One thing about Dr. Ryu he's a great surgeon, he knows exactly what needs to be done. He is the only one i would trust to work on my knee and shoulder. He has years of knowledge, experience and a steady hand. read more

I had an MRI done in mid-2023 and it showed I had a high-grade bursal-sided partial rotator cuff tear on my left shoulder. This greatly limited the use of my left arm - I could only raise it just above my head. My shoulder become sorer and stiffer every couple of days. I read many on-line reviews of the orthopedic surgeons to familiarize myself with the surgeons in the Santa Barbara area. Fortunately, we are lucky to have some fine surgeons to choose from. From the reviews and ratings that I read, Dr. Richard Ryu was at the on top of the ratings. Due to the critical importance of selecting the right surgeon however, I decided to also personally speak with health care and medical professionals here in town for their recommendations. Dr. Ryu was the name usually mentioned as the best orthopedic surgeon. This made my decision an easy one. I had surgery at the end of Oct 2023. I had MINIMAL PAIN after my surgery. After the fourth day of surgery I no longer needed to take any medication. My left shoulder was however very stiff. I had intensive physical therapy at home 5-7 days a week/5x a day and formal physical therapy at Hayashida PT downtown SB twice a week for approx. 24 weeks. As of May 2024, I now have full range of motion in my left shoulder. - The office of Dr. Ryu is busy but courteous and friendly. - You will be expected to be on time for your appointment! - I experienced NO wait times in the lobby for all of my appointments, and very short wait times in the exam room (approx. 2-5 min - not your typical 15-20 minute wait times or longer). This can only happen if patients are on time. - Dr. Ryu is very thorough and professional. He's very good at explaining the steps needed pre and post-surgery - all of pre and post- surgery steps are written down for you to follow. He will expect you to listen and follow his instructions so you will achieve the best results. - He is on the conservative side of his surgery approach- using documented proven techniques for the bests results. - Dr. Ryu's credentials speak for themselves. I would like to thank everyone at Hayashida physical therapy and a special shout out to my physical therapist, Dr. Carly Shevitz, for her knowledge, enthusiasm and compassion. Dr. Richard Ryu - I cannot thank you enough for your expertise in your vocation. You are an extremely gifted surgeon and many patients have benefited because of it. I couldn't be more pleased with my results! read more

If there were ZERO stars I would be giving those. This Dr. is the most dismissive, disrespectful, contemptuous, perfunctory, arrogant, Jerk I've ever encountered in medicine. I explained I had three rotator cuff (fraying) repairs previously with another Dr..... he then told me that was not possible.... I was too young to have that be the case. Um, excuse me what??? When I told the Dr. my case was published by my previous Dr (and I made an error in the publication name) He was so damn quick to correct me to ensure that I had no idea what I was talking about... Um, excuse me what??? This was the whole appointment. Him NEEDING to be right and not listening. The bedside manner of a damn Brick wall. I ended up giving him a well deserved, & choice expiative as I walked out. As a female I felt he treated me so rude, mean, and misogynistic. DO not see this Dr. find another who is patient, listens, and doesn't need to be right! His surgical reviews are great, his personal bed side manners reviews are horrific. All his bad reviews seem to be female..... just saying. read more

My daughter had a torn ACL and Dr. Ryu was scheduled to do her surgery. On the final visit, days before the surgery, he was so rude to her (12 years old at the time) he had her in tears. We requester her x-rays and left. There is poor bedside manner and then there is Dr. Ryu. Rude and just plain mean. My understanding is if you are a female, he is even worse to you than he is to the males. There are plenty of great doctors out there who perform great surgically and are kind and make a patient feel at ease. Ryu is definitely not one of them. read more

Dr. Ryu performed two of my surgeries spaced years apart. Minutes before my second surgery he was rude bordering on abusive and dismissive. I would never get near him again. There's no excuse for such behavior. read more

