Riverside Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Assoc MD PC

Great doctor’s with the exception of Doctor Vong. I would give them 5 stare if not for this whack. He diagnosed me with A LS two years ago. I had to live with that for a month, until a qualified physician did another EMG and have me a clean bill of health. He insulted my wife when she was a patient of his as well. Steer clear from this putz.

Service was OK. I was seated in a room and waited for about 10 minutes. Then, I had a couple x-​rays taken (broken finger) before Dr. Rosenstadt saw me. Dr. Rosenstadt stated it was healing fine and proceeded to give me a finger splint. The doc was nice enough and had good bedside manner.
Later, I received a bill charging me $ 175 for the finger splint… which you can literally buy next door at walgreens for $ 5.49 (I checked). Insurance covered a portion of it but charging 30x retail is ridiculous and crooked. I call billing and they shrug it off saying there isn’t much they can do about it… I think it should be common courtesy to inform patients they will be charged $ 175 for a $ 5 finger splint, but maybe that’s just me. Find another place you can trust.

I recently developed a knee problem and my insurance referred me to Dr. Louis Re. I was a bit hesitant due to some of the reviews here, but after my treatment, I can now only conclude that whoever wrote these things must be either out of their minds or the kind of people who criticize everything. I found him pleasant, professional and respectful. He took his time, carefully listened to my symptoms and thoroughly explained a conservative treatment plan.

He was kind of funky (dr. re) but in a good way. I thought he was an excellent doctor and took time to explain to me my issue.

I had a misfire here. In March 2015, I went in for a pain in my knee. I had read the good reviews on Unilocal for Dr. Schell. The other reviews are right. Super thorough, nice, went through everything with me in detail. Called me to follow up. He was sure I had a meniscus tear. Sent me for the MRI. When I went back in for my follow up after they got the results, he said it wasn’t a tear, it was just normal degenerative bone joint disease which comes with age. Dr. Schell was really surprised it wasn’t a tear. So he gave me a Kenalog shot and I went on my way. He said since the MRI didn’t show a tear, if I was still in pain after the shot wore off, he’d have to go in and take a look and see what was going on since MRIs don’t always show everything. The shot worked great until the pain came back much worse than before. Excruciating and my knee locked up. I went to another very good and well respected orthopeadic doctor, but only because his office was closer to my new job. I was just going to get another shot but he wanted the MRI results first. When he got the MRI results from Riverside and the actual MRI from Columbia Imaging, the results said, «There is a tear of the body of the medial meniscus… tear at the free edge of the body of the medial meniscus.» and the Dr. looked at the image and said, «You need surgery, you have a tear.» He showed me the tear on the MRI. I read the report. I couldn’t believe it. I was told there wasn’t a tear. All I can think of is that Dr. Schell was given someone else’s results or they confused me with another patient when I went in for my appointment. Maybe someone gave him the wrong chart? I really don’t know what happened here but I wish I hadn’t been going about my normal routine with a meniscus tear having no idea that I was doing things that were making it worse. I had the shot so wasn’t feeling a thing. Now I’m having to have surgery which I probably should have had 6 months ago. I just don’t know how he missed this. It’s clearly on the report and on the imaging disk.

I cannot say enough incredible things about my experience today with Dr. Schell. Super thorough, explained everything to me in detail and really took the time to understand my injury and assess the problem. He offered me anything that would help make me feel better, and the nurse, Jenn, was absolutely phenomenal in teaching me how to walk properly in this gaudy boot that is necessary for my current injury :) I would 150% recommend Dr. Schell to anybody!

