Michael Di Giacomo, DPM

This was the worst doctor experience I have ever had. How I wish I had not listened to the doctor who recommended him.
I took my 89 year old mother to see the doctor for her toenail fungus and to trim her nails. He looked at her swollen ankle first, hoping I guess, to get another surgery job. When my mom explained that the arthritis in her ankle wasn’t the problem, he got almost hostile. Every other podiatrist my mom has been to soaks her feet for 20 minutes before treatment. Dr. DiGiacomo just grabbed a large cutting tool and started trimming. When mom cried out in pain, he just said «It will feel better when I’m done,» and kept going while she cried.
When mom asked about medicine for the toenail fungus, his reply was, «It’s too far gone and you’re too old for the medication.» (Mom is in excellent health.)
If he had bothered to ask, my mom has a terrific supplementary health plan that covers everything Medicare doesn’t. She would have been willing to have her liver checked regularly, which her primary doctor informed her was the concern. It would have been nice to know that there was an option, or even what the reason was for his refusal to treat her. Like the experience with Elizabeth C., mom was told she would have the fungus for the rest of her life and there was no hope of a cure.
Dr. DiGiacomo made it very clear that working on my mother’s toes was beneath him. He may be a fine surgeon, though with a callous bedside manner. But don’t take patients with other foot needs if it is going to be so painful for everyone involved. Mom was devastated, embarrassed and is still in pain.

After two appointments with Dr. DiGiacomo, many years apart, I can see why the reviews are so mixed. A visit to his office is less than uplifting. On the plus side, Dr. DiGiacomo took care of my problem quickly and volunteered really helpful advice for the future. On that score, he’s tops.
On the minus side, the procedure was painful, and there was no advance warning from him about that. His response to my pain was less effective and less compassionate than I’ve received at the hands of any other doctor.
I found office staff efficient but not personable and maybe a tad disengaged. There was no feeling of rapport. Are they there to help? Yes, but you wonder whether their attention is too split between your problem and all the others they may be dealing with. The dowdy office, which others have commented on, does not add cheer.
Consider Dr. DiGiacomo if you’re seeking treatment, but I’d recommend looking elsewhere if you’re seeking care.

Dr. DiGiacomo is AMAZING !!! Best doctor EVER !!!
Please take a look at my before & after pics

Dr. Giacomo is a very nice man and a friendly doctor. But he told me I would have my toenail fungus for the rest of my life — there was no hope. He offered to cut my nails every 62 days (that’s how often Medicare will pay). I’m sure he is very good with certain foot problems, but he doesn’t know squat about toenail fungus cures.
In the meantime, I went to another podiatrist and she cured my toenail fungus in less than four months. I’ve had it for over forty years and now it is gone.
I liked Dr. Giacomo, but I’m glad I got rid of my toenail fungus.

I just took my husband to Dr. D and again got spot on diagnosis and useful treatment. I am baffled why people give him poor ratings. I wonder if people don’t like doing the physical therapy that he often prescribes. OR only do the physical therapy IN THE PHYSICAL therapy clinic.

Wow, what’s with the negative reviews? In terms of face time with a medical specialist, this is about as good as it gets. Punctual, friendly, painless, fixed the albeit relatively minor issue, in and out in 45 minutes. Minimally intrusive in terms of cutting, in my non-​expert opinion. Good firm back support on the waiting room couch that I only got to experience for a few minutes. Only reason not 5 stars is the staff was rather flat on the charisma scale, but let’s be honest who cares they aren’t doing the surgery. The specialists in my «plan» have been very hit and miss over the decades, and this was clearly a hit. Would definitely return in the future, no-​brainer.

One of my closest friends recommended Dr. Di Giacomo. He boldly stated he wouldn’t see anyone else in Oakland. That was good enough for me. Without further investigation, I made an appointment and scheduled a surgery.
Then I went on Unilocal. Surprised that I didn’t see a million 5-​star reviews, I waited. I waited and watched very carefully. I had a pre-​op appointment, then surgery, and two follow-​ups for aftercare.
Dr. Di Giacomo is in fact as fantastic as my friend said he’d be, and his staff was efficient, courteous, and responsive to the questions I had when I called in here and there.
My friend did me a favor. I live in the city now, but I’ll cross a bridge to see Dr. Di Giacomo if I need foot attention again.