Profoundly disappointed in my knee surgery by Dr Ryu at Ryu-Hervitz. I went in with a simple ACL tear, no complications or other tissue injury and was told it would be a straightforward surgery. Post op, the front of my knee felt like death as soon as the anesthesia wore off. I've had sports injuries, broken bones, car accidents, other surgeries, and this was another level x10 of pain. And I was using the meds and the ice-machine. I reported at every followup visit and in phys therapy 2-3x per week--this doesn't feel right it's incredibly painful on the front and under my kneecap, Ryu didn't seem to register. Months into religious icing and PT, the front of my knee was still killing me--come to find out while I was unconscious on the operating table, Dr Ryu decided without my knowledge or consent, to shave off the back of my kneecap cartilage. He didn't communicate this to me or my phys therapist after surgery, despite multiple visits and complaints of postop kneecap pain.There was no coordination or continuity of care between Dr Ryu and the "premiere" phys therapy clinic through months of rehab. I ended up finding out that my kneecap had been shaved down by pulling my surgical report myself and discovering an extra 'patella chondroplasty', which was never discussed with me prior and not brought to my or my PT's attention when I was reporting front kneecap pain at every appointment for months. I NEVER had kneecap symptoms before, even after the ACL injury, my kneecap was never painful. I never needed kneecap alterations to begin with, my kneecap felt fine. I'm now over a year after surgery and extensive and expensive physical therapy at multiple clinics, no one can solve it and the kneecap pain is still limiting me from advancing and living my life, I'm worse off now than I was before surgery. My knee is in daily throbbing pain 24/7 and still swollen, it honestly feels mangled from the inside out with new and more painful locations than I ever had from the injury. Dr Ryu could not do anything to help and the office told me my surgery was a "success" because the ACL is still attached. In what universe is a successful outcome that a patient has more pain, worse pain, more prescription meds, less function, less activity, and lower quality of life, and someone considers that a "success"? As if you hired me to fix your toilet but on the way out I left the water running, broke the mirror, and ran over your mailbox--but this is a "success" because the toilet is installed? It was saddening and insulting. In order to help me, Doc would have to acknowledge that something went wrong with the surgery but he doesn't seem capable of doing that. The surgical center was rushed and chaotic so the outcome ended up not being quality work. The physical therapists I've seen all appear to be afraid of being bullied by the Doc's office so there has been no continuity of care or coordination on my recovery. Appears this Doc's reputation for "successful" surgeries is due to a rather dubious definition of "success" and intimidating phys therapists from reporting issues, rather than paying attention to actual symptoms and results. Doc doesn't have anything else to offer except multiple rounds of $1000+ experimental injections that they say don't do anything (no discount offered, and the shots are cheaper at other clinic)) and the office dodges my calls when I try to get insurance information. I hope your experience is different but I would not recommend this clinic or surgeon. I'll never get the cartilage in my kneecap back and it did not need to be altered in the first place. But now I'm looking at a sedentary future and/or knee replacement in my 40s just to try to alleviate some of the daily pain. Choosing Dr Ryu for my knee surgery will go down as one of my life's biggest regrets. read more

I had a recurrent dislocating shoulder and Dr Ryu performed the arthroscopic surgery on my shoulder which caused me a rotator cuff tendentious that limited my movement way more than the dislocation problem. For the past 7 years, I have not been able to enjoy any of the sports I used to enjoy before surgery such as cycling!! I am giving one star as he jumped on surgery without any pre-checks to see whether the issue could be resolved with PT and he did not help with ANYTHING after surgery. He never responded to my calls after my tendentious problem, I managed to find him in the airport once and he just said tendentious has nothing to do with surgery and didnt respond further! Another doctor at UCSB warned me about him being more interested in performing surgery than my health and I should have taken her advice serious. After 7 years of suffering from tendentious, now my shoulder is dislocated again and he still does not respond to my calls :))) So only go to him if you have another dr to take care of you, he is just a cutting and sewing machine. read more

I have every reason to think he is a smart doctor, but the experience was terrible. I had to wait forever, then I got the Dr for about 2 minutes. They just wanted to get me processed in and out and move on to the next patient. I wanted to explain things in a little more detail than I had given the receptionist, and I just got the sense that I was bothering the Doctor. Look at the other 1 star reviews. They have a common thread. Smart guy/Arrogant jerk. Maybe he is not this way all the time, but he's clearly a repeat offender. read more

Dr Ryu does everything possible to make sure the procedure goes perfectly; from preparation through surgery to recovery his no-nonsense professionalism is spot-on. I am indebted to Dr Ryu for the great procedure on my shoulder; 12 months later and feel 100%! read more

