Rude, disorganized, and completely lacking in professional communication from the start. I'm ultimately relieved to be going elsewhere for my ACL surgery -- somewhere that uses up-to-date technology and treats patients with basic respect and competence. Would not recommend. read more

Dr Michael Wall did an excellent job reconstructing the tear to my right rotator cup in June 8. 2022. After 2 months of physical therapy, I'm feeling much better and wish I had the surgery done sooner. Dr Wall addressed the same issue on my left shoulder 25 years ago today. read more

Are you kidding me?! Are these yelp reviews a joke?! I specifically went to doctor wall because these reviews spoke tremendously about him. Well let me tell you something, he was anything but helpful and not to mention rude. Try getting in a word with him at all and he will cut you off mid sentence, completely disregard your concerns or questions, because he's cocky as hell and thinks just because he's a doctor, he can ignore whatever you have to say since he's the "expert. Well excuse me for being a patient with questions! I came in there due to severe shoulder pain, didn't even listen to me, and told me that I was completely wrong and just prescribed me a steroid and sent me on my way, leaving me with the same amount of frustration and concern as I did the moment I stepped in there. Tell me, what the hell a steroid is going to do when you didn't even give me an MRI or assess any of my damage to my nerve/tissues which have been going on for months. Absolute bull. Second opinion here I come. Thanks for absolutely NOTHING. read more

Visited Dr Wall at his San Jose office and was able to see him with minimal wait (both in scheduling and during the consultation itself). His medical assistant Shirley was polite, albeit, like the doctor, a bit rushed. Dr Wall speaks, walks, and thinks fast. Generally hospitable guy, I appreciate that during my consultation he thought out loud and systemically arrived at his diagnosis. I liked that he was ready and willing to refer me to others for a type of treatment he/SOAR didn't offer. I found him empathetic (which is great being a healthcare professional), but being in a rush, not a particularly good listener as I went over a few concerns. I appreciate the confidence Dr Wall felt in his ways, but perhaps was bordering on being too old-school and unnecessarily haughty. Note, SOAR (including Dr Wall) have a relationship with the California Advanced Imaging chain, but be aware patients have the option of taking any imaging order (e.g. for an MRI) outside to a more convenient or proficient radiology suite. read more

I saw Michael Wall in 2008-2009 for a bad shoulder joint at the Redwood City office of SOAR. I had previously gone to Warren King at PAMF (never again!), who completely misdiagnosed my bad joint for a rotator cuff injury. I don't know if it's because Wall knew he was the second opinion, or if he's just that good, but he correctly diagnosed my problem in our first meeting. He took the MRI, the descriptions I gave him of what type of treatment hadn't worked in the past, looked at the radiologist's report, and pointed to a "small" issue that they had overlooked which did happen to be what was causing my pain. We did a trial run with some cortisone to make sure he'd be doing surgery on the right spot, figured out it was right, and went through the surgery. I have full range of motion back, and am completely pleased. I took off one star because while Michael Wall is a gifted surgeon who takes time to sketch out on the whiteboard what your problem is, he's always on the go. I didn't feel he ignored me, per se, but he was obviously always thinking 5 steps ahead to the next 20 things he needed to do while taking care of you as well. I would completely recommend Michael Wall to anyone who needs their shoulder worked on. read more

I have been going to Dr. Wall for over 2 months to troubleshoot an issue with my shoulder. After 2 referrals to other specialists I end up back in the office of Dr. Wall to review all the findings and develop a care plan. My appointment was scheduled for 7:30 am and I was right on time. I waited in the reception room until 8:00 am and decided to check back in with reception to see what was going on. They shared with me that the Dr. had not arrived yet but would be in soon. At 8:10 am they escort me back to the evaluation room where I waited another 10 minutes. Dr. Wall walks in at 8:20 (my appointment was for 7:30 am) and greets me with a subdued attitude. I am pretty annoyed at this point as I missed a very important business call to get to the office on time at 7:30, as to not be late. This was the third time I had to wait over 30 minutes after my appointment time to actually see the doctor. When the Dr. entered I asked him if we could first talk about "professional courtesy" and he turned around, yelled "no we can not, I am busy, and don't have time for this" he stormed out of the office in a immature fit and rage and never came back. This "better than thee" attitude is unacceptable and oozes that Dr. Wall feels his time is more important than anyone else. Dr. Wall's bedside manner is atrocious and extremely unprofessional, I will never go back and do not recommend him specifically at SOAR. This doctor is a joke and extremely entitled and immature. Beware.... read more

Dr Wall reconstructed both my torn ACLs, and they are perfect to this day, and this was like 5-10 years ago, I am sure he's using newer tech today. He's got very efficient bedside manner in the exam room. He's very calm, confident, and laid back, yet competent. I find him a crackup because he's almost the stereotype of a chiseled blond blue eyed TV surgeon, straight from some Malibu sitcom. Highly recommended. read more

