Dr. Christopher W Digiovanni, MD

I had high hopes when we saw him last week. But he is not a good doctor: doesn't listen, doesn't seem to care. One foot out the door to get to his next appointment.

He was the most arrogant and incompetent physician I have ever met. I understand that orthopedic surgeons are often arrogant and poor communicators, but his arrogance was so extreme that it prevented him from giving an accurate diagnosis and helpful medical advice. 1) Without bothering to take a history of symptoms/prior treatments, he simply assumed that since he didn’t have a good solution, therefore I must be exaggerating. I live with severe, often constant pain that frequently interferences with my ability to do my job. He stated both that my pain would continue at the same level for decades and decades, and that he also considered this an “excellent prognosis.” The only way his two statements make sense is that he didn’t believe I had a real problem. He ended the visit by stating that “if it ever gets severe, you could try a steroid injection”…as if it isn’t already severe…as if I haven’t already tried a steroid injection. 2) He has out of date medical knowledge of the different… diagnoses that explain chronic pain. He assumes that all pain is mechanical and should correlate well with imaging, while the medical pain community is increasingly realizing that pain can be a mix of mechanical, neuroplastic, and neuropathic, and that severity is affected by many treatable factors not seen on imaging. 3) His medical knowledge of treating chronic pain is 30 years out of date. When I told him that I take duloxetine, an FDA approved medication commonly used first line for chronic pain, he said “what’s that?” He told me that I had no more treatment options and that I would just have to live with the same pain for the rest of my life, which I think is a pretty extreme statement coming from someone who hasn’t bothered to keep up with first line treatment options in 2024. I think that when he deems a problem nonsurgical, he should refer to the appropriate nonsurgical specialist (e.g. anesthesia pain clinic or physical therapy) instead of telling the patient that it’s hopeless. 4) When I told him that my goal was to return to running, he responded, “Why would you even want that?!” A better physician would have had a conversation about the risks vs benefits of running, instead of simply labelling my mobility goals as “bad”. I think it’s appalling that a physician entrusted with someone’s health goal would speak with such contempt. And it turned out that his judgment was wrong—with the support of all my other doctors and physical therapist, I am back to running without pain. Overall, I would give zero stars if I could for not listening, not believing me, misdiagnosing me, having out of date medical knowledge, treating my health goals with contempt, and recommending unjustified hopelessness and activity limitations.

An outstanding highly skilled professional surgeon who listened to my issue and provided me with the options necessary. He answered all of my questions so that I understood what i was facing in surgery and recovery. His staff was equally friendly, compassionate and professional. I am 13 weeks out from total ankle replacement surgery and could not be happier. I highly recommend Dr. D.

Dr. Di Giovanni delivers surgical brilliance with human warmth. He enters the room with a smile and is comprehensively prepared to explain every procedure and answer every question with patience and extreme clarity. There never is a feeling of being rushed and always a sense of complete mastery of the situation. I arrived, in chronic pain, with a malformed foot and ankle. Dr. Di Giovanni examined me, explained exactly what he would do and said, "I can fix this," and he did, to my perfect satisfaction. I now walk energetically with no pain. I cannot recommend Dr. Di Giovanni too highly.

I am very grateful to Dr. DiGiovanni for he and his medical and administrative team, for providing me with exceptional medical care. I now refer to him as my "miracle worker."I had come in for a discussion of ankle replacement but Dr. D, quickly realized that I needed foot surgery first to alleviate the pain and provide better stability for the ankle. He was exceptionally caring and competent and has a talent for communicating complicated medical issues and procedures into understandable components so I could make the best decisions possible. He was always patient, understanding but also frank about surgery and rehab issues. He also has a delightful bedside manner, charming and disarming, with a caring, respectful and reassuring manner. My rehab was difficult but Dr. D and his team was there to guide me and assist with any questions. His surgical administrator Tricia was also awesome to work with, so patient and caring! I definitely returning for my ankle replacement next… spring. Joseph Miele – Aug 13, 2020

I'm 12 weeks post surgery for Haglunds Deformity and Achilles's Tendon Debridement. Out of the boot and feeling great. Dr. DiGiovanni has a great team in place and is extremely good at what he does! From other patients that I've met while waiting for my appointments, everyone feels the same way. It may be difficult to get an appointment, but well worth it once you do...

Dr. Digiovanni overcorrected my great toe with bunion surgery. Now I have large gap between my first and second toe. As a result I have more pain now than previously with the bunion and have a very difficult time finding shoes in addition to balance issues. I will need further surgery to correct it. Poor surgical outcome, do not recommend this doctor.

Dr. DiGiovanni is a brilliant surgeon with a most amazing bedside manner. He lacks the standard arrogance most specialists possess and instead greets and treats you as a friend, an equal a person who is capable of contributing to their own health and well being. He and his superb office and surgical teams will take the best care you have ever experienced. His support teams allow him to focus on patient care while minor details are managed by competent staff. Dr. DiGiovanni will listen to your concerns, issues and ongoing medical needs then design a plan you both are comfortable with, and that is the difference. I sought him out due to an extremely rare condition which developed in my foot. He did not shy away from helping me, but rather did his due diligence and completed a successful reconstructive surgery. He is an amazing surgeon and doctor who I would highly recommend. He will spend however much time is needed with you to resolve your issue and address your concerns.

Highly recommend Dr. DiGiovanni and his teams in Waltham and MGH. He completed foot/ankle surgery after suffering from years of bad sprains, fractures and pain. After 8 months I was back up and running with no pain at all and will soon be back to completing a marathon. His level of care, background knowledge and information pre and post op was very reassuring. The team during the surgical procedure was comforting (especially for a first timer), knowledgeable and attentive. Office is efficient!

The bottom line is - he didn't mince words, he was straight forward and direct, helped me see how the pain from my arthritic toe was impacting my life, preventing me from reaching goals. He told me how the surgery would go, step by step how recovery would proceed and, at less than 5 months post-op, I'm walking 1-2 miles/day, back to yoga, feeling strong, pain free and very optimistic. It took me a while to realize it but this was a very good decision. Dr DiGi was professional every step of the way. I'm very glad I went with him. I have recommended him to multiple friends.