If you are looking for a doctor, that makes you feel better about yourself or gives you kind words of encouragement, this is not the right choice for you. If you're looking for a surgeon that has a commitment to excellence, experience, professional knowledge in the subject, and most importantly, a positive outcome from your injury, then this is the guy you want to see. I am a wildland firefighter, and to no surprise, need my body to be functioning at a high level in order to do my job. I tore my ACL in 2022. Dr. Ryu performed a hamstring autographed on my knee, and I wouldn't want anybody else to be operating on it other than him. I have had an amazing outcome and recovery, and have recently been cleared for full duty. I was initially not pleased with his bedside manner, but the more I got to know him, the more I realizes he genuinely cares about his work, and like I said before, has a commitment to excellence. We talked about different options as far as grafting from different areas of my body to create a new ACL. I practice yoga daily, so he suggested I go with the hamstring graft because I am kneeling and bending my knees constantly. He is very stern with his post surgery protocol, and there is a reason for it. He knows more than you do, and has been doing this for a long time. Take what he says, with seriousness and respect. Comparing my ACL reconstruction with other surgeons, he takes a more conservative approach to the healing process. I couldn't be more happy with the outcome, and he quite literally saved my career and knee. Don't be late to your appointment, and have a list of questions pre-loaded so you don't waste his time. Remember that you need him a lot more than he needs you. There is a reason why his office walls are littered with famous athletes, and their signatures praising him for his work. Dr. Ryu is the best in his field, and I will forever be grateful for his work. read more

100% Recommend. Dr. Ryu and his staff go above and beyond to make sure all patients are cared for and all needs are met. Great communication before, during and after surgery. The office runs efficiently with almost ZERO wait time. Its amazing. We drive 2.5 hours one way for the visit and will NEVER use another orthopedic team. 100% recommend. If you want the best, this is the one you should choose. read more

Doctor Ryu very successfully performed my sons ACL repair with donor tissue back in 2010. My son continues to be an avid basketball player, runner and bike rider to this day. Most recently my daughter tore her ACL in 2021. Dr Ryu to the rescue again this time with a patellar tendon graft for my tennis/soccer/sprinter teenager. She is almost 3 months PO and doing excellent. Dr Ryu and his team are the very best, they are organized and communicate very well. I can not recommend him enough for any athlete or active person who wants excellent care and has hopes of returning to their sport. read more

Dismissive, rude, aggressive is how I would describe "Dr." Ryu. Horrible bed side manner, very rude and bent out of shape the moment he walked in. Had nothing but negative things to say, said I should be doing the opposite of what much more accomplished doctors and physical therapists have said in the past. Simply wanted a second opinion and his ego was very bruised that I had seen someone else first. DO NOT SEE THIS PHYSICIAN!!!!! Very mean hateful man. read more

There is only regret when I think about my experience with Dr. Ryu. I had an injury in both shoulders and was recommended by my PCP at UCSB health to see Dr. Ryu. The appointment lasted five minutes and the doctor blew me off. For a year I continued using the injured shoulders and degenerating damaged bone mass in my shoulders. After numerous dislocations, I went to see Dr. Ryu again who informed me that I needed surgery in both of my shoulders and that I was at fault for not seeing him the previous year. Two Latarjet surgeries (two bolts in each shoulder and shaved bone to replace deteriorated bone), full-time school and $50,000 this Dr. cost. Avoid Dr. Ryu please. I do not recommend anyone to stop on by and give this man a try. read more

I have had two surgeries performed by Dr. Ryu. The first was around 2007 for my right knee for dislocation issues. Dr. Ryu clearly explained the issues with my knee and options he would have during surgery. Dr. Ryu did a great job repairing the issue and I haven't had a problem since. In January 2019, I saw Dr. Ryu for my left knee after seeing two other surgeons who were closer to where I lived. Neither could do the surgery required. Again Dr. Ryu explained my options to improve upon my issue and surgery was again the best option. I had no scheduling issues. His staff was great and communicated when things needed to be change. Dr. Ryu has always clearly conveyed what was expected of me for improving my chances of healing quickly and what is expected of me for my future. Dr. Ryu and his staff were respectful of my time and asked the same in return. He isn't my therapist he is my surgeon and he is the best in the area. read more

My experience was right there with the other 1-star reviews. Dr. Ryu may be a brilliant surgeon, I don't know, but my visit with him was the first time I've ever been bitched out by a doctor for asking a question. I'll find someone to fix my shoulder that I can stand to be in the room with. read more

My husband had a difficult shoulder injury and Dr. Ryu used a cutting edge procedure to repair his Shoulder. It's been 7 months and he is doing well. We feel we can count on Dr. Ryu to help us when we need him. read more

