I have known Dr Loren for many years professionally and have shared a good deal of patients with…read morehim. As a PT, he has always been one of my top referrals for orthopedic consultation and surgery. I have always respected the time he spends with his patients, results from surgery as well as his bedside manner with patients. Recently, I had my own orthopedic issues that resulted in having surgery on my knee. From start to finish, Dr Loren was terrific! He took time with me and explained his concerns. He respected me and my input about my knee. I know, from prior patients I have treated over the years and from my recent personal experience, that he takes his time and considers every surgery he does to be significant and that he approaches surgery with the utmost precaution and precision. I appreciate that very much! I also appreciated his call the night after surgery to check on me and to share what he found. My recovery was quick and I experienced minimal pain. I am back to the things I enjoy without the fear of my knee getting stuck or giving way. Dr Loren has always been a top orthopedic referral for me. After having him complete my surgery, I can confidently say that my personal experience strengthens my recommendation for his orthopedic care and surgery. Thank you Dr. Loren for your kindness, excellent care and a great surgical result! Betty Parmenter

Dr Loren and his staff have gone above and beyond to give amazing care for my son who had ACL…read moresurgery and a meniscusectomy. The wait time for visits is very quick as long as you check in 15 mins early as advised. Dr Loren is amazing doctor who saw the meniscus tear that the MRI doc missed. We are lucky to have found him! Teresa and Rebecca are both amazing and thorough as well! You will get great care here! Thank you to everyone at Core Orthopedic!!!

Dr. Edmund Evangelista is truly an exceptional physician, and I cannot recommend him highly enough…read more He treated me for about eight years at Community Orthopedics in Mission Viejo immediately after my injury, and during that time he consistently provided thoughtful, compassionate, and expert care. When he moved to San Diego, I had to transition to another doctor, and unfortunately my back progressively worsened over time. Eventually, I felt completely out of options and decided to book an appointment to see Dr. Evangelista again--driving down to San Diego specifically to see him at San Diego Orthobiologics Medical Group. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. He immediately identified a significant change on my recent MRI compared to my previous imaging--something that could clearly explain my rapidly increasing pain. His attention to detail and clinical insight were impressive, but what truly sets him apart is his integrity and honesty. Instead of recommending a procedure at his own practice, he referred me to his former colleague who specializes in the treatment that would be most beneficial for me right now, even though he could not perform it himself. That level of selflessness and patient-first care is incredibly rare in medicine. The facility itself is excellent--very clean, modern, and welcoming. The staff is extremely friendly and professional, and you feel comfortable and cared for from the moment you walk in. I also truly believe in what they are doing there; they are clearly focused on the most up-to-date procedures and technology, and it shows in how knowledgeable and forward-thinking the team is. I will absolutely be back there in the future, but I am genuinely grateful that Dr. Evangelista sent me to the right place for my immediate needs at the time. That speaks volumes about his character and commitment to doing what is best for his patients. Dr. Evangelista truly takes the time to think through each patient's situation, explain options, and guide you through difficult decisions with empathy and clarity. I trust him 100%, and I am so grateful to have him as part of my care team again. If you are dealing with spine or orthopedic issues and want a doctor who is brilliant, ethical, and truly cares about his patients, Dr. Evangelista is the one to see.

I just saw Ryan Johnson, PA-C today 1/21/2026 at 6125 paseo del Norte and he was the kindest most…read moreknowledgeable guy regarding my hip pain. He didn't rush in say a few things and done. He explained my options and his recommendation, had he not gave me the choices I may have jumped the gun and went right for hip replacement. Just a few magical words I heard him say left me with no doubt the decision I was going to make. I didn't leave confused about anything. I give Ryan a 5 out of 5 star rating let me also add the nicest smile &teeth. It's the knowledge and of course those little things like his smile that make me happy.2THUMBS UP thank you Ryan

I posted a review a few years ago for my knee replacement surgeries ( yes 2) and thought it was…read moretime for an update on my condition now. Dr Hajnik the first time installed the wrong sized device. The second time he misaligned the two pieces. I subsequently needed two more knee replacement surgeries to fix his work for which I did not return to Dr Hajnik. I am now left with constant pain and knee that doesn't straighten and doesn't bend past 90 degrees. Both of these issues cause several issues for the rest of my body. I cannot have further surgery without risking the loss of my leg ( per counsel with multiple ortho surgeons). I'm now posting a photo of where I am today 9 years later. I am wearing a peripheral nerve stimulator in an attempt to relieve pain. You can decide if this is who you want to operate on you!

I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Hajnik because I had general questions about possible knee…read moresurgery, such as pain management, home health care, availability after surgery, etc.. but he did not want to answer one question because I did not agree to x-rays beforehand. His demeanor during the consultation was cold, dismissive, impatient, and antagonistic from the moment he walked into the exam room. His advice to me regarding the pain in my knee was to "learn to live with it and take Advil." I couldn't care less if he were the best surgeon in San Diego County... I would never trust him for quality patient care.

