Christian Foglar, MD

I had the worst experience so far with this doctor and his office. I was referred to this office by one of the doctors at the ER. Dr. Foglar’s diagnosis was completed contradictory to the diagnosis provided to me by a different Orthopedic surgeon. Also, to make matters worse, he, or someone within his office cancelled the appointment at the last minute. Talk about rude and unprofessional in the medical field. I don’t understand how this business can stay open with their complete lack of professionalism and nonchalant attitude when it comes to patient concerns. Please keep searching for a different orthopedic surgeon, if you are reading this review it means that he is not recommended.

I was aware of Dr. Foglars reputation before I traveled to Mexico for my birthday. Once there, at the resort, I slipped in the spa and shattered my fibula. The local clinic took an x-​ray and confirmed it was broken. I was very scared and injured in a foreign country. I called the U.S. and asked a friend to call Dr. Foglars office and see if I could get hold of him for advice. Sure enough, he called us back at the local clinic in Baja within fifteen minutes! He spoke with the local orthopedic surgeon and we formulated a plan for me to fly back with a splint and have the surgery done in the U.S. Dr. Foglar met me at the emergency room as soon as my plane arrived and he performed surgery the next day which was the Labor Day holiday. The surgery went perfectly and his care has been excellent. His training and skills are impeccable and his interpersonal manner is down to earth and genuine. I was extremely fortunate to have such a dedicated physician in my corner at a time when I felt very much alone and vulnerable. I will always be grateful to Dr. Foglar.

After all the billing etc etc — no issues and the follow up care has be super! I hope I never have to see Dr. Foglar again because it will mean another nasty bike accident but if I do, I know my very loved kids will be in good hands.

Dr. Foglar is one of the best orthopedic surgeons I have met out the 4 Ortho Dr. over this 7 month recovery period and 6 surgeries: when considering bedside manners, communication, accessibility, honesty, and surgery. Very impressive doctor that can be trusted.

Dr. Foglar reattached my arm after I had experienced a traumatic fall in my backyard. My wrist was shattered, and I destroyed 14 small bones that connect my hand to my arm, leaving my wrist crushed beyond repair. Nobody ever assumes they will experience a bad fall in their lifetime, which will leave you disfigured or close to death without any medical care, but this is my story. I was knocked out cold hitting one of three large bay windows in my back yard, a recently renovated rental property, that had no permits, a shock when I found out, but that’s another story.
After laying on the ground howling in pain, I was able to reach two sleeping children in my home and they reached my husband who was out on an errand. After howling and sobbing all the way to the hospital, I walked into the ER at El Camino Hospital and declared I broke my arm in several places. Nobody believed me at first, but after a few x rays they declared my arm was indeed broken, and it was a very bad break. I was hooked up to an IV with morphine with a pump. The orthopedic surgeon was called in and told me there was nothing he could do, since my arm was a severe trauma, and there was only one Doctor in town who could save me, and his name was Dr. Foglar. The other concern that the orthopedic surgeon explained to me was that since Dr. Foglar is so famous, (hello try seeing one of his videos during an operation on youtube, it’s always buffering because it’s always being viewed)
he is probably too busy on a Sunday morning, and they would send me home with a prescription for pain, and I would make an appointment to see him the next day. Keep in mind that my arm was disfigured beyond the imagination, swelling up like a pot bellied pig, horribly painful, and I was not leaving this hospital until they fixed it. I suggested to the orthopedic surgeon that he try and call Dr. Foglar because maybe this was my lucky day.
Lo and behold he returned with the good news that Dr. Foglar did indeed answer his phone, and was coming to see me. Soon after that a very compassionate Dr. Foglar arrived, assessed the situation, spoke to me gently, reassured me he was going to take care of me that day and fix my arm. He made all the arrangements himself, called the operating room, obtained the hardware needed to repair my arm, and took the time out of his quiet Sunday to save a woman he didn’t know. Dr. Foglar does this because he is that kind of doctor, who goes the extra distance to save people’s lives. He talked to me with great compassion, while I was in horrible pain, for which I am deeply greatful for, since the other doctors were ready to dismiss me because it was beyond their expertise of medicine. I was so relieved to know someone cared, someone who was exceptionally talented in his field, someone who goes the distance to help people. And let me point out, that Dr. Foglar doesn’t work in mountain view, but he drove twice to the hospital, because he takes his profession seriously, and he is that kind of exceptional person who would do such a thing. I was so relieved to know that somebody was knowledgeable enough to repair my damaged arm.
Later on, I woke up from the surgery with my perfectly straight arm, and even though it hurt from the operation, it felt so much better. I was so glad.
Dr. Foglar continues to follow my progress and is deeply concerned for all of his patients. Ever find a doctor like this? Write something great about him. And if you have to sit in his office and wait to see him, don’t complain because he is the only doctor who can fix your broken body. And when you have an appointment with a surgeon, there are emergencies, post operative patients who need extra time, people in severe pain, and the doctor is most likely taking the time to explain to his patients how he will make them better. Which is what Dr. Foglar will be doing with you, once you meet him, and see how he takes the time to answer all of your questions patiently. So sit back and wait for your name to be called. Put everything on hold for your appointment with Dr. Foglar or his physician assistant. It’s that important. Work can wait. The patience you show for your loved one, while waiting to see Dr. Foglar, is highly important. Being in severe pain is horrible, being patient to see a highly qualified surgeon and trauma doctor is the means to a complete recovery. When you take your loved one to an excellent doctor, it’s an act of selflessness. Sit back and be supportive. Remember it’s not about you, it’s about the person sitting next to you experiencing pain or a recent trauma.
And by the way, Dr. Foglar’s physician assistant is excellent, who can pinpoint and diagnose your problem too. She assists him during surgery and she is amazing. She also has a wonderful bedside manner. She visited me several times after my surgery while I was in the hospital and was very kind to me. Together they make a great team.
I would recommend Dr Foglar 100 times over.