Would I recommend Dr. Ryu?....ABSOLUTELY, 100% YES!!! When I moved to Santa Barbara 27+ years ago, my boyfriend, now husband injured his knee and was taken to Cottage ER. The ER MD gave him some pain meds and told him to see an orthopedic MD the next day. I am a nurse, so I called the nurses on the orthopedic floor at Cottage hospital to inquire as to who the best orthopedic surgeon in town was. Nurses know these sorts of things. I was told in no uncertain terms, that it was Dr. Ryu. I drove my now husband the next day to see Dr. Ryu and he didn't disappoint. My husband, who is very skeptical of most doctors, was sold. Since then, my husband and my son combined, have had several knee surgery's with Dr. Ryu. He always repairs their injuries and makes them as good as new. So....when I had shoulder pain, of course I went to Dr. Ryu. As it turned out, I had an 80% rotator cuff tear and a bone spur which required surgery. From the beginning, Dr. Ryu was incredibly thorough, telling me exactly what to expect and making me feel at ease about my upcoming surgery and rehabilitation. He is kind and considerate and made me feel like I was his only patient. He is extremely professional and always on time; never ever late for an appointment. His office staff and medical assistant were all great as well. His office works like a well oiled machine. He is very strict/conservative as far as post op instructions go. He does this to assure the absolute best outcome for his patients. I was an excellent patient and followed all the rules. I now back to doing yoga and have complete use of my right arm with full range of motion. I am grateful to Dr. Ryu for his top notch surgical skills as well as his recommendation of Hayashida and Associates for my physical therapy. I can't say enough good things about the physical therapist Dr. Ryu recommended, Dr. Catherine Wolfe! I love her!!! As much as I wouldn't wish rotator cuff surgery on my worst enemy, if I had to do it again, I would 100% choose Dr. Ryu! I hope he continues to practice for several more years. He is such an asset to the Santa Barbara community. Thank you Dr. Ryu for giving me my arm back and making it feel better than than my non-surgical arm!!! read more

Now, I have already posted my positive experience below after I had my knee operation by Dr. Ryu but wanted to add that The Ryu Hurvitz Orthpedic Group have added Dr. Daniel Thomas as a foot specialist. Because of my knee injury I was favoring my opposing leg during my rehab and play on the tennis court and injured my Achilles Tendon. No surgery recommended by Dr. Thomas, but rehab. All the recommendations by her have been spot on. Between Dr. Thomas and Dr. Ryu I am back on the court at 100% again. Big Thanks! Welcome to Santa Barbara Dr. Thomas. I am an avid tennis player and had a knee problem that Dr. Ryu surgically fixed. He was always professional and one of the things I cared about was his honesty in not only the surgical procedure, but also the importance of rehab before doing anything physical. He has been the surgeon of choice for all my family members (which have been many) and I would recommend him to anyone. read more

No body likes surgery. It's the worst. I had been dreading this surgery and have been putting it off for years. I finally put on my big-girl pants on and took the dive. I live in LA and saw a couple of doctors in the city, but my gut kept saying "meh." Dr. Ryu was recommended be a family friend, and went up to meet him. His staff is amazing and kind. They answered insurance/billing questions. I had and MRI in LA and brought it to Dr. Ryu. After looking at my shoulder and scans he was very confident that I was a great candidate for the surgery and that he would be able to fix my wounded wing. I knew that this was a great fit. I am still in recovery after the surgery and it is going swimmingly. Of course there is pain after any surgery, but he has been attentive through the whole process. I thank him and his staff for making this surgery a great experience! read more

This guy is the worst doctor of all time. Said I had a small meniscus tear and needed a repair. I asked three times five times will you remove anything. He said vehemently no. Woke up from my surgery to him confirming he removed most of my medical meniscus. I was 24. I'm 32 and my life has been ruined athletic wise. He told me I would never do martial arts again. I can now and hope to practice on him someday. Terrible bedside manner, attitude, and overall work. Tries to impress you with pictures of celebrities he's worked on. I wonder how many celebrity athletes had to get re worked on after this butcher got near them. Also his partner in crime Graham hurvitz botched my mom's knee replacement by nailing it in crooked with wrong measurements and botched my friend Jorge's hip replacement by leaving his leg way too long. Way too go idiots. These guys shouldn't be anywhere near scalpels or people for that matter. Hope they get wjat they deserve...several botched surgeries read more

