Derek T Dee, MD

I have had the worst, most unprofessional experience with this office.
Dr. Dee seemed very nice, however the behavior of his staff was absolutely horrid every single step of the way. I made an appointment for a simple consultation for my double jointed knees and didn’t realize it meant dealing with complete morons for months afterward.
Reception was rude and unwelcoming, texting right in front of me and I had to wait nearly 30 minutes past my appointment time.
Then I was sent to x-​rays, which I was told was included in my visit at no extra charge. It was not.
His assistant told me that even though he was out of my insurance network that my co-​pay would cover the visit. Later, I get a bill for $ 250 and his billing department was completely unwilling to help or acknowledge their mistake in any way.
THEN they turned my bill over to collection without informing me while I was in the process of trying to work with my insurance to cover it. The best part? I asked for an email address of someone I could explain the situation to and the email I was given is FAKE.
Do not touch this office.

Best orthopedic surgeon. Long office wait time, but worth it!

After 6 month of treatment and 2 surgery a performed by Dr. Dee he was not able to heal my broken Fib Tib. I was tossed to the side with a shrub of the shoulders and a puzzled look to his face. He wrote the referral for me to see a specialist. So if your looking for a specialist don’t go see him. He will do the simple fractures. He might need more training on both fractures and explaining and listening to his patients a bit more. His Nurses are excellent both Alex and Lorie extremely helpful.

Dr. Dee performed right hip surgery on me in December 2013 and left hip surgery in February 2014 and I am feeling GREAT! After suffering with daily hip pain for a couple of years Dr. Dee was recommended to me as «The Guy» to see. It took some convincing, but I decided to have arthroscopic surgery and just a few short months later I am back to my active lifestyle. Dr. Dee and the staff as D.I.S.C. Sports and Spine Surgery Center were fantastic. I felt safe and cared for through both of my surgeries. I would highly recommend Dr. Dee and the D.I.S.C. surgery center to anyone.

Dr. Dee performed a very extensive rotator cuff repair surgery on me a year ago and it was a complete success. Yes, there were times I had to wait and yes, the rehab was intensive and difficult but the results were well worth it and I attribute it to Dr. Dee’s surgical abilities. I highly recommend him for anyone considering shoulder surgery.

I’m actually pretty disappointed with my experience with Dr. Dee. I was referred to Dr. Dee by Dr. Nikola at DISC in Marina Del Rey. Apparently, Dr. Dee does not my accept my insurance, but that didn’t stop the DISC office staff from bringing me on back for a consult for which I was billed $ 475 since he was «out-​of-​network». What the frick?
Dr. Nikola billed my insurance $ 300 for a consult for the EXACT SAME CONDITION (my appointments were one week apart). I already have my MRI, my diagnosis was pretty clear and uncomplicated.
Dr. Dee checked my MRI before examining me, instead of the other way around. Ugh, treat the patient not the imaging!
I’m sure he’s an excellent surgeon, but his front office staff rudeness will destroy his practice if he doesn’t get that under control quick. The girls at the front desk seriously need retraining. Bitch, I’m 20 feet away from you and I CAN HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT ME AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WAITING ROOM. Their failure to warn me that he is not in-​network and the resulting consult fee that I have to pay out-​of-​pocket for is the reason he will not be performing my surgery.
Here’s a tip, try calling in to your own office and try to schedule an appointment with yourself. See how pleasant the office staff treats potential patients. They get one chance to make a first impression. I wonder how many patients they’ve lost because of the tone of the voice of the girl on the phone. People are in pain, be nice!