After reading all the positive reviews, I made an appointment for my son to see Dr. Foglar. This was our first visit.
We arrived at 150pm for a 2pm appt. I filled out the paperwork and waited till about 245pm.
This is when I found out that:
a) There were 2 people ahead of me. Both were disgruntled as they had been waiting for over hour and a half. In other words, my turn would be up at around 330 or 4pm for a 2pm appt.
b) This one was the last straw. It turns out the appt was not even in the office. He is supposedly out till Oct 22! The front office conveniently forgot to inform me that tiny little fact. The ladies at the FO said, ‘we usually inform patients if doc is not in town’. I asked the 2 ladies sitting there and they weren’t aware of it until they showed up to the office for the appt.
c) So who sees the patients in Dr. Foglar’s absence? Another doctor, I supposed. Nope, you get to see a Physician’s Assistant.
I was really peeved because I missed half a day at work and pulled my son out of school for all this drama.
DR. FOGLAR: If your patients don’t even get to see you, it doesn’t matter how good of a doctor you are.

My fiancé knocked his knee cap out of place. We didn’t see the DR but met the PA Julianne. She was amazing, super friendly, and knowledgeable. She explained everything to us in detail, even asked me if I had any questions. Of course I did! :) I highly recommend this place. Staff really friendly as well; clean office.

I like Dr. Foglar’s conservative approach which acknowledges that surgery isn’t the first – or even best – approach for every patient. I believe that he does care about each of his patients. More importantly, I do think he attempts to respond empathetically to patient feedback in his own awkward way.
Although his skill is superb, I cannot give Advanced Orthopedics a 5 star rating because of several administrative and/​or ethical issues I encountered with his office and employees. They are: 1.) Consistent lateness. Running behind 15 – 20 minutes happens. Consistently running 45 minutes behind in all but the first appointment blows. 2.) Practice is known to other care providers (e.g. my physical therapy place, my MRI place, and my primary care place) to be notoriously difficult to get ahold of. The practice runs the fax line through the computer (maybe because it’s cheaper?) which results in an inability to fax progress reports to Dr. Foglar for review for quick and effective follow-​up. Instead, you must wait for an appointment (I’ve never been able to get an appointment without 2 weeks advanced booking), get a copy of your chart from your provider, and hand carry the chart/​progress notes to Dr. Foglar for review. I feel like it shouldn’t have to be this difficult. 3.) My biggest gripe with Advanced Orthopedics: they dress students up in scrubs and have them take notes/​observe while Dr. Foglar or his partner Donnelle DuBois (Physician Assistant) meet with you. When I pointed out to Ms. DuBois that I had never consented to be inspiration porn for aspiring doctors, she flat out lied to me (claiming that the person wasn’t a student, though it was confirmed my front desk folks and the student) and Ms. DuBois refused to remove the student. At least with Dr. Foglar, when I raised the concern and reinforced it, he wasn’t happy but he dismissed the student. This, to me, is a HUGE breach of ethics regarding informed consent. Fine if you want to train students, but patients should (and do, legally) have the right to say no. And quite frankly, I think Ms. DuBois should be fired for her lack of ethics.