I can't say enough good things about Dr. Wall. My chart with him is pretty thick by now, fixing broken elbows, sprained ankles, sprained knee. Up until recently, Dr. Wall managed to fix most problems without surgery (combination of PT and prednisone). More recently, the ankle had finally worn down and Dr. Wall was finally forced to operate in order to remove some lose debris, clean up some scar tissue and clean up some bone spurs. I'm only a few days post-op but I can already feel my ankle is much, much better. Dr. Wall takes his time to make sure he diagnoses a problem correctly. He also makes sure he articulates the problem and the solution clearly which is usually through a combination of X-rays, MRI and whiteboard. Dr. wall is very smart, very detail oriented and generally empathetic. He doesn't sugar coat the issue nor does he give you false hope. He does seem a bit rushed in his office but my appointments are mostly on time and I'm sure he's busy because he's in demand. Can't go wrong with Dr. Wall, a great doctor and a great surgeon! read more

I'll admit that this guy comes off as a little bit arrogant and it can be hard to get a word in. After numerous shoulder dislocations stemming from an initial injury, I decided to have him operate on my torn labrum. I was expecting a quicker recovery but I'd realistically set expectations of about a year and a half to fully get into it - that's only if you need to play sports or do heavy lifting. To do day-to-day tasks was much faster. Hated this guy at first because his communication skills are not really there - but he is a good surgeon. read more

I went to see Dr. Wall regarding a shoulder injury I sustained after flipping over the handlebars on my bike. Upon my visit, he did a quick inspection of my arm, told me what was up, and explained treatment options. He took his time explaining everything and drawing pictures on the whiteboard. As there was no need to x-ray, he sent me on my way with a cheerful smile. A few pro tips: 1 - Call ahead to make an appointment. 2 - You don't have to see someone else before booking time with Dr. Wall. 3 - Fill out the forms from the website first, and then all you'll have to do is sign the HIPAA privacy statement. 4 - The office is on the 1st floor in RWC. There are two reception desks in the waiting room. Go to the one on the left. read more

Fantastic. Dr. Wall has repaired my right shoulder, right elbow, and left knee. In all instances, he made a correct diagnosis and fixed the issue, with no complications whatsoever, on the first attempt. He is the standard by which all other doctors are judged in my book. I love working with him. Just get him the information he needs then shut up and let him work. You go into a treatment room and sit down. He comes in. You explain what hurts. He grabs your arm (for example), torques it a few different ways, and, based on when you go "oh, holy crap that hurts," makes his diagnosis. Oh, he'll dial up an x-ray or MRI just to confirm his suspicions -- but no matter the approach -- he makes the right call. Here's another example of just how good this guy is. After my knee was scoped, I ran into an issue with the rental of a piece of medical equipment. This thing, which I called the Leg-O-Matic 3000, was a doohickey which moved my leg back and forth so the knee would continually flex so no scar tissue would build up. I'd strap this thing to my leg -- and it'd do its thing while I slept. Dr. Wall prescribed it for three weeks. Many months later, I get a bill for something like $3000. For what? I call the medical equipment rental place. They said my insurance only covered 10 days -- and not the remaining 11. So this contraption -- which looked like it cost maybe 500 bucks to manufacture -- was being rented for $275 or so a day. Way more than a car -- and the woman on the other end of the phone wanted her money. Now. On my follow up visit to Dr. Wall a few days later, I brought this up. He said, "hang on a second." Went to a room across the hall and made a phone call. Came back in and said "you don't have to worry about that any more." I was kind of like "well, uh, OK." The next morning I get a call from the medical equipment company. The woman who I had been dealing with, who was no different than a really, really, REALLY aggressive collections agent, said "I don't know who you know -- but the owner of the company just told me you're all taken care of and to apologize for the inconvenience." Dr. Wall reminds me of John Kennedy, no doubt makes a ton of dough, and is the absolute best of the best. I admire him and hate him because I'm jealous all at the same time. Makes me feel like I should've paid attention in school, dammit. He's the best -- and I'm fortunate enough to be living a pain free life because of the excellence he brings to his profession. read more