It is not easy to write a negative review for I like Dr. Swenson personally. He had been my…read moreorthopedic hip surgeon for over 8 years. In May of 2016 he did a revision on my left hip for the initial replacement had to be removed for he had put in the DePuy hip, metal on metal. The two surgeries went as planned and I had a good outcome. In 2020 I had the right hip replaced by Dr. Swenson at Scripps La Jolla and immediately I knew something was wrong for it wasn't healing, where I normally recover very quickly. On multiple followup visits (at least 6+) I conveyed that I knew I was infected and he persisted I wasn't. He did the simple aspirations of the right hip and I requested the sample be held in the lab for over 12+ days, allowing any bacterial infection to grow. That was never accomplished. To appease me he went in and did a revision about 1 1/2 years later, extracting the prosthesis, replacing it with new hardware for he suspected the prothesis was moving and causing the pain. I continued not to heal post revision and continued to have severe hip pain when walking/weight bearing. After two years of this ongoing pain he got exasperated and recommended I get a second opinion. I went to Dr. Worsley at Scripps Green where he had an ultrasound done on my right hip to try and detect any bacterial infection. It was found immediately in a significant pocket behind the prosthetic ball. Dr. Worsley did a revision in 2023, now my third surgery on my hip. He was not able to extract the metal rod for fear of having my femur shatter. As a substitute I was put on vancomycin drip 5 hours a day for weeks to try and kill the bacteria, for now it was a chronic infection after over 3 years rather than an acute infection. I got deathly ill and had to be hospitalized for 10 days for my kidneys were failing due to the vancomycin intravenous drip I stopped the medication and was done with Scripps, moved to UCSD where I received excellent care. Had two more surgeries where my femur had to be cut in half horizontally in order to extract the metal prothesis that was harboring the chronic infection. Due to both extensive surgeries I was under anesthesia for 18+ hours, which I know is not good for one's brain and health. After 5 surgeries over 5 years, I'm still in pain when walking/weight bearing, but thankfully the infection has been eradicated and I won't have to be on antibiotics for life. Had Dr. Swenson just listened to my pleas over and over for 2+ years the acute infection could have been treated from the get go and I would not have experienced 5+ years of ongoing daily pain. The long term prognosis is not good for both my quad and hamstring muscles have been highly compromised due to 5 intense surgeries over 5 years. Unfortunately it has been and continues to be an awful experience that has totally compromised my ability for any sports or travel. I so wish the outcome had been different and that I had been listened to.

If you're looking for replacement of hips, knees, don't look any further than Doctor Swenson!…read more He's the best! I

Two months ago, I had a really bad fall and dislocated my shoulder. To make a long story short, the…read morefirst orthopedic surgeon I saw completely misdiagnosed me and refused MRIs as he said they were not necessary he knew it was wrong with me. He had indicated I might need a full shoulder replacement and then referred me to PT. For two months I have been at a pain level of 9+ and have not had any sleep. I finally had to demand MRI imaging because the pain was so excessive I needed to find out what was really going on. His office also totally messed up the request for the MRIs and I had to go twice. Another delay and more pain. I knew I needed a second opinion and was referred to Dr. Skyhar by two friends, and I have to say was one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. He is one of the most caring and intelligent doctors I have ever spent time with. He reviewed the MRIs slide by slide and explained in detail what each slide was showing. He determined that I did not need to have any kind of surgery and that my pain that I was experiencing was neurological in nature. He even explained the MRI report by the radiologist that to be honest was not written correctly. He is a wonderful doctor. He is a kind and loving person and I cannot thank my friends enough for referring me to him. My husband said OK. we now know any orthopedic issue that we have guess where we're going: to Dr. Skyhar. His staff are absolutely lovely people truly a blessing to find a medical professional that really is truly an expert.

As a former dental specialist in private practice and now as his patient, I consider Dr. Skyhar the…read moredefinitive choice for orthopedic care. My background allows me to appreciate the high level of clinical precision he brings to his work. He was remarkably meticulous in identifying the source of my shoulder pain and limited mobility, delivering a diagnosis that was both accurate and actionable. Furthermore, he excels at communication, explaining complex medical alternatives in clear, layman's terms. I was also particularly impressed by his technique; I experienced zero discomfort during the administration of a cortisone injection. What truly elevates my confidence in Dr. Skyhar is his distinguished history of medical leadership. Having served as Chief of Staff at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, he was responsible for leading the medical staff and serving as the primary liaison for clinical excellence. His tenure in this executive role focused on: Elevating Patient Safety: Overseeing hospital-wide protocols to ensure care met the highest safety benchmarks. Defining Surgical Quality Standards: Setting the agenda for surgical best practices and ensuring staff adhered to rigorous quality metrics. Clinical Governance: Leading the Medical Executive Committee to maintain the hospital's status as a regional center of excellence. Dr. Skyhar's commitment to these high-level standards--further evidenced by his past roles as Chief of the Department of Surgery and Physician Leader for the Scripps 'System of Excellence'--translates directly to the high-quality treatment he provides in private practice. I highly recommend him to anyone seeking an orthopedic leader who masters both the science of surgery and the art of patient care.

