When I was in a state of anxiety and trying to see as many doctors as possible to get different…read moreopinions, I found Dr. Melikian at DISC. I had generally good experiences with doctors I had seen there in the past. He is more of a spine specialist, focusing on the neck and back. When I came in, I was having issues with both my neck and shoulders. After looking at my neck X-rays and MRIs, he noted that my shoulders were likely the bigger issue at the time. I could move my neck up and down without too much trouble, but my shoulders had difficulty rotating. Despite that, he was able to refer me to another DISC doctor, Dr. Shore. More importantly, I never felt like I was being rushed out the door, unlike many doctors who seem to just want to get patients in and out for a paycheck. In fact, toward the end of my appointment, he made sure I did not have any more questions before we parted. To me, that is a sign of a doctor who actually cares, which feels surprisingly rare given the number of doctors I have seen over the last several years. While he was great, I also have to give a special shoutout to his assistant, Joanna. She might be one of the best doctor's assistants I have seen. The assistants I have known generally get a good idea of what is going on and log your symptoms so the doctor can look at you more efficiently, but Joanna went above and beyond. She did more than a typical assistant would by checking the multiple issues I was having, including rotator tests, hand-grip strength, shoulder rotation, and various sensitive points. Similar to Dr. Melikian, I felt like she genuinely cared about what was going on and wanted to make sure I was receiving the right treatment. She was the first person to make me realize that I needed to focus more on my shoulder. Of course, she still told the doctor about everything just in case, but it says something when an assistant does more thorough checks than some actual MDs I have seen. It also says something that, even though I did not receive treatment from Dr. Melikian and he ultimately referred me elsewhere, he was one of the few doctors who was very assertive about making sure I scheduled a follow-up appointment. Even when I was in a rush to leave, his assistant reached out and emailed me to schedule an appointment, making sure I was okay with it. That is the sign of a doctor who really cares. Overall, in a weird way, I am kind of sad that my issues were not more related to my neck, since both Dr. Melikian and his assistant, Joanna, were great. Based on the reviews I have seen on Yelp and Google, many people seem to have had similarly positive experiences. If your issues are more related to your neck or back, I would consider getting an opinion from Dr. Melikian.

Hello again, I am one year post op from ADR with Doctor Melikian. My first review was right after…read moremy surgery and I felt great then but fast forward to one year later and I am in the best physical shape. I workout 6 days a week and have lost 10 pounds. I do not lift very heavy but I can do everything that I want to. My back feels amazing and this doctor SAVED me with my pain at my collapsed L5. This was my second surgery after a microdisectomy had gone wrong with a different doctor 10 years ago. I highly recommend this surgeon. Not only is he caring but is a fantastic surgeon. The entire staff was wonderful and easy to get a hold of. My only regret is not to have found this wonderful human being earlier. Good job to this clean facility and all of the staff. And one more note to add, the X-ray facility across the street is also a 10 out of 10.

I can't say enough about this Doctor. My husband George had been to 3 other surgeons that all…read morewanted to do MAJOR CERVICAL SURGERY from the back. It was depressing. Dr. Taghva was the last opinion and he felt confident he could achieve good results doing a single disc...from the front! He was amazing he was right! George no longer is in pain, no burning, tingling or numbness up and down arms no sleeping upright, pain free and active! Brian his PA also wonderful. I beg you, if you have seen surgeons saying they need to cut you stem to stern, please see this doctor for an opinion. He's the REAL Honest DEAL! Similar experience with our daughter. He refused to operate on her he said her problem was muscular. He was RIGHT! Thank you Dr.Taghva you were a Godsend to our family!

Dr. Alexander has performed two different complex Laminectomies on me in the past. I'm extremely…read moregrateful to him for his kindness, extraordinary professionalism and excellent care. With sincere gratitude, Carolyn Zalta

Dr Michael Hunter, MD and his staff (especially Madison Graham) at Newport Orthopedic Institute,…read morehave been amazing through a very difficult time when I needed a total knee replacement. They were thorough, detailed, kind, and provided a Get Well Loop portal with checklists and check-ins leading up to and post-surgery for easy daily check-ins. With Hoag Medical Group, the surgery was at the main Hoag Orthopedic Institute hospital on Sand Canyon and I felt well monitored and cared for through the entire process. The nurses were great!! I am just 2 weeks post-op today and grateful for my beautiful new knee and a new lease on life. Thank you, Dr. Hunter, Madison and everyone at Hoag who has provided excellent care for me throughout this difficult journey!