After I dislocated my knee cap in a gym accident, I went to see Dr. Dee based on a friend’s recommendation. Although he seems like a good and competent doctor, the disorganization and lack of consistency of the office can’t make up for it.
1. The front office staff is RUDE. I was barely able to walk, even with crutches, and the lady kept on asking me to come up. Right when I walked in, I mentioned that I was a new patient and if I could have the forms, she asked me to sit down and wait while she texted. Called me up to hand me a clipboard that was right in front of her the whole time, then a few minutes after I had sat down, she wanted me to show her my insurance card, little while after that for the co-​pay.
2. Dr. Dee ordered an MRI to check if there are any additional damages to my knee. I dislocated my knee on a Saturday and went to see Dr. Dee on Tuesday. I was hoping to get my MRI done later that week so Dr. Dee could quickly assess the damage and I could start Physical Therapy. His nurse highly suggested (or rather forced) us to pick Alliance MRI but the insurance authorization went to a different MRI facility so I was not able to get my MRI done for an entire week.
3. Several staff members at Dr. Dee’s assured me that my MRI would be ready in time for my follow up appointment, but on the day of, they said my MRI was not ready and I would need to reschedule my appointment (AGAIN) and since Dr. Dee is only here Monday and Tuesday, I’ll have to put it off for another week.
Even though Dr. Dee might be a great doctor (not sure due to the limited patient-​doctor interaction), the inconsistency and lack of organization of the front office makes this the worst doctors office I have ever visited.
Highly suggest NOT to go to this entire Orthopedic group. There are plenty of other Orthopedic groups in the area that could do a much better job.
FINAL VERDICT: DO NOT COME

Probably the best I’ve ever been treated at a Dr. s office. The office staff was great, Dr. Dee’s assistant Linda was great. They got me in on time, Dr. Dee was very thorough and took his time explaining. Can’t say enough. Now we’ll see how the surgery goes, which I’m sure will be fine.

Dr Dee is an excellent surgeon with an excellent staff and a not-​so-​excellent front office – To some extent I understand because they are very busy (that’s what happens when you’re a great doctor). Be prepared for a longer than normal wait. Great doctor, excellent assistants.

Very attentive!

Post surgery update. Saw Dr. Dee this week for my post op visit, he was great! Explained everything he did in detailed, showed pictures and walked (pun intended) me through what recovery looks like, timing, expectations of pain, etc.
After removing the surgical bandages I was in a lot of pain, and Dr. Dee returned the call himself… we chatted and he accessed what he thinks is happening (yes, major surgery hurts and I’m not wearing my brace enough). He was again so awesome and patient and kind.
If you care about a meticulous surgeon who knows his stuff, Dr. Dee is your guy!!!
PS. I only waited 15 minutes today, people need to realize he is busy and that a great surgeon has a lot of patients he is spending time with.

Seriously — look for a different doctor in a different office.
First — front office staff are about the rudest people I have ever come across. I didn’t have my reading glasses with me when I arrived to find out that I had to redo all of my documents. When I explained that I couldn’t see the printing (small and printer was nearly out of ink), they made a big deal about having to find someone to sit with me to go over all the questions. They called their office manager and told her loud enough for everyone to hear that «she apparently can’t read and needs someone to do it for her — she wouldn’t even try» WOW! That’s not how it went down at all — I did try and yes, I can read.
After sitting around for almost 45 min waiting for the office manager to help me read the documents and then again for another 30 min past that, we were an hour and fifteen min past my scheduled appt time. Dr. Dee saw me for a hot minute and ordered an MRI.
The MRI facility down stairs messed-​up and only took pics of half the injured area — lined things up incorrectly. when they told Dr. Dee — he told them it was fine, they got enough — they called me to relay this exchange — probably CYA. However, when I showed up to go over the results, Dr. Dee informs me that they missed half of my foot and that couldn’t really tell what was going on. He asked the student he was training for an opinion and they both stammered before telling me the test was inconclusive. He sent me home with an insane walking cast, «come back in 6 weeks» — Seriously?!
Up side, his assistant is an absolute sweetheart — very kind, friendly and efficient — the only one in the entire office.
Do not waste your time or the money on this guy — get a quality doctor!

I love Dr. Dee. I had a rotator cuff tear injury. Went too see him for consult. After X-​rays and MRI he correctly diagnosed and advised surgery. I declined, wishing to avoid as long as possible due to length of recovery time. He smiled, gave me Rx for PT and said, «let me know.». I worked for 3 months with the injury when it became clear it was not going to get ant better. I went in for surgery knowing I was in the best surgical hands. It took 5 months and lots of PT but I have close to 100% recovery and am back working. I found Dr. Dee to be compassionate, understanding and caring. Yes, the office is extremely busy, wait times are random, Linda is a blessing. But one doesn’t make medical decisions based upon the medical bureaucracy of how an office is run. I make medical decisions with a doctor, an individual, a human. Dr. Dee is a surgeon. He has the necessary skills to improve your joint health. I would recommend him to anyone with a knee or shoulder problem. I deeply thank the friend who referred me to him.