I cannot comment on the other doctors at this practice, but based on my experience I can tell that you should consider another doctor if you have an appointment to see Dr. Louis Re. The reviews about him here are not false. I was not impressed at all.
I went to see him to get my right knee evaluated, as I thought I might have torn my meniscus. For starters, my appointment was at 8:30 and I never saw him until 9:45 (doesn’t take long to fill out paper work and get an x-​ray so most of the time was spent waiting for him).
I’m not looking to write a long, drawn out and dramatic review, but I’m not exaggerating when I tell you you WILL waste your time if you see him. His bedside manner is terrible; he’s condescending and throws the full book of orthopedic terms at you at rapid speed, without giving basic and helpful explanations of what it is he’s talking about. He was dismissive when I asked him simple questions and continuously interrupted me when I was trying to grasp what it was he was explaining. Additionally, he told me everything I already knew about my knee based on research I conducted on my own, exclaimed that he had «the cure» for me written down and told me that if I follow instructions and do what he says, I can continue to run in as many half marathons as I want. Hmmm.
Instead of him working with me, I got someone who blew through instructions on a piece of paper. Furthermore, I left the office without a clear answer as to whether or not my meniscus was torn! When trying to clarify, he interrupted again and began talking about the «Runner’s Knee» that I already know I have.
Long story short, a second opinion is very much in order. Perhaps I would have only needed a first opinion if I saw someone else to begin with. Unless you appreciate having a pompous windbag for a doctor, you’re better off going elsewhere for a more thoughtful evaluation/​caring ortho.

My doctors at Cornell recommended Dr. Schell after I recently busted up my knee. I have been incredibly lucky finding some of the best doctors in the world over the years when something breaks, or when age inevitably decides to lash out at my body. I can now add Dr. Schell to my short list of highly capable doctors who take their time to understand the problem and ultimately put their patient’s best interests first.
You’d be shocked by the amount of collusion that exists between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, not to mention the pressure many doctors are under to drive revenue for their practice. Not here. Dr. Schell is the real deal.
An injury like mine was ripe for an overdiagnosis. But Dr. Schell took his time to study the X-​ray and isolate the symptoms down to a simple contusion of the knee. No need to order an MRI, no need for surgery, not even a need to come back for a follow up visit if the problem went away, The only additional services he offered me was a Cortizone shot and a scrip for painkillers, and he was clear that neither was required and that it was entirely up to me. I opted for neither and was off. Maybe 40 minutes from start to finish, including paperwork, the X-​ray, and the actual doctor appointment.
It’s almost a month later and my knee is now almost completely healed, just as Dr. Schell said it would. One visit. One co-​payment. No hassles. No BS.
I give Dr. Schell my highest recommendation.

I came here with a shin injury, worried that I had a stress fracture. Overall, I would say I had a better than expected experience, given the fact that most of my experiences with anything medical related in New York City have been truly horrendous to pretty poor. The office is in a great location (right off Columbus Circle) and is a large, accommodating space. I was seen within 30 minutes of my scheduled appointment. Not amazing, but doable. The care I received from Dr. Dermskian, while not warm and fuzzy, was definitely thorough. I felt he listened to me and was pleasant enough. I really liked all of the techs and nurses, as well. Friendly and helpful. The only thing I was not impressed by was the front desk staff. Not rude, but definitely not welcoming either. Why is this such a problem at so many MD offices?! I know the front desks are busy, but how hard is it to smile and make eye contact with an incoming patient?

When you think of NYC and healthcare you think world class. That is exactly what Dr. Schell provides; world class care.
Dr. Schell not only is a great surgeon, and has taken care of my family’s major orthopedic needs (3 surgeries), but he has a phenomenal bed-​side manner. From Saturday morning follow-​up calls post surgery, to helping with back pain, and providing home exercises, Dr. Schell is someone that I am confident will help me get healthy and then help me stay well. He will be my orthopedic doctor for a long time.
Dr. Schell is truly one of the best in the industry!

They are super on schedule and nice. The staff makes everyone feel welcomed and they know your name and are really good about making sure you know everyones name that is serving you.

