Debbie Y. Dang, MD, PhD

Meet Dr. Dang

Dr. Dang provides care for patients with a wide range of foot and ankle conditions. These include arthritis, fractures and other trauma, tendon problems such as tendonitis and tears, Achilles ruptures, alignment conditions (such as flat feet or high arches), bunions, metatarsal pain, neuromas, and others. Her approach towards patient care centers on education and partnership. She provides patients with up-to-date information on known treatment options and guides them to making informed decisions that best fit their lifestyle and goals.

Dr. Dang graduated summa cum laude in psychology from the University of Southern California. Following this, she completed her Ph.D. studies, becoming an expert in skeletal development, at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. There, she also graduated with her medical degree at the top of her class, earing the Dean’s Award, the highest distinction bestowed to a single student of the graduating class. She completed rigorous orthopedic residency training at the University of California, San Francisco, and polished off her education with a fellowship at the prestigious Coughlin Foot and Ankle Clinic in Boise, Idaho.

With her unique and extensive training, Dr. Dang provides excellent, skilled, and compassionate care. 

What Her Patients Say

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"Recently my husband fell off his ladder while he was cutting tree branches and fractured very his left heel very badly. When my husband had seen Dr Dang, I was always present. He felt that Dr. Dang was so knowledgeable and competent, and explained to him in a way he understood his injury and the treatment he was going to receive very well. He felt very assured by Dr. Dang's caring attitude and professionalism."

Mitsue y.
november 2024

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"Dr. Dang is, without any doubt, one of today's examples of healthcare providers who want to focus on the patient. From my first office visit through the surgical process and experience up to now, six months after the surgery, Dr. Dang has been not only professional, transparent, thorough, and extremely competent in handling my foot problem but also compassionate, understanding, personable, warm, patient, and a great communicator. She and her healthcare team deserve to be recognized by Sutter Health for outstanding and selfless care for their complex patients and dedication to creating a wonderful environment of care. Thank you, Dr. Dang, Sammy, and Martina."

roberta v.
november 2024

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"Dr. Dang did an excellent job with repairing my broken ankle. I had multiple distal fibular fracture, which required surgery. She explained every aspect of the surgery (I'm an engineer, so I really appreciated this level of detail). As well as the recovery process. The procure went smoothly, and the recovery was uneventful as well (which is an excellent outcome). The entire surgical staff was excellent. I highly recommend Dr Dang for any Orthopedic issues."

jonathan b.
november 2024

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"I had a bad ankle break. It took me almost two weeks to get through the referral process and when I first saw Dr. Dang, she immediately realized I needed surgery NOW. She made time for me and I am now 12 weeks post surgery and it is going great. I am very thankful that I was referred to Dr. Dang. She is incredible and because of her, I expect to have a full recovery. I highly recommend her."

ronda c.
october 2024

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"Dr. Dang explains everything thoroughly and gives you as much time as needed to answer all of your questions. She has a kind and gentle demeanor."

carol h.
october 2024

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"I had a great experience having my foot surgery with Dr. Dang. She was very patient with all my questions both before and after surgery, and did a super job with the surgery itself. She did an excellent job in managing my expectations about what the recovery would be like (showing me a week-by-week timeline for what to expect) so that I could make an informed decision about whether to proceed with the surgery, as well as the timing. She also has a great team supporting her and her patients. I highly recommend Dr. Dang!"

chris fry
october 2024

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I highly recommend Dr. Debbie Dang. She performed surgery on both of my ankles, and the entire experience was excellent. She is not only highly skilled but also takes the time to communicate clearly and kindly, making sure I understood every step of the process.
Her professionalism and compassionate approach made a big difference in my recovery.
If you are looking for a knowledgeable and caring orthopedist, I highly recommend to see her."

gerald l.
february 2025

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"Dr Debbie Dang is a wonderfully caring and thorough physician with lots of expertise in her area and very knowleadgable of the foot conidition I have and was very helpful in reassuring me with her treatment plan and well thought out followup plans. I am veryy satisfied with her care and really trust she is able to help me now and in the future if my condition deteriorates. I will definitely recommend Dr Dang to any patient looking for a kind, thoughtful and accomplished foot and ankle specialist. Thank you Dr Dang for your care."

margaret c.
october 2024

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"I recently had the pleasure of being treated by Dr. Dang for a foot issue, and I couldn't be happier with my experience. From the very beginning, Dr. Dang impressed me with her clear and compassionate approach. She took the time to explain the procedure in a way that was easy for me to understand, which immediately put me at ease.