My left knee was acting up in 2016, so I got it checked out by Dr. Wall. He examined it, ordered an MCI and looked at the results, but didn't get any x-rays. He said I had a partially torn ligament on my MCL. Although he didn't say it, this was a stage 2 injury. For ligaments (and maybe tendons), stage 1 means it's over-stretched and stage 3 is fully torn. This is a key thing to know when weighing treatment options (more on this later). X-rays are used to view bones, but secondary injuries from an MCL can show up too. This is why most orthopedic surgeons, according to one doctor, prefer to start with x-rays before going with the more costly MRI. I wore a knee brace for a few months, but it didn't improve, so Dr. Wall recommended surgery at his clinic in Redwood City. There were factors that made this quite the hassle. I lived alone and couldn't get a ride to and from surgery unless I hired a limo for $200+. Free ride services for seniors couldn't help; the service area from San Jose cut off south of the clinic. I also faced being on crutches post-op for 2-3 weeks. The op was set for early August, but I had closed on a house that week, so cancelled it and moved to Santa Rosa. I then saw another orthopedic specialist who looked at the knee and my CD of my MRI. He also ordered x-rays. After viewing them, he opined that the odds were good that a cortisone shot would work if I didn't jog on hard pavement. I agreed to this, and have not had any issues with my knee in the two years since then. I read a comment from an orthopedic surgeon who stated that most stage 1 and 2 injuries respond well to non-surgical treatment. It did for me, saving me time and significant expense. read more

I rarely write reviews but this doctor is amazing! He did the most thorough physical examination, drew pictures of my anatomy to explain where the possible injuries could be, and took time to answer all my questions. I don't know how anyone could write a bad review about this guy. He's funny on top of being a great doctor. I would highly recommend him!! read more

I am a health care professional -- RN with a masters degree -- and know many of the orthopaedic surgeons in the Bay area as well as their professionality and ability to diagnose and treat various clinical problems. Dr. Wall specializes in arthroscopic surgery, primarily the knee and shoulder, and, please, believe me, he is an absolute artist at what he does. I initially had to DRAG my spouse to be seen for what I just knew (without the benefit of an MRI) was a bad rotator cuff tear. When I finally got him to see Dr. Wall, his normally cynical attitude was quickly broken down, as Dr. W. can talk the talk with an engineer! Very long story extremely short, Dr. Wall did both of my spouse's shoulders (he's a klutz, a former skier, and a former rock-climber and has beaten up his body just a bit too much over the years. Both shoulders were tricky surgeries and the recovery period was just FABULOUS. Later on, Dr. W. traveled down further and did his meniscal tear, which has given him back his knee strength and range of motion! I finally bit the bullet myself and underwent my own knee arthroscopy (we nurses are probably the worst patients, second only to physicians) and I am hypercritical. Best surgical experience I've had! Thanks, Dr. Wall! read more

Dr. Wall and all of SOAR leave so much to be desired. Farm patients in and farm them out. No explanation, no time spent and just LOTS OF MONEY. My insurance didn't even cover half of the costs of the visits and MRI and I have good insurance. Just a ridiculous place in every way. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Wall. I went to him as a second opinion (Dr. Eakin at PAMF was original opinion....TERRIBLE--AVOID!) and Wall spent 45 minutes with me, made me part of the decision process and had an incredible bedside manner (for an ortho surgeon, that is RARE). I had a complicated situation and he was able to diagnose additional complications with my "urgent" knee surgery and recommend me to other specialists to assist me same day. I had a team of 4 specialists helping me through 4 surgeries/procedures and I was consistently impressed with the level of communication and attention. read more

Had an elbow problem and went to Michael Wall (at the San Jose office). He spent time illustrating (literally on a white board) the problem, and outlining a plan for treatment. He approached this conservatively. His plan was spot on, and the resolution to my elbow issue resolved. He could have been knife-happy and wasn't. Really good doc. read more

I have now had two shoulder surgeries with Dr. Wall. My right side and now my left. I am a RN and these are both injuries from over use. I highly recommend Dr. Wall and he came highly recommended from coworkers who have also had him as their surgeon. My oldest surgery on my right shoulder is now perfect. I have no pain and no restrictions. He has a friendly personable bedside manner, he will explain and diagram to you your surgery if needed, and your injury. You will not feel rushed through your office visit. I am now on shoulder injury number two, other shoulder. Same experience friendly personable visit, clear detailed description of my injury and options. Never felt rushed and all questions answered clearly. My follow up visits same experience, he gives excellent care. I feel his surgical skills are excellent and I will always recommend him. I also had a great experience from his staff. From his medical assistant, to his nurse practitioner to the surgical and appt scheduler were all professional and friendly. I have had a great experience with Dr. Wall and his office now with both surgeries, three years apart. read more

