Danielle Thomas's Online Review Report Card

I accompanied my family member to an appointment with Dr Thomas. His foot injuries were severe and would impair his ability to walk if not treated effectively.From the moment Dr Thomas walked in the exam room, she seemed very rushed. She even got short with me for asking questions, for example questioning her plan to delay surgery (beyond what I had read was the recommended time period) ... or why would she recommend to bear weight on an injured food in excruciating pain. In addition, she is opposed to a humane level of pain management.Considering the advice Dr Thomas gave, it was apparent that she hadn't carefully reviewed the imaging done or read the reports. If my family member had followed her advice, his injuries would have been permanently disabling. I'm so glad we decided to seek a second opinion. The foot specialist near Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Dr Harrison, was a breath of fresh air. Like night and day.

I had surgery with dr Danielle Thomas and I'm not so happy because I got an infection the same day after surgery and she wanted me to wait for 2weeks to see me but I decided to walk in to the office on the 2nd day after surgery and her assistant who didn't even know what she was doing kinda took care of my bleeding problem but I had to make a 2nd trip on the following Monday so she could take care of the bleeding mess on my foot and than on top of all this mess she created she did not want to give me Sufficient pain medication because she was too worried of me getting addicted so a month later I'm still suffering pain because she would not give me the pain medicatio. and now 6 weeks later I have pt assigned but no introductions as what to do I called her office and left messages but I haven't heard anythin.

Excellent doctor. Thoughtful, caring, and took her time during my multiple visits to her office.

I love a business that can welcome feedback and provides a place for listening to their customer's concerns. Personally, I did not have a great experience with the service I received here. Getting the diagnosis was quick and efficient, but Dr. Thomas was in a rush every time I came in. She saw me for about 10 minutes and would back out of the room while answering questions. At one visit, she grabbed my injured foot without warning or care. I came in with a sesamoid fracture / sesamoiditis injury. She told me she didn't think it was healing, and I should consider surgery if it still hurt in two months. The negative prognosis didn't give me any hope, and put me in a negative place. I asked her if removing the bone would cause any problems with my gait, and she replied, "You have a problem with your gait right now." This felt short-sighted, and I felt pressured into considering a surgery that I later learned I did not need. The sesamoid is a vital part of the biomechanics of walking. Removing it can cause a cascade of problems up the body and should only be removed as a last resort. When we looked over my MRI, she told me it was still fractured. Later, in the parking lot right after I left the office, I read the radiologist's summary which said, "No fracture was detected." I went back to clear up the confusion. The only way to communicate with Dr. Thomas is informally through her assistant. Her assistant told me I was being difficult. I should trust the doctor's opinion, and to please leave. She called me later to tell me she passed along my question, and Dr. Thomas is not concerned. Overall, I did not feel that Dr. Thomas was concerned about me as a patient. She was rushed, not open to discussion, and unavailable to her patients for communication beyond the brief office visit. This could be due to the hectic nature of the clinic rather than her personal disposition. I would recommend getting a second or third opinion from a sports medicine podiatrist, or physical therapist who will try conservative methods before resorting to surgery. It turns out my injury needed conservative care: time, rest, ice, orthotics, good shoes, diet & positive outlook. The best thing I did for myself was to get a wheelchair and off-load both my feet for two months. I used a lot of the methods sports medicine podiatrist Dr. Richard Blake has shared on his website. I fully recovered in 5 months!If you go to a mechanic, you'll need work done on your car. If you go to a plumber, you'll need work done on your pipes. If you go to a surgeon, you'll surely need surgery. With something as important and irreplaceable as your body, I would hope a surgeon can recognize when their services are too overpowered for the problem and refer their patients elsewhere.

After working with 2 podiatrists and another well known foot surgeon for 3 years I found Dr Thomas and could not be more pleased with her diagnosis, manner and the results of her surgery on my Morton's neuroma. 5 weeks out I am back to most of my activities and starting back on competitive training. Amazing.

Dr. Thomas was extremely thorough going through my xrays and mri for my ankle. She answered all my questions, and helped me devise a remedial plan. I highly recommend her

My injury to my right foot was miss diagnosed as a minor tendon strain, after determining from an X ray that no bones were fractured. After recommending PT , my pain and did not improve, and went back to the doctor. Given the problem she did not order an MRI which could have a torn anterior tendon.. Several weeks later I was unable to walk and called her assistant for an appointment saying I was in extreme pain Andes an appointment and MRI.the assistant said I would have to wait a week as the doctor was not available. She offered no alternative or another doc to examine me. I immediately went to my internist that week, got an MRI and it then diagnosed as a complete tendon rupture. I was operated on the next week by s’more experienced foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon. Dr Thomas’s in experience results in my total rupture tendon could have detected had she run an MRI at the first meeting. Her assistant did not help when I was in pain and asked for Other medical help in Dr Ryu’s practic.

Dr Thomas saw me and diagnosed my injured foot as tendinitis initially after an X-ray showed no broken bones. She referred me for physical therapy to treat the problem, and also told me walking was ok. After several weeks my foot was getting worse and I got to the point where PT wasn't working and I was not even able to walk. I called her assistant to get an immediate appointment with Dr Thomas, and I requested an MRI . Her assistant told me she had no open time for me that week at all. I said i was in pain, and the assistant did not offer any alternative assistance. A week later, the assistant finally informed me that Dr Thomas had not even been in that entire week but she had scheduled me for an MRI and finally an appointment to see the doctor. However , by that time, I had contacted my primary care doctor, taken got an MRI and received the diagnosis of a ruptured anterior tendon. This week I was operated on to restore my anterior tendon in my foot. I summarize my experience with Dr Thomas and her assistant as having a poorly managed medical practice. I just pray that I will be able to fully recover from this ordeal.

Dr. Thomas is an excellent physician. I saw her for a minor foot issue and she helped set me on a quick path to recovery. She spent plenty of time with me during our visit and followed up with me afterwards. She is professional, kind, and intelligent- a truly wonderful doctor!