Adrian G Bartoli, MD, MS

Sent me a message through Unilocal in response to my rating denying any wrong doing, stating he tried because we tried a treatment while there was major life conflict going on here knew made things complex yet only made things worse rather than better as he just like most doctors did not put the effort forth so I’d recieve collaborative care even though he states it was his hopes, and pretty much tried to make himself sound like a good person trying to say he wishes me the best knowing I’ll probably continue this path to an early grave without real medical care that he could easily help me accomplish writing a letter expressing the difficulties I have gone through and what we’ve tried in the past. In the end it seems he took the attitude that most seem to share that it’s too much effort and there is no gain so why bother? Maybe so the stress doesn’t kill me…

I have been seeing Dr. Bartoli for about 6
Years. I have 2 disk that need to be replaced along with a new sacroiliac joint. We try to get me 2 epidurals a year. Dr. Bartoli Is the best at this. I have tried other, out of 10 they got may be 3 times.
Dr. Bartoli has got the needed spot 13 out of 14 times. Amazing.
Dr. Bartoli does a full rage of other pain relief and help managing your pain. He’s made it so I can work full time.
Can’t say enough about how compassionate Dr. Bartoli is.

Dr. Bartoli is the only one that has been able to get my migraines under control. I worked with a neurologist for several years and we tried 5 – 6 different migraine meds. None worked. I basically suffered for a few more years until I finally got a migraine that was so bad that it lasted for over a week. I was so stressed by it that the blood vessels in my eye burst. Long story short… I made an appointment with Dr. Bartoli based on a recommendation and one visit was all that it took. Dr. Bartoli listened and put me on the correct meds. I have follow ups with Dr. Bartoli, but I have not had a migraine since I started seeing him. It has been about a year.

I had terrible back pain when I went to see Dr. Bartoli. He examined me and talked with me about my symptoms. He gave me a back injection to help diagnose the problem and the shot gave some temporary relief. We then discussed long term options. Dr. Bartoli was compassionate and professional. He talked with me about a kind of back surgery that he recommended. I went to a neurosurgeon and the surgery was successful. What I liked most about Dr. Bartoli was his willingness to discuss all options in detail and determination to find a course of action to relieve my back pain or at least help me manage it. Dr. Bartoli is an excellent doctor.

I have been a patient of Dr. Bartoli for six years. He is truly an outstanding doctor! He always returns my phone calls personally. He never rushes me out of his office after a certain amount of time has passed. He focuses directly on my problem and has had some very creative solutions to help control my pain. I highly recommend Dr. Bartoli.

At first everything was ok and Dr Bartolli treated me as a human being. When my life developed problems, homelessness, I was forced to sufer with my pain living in a homeless shelter almost getting attacked by my bunk mate as I kept tossing and turning and he was on so much crack he would be kept up by someone snoring more than ten ft away then yell at me for all of the noise when it was not just me taking it.
Struggling with my pain my shelter neighbor offered me a morphine, which I was beyond hesitant to take as I didn’t want Dr. Bartolli to drop me as after over a month while he was on vacation telling me to stop to prove I was not dependent. Of course he used the one 15 mg morphine used as would be directed to drop me as if I had no pain at all and was just seeking drugs. I will add again at first he gave me the respect he would give any patient yet in the end it became prejudice against me treating me as a dug seeker taking steps to ingore my pain anddiagnose it as no problem when there obviously is one…
Since I have left I have gone through 3 doctors all treating me as an opiate addict who can never have them, but can be given anyting else at any dose as long as it stooops opiates even if it affects me to a degree that I begin making effort to kill myself as I have gone through opiate withdrawals over five times with the last round of using opiates was due to ER staff telling me to get on pain meds as I am not a case of mental health, but chronic pain. I essentially keep getting tossed around till the point I have given up and turn to injecting heroin as That is the only form of opiate pain medication I can get somewhat affordable unless I am lucky enough to come across someone selling their morphine as that is what all older people do preventing me from getting the care I need as it forces regulations to be created to stop diversion that only succeeds preventing patients like me recieving the help they need.
After my experience with Bartolli I have been forced to try alternatives to what I know works as I just had it scripted, but my doctor retired and not a single doctor will continue my script leaving me in a forced cold turkey position not having been cut off for misuse, but that my Dr retired and no one will even ween me off let alone continue treatment. Instead they pressure me to go to an addiction clinic to get methadone to manage my pain when they are supposed to treat an addiction not pain. I am on the verge of making attempts to end my life as I did in June walking in front of a car going 30 – 40 mph as I was denied any treatment for even pain as a RX that should have gotten to the pharmacy did not due to computer error leaving me without medication that weekend were I went to the hospital end of Saterday… Even then I am to be punished, not stabilized, and aloud to walk out causing physical harm to myself stating loudly I intend to end my life… See when I say it no one cares and illegally let me leave to alost die in attempt to end my life, but if anyone even someone who doesn’t know me says I made a statement of intentdays aho I am handcuffed like a criminal and brought to PES only for them to say they can’t help me and expect me to follow up and go through a multi day process that I would end up in PES again after my health degrades making the effort to follow reffered resources.
So to conclude if you want a doctor that only wants easy cases as alll he in it for is the profit, If you want a pain specialist that would go above and beyond for any patient not just the easy ones Dr. Bartolli is not your guy.
Ps. A message to bartoli, but if you ever returned my many attempts to work with you again I wouldn’t Unilocal smash you. I write this review as I am on the verge of trying to kill myself again as instead of being a reognized pain patient I am now prejudged as a drug seeking addict who would get better if they gave up the drugs, which I did after being raped after a failed overdose attempt that allowed me to let the rapist is. Now I live every day miserable as I was raped hoping that he would try to help me feel better as he stated his intentions were all because I suffer with pain I would rather die than live with as I have repeatedly tried ending my life and been hospitalized. If Dr. Bartolli never abandoned me I would not have been raped and had my financial identity so messed up I can not earn money. My credits completely destroyed because my ex took multiple cards out and so much more in my name pretending we were to be married only to marry someone else and abandon me with the debt as well as in a building that I could have moved out of if I did not wait for him expecting to be forever mine as well as I never would have given him my SSN. Thank you for abandoning me to be fed to the wolves Bartolli… My life will never get better now. I really wish I was dead rather than have to live in a world of smug prejudice people I am expected to rely on for any necessity.