This guy is a really talented surgeon. I orginally went to him in 1998 for a second opinion on an ACL fix that wasn't going well (bozo surgeon from Stanford said it was fine). We did a trial of prednisone and concluded a quick surgery would be necessary. I could walk the same day. Fast forward to 2002. Another bozo at Camino said my shoulder dislocation was unlikely to happen again, despite the fact it happened twice, and once in my sleep. Again, Wall guessed right away that there was tearing and I'd need surgery, MRI confirmed. I didn't even need pain killers after his surgery. He is that good. I tore the darn thing again, cause I am stubborn and he fixed it yet again. He does not push surgery as an option and works with some great physiclal therapists. Does he talk a bit fast and think fast? Yes, but I think that's just his personality, it's not meant to be rude. And he's happy to explain things very clearly. And really, I cannot stress enough how his surgical skills will improve you recovery and long term health. read more

I have found Dr. Wall to be an excellent doctor. Smart, personable, explains things well. The office staff is generally good although it's hard to get through if you need to leave a message. A long phone tree, and the operator who directs calls does not listen well if you have a special need. But don't let that stop you -- Dr. Wall is absolutely the best. read more

Dr. Wall is an incredible surgeon. I had severe damage to my rotator cuff, AC joint issues, a torn labrum and several bone spurs. Among other things, Dr. Wall had to give me 4 bolts to hold my rotator cuff tendon to my humerus. Eight months later I am doing very very well. I couldn't be more satisfied with my results and the care I received from Dr. Wall the the entire team at SOAR. These guys are the best at what they do. read more

Over the past 2 years, I've seen Dr. Wall for 3 different injuries. Each time, he explained in detail what the issue was - using models of the joint, a chalk board and going over the MRI on a screen. He was very open to all my questions and answered them to my satisfaction. For 2 of the injuries he felt I'd be fine without surgery and he was right, but he did recommend surgery for a torn rotator cuff and explained why he was making that recommendation. However, there was no pressure to have surgery as he offered to just follow me with periodic visits if I did not want to have surgery. I opted for surgery and I'm pleased with the outcome. Other reviewers have commented they found him arrogant. I did not see this. I saw him as confident, which was actually reassuring. I think he knows what he'd doing and I highly recommend him. read more

Do NOT see this smug asshole for any reason. I dislocated my shoulder about 7 months prior, I was with Kaiser at the time (who did nothing) and wanted to finally get something done. Had an MRI with my GP who referred me to him. Even after I'd already been suffering and tried conservative measures for seven months, I came to see him, he spent like half an hour trying to explain to me the details of the MRI which my GP had ALREADY explained to me but he refused to even let me get a word in and kept lecturing. He refused to look into surgery and gave me a cortisone shot, signed me up for MORE PT, and then assured me we'd look into it if it didn't work. I had my follow up today, had a bunch of questions but couldn't get a word in, and he said at this point he was going to sign me up for ANOTHER month. I tried to bring up how he said we were going to do PT for a month and then look into surgery and I wasn't sure why we're going to try this again after 8 months post injury and when I ALREADY failed PT for the first month, but he interrupted me before I could even ask, said we didn't have a "theraputic relationship" and then stormed out and told me to go see someone else. What a joke. Bedside manner is terrible. I had tons of questions and couldn't even get a word in. This is a doctor who is there for himself, not for his patients. A good doctor is there to listen to his patients problems and also answer their questions, not shut them down when they have questions of their own or dare to question his "advice". This guy is a waste of time and money and does not care about helping anyone, just getting you in and out of his office so he can get on with his day. It's just as well: if I DO end up needing surgery, I wouldn't trust this smug moron poking around in me anyways. Do NOT waste your time. read more

Dr. Wall is the best ortho surgeon i have had. He works on one of the most complicated places in the body: shoulder ! I had a surgery with him and believe it or not, i came home and took no further pain pain pills, just used the ice water cooled circulating pump which works like a charm. Dr Wall believes in trying and exhausting all alternate methods of helping a patient improve, and if results are less than good, then and only then will he do surgery as the last option. He is ethical, a charming and gentle-man, and exemplar of a person who is out there to help patients recover and sticks with you until you have achieved the best possible recovery. He is accessable and remembers you ! he knows your case and is well prepared. Like many doctors of this era they are rushed, but he does take the time to draw pictures and make you understand the essence of the problem and how to get better. take another listener or a recorder as he is brilliant and may not understand the rest of us earthlings are slower on the take up, but regardless, he is there to help you get better. He listens and give you a plan each time you see him. He is bright, and exemplar of what a great doctor, and skilled surgeon ought to be in America. He makes you feel like he cares, because he does ! You can look elsewhere but i dont think you will find a better skilled surgeon or doctor who diagnosis the correct issue the first time! go there to get better. I am an old guy, 73, disabled vet, and i have seen it all, and had many surgeries. SOAR is #1. read more

dr. wall was amazing. he was SO HOT. i tore my acl and he fixed it with his sexiness. at every appointment he put my knee in between his legs and made sure it was getting better. so much hotness. it's SO WORTH it. tear your acl....go to dr. wall you wont regret it. im tara whoo yeq read more