Patient Reviews: Dr. Christopher Johnson

“I first saw Dr. Johnson back in my freshman year of high school (2004), after having knee pain during field hockey. Dr. Johnson attempted conservative treatment through rehab to get me through the season. At the end of the season, I went for my first arthroscopic knee surgery for a torn meniscus at the surgery center in Tinton Falls. My recovery with physical therapy was very quick and I was able to play basketball half way through the season. I finished high school and went on to play basketball at Brookdale Community College.Although, my visits with Professional Orthopaedic Associates did not end in high school. Dr. Johnson treated several more visits throughout college for various injuries. One injury included a tear to my meniscus of my other knee. So, the process repeated it self to get me through the season with rehab, then correct the tear with surgery after the season. My second arthroscopic knee surgery with Dr. Johnson was in the Toms River Surgery Center. Recovery again was very smooth, and I am happy to say I do not currently have any more knee troubles. Dr. Johnson, the staff at Professional Orthopaedic Associates, and the surgery centers are very professional, and have their patient’s care and safety first in mind. I would definitely recommend Dr. Johnson and Professional Orthopaedic Associates.”

“I had a synvisc shot in both my knees, followed by aquatic therapy, and then regular gym therapy. That was several years ago, and I am doing fine. A single shot with all doses at once did help me along with the therapy. So far, so good. I am glad that my son, Patrick, had me see Dr. Johnson. I would recommend this orthopaedic group to anyone in need of orthopaedic care.”

“My mom had hip surgery in 1995 with Dr. Torpey. He was wonderful and she loved him. I had elbow and shoulder surgery in 1998 and 1999. Between the extensive rehabilitation and challenges of getting back to work, Dr. Torpey was a constellation of excellence and compassion. He always took the time to listen with empathy, be supportive, and provide the best care. He is a rare find. I have referred several friends to him, and he has made them better. He is my all time favorite orthopaedic surgeon!”

“Dr. Torpey spent at least 45 minutes with me, explaining, in most explicit detail, the tear in the supraspinatus, the rotator cuff muscle that is torn. He clearly, with a most intricate drawing, explained the problem and the procedure to repair the tear. Besides his expert knowledge, he most professionally dealt with many of my questions, particularly those that referred to holistic professionals, who had also read my MRI and prescribed a program of action. I felt overwhelmed with the need for surgery, but Dr. Torpey eased any of my concerns. I experienced no pressure to have surgery. Although, Dr. Torpey explained clearly why he believes it is necessary. I was most impressed with the entire experience.”

“Wonderful , never waited more then 10 minutes in lobby. Dr. Foos knew within 2 minutes what the problem was and booked a MRI that day. I had a MRI 3 days later, and a confirmed meniscus tear. We set up surgery, which he did on a day he doesn't do surgery to accommodative me. Would and have recommended Professional Orthopaedic Associates to others.”

“Great bunch of guys. Motorcycle accident injury. They treated me and found no operation needed, just physical therapy. What a relief not to go under the knife. Thanks, guys!”

“I somehow damaged my back many years ago and since, have had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Cohen. Dr. Cohen has detected several areas of damage to my spinal cord, and performed 2 surgeries already with at least another pending. Both of those surgeries with Dr. Cohen have relieved significant pain, against all the fears of "much dreaded back surgery.”  My family and I completely trust and have every bit of confidence in his diagnoses. In addition, I am secure in the decision for future major surgery when the time comes as long as I know he is performing my surgery!  With each visit and surgery, it is comforting and peace of mind dealing with the entire staff at your office! Thank you so much for all that you do!”

“I was experiencing considerable pain and discomfort between the 3rd and 4th toe on my left foot. I thought that I might have suffered a fracture in one of the bones in the toe or possibly the metatarsals. Upon examination, my concerns relating to a fracture were relieved, and I was made aware that I had Morton's neuroma. Dr. Gabisan explained the condition and treatment procedures. The condition took about a month to subside and I'm back to running and power walking again.”

“From the first visit to the last, Dr. Foos and his staff was first class all the way. A month after my knee surgery, I was able to ski like I was 17 again. I had my other knee worked on by another practice, and the experience was far superior with Dr. Foos. Thanks doc!”

