Ryu K Richard, MD

Dr. Ryu is the reason I am able to lead an active lifestyle. Last year I tore my rotator cuff and needed his expertise. The recommended MRI showed that the tear was over sixty per cent and needed to be repaired, if I wanted to remain active. My decision was to choose the surgery. Dr. was patient with my questions and always cordial. During the recuperative phase, I also fractured the same shoulder. He once again ordered an MRI and x-​ray. Miraculously, his surgery remained intact while my shoulder was clearly fractured. This was five months after his surgery on my rotator cuff! Clearly, Dr. Ryu is a gifted surgeon and I recommend him without any reservations.

Dr. Ryu is a narcissistic a-​hole. If you have major trauma or something that needs obvious surgery he is probably great, but if you have anything more complicated, he is not friendly at all. He basically operates like a surgical factory — get em in — churn em out. He won’t spend hardly any time with you explaining things, and he treats you like an idiot. I was out of work for 3 months due to knee troubles, (had a mri that showed a cyst in my knee and oped to not remove it) went back to work for over a year, and was continuing to have trouble so I scheduled an appointment with him just to talk about things. He basically accused me of attempting to scam disability and that «he pays in to the system also» when I wasn’t even asking for time off work. He then told me he never wanted to see me in his office again for any reason. I was completely caught off guard by his behavior when all I wanted was an honest consultation. Steer clear of this narcissistic, empty, unempathetic, amoral slime bag. He should have gone into auto repair if he doesn’t want to deal in human compassion.
Do you think he ever treated one of the nba or nfl stars he has pictures with all over his walls like this? Doubtful. Says a lot about his character.

Ah, Dr Ryu,
Well this is a tough review to write because I am grading him on performance and not bed side manner. There is an old joke… What is the difference between an Orthopedic Surgeon and God… God doesn’t think he’s a surgeon. It often comes with the territory that surgeons can be brusk, impatient and rude. Think Dr. House from the TV show. Dr. Ryu can make House look like a pretty little white kitten with big moist blue eyes and pink bow. He can be as prickly as rabid porcupine on methamphetamine. But you don’t go to a brilliant surgeon to make a friend. If that is what you are looking for go down to the shelter and get a dog. If you are looking for someone whose performance is world class and can take broken, torn, trashed joints and make them like new again the Dr. Ryu is your guy. I went in with a torn rotator cuff from an old parachuting injury where I couldn’t lift my arm over my head 6 full months after the injury. It took him all of 3 minutes to examine, diagnose and prognose my condition. He sent me for MRIs to confirm and then showed me the film and sent me copies online. BTW finally a doctor that uses technology appropriately. Every time you go in for a visit you get a email with a link to the secure medical record at his practice so you can review films, test results and whatever you discussed with him, but I digress. Dr. Ryu was no Marcus Welby (for you old timers) by any means, I felt like I had walked into a buzz saw after my first few visits. But there is a reason there are pictures of him with Olympians, half the Lakers and every sort of sports celebrity you can imagine on every wall. Its because the man does not accept excuses, BS or shenanigans from anyone, himself, his staff or his patients.
He has some simple rules.
1. DON“T SHOW UP LATE. Get to your appointment early and be ready. EVERY TIME. No excuses.
2. Don’t ask stupid questions. Frankly you are probably better off not asking any questions but if you have to, think of them before hand, write them down and do as much own research as you can so you will understand the answers.
3. He doesn’t need you. You need Him! Can he come off as arrogant? Of course he can but so can any virtuoso or great performer.
You need to understand this is not a customer service transaction. He is not your barista. This is your best chance to get your joint back the way it was 100%. If you can’t handle that and you are happy with 70% then by all means don’t come to him. Go to someone who got a C in med school but is social and well adjusted. Go find a new buddy to go golf with with your average shoulder or knee repair. You will hardly notice the limp or that new slice you seemed to have picked up. There is nothing wrong with finding a doc that suits you.
I am a big guy who takes no crap from anyone and there were times I wanted to clock him and adjust his attitude. Then I realized I had to adjust my attitude. I had gone in there with a preconceived notions of customer service and the customer is always right, etc. etc. But then I realized that this was not the situation I was in. The position I was in was wanting desperately to be healed and able to live my life like I used to again. After I reset my attitude and lowered my own sense of self entitlement and self importance suddenly all my appointments went swimmingly after that.
If you have seen Star Wars think back… Yoda was total asshat when Luke first met him. In fact almost all movies that require someone to overcome a great deficit and go to master have the same plot. Mr Miagi, Major Payne, everyone who plays a Drill Sergeant etc etc. They are not touchy feely and don’t suffer fools but when the subject adjusts their attitude all manner of miraculous things ensue.
Know what to expect when you walk in the door for your first appointment and you will find Dr. Ryu to be a pretty nice and easy to work with guy. I recently had my left shoulder go out and I wouldn’t ever let anyone but him touch it. Through my new eyes I have met a man who is warm, welcoming and friendly. It took me a while to recognize I was the one who had changed my attitude and the the whole paradigm has shifted. Its night and day different.
I am scheduling my surgery soon and look forward to getting back to my Crossfit box and getting my health and fitness back on track. My right shoulder feels so good and strong its like it was never injured. It took a year and lots of PT but I know without the amazing talents and expert surgery that Dr. Ryu performed I would have never gotten to where I am now.
If perfection is what you seek then seek out a perfectionist. Dr Ryu is a perfectionist and a healer. If you want your hand held get a Therapist not a surgeon.
P. S. I did a little research and found out he literally wrote the med school textbook on my surgery. So you can go to the student or go to the master its your choice.
Thanks Dr Ryu for giving me my right arm back… literally.

Is there a NO star rating? Dr. Ryu is the rudest professional I’ve ever met, and I’m up there in age. He seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder, very abrasive attitude. I filled out the forms, but he didn’t bother to read them. He told me the reason I had pain when sleeping… I answered the question: My problem does NOT cause sleeping trouble. You cannot ask questions or talk, you’ll be scolded, you are there to be lectured on why you need his surgery. No thanks. He should have paid me to have to sit through his performance.