Dr. Foglar saved my 5-​year old son from growing up with an abnormal arm. He is the best orthopedist you could ever dream of having.
My 5-​year old boy fell off the monkey bars in the park and broke his wrist. I put him in my car and drove him to Good Sam hospital in Los Gatos. We checked in the hospital around 3:00 PM. By around 4:00 PM, after my boy was tended to and the X-​ray showed that it’s broken badly, they asked me if I want a specialist to come and fix my boy’s wrist, or whether I want them to do it, and I said I want a specialist.
So they called a specialist who showed up at 8:30 PM! You know, it was a Sunday and why would he ruin his Sunday for a 5 year old with a broken wrist, waiting in the hospital while nurses are giving him morphine. Three shots of morphine were given to my son before that so called specialist showed up!
So he gave my son some shots in his arm to kill the pain and numb it, and then did what is called a reduction by pulling on his arm, to straighten up the bones. While doing it, he was using a machine that showed the bones on the screen live, it’s like a live X-​ray. When he finished I saw that the bones were not completely aligned but I didn’t give it any attention, since in my mind he’s a specialist and he knows what he’s doing. They put a cast around my son’s arm and we went home.
A week later we followed up in his clinic where they took an X-​ray. The bone was still not aligned and still I was not concerned. The «doctor» said that everything is ok.
Two weeks later we followed up again. This time they removed the cast, took an X-​ray and put a new cast. The X-​ray still shows the bones are not aligned. I asked the «doctor» and he said everything is fine. While putting on the new cast his assistant was trying to mold the bones with her hands by applying pressure on my son’s arm. My son was in pain and the assistant said this is the doctor’s instructions, given how complex and bad the break is. Notice, that this is three weeks after the injury, where the bone is almost fully healed. This is unheard of, molding the bone 3 weeks after the injury!
This is when I started to suspect something is wrong and decided to take a second opinion. It was probably one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I requested the X-​rays from the «doctor’s» office and took them to the Dr. Foglar. Upon seeing the X-​rays, Dr. Foglar said that my son needs a surgery and super soon, as the bones are almost healed and it’s hard to maneuver already. I blacked out for few seconds and for about a minute I didn’t know what to say. Seeing how baffled I was, Dr. Foglar started saying that I can decide not to do the surgery, and since he’s still a little boy the bones will get better aligned with time, and it even MIGHT go back to normal, but nothing is guaranteed. It is basically a gamble! He recommended a surgery.
I walked out of the office frustrated, undecided what to do. I emailed the X-​rays to some family members and friends and asked them if they know orthopedists they can send them to. 24 hours later, 5 orthopedists (2 of them pediatric orthopedists) had seen the X-​rays and THEY ALL SAID THAT MY SON NEEDS A SURGERY IMMEDIATELY!!!
Two days later we checked in our son into El Camino hospital in Los Gatos where Dr. Foglar did the surgery. He had to re-​break my son’s arm, fix it, and put pins into his arm. All of this could have been avoided if the first «doctor» had done his job properly the day of the incident.
I later on requested the original X-​rays that were taken the day of the incident from Good Sam, and showed them to Dr. Foglar. He said if it was him who was called in to the hospital he would have done a surgery.
My son’s arm is now back to normal and the cast and pins removed, thanks to superb Dr. Foglar.
I think I am not allowed to say who the first doctor is in here, but check my other negative review for an orthopedist and you’ll know who he is.
Dr. Foglar is the best doctor I’ve ever known in the US. He even gave me his own cell phone # and asked me to call him for any concerns I had. I actually called him couple of times and he took his time talking to me and explaining everything! I bet you if you can name one doctor that does that. On top of being best at what he does, he is also a superb human being that really cares.
Dr. Foglar is not one of those commercial doctors that does what he does for money.