I was referred by my boss to Dr. Ryu for some shoulder pain I was having. Initial appointment was great and he wanted me to get an MRI but then when I had addressed some other symptoms he revoked the MRI request and referred me to a neurologist. I saw the neurologist and he reported back to Dr. Ryu. I hadn't heard anything back from Ryu's office so I called about 2 weeks later to follow up. He was in surgery all day and they said he would call me back. He never did. I called a week later only to be told that he can't help me and to see someone else to help me with my shoulder. I asked if I could possibly get the MRI to help with a diagnosis and they refused to get an authorization. I've NEVER been turned away by a doctor for anything in my life and I've never heard of a doctor refusing to help solve an issue. So displeased with his care, and now back to square 1 to figure out my shoulder issues. Thanks for the waste of time. read more

He fixed my torn meniscus, at my age I didn't believe I was going to be able to live with out this pain. Thanks

Ah, Dr Ryu, Well this is a tough review to write because I am grading him on performance and not bed side manner. There is an old joke... What is the difference between an Orthopedic Surgeon and God.... God doesn't think he's a surgeon. It often comes with the territory that surgeons can be brusk, impatient and rude. Think Dr. House from the TV show. Dr. Ryu can make House look like a pretty little white kitten with big moist blue eyes and pink bow. He can be as prickly as rabid porcupine on methamphetamine. But you don't go to a brilliant surgeon to make a friend. If that is what you are looking for go down to the shelter and get a dog. If you are looking for someone whose performance is world class and can take broken, torn, trashed joints and make them like new again the Dr. Ryu is your guy. I went in with a torn rotator cuff from an old parachuting injury where I couldn't lift my arm over my head 6 full months after the injury. It took him all of 3 minutes to examine, diagnose and prognose my condition. He sent me for MRIs to confirm and then showed me the film and sent me copies online. BTW finally a doctor that uses technology appropriately. Every time you go in for a visit you get a email with a link to the secure medical record at his practice so you can review films, test results and whatever you discussed with him, but I digress. Dr. Ryu was no Marcus Welby ( for you old timers) by any means, I felt like I had walked into a buzz saw after my first few visits. But there is a reason there are pictures of him with Olympians, half the Lakers and every sort of sports celebrity you can imagine on every wall. Its because the man does not accept excuses, BS or shenanigans from anyone, himself, his staff or his patients. He has some simple rules. 1. DON"T SHOW UP LATE. Get to your appointment early and be ready. EVERY TIME. No excuses. 2. Don't ask stupid questions. Frankly you are probably better off not asking any questions but if you have to, think of them before hand, write them down and do as much own research as you can so you will understand the answers. 3. He doesn't need you. You need Him! Can he come off as arrogant? Of course he can but so can any virtuoso or great performer. You need to understand this is not a customer service transaction. He is not your barista. This is your best chance to get your joint back the way it was 100%. If you can't handle that and you are happy with 70% then by all means don't come to him. Go to someone who got a C in med school but is social and well adjusted. Go find a new buddy to go golf with with your average shoulder or knee repair. You will hardly notice the limp or that new slice you seemed to have picked up. There is nothing wrong with finding a doc that suits you. I am a big guy who takes no crap from anyone and there were times I wanted to clock him and adjust his attitude. Then I realized I had to adjust my attitude. I had gone in there with a preconceived notions of customer service and the customer is always right, etc. etc. But then I realized that this was not the situation I was in. The position I was in was wanting desperately to be healed and able to live my life like I used to again. After I reset my attitude and lowered my own sense of self entitlement and self importance suddenly all my appointments went swimmingly after that. If you have seen Star Wars think back... Yoda was total asshat when Luke first met him. In fact almost all movies that require someone to overcome a great deficit and go to master have the same plot. Mr Miagi, Major Payne, everyone who plays a Drill Sergeant etc etc. They are not touchy feely and don't suffer fools but when the subject adjusts their attitude all manner of miraculous things ensue. Know what to expect when you walk in the door for your first appointment and you will find Dr. Ryu to be a pretty nice and easy to work with guy. I recently had my left shoulder go out and I wouldn't ever let anyone but him touch it. Through my new eyes I have met a man who is warm, welcoming and friendly. It took me a while to recognize I was the one who had changed my attitude and the the whole paradigm has shifted. Its night and day different. I am scheduling my surgery soon and look forward to getting back to my Crossfit box and getting my health and fitness back on track. My right shoulder feels so good and strong its like it was never injured. It took a year and lots of PT but I know without the amazing talents and expert surgery that Dr. Ryu performed I would have never gotten to where I am now. If perfection is what you seek then seek out a perfectionist. Dr Ryu is a perfectionist and a healer. If you want your hand held get a Therapist not a surgeon. P.S. I did a little research and found out he literally wrote the med school textbook on my surgery. So you can go to the student or go to the master its your choice. Thanks Dr Ryu for giving me my right arm back... literally. read more