“Had debilitating leg pain due to a ruptured disk in L4/L5 region. As a tennis professional and recreational runner, my life as I knew it was over. Dr. Cohen performed surgery to relieve the pressure on the nerve causing the leg and foot pain. I was able to resume running within a few weeks and actually ran a 2:58 at the Chicago Marathon later that year, along with a personal best of 2:55 at Boston a few months after. Thank you Dr. Cohen. Without you, my running days would have been over!”

“I have been coming to Professional Orthopaedic Associates for several years and have had a great experience with every doctor I have worked with, especially Dr. Torpey. They are very professional, cordial, and make every experience a great one. They always explain what procedure will be done, and how everything will play out to follow, making me very comfortable with the environment and situations.”

“As an avid outdoor sportsman and active volunteer in two organizations that promotes Conservation of our NJ Natural Resources through the use of proper forestry stewardship, hunting, fishing and trapping, it was too painful to maintain my sports and volunteerism with the constant pain in my knee, hip, and lower back. Knowing that I had bone on bone in my knee, I opted to visit Dr. Gesell after attending one of his seminars on Robotic Surgery. He recommended that I get an epidural spinal injection. I had the injection preformed this morning by a doctor at the Premier Pain Center, also a recommendation by Dr. Gesell, and now after 5 hours, I am 95% pain free. Thank you, Dr. Gesell.”

“Quick appointment time and pleasant experience with office personnel. Dr. Bade puts you at ease quickly, explains what is injured, and what he plans to do to repair and return me to normal life. I’m already in physical therapy and feel that my recovery will go well. I would send friends and family to see Dr. Bade or the rest of the group and would go back if I needed great care again.”

“I was in pain, had difficulty walking, and the problem was getting worse. Upon consulting with Dr. Gesell, it was found that I had severe arthritis in both hips. I had both hips replaced, the right on March 12, 2013 and the left on April 30. Both surgeries went smoothly, and I remain pain-free.”

“I had my right knee replaced by Dr. Mark Gesell two years ago this February. I was in complete agony prior to seeing Dr. Gesell. I had two prior meniscus surgeries in both the left and right knee. It really did very little to improve my ability to walk, stand, and deal with the constant pain. I was unable to work, and help out my family financially. I was grocery shopping in the riding cart that stores had available, being pushed in a wheel chair at the mall by my kids, and shopping for everything online. To make matters worse, my best friend was referring to me as "Grandma." Vanity can be a wonderful catalyst. My husband’s health insurance changed, so the orthopedic doctor I was seeing was no longer in my network. I needed to start looking for a new doctor. I had called Dr. Foo’s office, and only one doctor in the practice that took my insurance was Dr. Mark Gesell.Thank goodness for Dr. Gesell! He did a brilliant job replacing my knee! I have never been so happy that I trusted him to do this surgery. I loved that he had a medical military background, repairing lots of soldier’s knees. I recovered very quickly and have a scare that is so perfect; you really have to look for it when I'm in shorts. Dr. Gesell literally gave me my life back. I work full time now in customer service. I 'm on my feet all the time. I'm back to biking, and pursuing all the things that make me happy.I can recognize when I see someone walking like I used to walk. I will ask them "Knee?" Nine times out of ten I'm correct and I tell them about a great doctor who really doesn't know the impact he had on my life. Thank you, Dr. Gesell. You healed me. You also bought me 2 years and counting on my left knee. No other doctor will be doing the left knee replacement but you. God, I hope you will accept my insurance!  P.S., Monmouth Medical was amazing!”

“I had lower-back surgery due to a herniated disc in August of 1999, followed by a breast cancer diagnosis at age 30 that very same year. Although I came through with flying colors, I was discouraged to find out that I had yet another herniated disc in 2011. The thought of more surgery was upsetting so I devoted many hours a week to physical therapy. Unfortunately, the therapies did not alleviate my symptoms. A very dear friend recommended Dr. Cohen to me. I was extremely impressed with him after my first appointment. He reviewed my MRI films with me and explained all of my options. He was extremely patient, professional, and I appreciated his conservative approach. Although surgery was my only real option, I was totally confident with Dr. Cohen performing my surgery. I am happy to say that the end result was fantastic! I am running and exercising again, and I have never been happier! I am in better shape at 45 than I was in my 20’s! A special thanks is extended to Dr. Cohen. I would not ever hesitate recommending him to a friend.”

