Sharon Dreeben, MD

I want to update this review post surgery with Dr. Dreeban. Getting a second opinion from Dr. Dreeban and then having her do the second surgery on my foot was the best decision I’ve made in a long time.
2 months post surgery and my foot has already healed MORE than 10 months after my last surgery in January 2015. I finally see light at the end of the tunnel and I’m on my way to getting my life back.
Everyone at this practice is so pleasant and easy going.
I highly recommend Dr. Dreeban and her medical practice for your orthopedic needs.

I had the dreaded bunion-​hammer toe surgery that involved 4 toes — pretty extensive. I had been told by everyone who had had the surgery or knew someone who had had it that it was unbelievably painful. I was really worried because I live alone, in a two-​story home, with a dog, and I was worried about being able to handle the pain. I arranged to stay with a friend the first few days and am delighted to report I did not have significant pain. In fact, by mistake, my friend gave me only half the recommended dosage of the pain medication and it was still not bad. Maybe it was me, but it was more likely the work of a good surgeon that I didn’t have a lot of pain.

Intelligent and humble. She made a mistake documenting my record and I happened to catch it. I mentioned it and she genuinely appreciated it. I appreciated that a doctor is not pompous and all ego! It was a small mistake so don’t worry that you need to be watching over her shoulder for every typo! LOL!
I liked that she approached my foot issue with options. I have had 4 doctors regarding this tendon issue and she is the only one who gave me options. She is a foot specialist and the other doctors blatantly said they didn’t know what it is (even after MRI’s!) and to go to another doc then another doc and then finally I found Dr. Dreeben. Ahhhh… we learn a lot though experience… from here on out — primary care then directly to specialist for the specific parts!
The office is super high tech! I had to fill out my new patient paperwork on a tablet.
They are located in a very confusing building complex by UCSD La Jolla… give yourself time to find it!
The front door of the office is accessible from the upper lever parking lot side of the two buildings. Don’t go down the stairs.

I went to a Podiatrist who recommended I go to an Orthopedic surgeon. I went to the Orthopedic Surgeon who recommended I go to a Foot and Ankle Specialist. I ended up with Dr. Dreeben and I am glad. Finally someone that know’s what she is talking about. Her PA was great too. She needs to get a new receptionist though. You know that saying about first impressions. The receptionist is your first impression and she does not give a good one. Also parking is very pricey and they definitely do not validate.

As an RN, i will tell you Dr. Dreeben is excellent. i broke three bones in my foot. She has worked with me to keep me out of surgery. She squeezed me into a very busy schedule at the last minute, even though i was not a previous patient. Sorry if i made someone else wait due to that. But know if you are the one who needs her, she is there for you too! She is a very busy doctor, so having time to visit for a long time — forget it. Not to mention now Ovomitcare wants doctors not to spend any time with the patients as then the government has to pay for extended visits. I haven’t waited longer than 15 minutes in follow up visits. But i would wait an hour for her. I was recommended to Dr. Dreeben by a doctor who is top in his field and would not recommend me to a bad doctor.

Had a fracture dislocation of my foot that was missed by two other orthopedic surgeons and a radiologist at a major hospital here. Went to Dr Dreeben on the recommendation of some other doctors. She quickly diagnosed the fracture and showed me why it is often missed Had surgery to repair it and am very happy with the result. Thank you and definitely recommend

I forgot to update this review. I did write to the office manager in detail (not an overview as was here in Unilocal).
There was no response.
I am prompted to add to the review as a colleague just told me about a bad experience with this doctor.
I work on my feet– many coworkers have visited her. I do not recommend her. There are more bad stories than good.
I’m sure she doesn’t care about bad reviews as she is probably taking in $$$ hand over fist– and she doesn’t seem like the type to care.

Dr Dreeben is excellent and was referred to me by a Scripps Clinic Private Internal Medicine Clinic physician, a sure sign she is extraordinary. She was conservative and did not recommend surgery, showing me how to stretch the ligaments of my foot to help slow the development of a bunion. She is a bit shy but very kind, skilled, (she did surgery on my husband’s foot,) and considerate of each patient’s individual situation.