I am extremely disappointed with the way this clinic handles clerical errors. I recently had an MRI and was hoping to have Dr Ryu have a look and let me know what to expect in the way of arthroplasty surgery and recovery. I called and scheduled my appointment now that I had a copy of the MRI. I was called back and was told that somehow someone had made a note and had me listed for appointment, over a year ago, and that I "No Show'd", which was a complete mistake as I was out of the country on the date they mentioned. The end result is that Dr Ryu seemed to take this personally, and refused to accept an appointment from me, WOW, try to see a good doctor, and some receptionist's mistake has me on the Poo list from over a year ago....which was not my error....I guess if you are not a celeb, or sports figure, he looks for excuses not take paitents GJM read more

Dr. Ryu repaired my right rotator cuff over 15 years ago and my left one late in 2018. Both joints are operating just great! I'm back to doing all of the things I enjoy with no pain. Dr. Ryu takes his work very seriously and as such is very methodical and strict in the rehab process. It is worth it!!!! If you listen to him and do as your told you'll enjoy pre-injury activities like you couldn't have imagined. I definitely recommend him with no reservations. read more

I had a SLAP tear in the labrum of my dominant shoulder and Dr. Ryu performed the reconstruction. He was very accommodating with his scheduling. He scheduled a Christmas Eve surgery on short notice so that I could have the surgery count on my insurance for that year. He also scheduled a follow-up appointment on a Sunday because my normal timeframe for that appointment fell on a day during his vacation. I would only suggest for him be a little bit more informative during his appointments. read more

I'm a 65 year old man who lives in Los Angeles. I was referred to Dr. Ryu by an orthopedist at UCLA who had his rotator cuff repaired by Dr. Ryu. I found Dr. Ryu and his staff to be knowledgeable, efficient, and courteous. The doctor listened to my history, examined my shoulder, told me my options with their respective natural histories and what he would recommend based on my lifestyle. The surgical procedure was scheduled to be performed at my convenience. The entire staff at the surgicenter was pleasant, courteous, and informative. During my procedure, Dr. Ryu found he could not proceed as originally planned because my severely arthritic humeral head would not tolerate it. This could not be seen on the pre-op MRI. Instead, he completed a patch procedure where the patch acts as a scaffold for new tendon cells to grow on. I took the scalene block post-procedure and had very little pain subsequently. I had full range of motion by fourteen days. My physical therapy was easy and pleasant. I now have 4.5 to 5/5 strength in all muscles involved, no pain and full range of motion. I am very happy with both Dr. Ryu and my result. I cannot recommend Dr. Ryu highly enough! read more

Very unpleasant experience. This doctor has the worst bedside manner I have experienced, actually I've never had a doctor talk to me in the fashion this one has. I proceeded with surgery on my rotator cuff with Dr. Ryu as I was directed to him for a workman's comp injury. His demeanor is very unsettling. After the many short visits, no answers to my questions (if I was allowed to ask any) and constant blame towards me for not healing quick enough, I should have walked away from this doctor immediately. The day of surgery he threatened to not operate on me when I got teary eyed because they stabbed me for 15 minutes trying to get my IV in. He came over and said "if you can't handle a simple IV your not ready for surgery and we won't do this today" Excuse you?! If you do not heal quick enough for him he Verbally and mentally abuses you. He forced me to move my arm in my last visit in ways it hadn't been moved yet and I hurt myself worse. I refuse to finish my treatment with this guy. That is the type of treatment I have experienced since day one with this this celebrity doctor. He saves his energy for his celebrity clients and treats others like parasites. Your lucky to get 2 minutes with him. read more

I had a common, the most common injury around Santa Barbara, where my dog ran into my knee on the beach at tore my knee up. I went to Dr. Ryu at the advice of another friend . Its now at the six month point and I am back on the beach with my dog, walking, hiking, dancing, wearing high heels again! Dr. Ryu is very professional in my opinion and got the important job done , in an expert manner. I am very happy with his work, a great experience from start to finish! read more