They are much better than other uptown clinics. Appointments might take a while, and sure they have a limited amount of time per patients but, if you get to the point and do your research when surgery is one option that is usually a last resort.
I’ve had very good results for cortisone of the knees with Dr Elias Kassapidis. It almost took all the pain off my meniscus tear after 2 sessions.
Dr. Benjamin Rosenstadt is attending to my shoulder cuff injury. Had a high density MRI in the same building. Had 2 cortisone injections and on my last one before deciding for elective surgery since Physical Therapy and steroid injections has not provided any relief or remedy to my pain.
I am not being pressured to have surgery, but my pain is leading up to it.
All of the staff including the 2 doctors mentioned are have great manners and attentive to my concern. Office is organized, clean, spacious, and modern. Waiting time is average.
For those complaining, try going to one of these chop shops clinic further uptown, especially in Washington Heights. You’ll wait for hours and the service of doctors and their staff is awful.
Riverside Orthopedic and Sports Medicine is a savior. They also have an online portal for appointments and personal records. Based on my personal experience, I recommend these two doctors:
Dr Elias Kassapidis for hip and knee replacement, also cortisone injection with ultrasound for pin point accuracy. Straight to the point, no nonsense type of doctor and very knowledgeable.
Dr. Benjamin Rosenstadt for shoulder, elbow & hand, surgery treatment including complex fractures, and cortisone injections. Understanding with many years in his field, approachable, and good mannerism.

This place is a well-​oiled machine! I have been seeing Dr. Re for over a year now (for runners knee) and he has been excellent. He has worked with me to combine physical therapy and some injections and I am finally able to run again! The office staff is efficient, I am always seen right away, and they even have an online patient portal to help manage my care.

What everyone else is saying about their staff is what I found when attempting to schedule with Dr. Rosenstadt and speaking to Stephanie:
I’ve never spoken to a scheduler or medical staff that seemed to care less or spoke in a more condescending, annoyed tone. And don’t expect them to care if you’ve got an emergency — they will spit back at you the same appointment a week away like you’re an idiot who’s annoying them. I took it just in case and then called to find other doctors…
I went to the Hand Surgery Center on 34^th instead (recommended by a number of physicians who were too busy/​away to see me that week), got a next-​day, early AM appointment, and the staff was kind and efficient, and so was the doctor:

When I called to cancel with Rosenstadt the staffer was just as obnoxious. Unreal. Glad I did.

A rotator cuff swimming injury sent me to see Dr. Re from a friend’s recommendation. At the time I was 19, and scared. I was told I had a tear and needed surgery to repair it as well as to shave the clavicle bone. I was asked when I would like to schedule surgery. I chose cortisone instead and to think about the surgery i.e. talk with my parents. When the cortisone wore off in 4 weeks, I went back, this time with my parents. He was very rushed and had a terrible bedside manner.
A week later I brought my MRI to NYU HSS sans MRI report. The doctor spent a long time examining the image and concluded that the «tear» which needed urgent surgery, was in fact a normal wear and tear that everyone gets. Further more, he said that if I had gone through with all the procedures, I would have had early onset osteoporosis by age 35.
6 months of intense PT, and my shoulder feels wonderful, because of a caring orthopedist, not Dr. Re.

The physicians at Riverside are great. Dr. Schell is a particularly caring doctor, for an orthopedist, and he treats you with respect as a patient. The office staff was good and they got rid of the billing person who was a problem. I would not hesitate to go back to Dr. Schell and Riverside for any orthopedic problem. The wait times were normal for a doctor’s office (15 – 20 minutes) but not overly long. The office is in a nice location and has up to date equipment.

I’ve visited this office twice for knee pain due to running outdoors. Each time I walked in, I was seen right away. My visits are always with Dr. Schell who is attentive, funny, handsome and well kept. I was referred to him by a coworker who is a marathon runner and had a terrible injury a few years ago that Dr. Schell treated her for. The staff is very professional and the office procedures are ran very efficient and orderly. Im not sure why all the bad reviews but in my opinion he Dr. Schell is a great doctor.