Attempted to make an appointment with a physician I had seen in the past and he was unavailable…read more Dr Michael Eng was referred to instead. As a medical professional of 28 years, I understand the difference in personality and opinions that doctors can have. Dr Eng was positively awful. He was cocky, arrogant and condescending. He made little eye contact, was defensive and his bedside manner was non existent. His unprofessionalism in critiquing his colleague was beyond off putting. He lacked compassion and the ability to listen and understand. I fully understand that doctors have different personalities, opinions and styles, but I am so unsettled by him. It was a waste of the copay. I am just shocked that Hoag would employ a person of this demeanor . This is a time where I wished AI would have scribed the visit. I would love for a colleague to review. He appears very inexperienced and green in medicine. It will take a lot to make him a successful physician. UPDATE( 2 weeks later)...no follow up from office manager when requested. I guess this is just standard practice there. Had second opinion at other major medical center and was told that upon review of my MRI, they were shocked at the lack of advice that was given to me by Michael Eng,MD.

I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, and at 32 years of age, I had already endured ten…read moresurgeries in ten years; these included two multi-level spinal fusions at C4-T3 and L3-S1, and a kyphoplasty to repair a fractured vertebra at L1. When I needed a third fusion to stabilize both SI joints, my insurance denied it, and my previous doctor was unwilling to appeal on my behalf. After two years of fighting for approval on my own, I found Dr. Jankowski through a Southern California EDS Facebook group. I was physically and emotionally exhausted, and honestly desperate -- I'm so grateful I found him when I did. From my very first appointment, he was kind, efficient, and genuinely knowledgeable about my rare and complicated condition, and it meant so much to finally feel understood. He assured me he was on my side and would fight for the surgery I needed, and he meant it. His office manager, Paritash, got to work immediately, submitting appeal after appeal and keeping me updated with such care every step of the way. Dr. Jankowski personally advocated for me by writing a detailed letter to my insurance company on my behalf, and again during an extensive 40-minute peer-to-peer review phone call. Thanks to his persistence, my surgery was finally approved after several rounds of appeals. He was so reassuring and compassionate heading into surgery, and he stayed in touch throughout my hospital stay, even when my pain proved harder to manage than expected. My incision healed beautifully, and he went out of his way to order collagen-based bandages, knowing EDS patients often heal poorly after surgery. Paritash arranged my home health care and physical therapy right away and was always warm and quick to respond to my calls and texts. When managing my drains turned out to be more complicated than planned, she even came in on her day off, when the office is normally closed, just to remove them and change my bandages. Despite Dr. Jankowski being out of town for part of my recovery and my surgery falling right after Christmas, his team made sure scheduling follow-ups was never a hassle. It's been three months since surgery and two months of physical therapy, and the chronic back pain caused by my hypermobile joints has almost completely disappeared, dramatically improving my quality of life and allowing me to return to in-person work after being practically bed-bound most of the day. I could not be more grateful that I found Dr. Jankowski and Paritash when I did. Dr. Jankowski gave me my life back when I had all but given up hope of salvaging any remaining pieces of my youth, and he has opened up a world of possibilities to me. I will never be able to adequately express my gratitude. I cannot recommend him enough, especially to fellow patients with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

My family and I are incredibly grateful for the exceptional care my mother received from Dr. Pawel…read moreP. Jankowski during her very difficult lumbar surgery. From the very beginning, Dr. Jankowski demonstrated professionalism. He took the time to and made us feel confident that my mother was in the best possible hands. Also assistant Paritash was equally outstanding, very kind, attentive, personable and always responsive. She went above and beyond to coordinate care, follow up with us, and make sure everything ran smoothly before and after the surgery. Her support truly made a stressful situation much more manageable for our family. Thanks to their dedication and teamwork, my mother received excellent care every step of the way. We deeply appreciate everything they have done. I highly recommend Dr. Jankowski to anyone needing spinal care.

Dr. Peters was the 4th surgeon I met with regarding my cervical disc replacement. 3 out of the 4…read moresuggested disc replacement over fusion because I already had a 2 level fusion 6 years ago. Dr. Peters is a great surgeon. He always answered all my questions and explained things to me. I was nervous about having permanent swallowing issues and he was always honest and upfront with me. I had my surgery on 3/25/25. I was very impressed with the whole experience, even the Hoag Orthopedic Institute in Irvine. They are very on top of infections and avoiding them at all costs. It took me 3 reschedules due to some medical stuff I had going on and Dr. Peters was very insistent that I could not have any type of possible infections going on anywhere in my body before surgery. Plus a big thing to know is DO NOT shave or get any cuts before surgery because they will send you home. One of the biggest reasons I went with Dr. Peters besides him being a good surgeon is that every time I called his office, his assistant Kailey got right back to me. It is important to me that I can get answers after surgery if something doesn't go right and I wanted a Doctor that I would get answers from right away. His assistant Kailey is the best!! She was with me the whole way from the beginning to the follow up. She helped me through the whole process. I am 2 weeks post surgery now and I feel pretty good. I am eating regular foods and sometimes I feel I am still swollen inside, I remind myself I am only 2 weeks out. I am very happy with my choice of surgeon and how everything went. I highly recommend Dr. Peters.

