Dr. Philip R Downer, MD

Dr Downer is a great surgeon. I have had painful arthritis in both hips for years. Had bilateral hip replacement two months ago and all pain is gone , back to normal activity as tolerated. Both the Dr and staff were very good and I am very pleased with the outcome. Highly recommended for any kind of procedure that may be necessary. Waiting time in the office is usually minimal, not much waiting. I would return if I was to need anything else additional done orthopedic care wise. John Ahlers

I saw Dr. Downer as a second opinion about groin pain. I had already seen another orthopedic provider and had a hip injection, which made things worse. I was already going to PT and not making much progress. An inguinal hernia had already been diagnosed, and once Dr. Downer heard this, he was not interested in evaluating me, but sending me on. He flat out told me I did not have a “hip problem.” When I asked him if my pain symptoms went with an inguinal hernia, he said “I don't know, I am a surgeon.” Specialists who fix hernias are also surgeons. Dr. Downer had me walk across the exam room as his only “exam.” Last I knew, an exam involves touching a patient, which Dr. Downer needs to go back to medical school to learn. I had a recent hip MRI ordered by my PCP, and surprise, I do have a hip problem! Dr. Downer gets good reviews from hip replacements patients, which are big ticket surgeries. He can't be bothered with patients who don't need this procedure. Seem like a coincidence? I… bet not.

Dr. Downer changed my life. In my opinion, he is the best orthopedic surgeon in Seattle. I had a bilateral hip replacement. The recovery time was minimal. I am happy to say, I long have any pain in my hips. Dr. Downer definitely exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend Dr. Philip Downer.

I remember seeing Dr. Downer after the hip doctor I was seeing wasn't able to make a diagnosis from the MRI. Dr. Downer then ordered an MRI with contrast. He determined I had hip dysplasia and a frayed hip labrum. He referred me to physical therapy which didn't work. He refused to perform a surgery despite the pain being unbearable. Mind you I was a healthy individual before stepping into his office. My BMI was and still is 25 with a 11 percent body fat. If someone saw me in the gym, they'd think nothing is wrong because I take care of myself physically and put up well above average numbers. So any factors that might've been an issue were already taken care of i.e, being overweight, inactive. I nearly had to yell at him just to perform hip arthroscopy to fix the labrum and bone. He's not the kind of doctor to perform a preservation surgery. Instead, he wants to wait til something is broken, fractured, or your life becomes crippling. This mentality will be explained soon. The surgery… was a success but the underlying issue of hip dysplasia is still affecting me. I didn't opt for the correction of hip dysplasia because I didn't want to believe I had it since its a much more major hip issue. 3 months after the surgery, I go to see him and ask if he'd perform the surgery for hip dysplasia since the pain was still there. He laughed in my face and said he can't do that. He went to medical school and passed the test. It's not a matter of he can't do it. He simply put his personal believes over medical intervention and refused to do it. He told me to come back in October (5 months after the surgery) to which I did. He ordered an MRI and a ct scan. When I followed up with him, his exact words were, "everything looks normal. The hip dysplasia you mentioned of doesn't seem to be at the point it needs surgery." He tried to make it seem like I originally came up with the idea that I had hip dysplasia... I never even knew what it was until he diagnosed it. Which by the way, was never put onto MyChart. Anyways, I check the ct scan at another doctors office and my affected hip doesn't align with my good hip and the socket doesn't fully cover the head of the femur like it does for my good hip. In addition to that, when I got the MRI and CT notes from the radiologist that performed the test, it stated there's acetabular retroversion. None of which he mentioned during the following up appointment. He wants me to get a cortisone injection which is a steroid that has a slim chance of mitigating pain. I know this because I had to get one for a herniated disc. It failed and I ended up getting surgery for the herniated disc which was a huge success. Dr. Downer would rather me take opioids and get steroid injections so that when the pain becomes unbearable to even just walk, it'll be too late and a hip replacement would be needed. He is a perfect example of why the United States healthcare system has failed its citizens. Do not go to him. It’ll be a waste of time and money. I’m a black male aged 22 years old. I have a background in sports. It’s been three weeks since he said his surgery coordinator would call me to get the steroid injection. It still hasn’t happened. Please do not go to him if you are a minority or seeking proper care.

Had my hip replaced 2 months ago. I am still amazed at the outcome. Chronic pain gone since day of surgery. Very little post surgery discomfort. I was walking the same day after surgery. By day 5, I was walking up to 2 miles. Amazing! I wish I had done this a lot sooner. Dr. Downer thank you and the OSS team. Great work! John Dew

Dr. Downer has no bedside manner. He is rude, cocky and takes no time to provide his patients with an explanation. I've been to many doctors in the last two years and he was by far the worst. Also, the overall costumer service was awful. I waited for two hours and finally left because they couldn't figure out how to upload my MRI imaging...

Seniors beware I had an appointment with Dr. Downer for a cortisone shot in my hip. After the shot he walked out. I had to ask him what was next. He said to see him in a month and I might want to lose some weight. He talked to me with his back turned away from me. He was very rude. I think he picks his patients who will have an excellent surgery outcome and thus has an excellent reputation as a hip surgeon.

The trek to my visit with Dr. Downer took me two hours each way for 5 minutes with him of what felt like abuse. I felt patronized, rushed and despised as if the whole ordeal was torturous and beneath him and I should have never come to see him in the first place. He even came right out and said, "I enjoy surgery A LOT better than this!" This was my second visit to see him in 4 years because my pain had gotten worse and I felt it was time to re-evaluate my situation. Very sorry I wasted my time. He seems to be miserable in his life and very overdue for some life lessons in humility and gratitude. I guess there is meaning in a name! What a "DOWNER!" Good luck with that karma! Byeeeeeee!

It was a long road with Dr. Downer. I had a car accident and finding a doctor willing to see me was hard, but after hearing about Dr. Downer being a miracle worker for people that have hip issues and are young, I decided I had to have him as my doctor. From day one he had nothing but amazing bedside manner. Though you can tell he is incredibly skilled at what he does, he never makes you feel stupid for asking questions and takes his time to explain anything and everything. If I had to sum up Dr. Downer, I would say he is very honest and will never over promise, so you can trust what he says. How do I know this? We spent three years working through my issues and making sure that it was actually coming from my hip and not somewhere else in my body. THREE YEARS!

Once you are home and need advice about anything regarading your procedure, Dr. Downers PAs shine brightly. All you need to do is call the main OSS phone # and follow the prompts. Very user friendly. Shortly after you call one of the PAs will call you. You will find it very comforting to talk to Agnes, Brian, Remmy, or Adam. There callback times are quick. I do not think I waited more than 10 minutes for a callback. Wonderful when it is 9 PM and you need advice. Cant say enough. We all know that there is nothing more important than a quick response from a Doctor when you are hurting. This service and these PAs deliver. Awesome was my comment after the 1st call, and they never let me down. Thanks