He received his medical degree from Midwestern University. He completed his orthopedic residency at Riverside University Health System where he served as chief resident. During his time there he worked at a busy trauma center and became experienced in managing complex traumatic injuries. He also spent time as a team physician for the University of California Riverside.
Following his residency, he went on to complete fellowship training at the W.B. Carrell Memorial Clinic in Dallas, TX. There he studied shoulder and elbow reconstruction with the world-renowned Wayne Z. “Buz” Burkhead, MD. He also worked as an assistant team physician for the Dallas Mavericks and took care of other collegiate and professional athletes in the Dallas area.
Dr. Brereton is dedicated to providing the highest level of care for his patients. When you see him, you can be assured he will take the time to understand your specific orthopedic issue and develop a personalized plan based on your diagnosis and lifestyle. He offers a wide variety of non-operative treatments all based on the most up to date literature. These options include specific physical therapy modalities, bracing, injections ranging from steroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma and different forms of mesenchymal stem cells.
However, if you and Dr. Brereton decide that surgery would be the best option for you and your goals, then you would be in focused and confident hands. Being dedicated to the shoulder and elbow Dr. Brereton preforms all types of surgeries for all ages and activity levels of patients no matter how straight forward and common or complex and rare the condition may be. Common surgeries are: anatomic shoulder replacement, reverse shoulder replacement, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, superior capsule reconstruction, open or arthroscopic shoulder instability surgery, tendon rupture or tendonitis, nerve compression, elbow replacement, elbow instability including Tommy-John and all manner of fracture care. Whether the patient is a young high demand athlete or older patient Dr. Brereton will be able to develop and carryout a specific treatment plan for you.
In addition to his clinical experience, Dr. Brereton’s research interests include shoulder fractures, biceps and triceps injuries and medial and lateral epicondylitis. He feels this time is well spent so that he can be at the forefront of new innovation in an effort to better treat his patients. He has presented at many national meetings.
During his time spent living in the Patagonia area of Chile for mission work, he learned to speak the Spanish language fluently. This skill has become very helpful in providing personal care to the many Spanish speaking patients of the San Diego area.
Dr. Brereton grew up in Southern California and Utah. Prior to medical school, he worked in a climbing shop where he would guide and teach safe mountaineering and rock climbing. He has a love of the outdoors and in addition to rock climbing enjoys hiking, swimming, golfing, mountain biking, skiing and snowboarding. He now spends most of his free time with his beautiful wife and three kids.
Certifications
- American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery- Board Certified
- Osteopathic Medical Board of California (2014-present)
- Texas Medical Board (2018 – present)
- DEA License: US Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration
- CA State Fluoroscopy License: California Department of Public Health
- Advanced Wilderness Life Support: Wilderness Medical Society
Memberships
- ASES- American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon
- AANA- Arthroscopy Association of North America
- AO Trauma- Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen
- AAOS- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
- AOAO- American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
- COA- California Orthopedic Association
Education
Fellowship: Shoulder and Elbow Surgery- W.B. Carrell Clinic, Dallas, TX 2018-2019
Medical School- Midwestern University, Phoenix, AZ 2009-2013
Undergraduate- Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 2004-2009
- Bachelors of Science- Physiology and Developmental Biology
- Minor- Spanish Language Studies
Services Provided
- Shoulder and elbow arthroplasty
- Shoulder and elbow arthroscopy
- Rotator cuff repair
- Shoulder and elbow instability procedures
- Shoulder and elbow fractures
- Nerve injuries and condition of the upper extremity
- Sports injuries
- Orthopedic trauma
- General orthopedics
Hospital and Surgery Center Affiliations
- Scripps Memorial Hospital
- Scripps Mercy Hospital
- Sharp Memorial Hospital
- Sharp Coronado Hospital
- Sharp Grossmont Hospital
- Sharp Chula Vista Hospital
- Paradise Valley Hospital
- Otay Lake Surgery Center
- Advanced Surgery Center of North County
- Outpatient Surgery Center of La Jolla
- Surgical Center of San Diego
- Coast Surgery Center
Residencies
Orthopedic Residency- Riverside University Medical Center, Riverside, CA 2013-2018
Research – Poster Presentations
- Las Vegas, NV; AAOS Annual Meeting; D. Brereton, J. Gates Functional Outcomes of Rotator Cuff Repair in Patients Over 75 Years Old. March 14-16, 2019
- Atlanta, GA; AOAO Annual Meeting; D. Brereton, C. Sherman Prophylactic Fixation of Contralateral Osteoporotic Hip Fractures. October 20, 2018
- Orange, CA; CHOC Annual Meeting; D. Brereton, J. Schechter How Often Are Pediatric Elbow Radiographs Adequate for Interpretation November 8, 2017
- Chicago, IL; AOAO Annual Meeting; D. Brereton, J. Gates Functional Outcomes of Rotator Cuff Repair in Patients Over 75 Years Old. October 14, 2017
- Chicago, IL; AOAO Annual Meeting; D. Brereton, J. Schechter How Often Are Pediatric Elbow Radiographs Adequate for Interpretation. October 14, 2017
- Glendale, AZ; Kenneth Suarez Research Day; The Effects of Voluntary Exercise on the Development of Thoracolumbar Kyphosis in Dystrophin-Deficient Mice. May 4, 2011
- Washington D.C; American Association of Anatomist; Muscular Dystrophy: The Effects of Exercise on the Curvature of the Spine. April 10, 2011
- San Francisco, CA; The American Society for Cell Biology; Mechanism of Zyxin Targeting Cell-Cell Contacts. December 14, 2008
Research – Podium Presentations
- Las Vegas, NV; AAOS Annual Meeting; D. Brereton, Kwam, J. Schechter. Variability of Elbow Radiography in the Injured Child: A Potential Diagnostic Dilemma. March 13, 2019
- Moreno Valley, CA; RUHS Annual Research Meeting; D. Brereton, Schechter How Often Are Pediatric Elbow Radiographs Adequate for Interpretation. July 17, 2017
- San Diego, CA; San Diego Shoulder Institute Meeting; D. Brereton, J Robker, M. Gamez, W.Z. Burkhead, T. Moen. Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of a Transosseous Suture Technique for Displaced Lateral Clavicle
Research – Publications
- Brereton, J. Plochocki The Effects of Glucocorticoid and Voluntary Exercise Treatment on the Development of Thoracolumbar Kyphosis in Dystrophin-Deficient Mice. PLOS Currents Muscular Dystrophy. 2012 Oct 10.
- Brereton, M.D. Hansen A zyxin-nectin interaction facilitates zyxin localization to cell-cell adhesions. Biochemistry and Biophysics Research Communications. 2011 Nov;415:485-489. 415 (2011) 485-489. November 25,2011
- Brereton, K. Kwam, J. Schlechter. Variability of Elbow Radiography in the Injured Child: A Potential Diagnostic Dilemma. Journal of Emergency Medicine. Accepted for publication.
Sorrento - CC04
4910 Directors Place, Suite 350
San Diego, CA 92121
Phone: (858) 571-9500
Chula Vista - CC10
750 Medical Center Court Suite 14
Chula Vista, CA 91911
Phone: (858) 571-9500