Dermatology..good experience..referred by a friend. Nice office staff. All around a good experience.read more

Dr. Hamid Mir and his team were absolutely essential throughout my entire process--from evaluating…read moremy neck injury, guiding me through recovery, performing two fusions and a disc replacement, and continuing to support me after surgery. Dr. Mir's expertise helped me recover to the point where I am now able to manage my daily life with minimal effects from my car accident. I am extremely happy with the results. Even my physical therapist said he has never seen someone recover so well after the level of surgery I had. Before choosing Dr. Mir, I interviewed five different surgeons. I chose him because of his kind manner, knowledge, expertise, and the way he clearly communicated with me throughout the process. I never felt alone or unsure about what I needed to do to get back to good health. Another thing I truly appreciate is how careful Dr. Mir was with my neck incision. My scarring is minimal and hardly noticeable. Friends and family members have even commented on how great it looks and how well the incision was placed. It is clear that Dr. Mir was very thoughtful and cognizant about where the incision would be in order to minimize visible scarring. I truly appreciate all of the effort, hard work, and continued support from Dr. Mir and his team. I highly recommend Dr. Mir to any

I was very afraid of surgery for a long time but knew it would ultimately be the best choice for…read moreme. Dr. Mir came highly recommended, and after meeting him, his confidence, knowledge, and experience gave me the reassurance I needed. He's a man of few words, but he answers every question clearly and directly, which has been very comforting. Ten days ago, he performed my procedure at St. Joseph's Hospital in Orange. I was extremely nervous, but the staff there were amazing, kind, attentive, and professional. Dr. Mir met with me beforehand, helped calm my nerves, and before I knew it, I was waking up in recovery. Everything went smoothly, and I'm already looking forward to continued healing. Thank you to Dr. Mir, his Tustin office staff, and the St. Joseph's team. I feel very fortunate to have been referred to him and beings mom of six, including 13 year old triplets, I am looking forward to getting back to enjoying every minute with the family!

Dr. Mork did so much for me! The first time I had surgery I was unable to walk hardly at all…read morebecause of my back and sciatic pain and sometimes my right leg would not even work and then I couldn't stand or walk at all. All the conventional doctors and surgeons I saw didn't even have a suggestion (or care) to look into what could help fix me. (This was the result of a fall when I was 9 months pregnant and the subsequent childbirth) I did a bunch of research to see if I could find more information about my body parts that weren't working. i found Dr. Mork in 2004 when he was still in Florida. Dr Mork figured out I just needed a discectomy and a right ilium debridement. Dr Mork fixed me! I did not have to use a wheelchair anymore! I could go to the grocery store or Costco! I could go a lot of places that I couldn't go before!! 5 years later (2009) I had some foraminal canal narrowing that was causing chronic pain and he fixed that! (Other traditional back surgeons wanted me to get a fusion and they said that would guarantee my disability because discs above and below fusions are guaranteed to degenerate) Now it is 2015 and I am still as good as new! I go to trampoline parks, go on roller coasters, took a pole aerobics class, go hiking, 5k's and more! I can actually run now! It is amazing I am going to try tennis and surfing this summer. Also now the strongest pain med I ever take is ibuprofen!!! Dr. Mork is awesome and truly a blessing to this planet!!

It was prompt and productive. Web site is very handy for MRI's and Impressions…read more I'll try to became Dr. Mork patient. Mariana is great as well :)

Dr Grant Shifflett is amazing! The whole experience could not have gone better. I followed…read moreeverything he told me to do and five months later I'm back to playing golf twice a week with zero pain. Thank you!!

The night of my surgery, Spinal fusion, I asked to have my daughter with me so I wouldn't be alone,…read moreand I was not allowed to have anyone there to advocate for me. That same night, while I was heavily sedated, I was served soup that was scalding hot and sustained burns inside my mouth, including damage to my tongue. My tongue tie was burned off. I reported this that night and then at my first post-op appointment and was told by the PA that I was not the only complaint that night. I was told they were short staffed and that it would be reported after our meeting. It was never documented. My dentist later told me I was fortunate the injury did not become infected. I have photos documenting this. The morning after surgery, I reported my pain as 10 out of 10 and asked them not to discharge me because I did not feel safe to leave. I was discharged anyway and told they needed the bed for incoming patients. In my records it states the nurse called my Dr with concerns. I was not seen prior to discharge and told to get dressed. Since April 10, 2024, I have been left with bilateral nerve damage, neuropathy that makes it difficult to walk, and muscle damage, all confirmed by EMG. I am now disabled. I have attached a photo of me on January 2024.Two months prior to surgery. I have since sought multiple medical opinions, and I have been told the damage is permanent. L4 Sequela (Post op damage) Remember: This hospital is owned by the Dr's I am sharing this so others understand the level of care I experienced and can make informed decisions.

