Joseph X Kou, MD

I had not one but two surgeries on the same foot and he still couldn't get it right. I followed up with another doctor that indicated that what was done to my foot was incorrect.
Extremely disappointing part of the John Muir group.

He has the best technique for delivering cortisone injections. You can barely tell there is virtually no pain involved and the results are great as well.

Dr. Kou may be known as a good surgeon, however, when I was scheduled to see him for an initial evaluation, it was proficient, yet cursory. At maximum, the duration of the appointment lasted 10 minutes.

In addition, during my treatment, I began experiencing symptoms that I was told would resolve by both Dr. Kou and his PA, Megan Smith.

These symptoms were later diagnosed by a second MD as an additional condition with which she was familiar, but that Dr. Kou or Megan may not have been.

Unfortunately, there appears to be a great deal of miscommunication between staff and patients, in addition to the minimizing of patient symptoms, and curt treatment by support staff.

Calls of consults to Dr. Kou's MA, Isabelle, were not recorded in my record nor did my record appear to be reviewed prior to my visits. Neither was it clear when follow up visits were to be scheduled nor did staff express concern or give explanations of wait times.

After my final appointment with Megan, when it was suggested that I needed an MRI and possible surgery, I decided to suspend my treatment at MOS and seek a second opinion.

It took three days after my appointment with Megan for an MRI request to be submitted -- two days after I had already had an appointment with a new MD for a second opinion -- and who had approved me for an MRI within one hour of my visit.

No surgery was needed.

Perhaps the systems at MOS need to be re-visited, which might improve both the staff and the patient experience.

I've had bunion pain for over two years after a basketball accident and I was convinced by three other doctors I need to have surgery. I saw Dr. Koo today and all the pain is gone. It also turns out I may not need surgery after all. Thank you for the attention to detail and giving me instance relief. Words can't express how thankful I am for not having this pain anymore but also the cost of surgery and more importantly, being able to walk and run without any pain. There's a few distinguished doctors out there that are not after money and I'm lucky to have come in contact Dr. Kou. Thanks again.

I saw Dr. Kou recently for an ankle issue. I found him to be very knowledgeable, approachable and patient. I highly recommend him.

I had an Achilles repair surgery with Dr. Kou and his PA Megan Smith. Though it was an unfortunate situation I had a wonderful experience. My appointments were always on time and I never felt rushed. Dr. Kou and Megan were both kind, thoughtful, knowledgeable, thorough, and happy to answer my many questions. They made me feel cared for during a very stressful time. Not only that, my surgery went well, I did not have any complications and I felt like I was in good hands.

I had foot surgery recently. I was impressed by the staffs response to all my needs .
PA Megan Smith made my recovery easy .
She promptly called me back when I was in pain .She is very empathic, knowledgeable and pleasant. She listened to my questions and answered without rushing me . She was very sincere and respectful in all interactions .
Isabel is Dr Kou ' s nurse and was also very kind ,helpful and knowledgeable.
Thank you so much.
Aneela

I like Dr. Kou, I'll start there. I do get the feeling that the folder with my information in it is looked at minutes before entering my room and no additional research is done. I've had a surgery in which my insurance company has paid most of the bill and I'm refusing to pay my portion as I still am unable to walk and now my "good" foot is just as bad. The office will not allow me to schedule a appointment anymore because I am unwilling to pay my $700 because I can barely walk. I'm not sure if this is normal but it certainly sucks.

Dr Kou recently did my foot surgery after I broke it badly in a recent car accident. I was quite nervous since I had never been through surgery before but he even came in over the weekend in his personal time to consult with me about the options and put me at ease about the whole procedure. Not too many doctors would do that! He was very personable and knowledgeable and I liked the fact that he was confident in his recommendations. Thankfully the surgery went smooth and I'm still going through the rehab process. Hopefully the healing will continue per plan and I will be able to walk again normally soon! Thank you again doc!

Just a reminder that not all surgeries work. I Approached my survey optimistically and was told by both Dr. Kou and M. Smith , his PA, that the surgery would provide pain relief and stabilize my foot. They didn't see any issues with the surgery. However, that was not the case. During recovery I mostly saw the PA. She would tell me
something and then when I saw Dr. Kou he would correct her This was very
misleading and confusing to me. After 9 months and still in pain, I went to see Dr Kou. He acknowledged that the surgery left my toe joint bone on bone. he tried a cortisone shot but it provided no relief. The mobility in the joint has continued to decrease. I am in daily pain and joint is essentially fused. I went back twice to inquire what can be done and was told 'nothing'. The only thing was to permanently fuse the joint together. The PA shrugged and told me, "I guess you aren't in the percent of people where the surgery didn't work."
My pain and discomfort is 100x worse than before the surgery. so sad and extremely depressing.
Went to another doctor recently and xrays confirmed the joint condition and also that 2. screws used in mid foot stick out past the bone, another point of pain for me. I am planning another surgery to try to alleviate the pain. Like I stated, please be aware that not all surgeries work and there is always a risk involved.