Santa Monica Podiatry Clinic Patient Testimonials

I know we are in a pandemic, but making people with feet problems stand in the hallway is over the top. Yesterday there were 4 of us in a narrow hallway with a large waiting room just on the other side of the door. We are instructed to call when we arrive, but no one answered.

Yes- I highly recommend Dr Bob Baravarian at University Foot & Ankle Institute for bunion surgery. He is an excellent surgeon. I had a smooth experience and successful results. *See before and after picturesMy story:    I've had pretty severe bunions on both feet for my whole life that have progressively gotten more and more painful -interfering with my daily life. I could not wear any type of shoe that pressed on the bone at all, without discomfort/pain.I did a LOT of online research and found Bob Baravarian and I felt comforted by his bunion surgical experience and the reviews of patients who've had successful bunionectomies with him. I already knew I wanted to get surgery after trying many different types of treatments throughout the years such as splints, toe stretchers/separators, etc that did nothing but hurt me. And I knew I wanted a doctor who does this ALL THE TIME, not just someone who "can" do it or who does it once in a while..    I saw another qualified podiatrist who specializes in the less invasive, quicker recovery head procedure bunionectomy with great reviews and success, but after learning about the condition of MY feet, (being hyper-mobile) my chances of reoccurrence were too high with that option(about 25%). This doctor actually ended up agreeing and encouraging me to go for the base procedure "lapidus" with Dr Bob.. He said he could do the procedure himself, but he'd recommend I go forward with Dr Baravarian because he is one of the best and does this particular procedure all the time. This lapidus procedure would correct/realign the 1st metatarsal at the base, and provide a more permanent solution for my feet. Although it would be a long recovery, I decided it was worth it to know I would have the most forever type of solution possible.    So after an initial consultation through my "in network" medi-cal plan, Dr Bob suggested I get on a P.P.O. plan to help cover the surgery I wanted because medi-cal wasn't going to pay for the high-grade level of surgical hardware he uses for this procedure and he wasn't going to compromise the quality of materials. So I had to jump through some hoops to switch insurances, but once I did, and confirmed everything twice with the surgery coordinator- Cheli- and my insurance, back and forth, everything went smoothly with the insurance from then on. *Cheli was such a pleasure to work with over the phone- always sweet, helpful, patient, responsive and very easy to talk to. She helped me SO much with figuring out how to make sure I got on an insurance plan that would be in network with them.    At the pre-op, Dr Bob explained what exactly he was going to do in the surgery and my instructions, and that week other members of the team, from Cheli, to the surgery center reached out, walking me through each aspect of the process before it happened, including the amount of money I was going to be responsible for, what was being run through my insurance, and answering any questions I had.***At the end of November, I went in for my first surgery! (Right Foot) And it went great. =) The actual surgery took about 80 minutes. Recovery discomfort was up and down but overall, less painful than I expected.. I was very impressed at how small and neat and clean the incision sites were. It is clear Dr Baravarian and his entire team know what they are doing and utilize their expertise to make sure they cause the LEAST amount of disruption and damage to other areas of the foot as possible when they operate.The surgery center itself also had a very pleasant feeling to me.. the staff worked together like a team. I felt comfortable and very well taken care of, through what could have been a very traumatic experience. *Dr Gina has also been very warm and helpful, making herself available to me for questions and concerns I've had along the way.    I found it vital to keep my foot very elevated at all times possible, and that ice packs under the knee helped. I was non-weight bearing in a cast for 3 weeks, then partial weight bearing in a boot for another 2.5 weeks, out of the boot just before the 6 week mark, and slowly learning how to walk again without my crutches at the 6.5/ 7 week mark! *Dr Bob also made himself available through email for urgent questions, responding very quickly, which I really appreciated as it allowed me to feel more at ease during the sometimes confusing healing process.END RESULT: I am in love with my new foot. The surgery was definitely a success. I do not have any more bunion pain- it is the strangest sensation to be able to wear tennis shoes or any shoes for that matter- without the bone rubbing on it and throbbing!    I definitely recommend Dr Bob Baravarian at University Foot &Ankle Institute for anyone looking for an experienced surgeon to correct bunions.I hope his review is helpful for those seeking more information and researching if bunion surgery is right for you!*I just got my 2nd foot done, and it is healing well.