“Dr. Gesell is one of the most caring doctors I have ever seen. He did my knee replacement a year ago from a car accident and I would do it all over again with him. My knee is perfect with no pain and I can extend and flex with no problems. I can stand for a long time, when before, I could only stand for approximately an hour. He was very caring and he looked in on me in the hospital to make sure I was doing okay and making sure I was doing my exercises! If it wasn't for Dr. Gesell, I would still be in pain, still be frustrated, and I would still be limping or on crutches! Thanks to Dr. Gesell, I can walk now, even though I need a hip replacement.This is how caring he is, my hip is so bad, he referred me to Hospital for Special Surgery, which is where he did his fellowship, to a great doctor. Thanks to Dr. Gesell, I will be walking without any aids, like a cane or a walker. Thanks to Dr. Gesell and the very caring staff at Professional Orthopaedic Associates, I can get straightened out! Thank you!”

“I started going to Dr. Gesell last fall for a rotator cuff injury. He recommended physical therapy and that did the trick. I was told 3 years ago that I had to have total knee surgery for my right knee. So when I knew that the time had come, I returned to Dr. Gesell. I had researched his credentials and saw that he did his residency at the Center for Special Surgery in NYC, where they specialize in knee replacements.  I knew that he was the surgeon for me. I had the surgery on January 10, 2014 and it went great! I was home on that Monday and had 2 weeks of in-home therapy before starting outpatient physical therapy. I am now going on 10 weeks post surgery and I'm almost 100%. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Gesell. He was always very attentive to my questions and concerns before and after surgery, easy to talk to, and very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend him to anyone that is considering knee replacement surgery. He's the best!”

“I was at my most frustrated point, no one was able to come to a conclusion as to what was "wrong with me," I’ve had over 22 vascular operations, my joints were killing me, and had small tumors in my nerves, along with many other symptoms. Finally my knees were so bad, I could barely make it through a grocery trip, without them buckling and landing on the floor. I was barely in my 30’s. I had 33 mall children, had been searching for answers for over 10 years, most doctors thought I had Lupus, but all tests were always negative. I use to dance, do jazz and ballet, loved the beach, and bike riding all were things of my past. If I dared to take three steps in sand, my knees would literally fold underneath me. I was scared; I had hemorrhaged, come close to dying and had no hope. So yes, this office is an orthopaedic office, but they do more than that, they "listen" and truly care. Dr. Foos came recommended by 3 different doctors. He tried conservative measures first to strengthen my knees, however, after MRIs and physical therapy, surgery was the next step. I will never forget his words: “Your knee looks like you have played professional football for over 40 years. I did much more extensive work than I planned, which went well and will give you some time. However, you must get it replaced, very soon. I cannot believe, I am telling someone your age this.” In my mid late 30’s, I had both knees replaced, and my left elbow (partially replaced) and he found me a doctor who KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME!!! I began treatments, with immune suppressants and both doctors communicate on my case regularly. I walk on the beach, without pain AT ALL. I am now 52, have hardly had much better quality of life, and attended almost all of my son’s soccer games, daughters cheerleading events, and my older son's concerts. This is ALL due to Dr Foo's and Professional Orthopaedic Associates. They care, they listen, and they are amazing at what they do.”

“Dr. Foos did surgery on both of my knees, one in 1998 and the other in 1999. For the following 15 years, I have remained one of the top Masters 5k road racers in the state.”

“I have been a patient at Professional Orthopaedic Associates since the beginning. I was an original patient of Dr. Bade in the Long Branch office. Dr. Bade has performed three of the five surgeries on my left knee. The other two were performed out of state. Dr. Bade was consulted on both surgeries and both were performed by physicians based on his recommendations. Dr. Jason Cohen performed a C Spine disectomy on me in 2005. Over the years and various other injuries or follow-ups on existing injuries or surgeries, I have been seen by the other doctors in the group and have been very satisfied with all of them.”