I went to see Dr. Ryu on an emergency basis as Dr. Hurvitz was not able to fit me in. I had a knee surgery with Dr. Hurvitz many years ago that went well. My knee recently has flared up and I was anxious to know if the dreaded knee replacement was around the corner, having been told previously that eventually it was my only option. I was in considerable pain and dismayed that I was on crutches again. I had just finished PT for a torn hamstring surgery by Dr. Banfy in L.A. and was anxious to know the verdict. As soon as Dr. Ryu entered the room his manner was abrupt and impatient. As I related some history and then what currently was taking place he interrupted me and asked why I was seeing him as opposed to my rhumetologist. He was clearly agitated and acted as if I was wasting his time.Taken aback I took a deep breath and went on to explain that though my rheumatologist monitored the arthritic condition in my knee I didn't think he was the one who could best advise me on my current problem. He unbelievably began to argue with me that I was in the wrong place but offered to take X-rays. During the X-rays I tried to collect myself and headed back in. He did explain in detail what the X-rays showed and offered to drain my knee and inject cortisone and said it may help put off a knee replacement. He again told me to see my rheumatologist and adjust my medication and I agreed. As he prepared to drain my knee I remarked how painful a procedure it was for me since I'd had it done once before. He looked up at me and said " do you want me to do this or not?" I told him yes of course but asked if he was going to inject an anesthetic first. He literally snapped at me saying " would I keep quiet and let him do his job". Again, completely alarmed this time, I asked him if he was having a bad day and would he please just explain to me what he was going to do. He very rudely said " please do not question me, I know what I am doing". I replied I understood perfectly but would he please just answer my question about the procedure. At this point he completely lost it and said how dare I question him and would I leave him to do what he was trained to do. I felt I was in some kind of psychological time warp with this man. It was clear his ego was so fragil or so monsterestly huge he could not even grant me the reasonable ediqiute of a response due to me. I told him I was leaving and was completely baffled by his aggressive and rude behavior towards me. He responded I was the one who was rude and aggressive. When I said I was completely baffled by the whole event he said, "oh, I guess I'm just a bad person". Wow. At this point I realized this was more than about me and I actually felt sorry for this puffed up egomaniac. My reply to him, as I was out the door, was, "no, I don't think you are a bad person but you are incredibly rude and unprofessional". He has earned a reputation of a talented doctor but under no circumstances should any patient be hostage to such ubnoxious and hurtful behavior. I left in tears feeling beat up and most of all untreated for my painful injury. There is a plethora of talent in our Southern CA. area and my intent of this post is not to damage but to give a true account of mistreatment by a once well regarded surgeon. So you, the Yelp comunnity, decide. read more

I saw this doctor in July 2013 for shoulder pain. He spent about three minutes with me. He seemed to have something much more important to do. He was arrogant, rude and impatient. He seemed to want to make me feel stupid. Before you see him, do some research and see how many other patients say the same thing about him. Avoid. read more

Dr. Ryu is a narcissistic a-hole. If you have major trauma or something that needs obvious surgery he is probably great, but if you have anything more complicated, he is not friendly at all. He basically operates like a surgical factory - get em in - churn em out. He won't spend hardly any time with you explaining things, and he treats you like an idiot. I was out of work for 3 months due to knee troubles, (had a mri that showed a cyst in my knee and oped to not remove it) went back to work for over a year, and was continuing to have trouble so I scheduled an appointment with him just to talk about things. He basically accused me of attempting to scam disability and that "he pays in to the system also" when I wasn't even asking for time off work. He then told me he never wanted to see me in his office again for any reason. I was completely caught off guard by his behavior when all I wanted was an honest consultation. Steer clear of this narcissistic, empty, unempathetic, amoral slime bag. He should have gone into auto repair if he doesn't want to deal in human compassion. Do you think he ever treated one of the nba or nfl stars he has pictures with all over his walls like this? Doubtful. Says a lot about his character. read more

Dr. Ryu is an amazing arthroscopic knee surgeon. Be ready to listen to his instructions, and as a partner in your care, do what he asks of you. Bring questions during visits and do the exercises as often as you are told to do them. Like many perfectionists/great surgeons in life, he is a fairly direct guy, be ready for that. He replaced my ACL, I had a great experience and because I did what he asked of me, I was back to riding my bike within 5.5 months. As far as I'm concerned - for knee repairs, he's the guy. read more

