Dr. James Chen, MD

I came here for an upper extremity issue. Dr. Chen seems like a nice doctor but due to the severity of my hand, I eventually had to go to a hand surgeon instead. Wait time can be 30 minutes but best parts are the nice staff members and enthusiastic receptionists.

I just wanted to start off by saying what an awesome surgeon he is! On top of that, he has a great personality. You will feel welcome right from the start. He makes you feel that you are in good hands and you actually are. Last thing anyone wants is to have surgery, but he actually makes sure you are completely fine thru the whole process from beginning to the end. He sincerely cares for you and you will truly feel that, with your own experience with him. I did find him thru Unilocal because I really wanted to track down a good surgeon and I was so lucky to find him. Thank you to the other Unilocalers for your reviews on him, it really helped me so much. There’s a reason why he has a consistent 5 star rating. My knee is even better than its ever been n I’ve already had 2 prior knee surgeries with other docs. He stands out for obvious reason. My norm is to not write reviews on Unilocal,but with him, I felt l was compelled to. Yes, go with him and you won’t be sorry you did. I know you’ll be reading this review Dr. Chen and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, for what you have done for me. I will never forget it! If I could give more stars, I would!

I’ve been meaning to leave this review for awhile. Dr. Chen was everything I want in a doctor, such that I wish he did more than just sports medicine/​orthopedics so I could see him for everything! What I loved was that he took time with me during the appointment rather than rush, gave me a thoughtful examination, and then patiently explained to me the big picture concept of what was wrong rather than only telling me what he thought I should do about it. As in, rather than just tell me, «The problem is _​_​_​so you should _​_​_​_​» he actually explained to me how my knee worked, what problem I was having, how I had developed it, and in the long run how he would suggest I treat it. I also really appreciated that he took a more conservative approach and thought I could address my problems through physical therapy alone rather than draining fluid found in my knee.

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I first went to Dr. James Chen in April 2015. After I ran the NYC Half Marathon, I couldn’t get rid of this aching pain in my left knee. At first he said it was a meniscus tear; however, after a MRI scan, we discovered it was just a typical runner’s knee issue. So, he prematurely misdiagnosed me. No biggie since he sent me to a physical therapist whom I thoroughly enjoyed being a patient of.
But but but… fast forward to October 2015. Perhaps it was my fault for running another half marathon without the proper training, but once again, Dr. Chen misdiagnosed me. He said I had IT band syndrome and sent me back to my physical therapist. Turned out, I didn’t have IT band syndrome. Again, no biggie. What I didn’t like was how his STAFF behaved while I was in his office. The walls in his office were thin… I could hear everything you say through them. Of course, they were (and possibly still are) IGNORANT, UNPROFESSIONAL & YOUNG residents/​students working there. The one who assisted me had the audacity to say, «Maybe she shouldn’t run anymore if she keeps getting injured,» to another resident. Then, they both laughed — I was flabbergasted. Well, perhaps, Dr. Chen should stop being a doctor since all he did was misdiagnosed me… TWICE within six months!!! And perhaps, he should fire those two assistants for being unprofessional dicks.
Think again if you want to come here to get misdiagnosed by Dr. Chen, and then be rudely insulted by his staff behind closed doors.

