now playing coed slow-pitch, I am back under Dr. Timmerman's care and will be getting surgery within the next month to move my ulnar nerve and possibly clean up my cartilage. It's easy to say that I completely trust her and am so happy with my results from the initial surgery that I have gone back. Plus, she's really nice! I definitely recommend anyone to see her :) read more

My left Knee had swollen up like a loaf of bread, I could not walk on my left leg, It really hurt, and I didn't know what was wrong with it. At 1st I thought I was having varicose vein issues with my leg, but I soon found out that that was not the case. I was having issues with my knee. So I went to my handy dandy YELP website, and found Dr Timmerman! And as everyone has said, Dr. Timmerman is just a terrific Doctor, along with her front office staff, that is helpful, kind, and welcoming. I soon found out that I had a bruised shin bone, and that it would take awhile for the pain & the swelling to go down. Thank God, that's all it was?! But take it from me Dr. Timmerman is the real deal, If you are in need of a "excellent" Orthopedists, look no further...she Rocks! read more

An amazing experience with a very caring Doc. I went for a second opinion after being told the only thing that could be done for my torn meniscus and pieces of bone floating around in my knee (I had 10 out of 10 pain and was literally unable to walk) was a steroid shot. Dr. Timmerman immediately saw the problem, fast tracked me for arthroscopic surgery and I'm so happy to report I'm almost back to normal! I shudder to think where I'd be without her and her caring staff. Highly recommend. read more

First appt so rushed I couldn't even discuss what had happened. I had to physically take her hands and ask her to listen. Then she refused to repair the shoulder spurs cause I'm a bad surgical candidate, which is asinine since I've had two surgeries recently and they had no problems and I healed fine . I'd avoid her like the plague. All she wants to do is stick cortisone in your joint. That's fine if you want your joint ruined. I never heard cortisone helped bone spurs with catching and clicking. read more

Horrible experience with Dr Timmerman. My father had surgery back in April with her and his surgery did not go as expected, she didn't want to operate him again or do anything to help him. She's very rude and had an attitude all the time. We went to another Dr for a second opinion, and he did an excellent job and confirmed that Timmerman had not cleaned out the scaring in my fathers knee which did not help the situation at all. She made his knee worst. I would not recommend to go with this doctor read more

She is a very knowledgeable and caring surgeon with amazing skills in bringing people back to normal. My shoulder with a torn tendon and detached muscle feels better than before and even better than the "good" one. read more

Dr Timmerman is great. I have been seeing her for years for an injury I've had and have to say that having her in my corner is a great thing. She recommended a physical therapist who has decreased my chronic pain, which has changed my life. She knows I am scared of surgery and constantly helps me find ways to live my life without it (so far!). read more

I have been referring my patients to Dr. Timmerman for some time now...and have had nothing but wonderful results and positive feedback from those she has worked on. I needed surgery on a torn tricep muscle, and Dr. Timmerman did a fantastic job. I'm 100% better...back at the gym...back on the golf course...and most importantly, back to treating my patients. Her staff is out of this world as well. They went out of there way to accommodate my busy schedule. Thank You Dr. Timmerman and Staff!! read more

Wow!!! Fast in. The wait was not long. Really nice people working there. Dr. Timmerman was so knowledgeable that to me it seemed routine to her. Badabing badaboom I was diagnosed, fixed and outa there. Thank you Dr. Timmerman and staff. Definitely five stars. read more

As good as it gets .... I am 45 years old ... My knee was 90 years old ... Now my knee is 20 years old ... I got one knee 45 on my other knee is 20 years old ... After Timmerman does what she does .... I was ready to go jogging ... My knee is perfect ... back to the gym ... spin class again ... My only regret ... I did not do it sooner .... I cant stand surgery and doctors and all the drama ... I put it off way to long ...Thumbs up to Timmerman .... read more

This was the 2nd surgery I had from Dr. Timmerman. The first was a complete elbow reconstruction ("Tommy John") and this was rotator cuff. The procedure was fully explained and performed as explained. I could not have hoped for a better experience. read more

After years and years of doctors telling me there was nothing wrong with my knee because nothing was showing up no the MRI, Dr. Timmerman was the ONLY doctor who believed that something was wrong. She had a theory that I had a tear on my meniscus that wasn't showing up on the MRI due to the direction of the tear and how the MRI camera works (or something). Well, she was right, and the for the first time in over 10 years, I can walk/run with absolutely no pain in my knee. Life changing. Thanks Dr. Timmerman! read more

Love the doc. Hate waiting an hour to be seen. Every time

I had my ACL reconstruction surgery done by Dr. Laura Timmerman a few years ago. It has completely changed my life and I am in the best shape health-wise today. I'm now able to run in 5K's/10K's, do Spartan Races, go on hikes and many activities. Besides the ACL, I used to have awful knee problems that were hard to remedy. Nonetheless, because of Dr. Timmerman's work, my reconstructed knee feels so much stronger than ever to this day and I do not have any more knee issues. Every single time I would go to her office, Dr. Timmerman was always professional, straightforward and looked at all possible options that would benefit me. Her office staff was always so accommodating and made me feel so welcome. She is not the typical doctor you would find. For instance, I sustained a knee injury from basketball the summer before my senior year of high school that couldn't be officially diagnosed until it was revealed during surgery. I couldn't get an MRI. The typical doctor would have immediately said that my season was done, but not Dr. Timmerman. Despite the risks, she gave me the opportunity to continue playing the sport I loved by assigning an ACL brace for maximum protection. It meant so much to me because in a way, I just knew that it would be the last year I would play competitively. I 100% recommend Dr. Laura Timmerman if you are in search for an entrusted and exceptional orthopedic surgeon who will be with you every step of the way. read more

Dr. Timmerman fixed a torn miniscus. I'm very happy with the way it turned out - I was running again within 2-3 months, no complications, a fairly fast recovery. I had read some of the earlier reviews complaining about her bedside manner, but I thought she was very friendly and informative, no issues at all. I'd give her 4.5 stars if I could. The only reason I'm not giving 5 is that I think she could be more cognizant of the importance of physical therapy after surgery. After the surgery, she said I'd be running in about six weeks, and said I could see a physical therapist if I wanted to. I did and it was very valuable, and the therapist was very surprised that Dr. Timmerman told me I'd be running in six weeks - more like 10-12, and then carefully. With the therapist, I worked on how not to reinjure myself, training other muscles (namely, the glutes) to take the load off my knees, learning to how to lift things and do squats in a way that uses the glutes. Anyway - I hope I don't ever need knee surgery again, but if I did I would certainly use Dr. Timmerman again. read more