If you are looking for an excellent ACL surgeon - choose Dr Jay M. Marumoto. My family and I had a superb experience with him and his staff, and I would like to share our experience and tips with you.
History: Five years ago, my 16 year old son tore his ACL playing High School Football, his Orthopedic Surgeon at that time recommended a donor tissue replacement (cadaver) citing the recovery time and minimal cutting as its best benefits. The surgeon also recommended he not play football again unless he has NFL career plans. So after his ACL Reconstruction with Cadaver Tissue my son did not play High School Football again, but he did play other High School sports and stayed in great shape. A few months ago, my son tore the same ACL again playing basketball. After doing a lot of research recently on ACL Reconstruction, I realized that going with a cadaver was a mistake. Cadaver tissue is better suited for older people who are not as active.
Search for a Surgeon: When I looked for an Orthopedic Surgeon to perform my son's second ACL surgery I received a lot of recommendations from family and friends which included Dr Marumoto. I chose him initially for his extensive experience. Another thing I heard and read was a lot of the orthopedic surgeons have zero bedside manners, are terse and for some reason they don't explain much. This was not the case with Dr Marumoto, he was very friendly and easy to talk with - he explained everything.
Selection: Dr Marumoto would not give my son an appointment until he had received the MRI Report and the MRI Image CD, which I was absolutely happy about because some surgeons just use the MRI Report to perform surgery. The MRI Image CD allowed Dr Marumoto to view the MRI Report and compare it to the MRI Image CD, while doing so he discovered that my son also had a really bad meniscus tear. This discovery confirmed what I had suspected about my son's meniscus. Prior to seeing Dr Marumoto, my son had shared with me some symptoms that I thought were meniscus related (I've had meniscus repair done to both my knees) but no meniscus tear was recorded on my son's MRI Report. So now my son was having both his ACL and meniscus done at the same time - what a huge relief!
Initial Consult: Our first appointment with Dr Marumoto involved the normal paperwork stuff, his Nurse Ms. Monconnel (who was very friendly, and very competent) did the initial screening (Blood pressure check, etc...), then an intern (she was good too) came in to evaluate my son, and then Dr Marumoto came in to do his evaluation. He was professional and extremely competent. He recommended using my son's patellar tendon, but would use my son's hamstring if he wanted. My son chose to use his hamstring. Dr Marumoto then explained to us what he was going to do during the surgery, and answered all of our questions. We left his office with a surgery date, a prescription for pain and nausea medication, and a positive feeling about our son's surgery.
Surgery: My son's surgery was done in Dr Marumoto's office building (Hale Pawa'a), the large layout of the waiting area, surgery area, recovery area, and cleanliness and professionalism of the staff was the same as a hospital but with a more modern feel, so we had no issues with it not being a "hospital." His pre-surgery nurse and Anesthesiologist were great. After surgery, Dr Marumoto came in to the waiting room to let us know that our son was out of surgery, and that everything went fine - he explained everything that he did and answered our questions. In a couple hours my son went home.
After Surgery: Four days after surgery, my son was back in Dr Marumoto's office for a follow-up appointment, wound check and cleaning, and he gave us a consult for Physical Therapy, which my son started the next day. Two weeks after his ACL Reconstruction with Hamstring, my son is off crutches and pain free, he still uses his brace.
Tips:
1. If you are young and very active, don't use a cadaver for ACL replacement.
2. Be patient, as patellar tendon or hamstring tendon ACL replacement take longer to heal.
3. Be positive.
4. Prepare a list of questions to ask AND ask them. Don't assume anything.
5. While in the Recovery Room if a nurse tries to "push" you to go home, let her know if you think the patient is not ready, talk with the Head Nurse if you must - we stayed an hour more.
6. A nurse (not the Dr) bandages the wound after surgery, so check it before leaving. Ask about it if needed.
Other:
1. Parking is either free or $1 with validation during office visits, and $3 with validation on the day of surgery. Bring cash for parking. I could not find an ATM in the building.
2. The office building has a small coffee/tea shop, and Long's Drugs Pharmacy on the first floor.
Bottom Line: 5-Stars! Highly Recommended! read more