I especially appreciated her proactive nature. She ordered x-rays to get a comprehensive understanding of my situation, and truly listened to my concerns regarding my medical history, pain levels, and the specific problem I was experiencing with my foot. It was evident that she valued my input and wanted to provide the best possible care.

Dr. Dang's reputation precedes her. She was highly recommended by my rheumatologist, and even colleagues in orthopedics mentioned her as a leading specialist in foot and ankle conditions. This speaks volumes about her expertise and the respect she commands in the medical community.

Furthermore, Dr. Dang demonstrated a deep understanding of my chronic condition and how it related to the issue I was experiencing. She validated my concerns and explained that what I was going through was normal given my circumstances. This understanding and empathy made a huge difference in my overall experience. I had a successful surgery. Thank you Dr. Dang and team! I highly recommend Dr. Dang to anyone seeking expert care for foot and ankle problems."

jal v.
february 2025

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Excellent doctor. Was very happy with my recent visit. She explained all of the alternatives in detail and gave me excellent advice.

Clive H.
february 2025

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"I couldn't be happier with Dr. Dang. I find her to be extremely thorough, explaining how the problem joint works, educating me about what's wrong and what the alternative fixes are. I have had toe surgery with her for arthritis and bone-on-bone pain and it went perfectly. She's friendly, knowledgable and efficient. Wonderful doc."

megan m.
february 2025

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Medical Education & Training

Medical School: University of Rochester
General Surgery Internship: University of California, San Francisco
Orthopedic Surgery Residency: University of California, San Francisco
Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery Fellowship: Coughlin Clinic, Boise, Idaho

Professional Affiliations

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society

Practice Locations

795 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94301; 650-853-2951
301 Industrial Road, San Carlos, CA 94070; 650-596-4040

Specialties

Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery
Fracture Care including hip fractures, femur, tibia, ankle, and foot fractures
General Orthopedics

Publications

1. Debbie Y. Dang. “Chapter 1: “Biomechanics of the Foot and Ankle.” Coughlin and Mann’s Surgery of the Foot and Ankle, edited by Haskell & Coughlin, Elsevier, 2023, p. 1-27.
2. Recurrent Fragility Fractures: A Cross-sectional Analysis.
   Dang DY, Zetumer S, Zhang AL.
   J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Jan 15;27(2):e85-e91. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00103.
   PMID: 30169444
3. Comparison of Single-Agent Versus 3-Additive Regional Anesthesia for Foot and Ankle Surgery.
   Dang DY, McGarry SM, Melbihess EJ, Haytmanek CT, Stith AT, Griffin MJ, Ackerman KJ, Hirose CB.
   Foot Ankle Int. 2019 Oct;40(10):1195-1202. doi: 10.1177/1071100719859020. Epub 2019 Jul 16.
   PMID: 31307211
4. The Uniform Pattern of Growth and Skeletal Maturation during the Human Adolescent Growth Spurt.
   Sanders JO, Qiu X, Lu X, Duren DL, Liu RW, Dang D, Menendez ME, Hans SD, Weber DR, Cooperman DR.
   Sci Rep. 2017 Dec 1;7(1):16705. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-16996-w.
5. Overlapping Surgery in the Ambulatory Orthopaedic Setting.
   Zhang AL, Sing DC, Dang DY, Ma CB, Black D, Vail TP, Feeley BT.
   J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2016 Nov 16;98(22):1859-1867. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.16.00248.
   PMID: 27852902
6. Rigid Internal Fixation of Proximal Crescentic Metatarsal Osteotomy in Hallux Valgus Correction.
   Stith A, Dang D, Griffin M, Flint W, Hirose C, Coughlin M.
   Foot Ankle Int. 2019 Jul;40(7):778-789. doi: 10.1177/1071100719842800. Epub 2019 Apr 17.
   PMID: 30994364
7. Mallet Toes, Hammertoes, Neuromas, and Metatarsophalangeal Joint Instability: 40 Years of Development in Forefoot Surgery.
   Dang DY, Coughlin MJ.
   Indian J Orthop. 2020 Jan 15;54(1):3-13. doi: 10.1007/s43465-019-00015-3. eCollection 2020 Feb.
   PMID: 32211125