I have to say I’m a repeat offender when it comes to sports injuries and for all of them I went to Dr. Re for treatment. The first was a torn right rotator cuff. The tear wasn’t large enough to warrant surgery so we did cortisone injections and PT. I was good as new in a couple of weeks. Then after playing full court basketball I took a fall (going for a loose ball) and hurt my back. Once again I ended up in Dr. Re’s office pouting because not only did my back hurt… we lost the game. X-​RAY and then an MRI proved what we suspected disc trouble. Again he was methodical and patient with me, taking all of me into account when recommending options and next steps. Good as new!
Now I’m back because I hurt my left shoulder and it appears I have torn this rotator cuff too. Dr. Re greeted me with «your back?» And «it’s good to see you.» He spent time with me reviewing my options and we settled on the least evasive and some PT.
It’s a couple days since my visit and I have to say that I feel much better, I ave a plan to get back to my sport and I was able to do it without loosing hours out of my day. Dr. Re is great and if I need an Orthopedic Surgeon — I’m coming back!

If I were to use full sentences to describe how bad Louis Re and the Riverside Orthopedic outfit are I would be here all night, so I will use bullets instead:
— After having an MRI, I explained to Dr. Re the problems I’d been having with my shoulder and he suggested invasive surgery right off the bat. The problem was, based on my 2 hours of Internet research, I knew the surgery he suggested did not address the symptoms I was having
— I expressed such concerns to Dr. Re, and asked him what from the MRI led him to make his surgery recommendation. He responded with some doctor mumbo jumbo about how I could live a perfectly normal life without the surgery but that to cure my symptoms I would need surgery.
— Given that he had not answered my question, I asked him again what from the MRI indicated that I needed the surgery he recommended. He responded that the surgery would shave off part of my scapula (relieving the symptoms that I had already explained to him I did not have) and then they would have a look at my labrum while they were in there.
— I left, unconvinced, and returned for a follow up consultation a month later to try to make sense of what I should do. As i was uncomfortable with the recommendation of exploratory surgery combined with a procuedure to relieve a symptom i did not have, I asked Dr Re if he could pull out my MRI again and show me what led him to his recommendation. At this point, Dr. Re flew into a snit, telling me that he did not have time to bring up my MRI again (mind you, it was on a CD and could have been loaded in about 10 seconds) and that he had other patients that he needed to see, and that I should go get a second opinion if I wasn’t convinced. (Note: this was the only worthwhile piece of advice that Dr Re ever gave me).
— I got a second opinion at the Hospital for Special Surgery — when I passed them my MRI from Riverside Orthopedics, they opened it for a nanosecond and then tossed it in the trash, saying it was way too blurry to diagnose anything. next, they listened to my symptoms and after taking a high resolution MRI, came to the exact diagnosis that I had suspected all along.
In conclusion, avoid Riverside Orthopedic and specifically Dr. Louis Re like the plague. Unless, of course, you prefer your doctors to look like Howdy Doody (that is, like a smug-​faced, bowtie wearing clown) and to recommend uncalled for procedures and exploratory surgery. You’re probably better off diagnosing yourself using the Internet like I was.

Louis P. Re, MD and Benjamin E. Rosenstadt, MD
A week after hitting a tree skiing and not having seen a doctor I decided just to get my now purple knee checked out «just in case».
I waited no more than five minuets to see Dr. Re who had me X-​rayed. He was engaging and observant. While my knee was fine he was concerned that my wrist was swollen and had me x-​rayed again. It was broken and had Dr. Rosenstat, the hand specialist come in and see me right away. All of this occurred within a forty five minuet office visit!!!
Dr Re. was engaging and observant.
Dr. Rosenstat diagnosed me with a broken scaphoid which is an easily bone to break but does not heal well on its own. Being that I am an active young adult I opted to have surgery and have an Acutrak screw drilled into my left and dominate hand.
I could not have asked for a better surgeon.
My scar is three weeks old, about a quarter of an inch long and barely visible. I have almost complete motion back in my wrist and am still wearing my removable splint full time.
I stumbled on this office through zoc doc and could not have imagined better care, more talented doctors or FASTER SERVICE. Seriously I was never in the waiting room longer then five minuets.