He visited me for 5 minutes after 2 hours of waiting, didn’t explain much about the problem, and he charged my insurance $ 160.00, he is not patient and not friendly at all!

The last several times I’ve been to see Dr. Dee they have had either CNN or the history channel on. I genuinely appreciate the office taking such feedback seriously and trying to improve client comfort while they wait.
Thank you Dr. Dee!

The only thing keeping me from giving Dr. Dee a five star review is the fact that my appointment ended up taking place about 45 minutes later than the scheduled time.
The four stars are earned due to the excellent bedside manner of Dr. Dee and a great medical assistant (Linda?). Unfortunately, I’ve seen quite a few orthopedic surgeons over the years and Dr. Dee was tops so far. Very helpful, informative and definitely made me feel comfortable despite bad news for my knee.
I feel very confident going under the knife with him and his staff at the helm.

Dr. Dee is a member of THE GREATER LONG BEACH ORTHOPAEDIC SURGICAL and MEDICAL GROUP who specializes in athletic injuries, particularly Arthroscopic and Reconstructive Knee and Shoulder Surgery.
After suffering shoulder pain for almost 4 years, while other orthopedic surgeons just wanted to give me cortisone shots for the pain, Dr. Dee correctly diagnosed me with shoulder calcification, a partial rotator cuff tear, and impingement, all of which were confirmed with X-​ray and MRI. I had gone through multiple physical therapy treatments (months of sessions each time) with no improvements. Dr. Dee recommended surgery as the last resort.
I find Dr. Dee with good bedside manners. He is willing to listen to you and answer your questions without rushing. His assistant, Nurse Linda, is very friendly and helpful. She is extremely busy as she is the one working with patients in the office and also coordinating surgeries. But she is on top of everything.
I had my surgery on 10÷29÷09 and have been back for post-​op every 3 – 4 weeks. I’ll have my 3^rd post-​op appointment today. During each post-​op, he checks your range of motions to make sure they are on schedule to recovery. He then modifies physical therapy prescription accordingly if needed.
Overall I am very happy with the quality of care Dr. Dee and his staff have provided. Wait time is unpredictable. Sometimes I only had to wait 15 minutes but other times I’ve had to wait longer than I’d like but it’s very typical of doctor’s office. I think when choosing a doctor, we need to find one whom we’re comfortable with because we need to be able to trust the doctor 100%. Don’t ever be intimidated because it’s your body and you know it the best. Patient (self) education is also very important. Do your own research online, know your symptoms well so you can describe them. And most importantly ask lots of questions. If the vibe is not right, by all means, find someone else. We only have one body, so take good care of it!

To begin, I was unable to contact the office directly by phone. The answering service requests you leave a message so they can call you back when it’s convenient for them.
As a new patient, they advise you to come in 15 minutes early to complete paperwork. I finished it in about 5 min. Then they kept me waiting for about 80 min past my scheduled appointment before I was seen by an X-​ray tech. Once finished with him, they sent me back out to the waiting room so I could sit for another 20 – 30 minutes before I’m called back to an examination room where I wait for another 10 – 15 minutes before the doctor enters.
He asks me all the standard questions and performs some manual range of motion and palpation tests (I went in with a chronically swollen knee). Then, without significant deliberation, he tells me it’s a good idea to get my knee drained and receive a cortisone shot, even though I tell him most of the severe pain has subsided and I was more interested in an explanation of what continually causes this and perhaps an MRI to confirm some solid findings.
He doesn’t seem to pleased with the idea of me taking the initiative to find out more about my condition and he leaves the room abruptly without so much as a discussion. I sat there waiting a while until I walked out and asked a medical assistant if I should get dressed again. They checked with him and came back to tell me he was done with me and that’s the last I saw of him.
If you go to this office and have the choice of seeing any doctor there, I would recommend Dr. Duke Ahn. I will post a positive review for him.