Make the call to Dr. Chen now, and then trudge through my review. I promise you’ll be happy you set the appointment first, and then waded through this thing. In fact, feel free to tackle it in stages.
Note: I feel qualified, from a patient’s perspective, to review an ACL surgeon/​surgery, as I have now had it on both knees which gives me a frame of reference for comparison.
Major components of the surgery experience for me, in sequence, were:
1) Initial appointment setup
Typically in this phase you are injured, freaked out, and earnestly trying to compromise between expediency and over-​evaluating options.
I chose Dr. Chen due to his reviews online, a couple of personal recommendations, and his great qualifications. He was able to see me within a couple days, and I had an order for an MRI leaving his office. In fact, when I arrived at the MRI, two other people in that office (one a patient with past experience and another an employee *note that this office is not affiliated with Dr. Chen’s) told me I’d made the best choice.
2) Treatment options
This is another stage in this process that can leave a patient feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, and potentially under-​informed. There are many options for an ACL graft, and each surgery type has advocates as well as lots of outdated information lingering online.
My first surgery was NOT with Dr. Chen — it was with a highly recommended orthopedic surgeon in Arizona where I lived at the time. I chose a Patellar Tendon graft. I had a good experience (relatively speaking) with that process, and asked Dr. Chen for the same surgery. I explained my reasons for this which I won’t enumerate here at the risk of causing him extra work in the future recommending folks away from this option.
Dr. Chen heard me out patiently, and explained equally patiently why new research within the orthopedic community & sports medicine communities had shifted away from my choice. He recommended a hamstring graft of my own tissue based on my expectations of the knee post-​recovery, my physical condition, age, and no doubt many other criteria I had no business worrying about. The conversation left me feeling very secure in his choice, and his abilities. He explained everything thoroughly, and helped me understand the most important factors in my own surgery and recovery process.
3) Surgery
My first ACL surgery (not Dr. Chen, again) left me in tremendous pain, and was quite intrusive. The surgery I had with Dr. Chen was so drastically different that I was able to go outside and sit in a lawn chair with my leg up while my friends grilled on the 4^th of July about 5 days post-​op. It was more than I had imagined possible at this stage. Everyone is different, and so is every surgery. However, I feel that at least some portion of this is attributable to James Chen’s skill as a surgeon, and everything else can be directly traced to his prudent bedside manner leading me towards a better option. Phenomenal.
4) Recovery
The last bit is recovery. A lot of this stage has to do with the PT you choose, but Dr. Chen played a big role here as well. He explained at every stage what his goals for me were, why, and what the major risks are. Throughout this process I’ve been anxious to push myself, and Dr. Chen recognized and appreciated this — both encouraging me and reigning me in as necessary. My expectations were perfectly managed on his end, and the lengthy recovery from this ordeal was as smooth as it could have been.
5) Final Result
I am ~7 months out. My leg press is close to 70% of what it was, and my mile time is as fast as it’s been in 2 years. I am not yet back to snowboarding, but have no doubt that I will be when my body fully vascularizes my graft. I’m ahead of where I expected to be, and the path to get here was significantly less painful than I could’ve hoped.
*sidebar here: look at my reviews (it’s coming soon) if you want a great PT recommendation. I don’t think Unilocal likes cross-​promotion in these reviews.
Summary: Dr. Chen is the man, and although I hope not to ever need to visit his office again — I feel good knowing that there is a surgeon I can turn to, I can turn my friends to, and I can turn my family to; in those invariable moments where his expertise is needed.

You will be in good hands with Dr Chen. I had complete tear of AC joint (shoulder). Dr Chen repaired it and it is fine now. He will tell you like it is. He did not try to push me to surgery and actually explained that I could get buy without it. I think he erred on the side of not trying to sell the surgery but I know I made the right decision to go through it. Also, I want to say that the California Surgery Center (Dr Chen has office there) are great people and made my surgery such a pleasant event. In less than a year, I am pretty-​much back to normal and doing everything I did before in my weight training. Thanks Dr Chen!

My name is Matthew Murray & I have never written a Google+ or Unilocal review. So I have to feel VERY strongly about something, or someone — to ever do so. Dr. James Chen & his excellent staff, are the reason I am doing so, today. I injured my shoulder surfing, a year ago last August. Mainly due to years of wear & tear (I am 48 years old and very active) and getting crushed by a wave. An MRI confirmed my fear that the pain I was having was in fact a partially torn rotator cuff. I once fully ruptured my Achilles tendon, on the east coast 20 years ago — and knew that surgery could be painful & rehab could take up to a full year — when regarding tendons in the body. My broken collar bone took less time to heal than my Achilles tendon. But that other doctor did an excellent surgery & I was able to run the NYC Marathon, a year & a half after the surgery.
James Chen was recommended to me by my doctor at OneMedical. And it turns out that a family friend whom is a radiologist also confirmed that he is an excellent surgeon. A great guy to boot. I will not going into all the specifics. But I did move forward with the surgery through Dr. James Chen. And glad I did so. The rehab & healing process on a rotator cuff, can take a long time in my experience. And at month 6, I feel like my shoulder is basically perfect. Allowing me to do the things I love to do — like swim a mile in Aquatic Park. I was able to do that a month ago for rehab — and as I can do today — just for exercise. All because Dr. Chen is an excellent surgeon.
I highly recommend Dr. James Chen.