I guess yelp does not think the opinion of one doctor matters when it comes to another doctor. Anyways, I will submit this again and hope it finds its way on line. Dr Ryu is a real doctor with amazing talent. If you just want to "talk" things over, or get your disability papers renewed again, then please go somewhere else so people with real problems will be able to get in to see him. Two surgeries and I could not be happier with his service. World renowned arthroscopist for a reason. Many have benefited from his skill. I know several. read more

I had a shoulder surgery several years ago by Dr. Ryu and my arm is great now. When I injured my right shoulder and it froze I chose him as my surgeon again. My surgery went great. I have always had severe illness post anesthesia and expressed this concern. My anesthetic protocol was adjusted and with both surgeries I had no issues. I was just released to go back to full activities using some common sense in doing so. I have great range of motion, no pain, minimal scar on the new survey site and none that can be seen on the older site. He has always been very professional as is his staff. I never found him to be rude, brusk, or impatient as others imply. He gets a history, does his exam, asks if you have questions and gives further instructions. He is not a psychological counselor and that is not his position. He is a BRILLIANT surgeon and was always pleasant during my visits.He gives clear post operative instructions. Follow them and you will do well. read more

I suffered a torn rotator cuff injury late last year and went to another orthopedic surgeon in town who told me I had a bone spur, that the surgery would be minor, and I would be fine in about a month. I went to Dr. Ryu for a second opinion and he performed some tests before he allowed me to tell him the other surgeon's diagnosis and before he read the MRI report. At the conclusion of his exam and tests, he informed me that I likely had a rotator cuff tear. I told him of the other surgeon's diagnosis, after which he looked at one slide from the MRI that I had brought and the MRI report. He almost immediately pointed out that the other surgeon's diagnosis was inconsistent with the MRI report and advised me that he would need to look at the actual MRI (not just the one slide I had brought) before he could form a more specific diagnosis. At 9:45 p.m. that night he called me at home and informed me that he had just reviewed the MRI and that I had a significant tear of the rotator cuff. Because I knew of his reputation and work prior to consulting with him, I asked him if he would perform the repair and he said his staff would contact me the next day to schedule the surgery. My pre-op visit with him was very enlightening. He pulled no punches and told me the surgery could be somewhat involved, and the recovery would be long and slow with a lot of hard work on my part (which it was). The surgery went well - took an hour longer than had been scheduled - and involved three repairs to the rotator cuff and removal of a fair amount of bone spurring. I was provided with a DVD that showed portions of the procedure from inside my shoulder. It was amazing to watch Dr. Ryu's precision as he made three absolutely perfect and almost identical sutures. Surgery is as much an art as it is a science, and Dr. Ryu excels in both. Every follow-up visit I had with Dr. Ryu was pleasant and informative. His staff was also great. In my opinion, Dr. Ryu is the ultimate professional. He is direct and to the point. He does not mince words. He always runs on time - so be on time and listen carefully to everything he has to say and do exactly as he advises you to do. If you have read his full Bio, you know he is a very busy man and in great demand. Be grateful he is caring for you and understand and respect why he is so focused. read more

In total, Dr. Ryu has done four knee surgeries between my two knees. I initially tore my ACL (along with some cartilage damage) and Dr. Ryu was able to reconstruct my knee so that I was able to get back to collegiate sports. Unfortunately, because of the other damage from my injury I had to end my career early. Now Dr. Ryu and I have been working to get my knee as normal as possible so I can have an active future. It is true Dr. Ryu is very straight forward when talking with his patients. However, it's not being rude it's more along the lines of here's your problem and here's what we can do. I personally would not want a doctor who isn't fully honest and upfront with me no matter how hard the news might be. Dr. Ryu is also not selfish in that he has recommended me to multiple surgeons to get their opinions on my situation so that I can make a well informed decision about who I want as my surgeon. When it comes to surgery day, everything happens quickly but Dr. Ryu is very comforting because he checks in on you before and after the surgery to make sure you're doing okay. Dr. Ryu also talks to me about things going on in my life as I am about to go under anesthesia so my mind and body relax. I find all of these things to be very helpful during a time that can be very nerve racking. I have had almost a dozen friends go to Dr. Ryu for a range of injuries and they have all been able to fully return to activity and they feel Dr. Ryu is a great surgeon. I definitely recommend Dr. Ryu, especially if you have a knee injury. read more