Samuel S. Koo, M.D., MPH

Ted Seattle _{on Google}

Nov 14th, 2019

Dr. Koo performed surgery on my shoulder in February of 2018. I still have shoulder pain and reduced mobility, and expect that will be true for the rest of my life.
After I had an MRI, Dr. Koo diagnosed me as having a torn rotator cuff. He was confident he could repair it, and told me I would be able to do everything I used to do. During surgery he saw that it was a partial-thickness tear rather than a full-thickness tear, so he opted to leave it alone. Instead he detached my biceps tendon and reattached it in a different location, which he thought would alleviate my symptoms. After six months of painful rehab, I was still having pain in my shoulder; not as bad as before, but enough that it prevented me from doing the things I used to do. Dr. Koo ordered another MRI, and said my rotator cuff looked the same. He asked if the pain was so bad that it interfered with my sleep. I said it was not, and he seemed to regard that as a success. He said there were no guarantees with surgery, which of course is true, but it was a complete turnaround from the confidence he expressed during our initial meeting. He said if the tear in my rotator cuff became a full-thickness tear, he could do repair it surgically, but if it remains a partial-thickness tear, that's just something I would have to live with for the rest of my life.
Two things to take away from this: first, an MRI cannot distinguish between a partial-thickness tear and a full-thickness tear. Only the latter is something a surgeon will repair, so you might undergo rotator-cuff surgery and not have anything done to your rotator cuff. Second, the only thing a surgeon can offer is surgery, and even though we associate surgery with precision, surgery is in fact a very blunt instrument.
Most people tell you that surgery should be your last resort, after you have exhausted all other options. I definitely agree with that. Six months of painful rehab is not something you want to undergo if you can avoid it. But it's also important to remember that surgery doesn't always work. No matter how many testimonials from smiling people are visible in the waiting room, there are no guarantees.

Cindy Montanye _{on Google}

Nov 19th, 2018

Strongly Recommend Dr Koo and his PA Claudia they are excellent. Had L/H Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement. After just 4 weeks have 3/4 use of my shoulder. His whole staff is excellent and really care and it shows. Made several calls to ensure I was doing find and offered any assistance needed. Thank all of the and will refer all to him as they treated me like family.