I had an ankle fusion in 2012 This doctor knows her stuff and is so smart. Unlike the negative reviews that are written on Unilocal I say GO to Dr Dreeben. She’s brilliant

PLEASE STAY AWAY!
I hate to write negative reviews, but this woman ruined my life. I had bi-​lateral calcaneal fractures-​all she wanted to do was fuse them and operate way too soon… It was a terrible experience. I kept telling her they were not healed, but yet I was told I could walk on them. I finally ordered my own xrays and MRIs because she wouldn’t order them, and they proved that the bones had not fused. I spent years in a wheel chair and on crutches until I found a doctor that actually knew what they were doing.
Not only that, she was terrible to her staff. Ice queen– just awful.
She’ll probably just tell you to change the shoes you are wearing.
PLEASE DON’T GO DOWN THIS ROAD IF YOU HAVE A SERIOUS CONDITION.
Go to Seattle at Harborview Medical and see the best there is, you won’t regret it.
I can actually walk now because of the Harborview doctor (s)
Best wishes everyone.

I have had an excellent experience with Dr. Dreeben and her staff. I had my right ankle replaced by her. All my dealings with her staff have been positive and solicitous. Dr. Dreeben gave me excellent advice and offered alternatives for fixing my arthritic ankle, but I chose to have it replaced. The procedure and post-​op treatment went smoothly. I recommend Dr. Dreeben to anyone who wants excellent treatment and care.

Simply put, do not go. She did surgery without ever taking an exray. Only after, in a follow up appointment when I told her the surgery didn’t seem to have made a difference as I was still in pain and asked if my problem (diagnosed as a neuroma) could be something else did she say «wait a minute while I check the Xray». I sat there stunned, knowing that she never took an X-​ray and why, if there was a possibility of it being something else that could have been detected by an X-​ray, why didn’t she rule that out before recommending surgery??? After a minute she came back, stuck her head in the room and asked me…“Did I take an Xray”? Then she tried to blame me for the pain saying that I was wearing the wrong shoes. I couldn’t believe my ears because the shoes I was wearing were brand-​new expensive lace-​up shoes that she herself recommended.
This was many years ago. To this day I still cannot put any pressure on the ball of my left foot. The surgery was a total waste of time and money.

Not recommended. This doctor never provided all of the intermediate-​level treatment options (which I have now discovered that there are multiple) before opting for surgery.

Dr. Dreeban is a great doctor. Her staff were also all nice and friendly people to me both over the phone and in person. I don’t know where the bad reviews come from as nothing about my experience had those bad traits. Cost was competitive for the area.
I have two broken metatarsals (2^nd and 3^rd, one was an ugly break) and was told I would need immediate surgery from ER/​Urgent Care doctors and a family doctor. They’re not specialists and were vague on why I needed surgery and didn’t really know specifically what that surgery I would need.
Dr. Dreeban looked at my x-​rays and put it in easy terms, «If this was my foot I would wait for surgery. If you wait it will most likely heal fine by itself and if it does not you’ll still need [the same surgery] anyway. Odds are it will heal fine in 6 weeks and you do not need surgery.» That right there is why you pay for Dr. Dreeban even if you pay extra. +1 for being a professional and telling me what I actually needed to know.
My neighbor is also a doctor, specifically a radiologist, and after looking at my x-​rays he recommended Dr. Dreeban to get that final opinion. She isn’t his friend, my neighbor has had 4 foot surgeries and he said she did the best job and is now his go-​to. +1 for getting a doctor-​to-​doctor recommendation based on your work.
Staff called me back promptly, were informative over the phone, and were polite in person. They were nice to me even though I forgot my forms like an idiot. I waited less than 10 minutes. PA got me to my room, asked me questions about my injury, and helped me understand my incredibly complicated insurance situation before the doctor got there. +1 for the staff and low wait times. +1 for the extra mile of help to figure out my insurance.
I’m disappointed by the low reviews on here as they are split between the staff and the doctor’s bedside manner. The staff was nice to me. That was a great perk but I’m there for the doctor and Dr. Dreeban was an awesome doctor for me. I wanted specifics, options, and a clear opinion. I got everything I wanted. She also had a better boot at a lower price than other places tried to charge me .
If you want the right call about surgery for your foot then call Dr. Dreeban, in my case she was definitely worth paying for. I wil update my review later if anything changes!