Dr Hackley helped me with two different knee issues. He has a great bedside manner and clearly…read morecares deeply about his patients. Highly recommend!

Another successful surgery at the hands of Dr Hackley, this time repairing my left knee from the…read moredamaged I experienced in a serious bike accident recently. As serious as the accident was wiping out my ability to bike, to ocean swim or even to walk I knew that Dr Hackley could be trusted to bring me back to the lifestyle that I value and love. I am just two weeks past the full acl replacement surgery and have received the thumbs up on my recovery and progress towards the day when i can rejoin my friends and family in the adventures that we love to share together. the office staff and Dr Hackley himself are professional, friendly and made this necessary surgery as easy as possible. i am grateful and confident in their work to help others as they have helped me.

How do I begin to thank the man who gave me my life back…read more I had my first injury in 1991 back in the day where structural supports after a C 5/6 - 6/7 diseconomy was not available. The discs above and below had to carry the load causing excruciating pain. I had two more surgeries, one in 2000 and 2005 with little success. Now it's 33 years later and the quality of my life is gone, I am reduced to laying flat the majority of my day. And then I meet Dr Eastlack. This man deserves the GOLD STAR from the evaluation process to each and every follow up visit I have had with him since my surgery. As a surgeon he stands alone as the best I've experienced in my 67 years of life and the four cervical spine surgeries I have undertaken. Through his FOURCE App, he prepared me for my surgery outlining exercises and supplements to prepare me for surgery and the best possible outcome. On this site I had contact with him through the nurses who were so prompt at getting any question I had answered as soon as possible. Having this access was invaluable. After surgery he updated the FORCE site changing the exercises bi-weekly, all of the exercises geared to relax the muscles spasms and strengthen the muscles teaching them to hold me in the correct position, a position that was not possible prior to surgery! As for my surgery itself, absolutely genius! My pain mgt doctor had said for years he could not understand why none of my previous surgeons had stabilized my cervical spine with hardware. The three previous evaluations I received before meeting Dr Eastlack were going to take the same route, no structural support. And then there is this Genius, Dr Eastlack. He had every test known to man prescribed for me prior to meeting me for the evaluation, I have never experienced that with any other doctor, in fact a couple of them had me meet with their PA. Dr Eastlack took the time to examine in depth all of the tests to determine why I was in so much pain, and what structurally was failing. At the evaluation he spoke with my son and I for at least 2 hours, explaining the structural collapse of my cervical spine and how he would resolve it. It would not be a quick fix, he would have to fuse the spine from the C-2 to T-2 with rods and structural support, realigning the vertebrae and taking the load off the discs above and below. This is a delicate operation and the recovery was going to be extensive and long but I had full confidence in this man and am I glad I did. My quality of life is so much better and I am still in the recovery phase. I owe this man so much and am eternally grateful to him. He is not only a surgical genius, he is compassionate, extremely thorough, and humble. I feel so blessed to have him in my corner, in charge of my spine health. I will aways be eternally grateful and you will be too, should you choose him.

"Thank you" Dr. Eastlack does not begin to capture my gratitude for the L/4 fusion you performed on…read morewhat one would call a very /old/ugly/challenging back. I have suffered from severe back pain for many years, treating it with every modality in the healthcare system, but when it affected my ability to walk, I knew it was time for surgery. I did extensive research on who was the best and how fortunate I was to choose you. Your exceptional expertise in spinal surgery, knowledge, thoroughness and kindness gave me the courage to have my L3/4 fusion done and now I have a more hopeful future. You are truly gifted in many ways and quite exceptional! THANK YOU1 Beth Smith(

I feel the need to to mention that Veronica in billing was very helpful and knowledgeable. I had…read moreissues with coverage information I was told one thing by my insurance and the office was told a different thing. Veronica as so kind and helpful, most offices would just let you try and figure out information on your own. Veronica went above and beyond to find answers for me and made my life just a little less stressful! The care continues to be good.

My friend referred me to Dr Tallman. He is caring & compassionate in helping his patients with his…read moreexperience & expertise. I have since referred Dr Tallman to my family and clients with full confidence knowing the care he has given us. His staff is all very welcoming & helpful too, goes a long way!