“I have been a patient at Professional Orthopaedic Associates since the beginning. I was an original patient of Dr. Bade in the Long Branch office. Dr. Bade has performed three of the five surgeries on my left knee. The other two were performed out of state. Dr. Bade was consulted on both surgeries and both were performed by physicians based on his recommendations. Dr. Jason Cohen performed a C Spine disectomy on me in 2005. Over the years and various other injuries or follow-ups on existing injuries or surgeries, I have been seen by the other doctors in the group and have been very satisfied with all of them.”

“I had been having problems with my knees, which in turn held me back from enjoying the retirement years that I was so much looking forward to. I decided to see Dr. Torpey at Professional Orthopaedic Associates to find out if there was anything that he could do to reverse the condition and associated pain. The examination was done along with x-rays and the results were that my knees were in bad condition, my right knee worse than the left. After exploring the options to remedy the situation, I choose to have my right knee treated with the Synvisc treatment. Before I had even completed the three-week treatment period, my knee felt great with no more pain and excellent mobility. To my benefit, the treatment lasted longer than projected, but then my knee started to fail again. I went back to Dr. Torpey, an examination was done again, and the result was that the only option was a knee replacement. I agreed and the wheels were set in motion for the operation. Dr. Torpey performed the successful operation in 2009. After a period of physical therapy, I have been pain free and active ever since. If ever I have to have my left knee operated on, you can be sure that Professional Orthopaedic Associates and Dr. Torpey will be involved. Thank you Dr. Torpey.”

“17 years ago, I first saw Dr. Bade following a skiing accident, which injured my left shoulder. Following x-rays, it was determined I had damaged my rotator cuff. Rather than move towards surgery, he recommended I start with physical therapy. He insisted to see if that would solve the problem, bring back my range of motion and ultimately relieve the pain. It worked and I never forgot that option to avoid surgery.Now nearly 20 years later, I again came to see him for a second opinion. I was experiencing recurring pain in my left hip and another orthopaedic surgeon was recommending a total hip replacement after seeing me one time. Again, Dr. Bade, upon reviewing my x-rays, did not believe surgery was necessary at this stage and that I should begin a process of exercise and therapy to see if I could find relief that way. Here I am, 7 months later and pain free with the old hip. I can't say enough good things about this group!”

“I met with Dr. Johnson the day after rupturing my bicep tendon. He assessed my situation and scheduled surgery for the following afternoon. During the 2 days that passed prior to my surgery, he managed my pain and provided me with a detailed explanation of my injury and the surgery required to repair it. Dr. Johnson took into consideration that I am an avid sports enthusiast. I work out 5 days a week, enjoy golf, and playing men’s softball. The administrative staff worked quickly and efficiently with my insurance carrier to get the necessary approvals for my surgery. On the day of surgery, I was greeted by a staff of medical professionals, who went over the procedure again and made sure that my right arm was clearly identified as the surgical site. Dr. Johnson met me prior to surgery and double-checked the surgical site. If my memory serves me, the procedure took approximately 2 hours and some additional time in the recovery room. When I awoke from the procedure, the nursing staff was at my bedside, making sure that I was ok and also managing my pain. I left the medical center with a pump that allowed me to inject pain medication right to the site of the surgery. This method was so much better than taking pills.  My wife was also given clear instructions for my post-operative care and she was provided several important phone numbers if there were any questions or complications after I got home. I met with Dr. Johnson one week after my procedure and he confirmed that everything was looking good. I started my rehab a few days later. The rehab took about 3-4 months before I was on my own. During that time, I had several follow up visits with Dr. Johnson. This was a much more significant injury than I initially thought but with the help of Dr. Johnson, the entire medical staff, and my physical therapist I was working out at full strength in about 6 months. I am so grateful to the entire team who cared for me. I would highly recommend this group of professionals to anyone in need of expert medical care. Thanks Dr. Johnson!”