I saw Dr. Chen for what ended up being a meniscus tear. Dr Chen is straight forward, efficient and caring with his patients. He makes himself available through an app throughout the day if you have any concerns with your surgery or injury. I’ve thoroughly appreciated the fact that his appointments start on time and he tries to get you out early if he can. I would recommend anyone to see him if they’re looking for an Orthopedic Surgeon!

Was referred to Dr. Chen by my trainer, extremely professional and to the point. I had ACL and meniscus surgery in February, was told i would be cleared in 8 months in October, got clearance a month early in September! He could see that I had confidence in my knee and was ready to get back to sports. excellent doctor and surgeon, completely satisfied.

I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Chen and his practice.
Dr. Chen performed my ACL reconstruction with a hybrid hamstring autograft and allograft on 4÷21÷15. He was able to schedule me next-​day for an MRI and for surgery within 2 weeks of my initial diagnosis. Throughout the process he was kind, patient with my millions of questions and concerns, and thorough in explaining my options.
Since my surgery, I’ve talked to many other people who’ve had an ACL reconstruction, and in every measure of success – level of pain, being able to walk and go up/​down stairs, range of motion, swelling, scars – I’ve been surprised to find how quickly and well my knee has healed compared to what seems to be the average experience. Dr. Chen really did a fantastic job.
And on a side note, I also really appreciate how much Dr. Chen gives back to the medical community, having medical student interns and residents shadowing or helping in the office. To me it just shows how much he really cares about and is invested in his work.

Here is some background: 5 years ago I dislocated my shoulder playing Ultimate right in the middle of my track season. I didn’t take care of it then and came back to haunt me. Fast forward to this year when I fell off my bike onto that same shoulder. An MRI confirmed that I had torn my labrum in my right shoulder. Dr. Chen took a careful and strategic approach to helping me and I felt cared for the entire way. I had my surgery a month ago (my first) and I couldn’t have imagined a better way to have it done. Here I am today doing really well and on track to make a full recovery. I even have one more appointment scheduled with Dr. Chen to make sure everything in back in complete working order. I feel confident in the care I received and would recommend him to anyone!

Some background: I rolled my ankle and had a really nasty sprain on Sunday. I tried to R.I.C.E. but had this nagging feeling that I should get it checked out. I had gone with a friend’s recommendation with a doc but she was on vacation for 2 weeks and her assistant couldn’t offer an honest recommendation to another doctor.
Sooo here’s how Unilocal comes into play. Dr Chen has great rates so why not. His friendly staff sets me up with an appointment same day after I explain my situation. I show up and this is definitely a busy office. For people who complain about waiting past their appointment time: Well… don’t see a popular/​good doctor. There’s a reason everyone is waiting. I use to work in doctor offices and they do try their best to stay on time but emergencies come up.
Okay, moving on. There were some unknowns about my insurance plan but guess what: you pay for medical care. I care that my doctor is competent, has good bedside manners, and isn’t recommending outrageous surgeries. Dr. Chen is warm, funny, and made sure that I knew what I was getting into and how to take care of it. Granted my insurance is out of network with Dr. Chen. I’d pay a nominal fee to see him. I think that says a lot. Their fee is also super fair. Insurance is tough but Dr. Chen’s office has been really great to work with. They definitely go above and beyond to make sure you understand your coverage and the possible out of pocket cost.

Dr Chen is the best in the business! I have had two successful surgeries done by him and can attest to his excellence. He is smart, meticulous and good with his hands-​everything you want in a doctor performing surgery on you. If you have a torn ACL or labrum, go see Dr Chen and know your getting the best care money can buy.

Dr. Chen performed an ACL and meniscus repair surgery on my knee on 5÷20÷14. Through the entire process, Dr. Chen and his staff were incredibly professional and supportive, particularly by helping me through the rather complex insurance process.
Dr. Chen took the time to answer all of my questions thoroughly and accurately, and he had a great bedside manner.
Even after I left San Francisco, Dr. Chen still responded to my emails, often within 24 hours (we just had another exchange yesterday — nearly 13 months post-​op!)
This surgery was one of the hardest things I’ve ever faced, so I feel truly lucky that I had Dr. Chen to help me through it all. Thanks for your help!