Best spine and neurosurgeon out there. Dr. Yanni came highly recommended and he did not…read moredisappoint. I needed a double cervical disc replacement at C5/C6/C7. He discussed the options for my surgery clearly as well as the recovery times. He scheduled me for surgery quickly and the surgery was smooth and the results were amazing. I had almost no pain after surgery and never required prescription pain medications or even OTC medication. The hospital staff at HOAG was amazing as well. If you need any type of spinal surgery I would strongly recommend checking with Dr. Yanni first.

Medical staff taking advantage of sick people as well as horrible patient care!…read more Patients who are living with debilitating pain are not inconveniences. They are people who are already struggling. They should not have to fight to be treated with dignity, and they should not have to physically push themselves beyond what they are capable of doing simply to be seen by a physician. I was looking for a different spine specialist for my best friend, who has significant ongoing back, neck, and knee issues. His health continues to deteriorate, and he has been living with severe, nearly unmanageable pain for more than a year. I wanted him to obtain another opinion. I came across Dr. Daniel S. Yanni in Orange Coast Magazine, where he was recognized with a 2026 Orange County Medical Association "Physician of Excellence" award. My friend went into the visit hopeful that he might finally find someone who could offer a different perspective and a path forward. Unfortunately, the experience went disturbingly awry. Before seeing the physician, the medical assistant insisted that my friend provide his weight and height. He was carrying a laptop bag and water bottle, was in obvious pain, and could not stand fully upright because of his condition. He explained that he was physically unable to straighten up, yet he was told the physician would not see him unless these measurements were obtained. He was weighed while still carrying the laptop and water. He ultimately forced himself to stand as straight as possible because he was desperate to see the doctor and hopeful that he might finally receive help. It was extremely upsetting to see someone who had been in severe pain for more than a year put through this unnecessarily. There appeared to be a complete lack of basic empathy and clinical judgment. If these measurements were genuinely necessary, there should have been a reasonable alternative for a patient who could not safely comply. Unfortunately, the physician visit provided little reassurance or hope, nor did he acknowledge the assistant's behavior. He was essentially told that he was already seeing the best physician and that, if he wanted to transfer his care, he would have to undergo approximately three months of repeating diagnostic testing. There was no discussion about what could actually be done to help him or what other options might be available. For someone suffering this much, this was incredibly discouraging. What concerns me is the overall lack of empathy, patient-centered care, and meaningful communication throughout the experience. There was also no apparent concern about how the patient had just been treated before seeing the physician. My friend left feeling discouraged and angry about the mistreatment and, after returning home, had to take additional medication because of the severity of his pain. What should have been an opportunity for a second opinion instead left him feeling unheard and misunderstood--and in even more pain. I called the office afterward and asked to speak with either Dr. Yanni or the office manager regarding my concerns. Nobody returned my call. A physician receiving a "Physician of Excellence" distinction should be held to a high standard. Patients who are suffering deserve dignity and understanding, particularly when they are physically unable to perform a routine task. I am sharing this experience so others can make an informed decision before choosing this practice. Based on our experience, I would not recommend this office to ANYONE. The experience was upsetting, disappointing, and just wrong. This practice has significant room for improvement and I am thinking the Orange Coast Magazine was paid for the advertisement of this medical practice.

Dr. Rojeh Melikian and his staff are amazing. I received top quality care from beginning to end…read more Dr. Melikian is the best at what he does. I've had 2 prior spine surgeries which were laminectomy and laminectomy revision. I was told my only option after that would be a fusion. So I switched health insurance and did extensive research and Dr. Melikian was on the list of top neurosurgeons. I made an appointment to see Dr. Melikian who ordered multiple MRIs. After careful review Dr. Melikian recommended a microdiscectomy which ended up being the best decision for my back. The pain I was feeling daily is gone and the recovery has been much easier than previous surgeries. His Physician Assistant JoAnna and the rest of his office staff were always so supportive and helpful. I would recommend Dr. Melikian to anyone suffering from back pain due to spinal issues.

After seeing four pain specialists and undergoing numerous treatments for my lower back pain, I…read moredecided to research Dr. Melikian. Although I live in Long Beach and had limited time to visit in person, Dr. Melikian was kind enough to initiate contact via email and responded promptly. He arranged a quick phone consultation at no charge. He came across as very amiable, genuinely concerned, and highly knowledgeable about the subject. During our conversation, he brought up additional tests and treatment options I wasn't previously aware of. The call was definitely productive and appreciated. My only gripe, generally speaking--not specific to his practice--is that stem cell treatments are exorbitantly priced and not covered by insurance. Expect to pay anywhere from $6,000 to $9,000 or more for various stem cell treatment options. So, not a go just yet until I figure out how to come up with the money, I will have to live with my back pain.