Please understand that I write this as someone who has worked closely in a professional setting with dr Bartoli the last few years. There is no better doctor in San Francisco hands down. He truly cares about his patients and always follows the most ethical practices. I have worked with many doctors before and never have I met one with so much expertise and care for each and every patient. Pay no mind to the people below who wrote negative reviews for Dr Bartoli. He follows the ethical code one hundred percent and has expert care. If you have any doubts about dr Bartoli I can guarantee you he will not let you down.

The worst!
Self-​important, terrible people skills and poor communication.
He’ll give you drugs, if that’s what you’re after, but if you’re seeking qualified medical care, you’re better off going to a vet.

Dr. Bartoli seems more concerned with his fancy calligraphy pens and expensive snake skin boots than he does about the integrity of being a doctor. He got way too involved in my personal matters at one time. He, unbeknownst to me, was recording our phone calls and playing them for my employer to try and find a way they could deny responsibility for an injury I suffered during my employment, which he initially agreed with me on, but after behind my back communication with them, his demeanor changed and he tried to back track on his original findings. Number one sleeze bag! He never discussed those calls with me and his whole demeanor changed after those calls. He started to ask me very personal questions at weird times throughout the day. It was obvious he spoke with my employer who told him things about me that were not very flattering, and then taking whatever the rumors were to heart and quickly discharged me.
I think he might be a student under Dr. Mengle, The Angel of Death.

I came to Dr Bartoli after many disappointing visits with other «pain management doctors» and I’m so thankful I found him. I won’t go into detail about the others, but I will say, they have NOTHING on Dr Bartoli. I’ve been suffering with lower back pain for many years (6 surgeries) and Dr Bartoli is the first pain doc that listened to me. He truly cares about getting you better and has many weapons at his disposal. Dr Bartoli will listen and not just listen, he hears what you say. He explains everything clearly and concisely. If your having second thoughts about the pain doctor you have now, CALL HIS OFFICE NOW! It will be the best choice you’ve ever made towards you getting your life back.

Please give him a chance to help you. I came to Dr. B after endless dr. appts. with other physicians. Needless to say I was exhausted and frustrated. Dr. Bartoli wants to help you get better. Not just throw a bunch of meds at you… exploratory surgeries and procedures. He is the first Physician that listened to me. All of my pain hasn’t gone away but I trust him to help me find my road to recovery. Real deal.

I have been seen by Dr. Bartoli for roughly two years regarding a work related back injury. He is incredibly knowledgeable and attentive. I highly recommend him. I appreciate his awareness of eastern methods such as yoga and acupuncture as well. If you see Dr. Bartoli you will be in excellent hands. He is really very caring and compassionate.

Dr. Bartoli is nothing short of amazing. He actually listens to his patients, takes tons of notes, and asks about your «whole» person, often finding a connection between problems that may have not have even occurred to you, and then curing both problems! He does his own scheduling and has very little staff, but this is common at other single-​doctor offices I’ve seen. There are some crazy people who get upset just because he won’t refill their prescriptions when he thinks they are addicted, but I can see that he is not interested in that kind of practice — he truly wants to help people get better, and patients who aren’t interested in that won’t come back.