Best doctor in town. He came on the recommendation of my primary care doctor and a nurse friend. Not only did he fix my right collarbone up, four months down the line, the scar is incredibly, barely visible after I had surgery. Dr. Chen went out of his way to make sure I would heal well.
Also very cool was how accessible he was. His office has an online system that makes sure you check in, sometimes as much as every day, as you recover to make sure that you’re okay. Like everyone else, I always realize I have more questions after a doctor’s appointment and I could easily shoot a message to Dr. Chen’s office and get a response directly from him within 24 hours, often within 12 hours. With most doctors… you’re lucky if you can speak to them until your next appointment — in a month.
He’s possibly the best medical experience you’ll ever have.

Excellent. Dr. Chen and everyone at his office are excellent.
Due to exceptional Unilocal ratings, I chose Dr. Chen as my orthopedic specialist for my ACL surgery and meniscus repair. Not surprisingly, I was always able to get appointments at my requested time, and his staff were very friendly and helpful. Furthermore, Dr. Chen made himself available. He saw me and counseled me personally — not one of his understudies.
His appointment scheduler, Simonia, warned me that my insurance, CCHP, would cause my surgery to take place a month later. However, thanks to her work and dedication, she found a surgical opening for me just a week later! Amazing. And of course, Dr. Chen made sure he was available at whatever time we could find for the hospital.
The surgery went splendidly. Dr. Chen was quick and efficient. He was also comforting, soothing my worry and apprehension. I was put under anesthesia but was still able to leave the hospital just five hours later. I felt good. Not drowsy and drugged like the first time I had ACL surgery ten years ago.
Following the surgery, I have seen Dr. Chen on a nearly weekly basis. He checks on my recovery and offers helpful advice. Also, on a daily basis, I interact with his online medical program, which checks on my health, looks for any possible pain, and provides stretching and exercise tips.
It’s only been three weeks since my ACL surgery and meniscus repair, but I’m already very close to fully walking without a limp. I owe all that to Dr. Chen. Having had similar surgery years ago, I can confidently say that this surgery and recovery are so much better than the last. Even though I’d rather not be a repeat customer (because that would mean more mishap and surgery), I know I would be safe with Dr. Chen.
Believe my review and all the other five-​star reviews: Dr. Chen is one of the best.

I saw Dr. Chen when I hurt my hand/​elbow on the job. I was in a ton of pain and I haven’t had the best luck with orthopedic surgeons. He was patient, kind, and did a great physical exam. He is very genuine, has a wonderful bedside manner and I feel so lucky that I had such a great physician! I highly recommend him as he’s not only an amazing doctor but is also a very pleasant person. His only flaw is that he might drink too much Diet Coke ;)

I might be Dr. Chen’s biggest fan, and there are a lot of fans on here. Six weeks ago, Dr. Chen did a total knee replacement for me. He made the entire process, from first meeting to last check in on HealthLoop as smooth as possible. He is positive but not unrealistic, caring but not phony, direct without being cold. Everything he predicted has pretty much come true.
I won’t go into how smooth the office is, how there are minimal wait times for your scheduled appointments, etc. Everybody else has those covered.
Dr. Chen is the best, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone.

I was referred to Dr. Chen by OneMedical for ongoing knee pain. Dr. Chen quickly diagnosed a torn meniscus. His staff was very helpful on preparing me for the surgery and scheduling the surgery. The surgery itself was a breeze. The surgery center was well organized and very professional. The surgery itself only took 20 minutes. I was amazingly pain free afterwards and only needed to take ibuprofen for pain. While the recovery took longer than I expected it was ultimately successful and I am know back to 100% activity levels with no pain.
Dr. Chen’s office is well run. Making appointments is easy, his staff is friendly and efficient. I have never had to wait longer than 5 minutes in the waiting room. Dr. Chen has a nice, friendly demeanor. He is clear in his communications and very patient in answering questions. I highly recommend Dr. Chen.

I went to Dr. Chen on recommendation from a family friend after breaking my wrist in 5 places. Dr. Chen was positively fantastic! My mom is a nurse but lives in Atlanta so she wanted to be involved in the process and see my x-​rays. After the difficulty sharing the x-​rays from the emergency room I was nervous about how it would go, but Dr. Chen not only ensured that my mom had access to my information, but was so patient speaking with her on the phone regularly throughout the process. Dr. Chen also kept me informed the whole time. Additionally he was so involved and concerned durning my recovery which I have heard not all doctors do.
I have nothing but the absolute best things to say about Dr. Chen, we was so wonderful!