Dr Vineet Kamboj should teach classes to other doctors about proper bedside manner. He demonstrates a genuine care for people. Professional and warm and kind while still speaking to the point of the matter. Clearly and concisely explains care options and procedures. Well respected and admired by his staff. Active listening techniques with clarifying questions to show understanding. Replies in a timely manner to emails. Expert in his field. Every question I asked or concern that I needed addressed, he had a ready and well thought out answer for, and maybe even a prepared informational handout on the exact topic I was interested in. He even gave me a prescription for shoe shopping! Follow his recommendations for stretching and proper foundational footwear for best results.
My story: 10 years ago, at the age of 30, I had a bunionectomy by an old-school surgeon in northern CA. It was successful, but the recovery time was 18 months until I was completely back to my usual activities of hiking, backpacking, rock climbing, dancing, running, and yoga. That same surgeon did my right foot bunionectomy 4 years ago and it was not successful. The recovery time was awful, and I was in worse pain after the surgery than before. It took me 4 years to get the courage up to think about having another surgery, and during that time I was using every other healing technique available to me. When it finally got bad enough that I couldn't fathom going another day of having to compromise every aspect of my life because of my painful foot I started looking for a new surgeon to talk to. A family member had had a good experience with another surgeon at PAMF, so I tried to get in with their surgeon, who didn't have an appointment at a time that worked for me, but Dr Kamboj did. From my first meeting with Dr Kamboj I felt that I was in good hands. He looked at my X-rays with me and confirmed what I had suspected all along: that the previous surgeon had not done a good job, the metatarsal had not been moved into alignment as he had claimed. Having had two previous bunionectomies, I knew a little bit what to expect from the surgery, and Dr Kamboj met me where I was. He carefully listened as I described my symptoms and asked clarifying questions. He showed me on my X-rays and with a model of the foot what exactly he was planning to do with to correct my previous unsuccessful surgery. He treated me respectfully and gave me credit for having experience and intelligence. The day of the surgery he introduced me to his team and conveyed genuine trust and respect for his colleagues, which reassured me that everyone in the room was the best of the best and that they were going to take very good care of me. He was even thoughtful enough to use my previous incision scar so that I wouldn't have two scars on my foot. His sutures on my incision were carefully done (actually, they were beautiful, I told him that if the "surgeon thing" didn't work out, he had a future in embroidery) and my scar healed even and smooth. He even listened to constructive criticism when I mentioned that my surgery splint was too long "I've heard that before, I need to work on that!" When I emailed him an update and a question, he replied in a timely manner and wrote back so that I felt welcome to email again when I had my next question. He always took the time to answer every question I had, I never felt rushed or that things were left unanswered. In my multiple post-operation appointments, he talked to me about where I was in my healing process and gave clear instructions as to why I should do some activities and not others. Instead of just telling me things like "be careful, don't go hiking yet", he had me demonstrate my current level of balance and strength level and gave me a goal to work towards: "When you can stand on tiptoe on just your right foot, you are ready to go hiking" and "give your bones 2 more months of healing before you do high impact things like jumping, kicking, running... or wearing rock climbing shoes." These direct and concise instructions gave me parameters to work within and give me the confidence to keep working on my healing. My only regret is that I didn't meet Dr Kamboj 10 years ago so that he could have done both of my bunionectomies right the first time. When I told him this, I started to get emotional, thinking of all the years I lost from being in pain... and he was so kind, he handed me a tissue and listened attentively, and then gently encouraged me to keep healing and not be too upset about the inevitable setback that occur during any transitional healing process. He gave me my life back. I will be forever grateful for his excellent care, and expert skills as a surgeon. read more
