Alex Lau, MD

Dr. Alex Lau performed an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair on my left shoulder, re-​attaching the supraspinatus tendon to the arm bone. I am now two and a half years from surgery and my shoulder is almost like new. High marks for Alex Lau and the orthopedics team at Kaiser SF. That includes PT too.

Multiple snowboarding injuries, and finally a new, horribly painful shoulder injury when i moved my residence on short notice, had me at Kaiser’s door seeking relief. A cortisone shot helped but a month later i was back where i started from and worse. An MRI revealed a series of problems, including a bone fracture, bone spurs, rotator cuff tears, and other issue, and a referral to Dr. Alex Lau was made. During my first meeting with him, he was very cautious in discussing what would happen if i went under the knife. He said that surgery would be painful, recuperation would take a long time, but in the end he was pretty sure he could reduce my pain, and increase my range. If everything went well, i could regain much of the use I had before the multiple injuries, but shoulders are incredibly complex and there were no guarantees.
Pain is a powerful motivator. and Dr. Lau had stellar credentials. Also, a week before my surgery, a ran into a client wearing a sling, and as we chatted i found out Dr. Lau had done his surgery four weeks before. He was thrilled to be nearing the end of his time in a sling and spoke highly about his surgical experience. I felt MUCH better about what i was facing after that.
The day of the surgery was ok. (Kaisers SF facility could use a cosmetic update) Dr. Lau met me pre-​surgery and asked questions and listened to my answers intently. I knew i was in good hands. Post surgery i was sent home, and as he warned me, there was substantial pain, mitigated by the ice-​sleeve/​cooler/​pump they recommended. I took Friday off from work. On Saturday I went for a walk. On Sunday more venturing out. On Monday, i went back to work full time. (not recommended if you can take a week off, but i didn’t have that choice).
I slept in a recliner for several weeks to mitigate the pain, as they had recommended. I started Physical therapy with Frank Vernusky, and his credentials were also amazing, with advanced certificates in multiple areas of the field. Frank has excellent communication skills, and was wonderfully upbeat and encouraging.
I had a post surgery follow up with a Physicians Assistant at the French Campus, and while i was in the waiting room, Dr. Lau saw me sitting there, said hello to me by name, and asked the PA if they would mind if he took the consult. I was totally impressed by this action. Again, he was cautious and advised me that this would take time and to refrain from overusing the shoulder and risking re-​injury before it could heal. I listened. And I healed.
While i was running around in a sling (for 6 weeks, since i had multiple issues that were corrected in the surgery) i ran into two other people wearing the same brand of sling i was using. it turns out that both of them had Dr. Lau, and both of them had a favorable experience in the surgery.
Its’ now 5 months since my surgery. I am almost pain free, something others have told me would take a year. I am cleared to begin light workouts to regain the upper body strength i lost. And I am very, very excited to have 98% of my shoulder range back already. I’ll stay off the snowboard for the balance of this season and let my shoulder heal fully before i jump on it again, but it looks like i’m going to have almost 100% of my shoulder to use again, and its the team of Alex Lau, Frank Vernusky, and all of their support staff I have to thank for that.
If you’re contemplating this surgery, you couldn’t ask for a more accomplished and respected team of professionals. Thanks Alex and Frank! Nice to have my life back!

Dr. Lau did 3 of my soccer-​related knee surgeries so I definitely have experience with his work.
I had two ACL reconstructions + meniscus repair.
Dr. Lau was very friendly with me and did a great job of talking to my mother while I was in recovery.
Alex was always patient with me and explained all the risks and put up with my questions after my extensive research via google.
I think his credentials speak for themselves:
Medical school
George Washington University
Washington, DC
Medical training
Fellowship
Stanford University Hospital
Stanford, CA
Internship
University of Miami Jackson Memorial Medical Center
Miami, FL
Residency
University of Miami Jackson Memorial Medical Center
Miami, FL
Board certification
Orthopedic Surgery
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

The 2 stars are because Dr. Lau did do a nice job on my surgery in the end.
The low score is because Dr. Lau does NOT listen to his patients.
This says it all, but if you want my boring story, here goes…
After having surgery for a tib/​fib fracture at Kaiser South Sacramento, I was referred to orthopedist, Dr. Lau for follow up. I complained for several months of severe pain in the back of my knee, but was just told that broken legs are very painful and that Dr. Lau is very «conservative» when it comes to running tests (i.e. cheap bastard). After months of excruciating pain, I finally (embarrassingly), broke down crying in his office. At this point he ordered a CT and voilà, the scan revealed that my South Sac. surgeon put the screws in the wrong place in my knee and they were poking into my joint each time I stepped down!
Had Dr. Lau agreed to run this test three months earlier, when I initially complained of the pain, I would have been saved a lot of anguish, not to mention, three months of physical therapy appointments where the PA worked diligently to identify a problem that could never have been solved by her.
Dr. Lau did order immediate surgery and I have been virtually pain-​free since, but bottom line… Kaiser sucks. Dr.‘s should listen to patients (believe it or not, we know own bodies).