Long story short, I had to have major surgery because this doctor kept ignoring my complaints and kept telling me to walk off an injury that should have been casted.
Here is the long version…
I gave Dr. Digiacomo many, many opportunities to help me. I sprained my ankle ay work, and saw him before thinking about going through workers comp. He told me to put on an ace bandage, and call in a week if it still hurt. It did, and he essentially told me to walk it off.
Fast forward to 4 months later. My ankle still hurts after going through the workers comp doctors, who acted on Dr. Digiacomo’s original assertion that I had a simple sprain. One day, Dr. Digiacomo, while cutting out my ingrown toenail, suggests I see him through workers comp — since you’re allowed to request your own doctor after a certain amount of time. When the workers comp doctors shrug and start prescribing me narcotics, I decide to take his advice.
Dr. Digiacomo barely looked at my ankle. I expected him to request an MRI at this point, but instead, he became instantly defensive, and told me that he was so sure of himself that he refused to look further into it, and I could get a second opinion if I wanted through «your workers comp people.» I’m pretty sure he was getting back at me for choosing to go through worker’s comp at all.
I did see another doctor. I also got an MRI which showed 2 Contusions and a torn ligament that was now elongated. 6 Months after an injury that Dr. Digiacomo grossly misdiagnosed, I am in a cast up to my knee after having my ligament repaired by a more competent doctor.
I am an active person who has lost 6 months+ of yoga, rock climbing, and generally being able to stand up at work due to this doctor’s gross negligence. If he had taken my reported pain level seriously and casted it within the first six weeks, I would not have needed ligament surgery.
PS — the ingrown toenail, which took MONTHS to stop weeping, has already grown back. I don’t think he cauterized it correctly.
I hope my story helps you to choose a different doctor.

Simply said — don’t bother. Wait forever. Have a continuing long line of patients so not that interested in just you.

If there was an option of zero stars, that’s what he should get.
Kept me waiting over an hour for an initial appt. Said I needed surgery. I went elsewhere for a second opinion — no surgery needed whatsoever.

I wrote a review last month of my good treatment from Dr. DiGiacomo.
After reading an article in the paper this morning about how businesses are being extorted by this site I checked to see if my review was still up. In fact it is not.
This is really really terrible policy. I am an honest reviewer and have several other postings that have never been filtered out. SO what is going on???

I’m not sure why all the bad reviews, but my visits with Dr Giacomo had good results. They weren’t permanent results, but that’s because with age, there are changes which mean new orthotics for fallen arches which can be pretty painful. Overall, the two times that i have gone, I was provided with new orthodics and it seemed to work.
The one thing that I have to say that I am a mother of 3 kids and have limited income and my insurance just plain sucks! My co-​pay is $ 50 a pop to see a specialist. I paid my initial fee to see Dr G to assess the issue and made another appointment to come back for a check and pick up new othodics which the front desk wanted to change me another co-​pay for the same visit. Well, it was Christmas time and they were willing to take installments… but when I mentioned it to Dr. G, he waived it. I was so grateful!
I didn’t think he was that bad and there seems to be a lot of other folks who put their trust in him. Just my opinion!

I am really surprised by the low score and after reading some of the reviews find only negative comments about the staff not the Dr. Dr Di has been my foot doctor for over a decade and even performed corrective surgery on my left foot. I met him after firing 5 PCP’s that stated I had not broken my foot and I knew I had. Finally I was able to get a referral and with no prompting, the first thing Dr Di said when he walked into the room was «When did you break your foot?» I wouldn’t consider going to any other poditrist.