My girlfriend had an accident on a ferryboat in Oakland. She was rushed to Hylands Hospital In Oakland. What a nightmare! But thats a whole separate story. She was diagnosed with 4 broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung. Since she had a lung problem she couldn’t fly. She was released with only a 3.5 day supply of pain meds. Not enough time to get Minneapolis by Train. We contacted Dr. Bartoli and he said he had a cancellation and that we could see him at 7:30 AM. Not knowing Dr. Bartoli from applesauce we did not know what to expect.
Dr. Bartoli was nothing short of astounding! He spent the time to help diagnose the pain she was having and noticed something the doctors in oakland did not see. He helped prescribe the most effective treatment to help her make her trip home to Minnesota as comfortable as possible.
I personally cannot thank you enough Dr. Bartoli. You are truly a credit to the medical community and in the words of one of my friends your a «Mensch».
For those who don’t know what that means:

Fantastic Doctor, and highly recommended. Dr. Bartoli treated my wife for a bulging disc in her lower back, (Lumbar L4 specifically) and we’ve had great results. He thoroughly explains his procedures, alternative procedures, encourages speaking with other specialists to either validate or contradict his diagnosis (which we did, and they either agreed with him, or gave a basic response like «we would need to get an MRI first, then schedule time in the surgery center and perform the procedure with Xray etc…» Seemed like none of the other specialists wanted to use their actual medical training to diagnose her situation, they just want advanced imaging and lengthy procedures for, in my estimation, reduced liability. We had no insurance, so we didn’t really have the money for the «cover your a…» procedures, we just needed someone that specializes in back and spine, and we found Dr. Bartoli, and now my wife is pain free. Another great part about him is he tells you how to improve your diet and exercise plan to keep the problem from coming back. He highly recommends several natural supplements instead of the usual medications for pain and inflammation, but of course, will prescribe appropriate medications if your situation needs them.

i came in to Dr Bartoli needing relief from severe nerve pain from an injury to my neck. He listened carefully to what I said and offered me several options of relief. I’ve had such good results from our chosen paths of pain management and injections, I cannot fully explain his professionalism and talent as a Dr and surgeon, but the results have been life changing. My injury will have to be managed over my lifetime, but having Dr Bartoli in my corner has given me my independence and smile back. I really appreciate the alternatives to diet choices to help with inflammation, as well as his understanding and mentoring to help myself to live in a better lifestyle. I’ve been through a few doctors that only wanted to throw drugs at me as their «treatment» plan, but I can truthfully state that there is a huge difference between someone who just wants to bill insurance, and a doctor who treats the whole person, both injury to body and the injury to the spirit that pain causes. You just cannot go wrong with this Doctor.

Dr. Bartoli is simply a world class Physician. He is a rare combination of an incredibly competent domain expert in pain management and also a remarkably responsive, patient-​oriented physician.
How often does your doctor respond to you on email within hours? Or follow up unprompted to see how his recommended treatment is working for you? This is how Dr. Bartoli works, day in and day out. He clearly makes his patients’ well being his priority and goes far above and beyond what a typical doctor would do to ensure that the patient receives the right care and treatment until their symptoms are remediated.
He is thorough, patient, and unbelievably effective. I strongly recommend him for anyone who needs a pain management specialist who will devote remarkable time, energy and talent to your complete recovery.

i just started seeing Dr. Bartoli recently, and i am thrilled. He is careful, thorough, and smart. On my first appointment he spent over an hour with me, learning my complicated past medical history, viewing and discussing films and going over treatment options
He is «western medicine» trained but is also educated in, and uses in his care, eastern approaches, i.e. ayurvedic medicine and Chinese medicine. He works with acupuncture as well as being unafraid of adequate treatment of pain medically.
i recommend Dr. Bartoli wholeheartedly — especially since the options in SF for pain treatment (read the Unilocal reviews for E. Krames, for instance; with complicated medical problems you want someone you can talk to…).
He is also open to treating other problems, and chronic diseases like hypertension. Overall, i think Dr. Bartoli is a gem.

Pain Management, Interventionist.
After suffering a cervical spine injury I was referred to Dr Bartoli. I have to say that in the beginning I did not quiet know what to think of his approach to my severe headaches.
In the end, I am glad that he was not one of those ‘Pill Mill’ doctors.
He was the only doctor that was able to separate my severe head pains into their proper categories. IE: Sudden onset migraines, general migraines and tension headaches.
While I am far from cured, I am doing better. I appreciate the fact that he did not do what the Pain Specialists in my home town of West Palm Beach would have done, by prescribing highly addictive narcotics that would not fixed my problem, only blurred my perception.
If you need a good pain management doctor, he is, in my opinion, worth checking out. He believes in a balanced Eastern /​Western medical approach. Give it a try, the only thing you have to lose is your pain…