I don’t know why it took so long for me to write a review. I came to see Dr Foglar after i had a multiple fracture of my Tibia Plateau. He was the best doc I could ever ask for. He put me at ease and explained exactly what the situation was and set realistic goals of recovery timeline. I was going through tough times and he and is staff were the best support I had. He comes across as a seasoned professional with your best interests in heart. I would recommend this doc and his entire staff any day. In fact i did refer two of my friend to consult with Dr Foglar and they speak very highly of him.
If you are looking for the best Ortho surgeon — they don’t come any better. He is the best in the business so is his staff!

Update: Ten months after this situation occurred, here is where I am:
NEVER even got a phone call from this horrible doctor’s office to try and rectify the situation
Now getting billed $ 190.83 to a company called HomeLink and $ 230.41 to a company called Breg, all for this one crappy brace that was pulled out of a huge box by a nurse and that never even fit me.
Amazing to me how these people are just taking advantage of sick people and conducting business like a bunch of scoundrels. There are not enough words in the language to describe how despicable this behavior is, and I feel sorry for the poor folks who fall into the clutches of this terrible business!
STAY AWAY!!! I WISH I HAD DONE SO!

First off — I can honestly say that this star is for the staff only and not the Dr himself. I didn’t even get the chance to meet him. I transferred my care over to this facility in January — due to my previous Dr had retired. I wanted a Dr office closer to work so that I would not have to drive so far. Did my research and thought this Dr would be a great fit for my medical needs. My workman comp provider sent over my forms/​medical reports and waited. waited. Waited. I waited weeks. I than began to call and inquire about the status of my potential first appointment. They told me that they were not worried about receiving my documents for the Dr was away on Vacation and would return for 2 more weeks.
I waited again.
Waited. and then called again. They received my documents but claimed that it was a mess and would need clarification before the Dr would be able to see me. They would contact me when everything was ready to go.
I let two more weeks go by and then called again. This time the lady was so rude and told me to call back in 15 minutes. I requested a manager or supervisor and was told that they didn’t have one. That they managed themselves. Even when I made the comment that what would the Dr think if he knew this was how his staff was dealing with potential new clients.
I told them to forget it. If the office was ran this poorly, I would say the Dr was just as bad.
2.5 months and they did nothing for me.
I would not recommend this Dr to anyone.

Dr. Foglar and his staff truly live up to their GOOD reviews! I recently broke my humerus, and was referred to Dr. Foglar and 2 other doctors by Good Sam hospital. Dr. Foglar was able to see me within 2 days of my initial break, was very considerate in handling all of my questions and concerns, and was clear with the outcomes and course of treatment. The staff and PA’s are fantastic, and always friendly and helpful! I had an unfortunate misunderstanding with my insurance in the middle of my course of treatment; where many doctor’s would send you off to a new provider and have little consideration for the patient, Dr. Foglar, Carrie (PA) and his billing manager, Christy, were extremely understanding and choose to honor my existing appointment and see me through the rest of my treatment as planned. I have read some reviews about the time it takes from the appointment until the time you get to see the doctor. I’ll admit, the wait time from appointment to treatment room averages around 20−25mins; HOWEVER, i would prefer the wait time for a Dr. who will spend as much time with his patient as necessary and will not leave until he is confident you are happy with his service, as opposed to a Dr. who is constantly watching the clock. Lastly, Dr. Foglar is the type of dr. who will avoid unnecessary surgery and pins/​plates where he can. I was told that my particular break could heal fine without surgery, and if it did not heal right within the 4 weeks we allowed for it to heal, we would have to go with surgery. Well, i can tell you, my bone healed perfectly without metal pins or plates, surgery is officially off the table, and i am scheduled for cast removal in one week after 6 weeks in a cast. I would highly recommend Dr. Foglar to friends and family in my position.

So I came in because I’m having some pains in my knees…
From the moment I came in to the moment I walked out the door I felt completely at ease with the great staff and really comforting waiting area.
The staff was extremely knowledgeable in their craft, and really knew what they were talking about. They ordered an x-​ray on my knees immediately just to double-​check things. It went by smoothly, quickly, and accurately.
Although I was given some decently bad news, the doctor really kept my spirits up and reminded me how it’s absolutely normal. She ordered some PT, and gave me a list of contacts immediately.
I would HIGHLY recommend this clinic.