Avoid. I have severe heel pain. I got an X-​ray, all looks good. Then she «gave» me a shoe insert to try, and handed me a stack of papers listing all of the things that could be causing the pain. The heel insert did nothing, but I did receive a bill for $ 40 for this EVEN THOUGH SHE DID NOT BOTHER TO TELL ME SHE WAS CHARGING ME FOR IT. I do not appreciate that in the least since she didn’t know what was wrong and just handed me something to «try». I called her office, but they wouldn’t budge even when I said I would return the item since it did nothing for me. They said they couldn’t accept a return. I don’t know what gives them the right to «GIVE» a patient something without telling them they are going to bill them and that their insurance might not cover it. So, for a specialist, I received ZERO help. She did nothing for me even though this is her specialty…

I Have seen Dr. Sharon M Dreeben on June 7 2011, Had to Waite 1 hr pass appt. time without any apology, Office staff very rude and DISRESPECTFUL. I was in LOTS OF PAIN and was told one week or two I would get A nerve test and A MRI. I called, 6 times, I AM IN PAIN WHEN are you guys going help me. I called again on July 29 th 11:30 AM and was TOLD THEY FORGOT ABOUT ME. IF You Care About Your Health DO NOT SEE THIS DOCTOR OR OFFICE STAFF

I had hallux rigidus in both feet — a very severe, painful condition in which the big toe joints are arthritic and essentially locked into a flat position. While I understand the perception of her as rather cold, uninvolved, and rushed, I saw a different side of her. At first, upon looking at X-​rays of my right foot, she suggested that one of the only options was permanent bone fusion — a horrible operation that no one should have unless it is the absolute last resort. I was visibly upset to hear this (you would be too), and she completely changed her attitude and suggested that I get an MRI of the joint before we decide what type of surgery to have. For those of you who aren’t medically inclined, MRI’s give a 3-​dimensional map of the complete topography of whatever is being imaged. The X-​ray just made the joint look like a lump of cauliflower.
The MRI revealed that I had enough cartilage left in the joint to try the less severe operation (bone removal) before bone fusion. I saw 3 more doctors, and she was the ONLY one who suggested looking a little deeper by having the MRI. All other doctors said there was no hope and that I should just have bone fusion. She also saved me from the podiatrists who wanted to put in an artificial joint, which likely would failed within 7 years, after which the joint and surrounding bone would be irreparable.
Also, I disagree with the assessment of the staff in these reviews. I never waited more than 15 minutes for an appointment, and the staff was very accommodating before, during, and after the surgery. Also, immediately after the surgery, Dr. Dreeben approached my wife who was in the waiting room at the Surgery Center, sat down right next to her, and talked to her for about 10 minutes. My wife said she was very friendly, positive, and warm, while other doctors just walked in, didn’t sit down, and said about 3 sentences to patients’ relatives.
As with any surgery, I recommend getting as many opinions as you have the time and money for, but out of 4 different doctors, I chose Dr. Dreeben, and that says something. While she may seem somewhat aloof and uninvolved, I don’t really care so much about that as I do her competency and experience with the type of surgery I was to have, and she has several publications on my particular condition. I think she just thrives in the operating room — not so much in the office. Give her a chance, and do your research before jumping into any surgical procedure.

I concur completely with Kelly L. This is one of the worst doctors i have ever been to. The beside manner of a robot programmed to be rude, cold, and obtuse. Been three times (out of neccessity) and made to wait 45, 50, and 44 minutes, with no apology. Dr. does not listen, does not make eye contact, is in a big hurry, and charges significantly more than the other similar doc i went to for similar office visits, but hers are shorter and basically a waste of time.
Worse, is that it turns out a gf of mine, who is a ballet dancer, had her career ended after surgery with this woman.
Pleaaaase, if you need foot or ankle surgery, do not trust this woman.

The staff is rude and disrespectful. Wait time including time in the patient room, easily over 45 minutes. If you want to be treated like a human, go else where.
This review is in regards to Foot MD:
4130 La Jolla Village Dr. Ste 300