I had ingrown toe nails bothering me for about a year, so I finally went to my internist and she referred me to see Dr. Di Giacomo to have it treated. The facility is well-​kept and the staff are friendly. He has a lot of photos, autographs and Thank You letters hanging throughout the office from celebrities and patients he treated over the course of his practice. I thought this was a good sign of his workmanship, so I scheduled an appointment to have my toe nails treated. On the day of my procedure, it was amazing to see my toe nails being clipped straight from the nail bed. He gave me a post-​treatment care and said it will grow back to a healthier state after a few weeks. I did exactly what was prescribed for a few weeks then it lingered onto MONTHS. I was getting disappointed and frustrated because the nails have not grown at all and my toes had turned purple and filled with pus. A major part of the post-​treatment care was to soak it in salt water and drain the pus by sticking a thin toothpick in the meat. I did all of that every night and didn’t see any progress. I asked numerous people who had theirs done by other podiatrists and they said they never had the same problem I had… nor did they ever had any problems. They said their nails grew back quick and nicely in place. Now, I was really upset. It has been over a year and a half since my procedure and my toe nails have NOT grown back to cover the nail bed and I constantly have to get acrylic to cover up for the missing nails in each of my treated toes. I would not recommend going to see Dr. Di Giacomo regardless of his accreditation. Now I have to live with my toes being partially naked without nails and pray that the new nails will eventually grow =(

What’s a nice doctor doing in a place like this??? He seems to be a great doctor, however, I found his staff to be a tad below professional. Although they were nice, they fell short of the enthusiasm they I find in people who like their job. These office workers seem like they were either relatives or hired because of who they know and not what they know. My heart goes out to medical professionals who must lower their standards in order to stay in business.

It’s a New Year and it’s time to re-​review after my recent appointment today.
First after my initial review from my first and second visit to Dr. DiGiacomo he responded personally to my review and made some changes in his clinic.
I was pleasantly greeted in the reception area this morning, and everyone was so nice, friendly, and professional.
Dr. DiGiacomo listen to my current issues with my feet, and made some recommendations about what we should try next, and also reviewed a product brocure I brought him that can help with tissue irritation and help reduce swelling. The product is called GameReady.
He and his office staff helped make my custom orthodics more cushioning for my heels. Heel spurs on the bottom of your feet are just soleless.
I am hopefully optomistic that my pain will be aleviated soon and I can give Dr. DiGiacomo and his staff 5 stars.
I am a little perplexed as to why all the negative reviews, and the complaints of bad care. The reviews seem to leave out what the issues were and what type of care was provided.

Very simply, he crippled me!
I went to him with minor pain and, after waiting over an hour, he gave me a cursory exam; didn’t seem to want to listen to what I had to say; and prescribed an operation for a «bone spur» that didn’t really solve the problem that was lower in the foot than where he operated.
Foolishly going on my GP’s recommendation and his reputation as «doctor to the stars,» I went back again two years later. This time he prescribed another operation; got another doc in on the procedure (perhaps to up his volume – I was the eleventh surgery he did that day); told me I should be off crutches in a week. .. and now, over a year later, I’m still on crutches.
My lifeplan – to move to hiking country in southern Utah after retirement – is now screwed. I’m not sure I’ll ever hike again.
Stay away from this guy!!!

Creep! Stole my bones and my money!!! Can’t wear high heals ever again, can’t ski and feet hurt every darned day. Wished I’d never met you!
Get an Orthopedic Surgeon. Something this guy thinks he is but will never measure up to. Please check his lousy medical records before having surgery!!!

Went for a simple procedure, after three visits the problem was not fixed.
I never liked going into the office. The place is way outdated, with super skeevy waiting room chairs, and examination rooms with equipment right out of the 50’s. I mean super industrial, green, uncomfortable, almost archaic chairs like from a mental institution infirmary or something.
And to me, seeing all the pictures autographed by old 70’s and 80’s entertainers and athletes is just strange and egotistical. Funny how nobody current and famous would ever set foot in this place. (ha ha… foot)
And I waited every time, forever. That goes for being on the phone too.
I would shop around if being in an efficient, comfortable medical office is important to you.

I must say, if you are ever referred to Dr. DiGiacomo, please do yourself a favor… and RUN… if you cant run… then hobble all the way to someone else.
I was young and didn’t understand the seriousness of the surgery that he preformed. Well, that is until it was too late. I went into the office complaining that I have way too many ankle sprains, and a flat foot problem. His solution? Surgery!!! Again, back to my young and dumb comment above — I had the surgery… what was it??? He suggested that I had a shortened Achilles tendon and that he would like to go in and slice it up to lengthen it and then he would like to put a rod in my ankle to fix my flat foot problem…
close to 4 years later… i still cant walk without a limp… while the day before, I was able to climb a mountain, play tennis, and run 5 miles.