I am so happy to have met Dr. Foglar. He and his staff are nothing short of amazing. I had an ankle fracture several years ago that was fixed by another orthopedic. Over the last year, I was having constant pain and discomfort. I was recommended Dr. Foglar by a friend and I am glad he did. After some conservative treatment, I was finally recommended to remove the hardware on my bone that was now completely healed. His surgery coordinator, MAs and PA were very helpful and I was booked right away. I can now say that I am at 100%.
I see that some people complain about the wait but even if the wait was days, it would be worth it. Dr. Foglar and PA, Donnelle, are such a professionals and give it to you honestly. I wish there were more doctors and PAs out there like them.

I broke my distal humerus (into 7 pieces, at the elbow) due to a fall; upon viewing the X-​ray, the orthopedic surgeon at the hospital emergency room saw that the case would be difficult, and immediately referred me to Dr. Foglar, who is known for taking on the most complex and challenging cases. Boy am I glad for that referral.
At our first meeting the day of the accident it was clear that Dr. Foglar is a caring, competent and compassionate professional. He was up front about the possible complications and the expected outcome. He wants his patients to understand everything they need to make the best decisions.
My case was complicated and I required five surgeries and a LOT of physical therapy. When one situation arose that required surgery, Dr. Foglar arranged for it that day (a Friday) at 8:00pm so that the issue could be addressed as soon as possible. Each step along the way, Dr. Foglar took the time to explain what was going on, answer all my questions, empathize with me, and encourage me through the emotional valleys this kind of injury/​recovery entailed. He does not view his patients as bodies on an operating table, but as complete human beings with real emotions. In short, he cares.
This approach to medicine can take time, and that’s why his schedule can sometimes get backed up. His office staff has always been friendly and courteous. And Donelle DuBois, his PA and teammate, is equally caring and capable. If you want the best, in both technical competency and human compassion, I strongly recommend Dr. Foglar.

One of the best doctors and one of the nicest human beings I have ever encountered in my life. Compassionate and extremely competent doctor who will try everything possible before recommending surgery. Needles to say, surgeons make «real» money only when they operate, but this doctor would try anything non-​invasive before recommending surgery. Thanks to Dr. Foglar, I have been successfully dealing with my disease that other two doctors wanted to operate on seven years ago.
I can’t believe that there are «one star» reviews for this office. When I read them, I realized that they were all reviewing punctuality of the practice (sticking to the appointment times). Yes, this doctor is not one of those doctors who would dedicate 10 minutes to the exam and would go from one room to the next in order to ring the cash register 6 times an hour. If 10-​minute-​exams is what you are looking for, this office in not for you.
Once you are in the room with the doctor, he acts like you are the only person on the planet and he will stay with you as long as it takes to address all the issues and treat everything that he could. That approach to medicine will, definitely, reflect on the next patient (s) and — yes, you might not be seen at exact time of your appointment. But keep in mind that he would treat you the same way when there is your turn.
Look at it this way — nobody is living in that office, so… eventually…everybody gets to be seen and go home happy. Trust me, it is worth the wait… which is, honestly, not that often anyway.

Dr. Foglar is such an amazing doctor. He has fixed up several of my issues with my knees and ankles. His staff is top notch including the PA, MAs, surgery coordinator, front office and billing. While I do understand that the wait could be a little off, I would be more worried if I walked into an orthopedic’s office and there were no patients. Everyone that I have recommended to Dr. Foglar have ended up understanding why I can only say good things about his office. Thank you, Dr. Foglar and his staff, for so many years.

The Best orthopedic surgeon i hv met, who was shocked to see that I was sent home from ER from Elcamino hospital without doing a surgery, he fixed the apptmt for surgery, performed my elbow surgery on a saturday morning. Hats off to this DR who really cares about his patients. Always can contact the DR for ur needs.
His office staff can be a lil busy and won’t return the calls same day @ south San Jose location.
I am giving 5 stars for the DR and the surgery scheduler person in office.

Update 2014: We recently needed more surgeries and our vascular surgeon recommended a colleague that we have had before and his care was sub-​par in the past. We immediately Mentioned that we would prefer Dr. Foglar and we’re happy about our decision.