I saw Dr. Pallia and from the get go it was so very strange. I felt like I was in some weird warped reality and I didn't understand what was going on but I knew it felt like he was so hostile and like he was so bothered to have to even be talking to me as if my MRI was so boring and not worth his time. I was holding back tears I felt so upset so I said to him "I sense a lot of hostility from you. Are you angry with me?" He said he wasn't angry and gave me a somewhat human response. The whole experience was traumatizing like another reviewer said. read more

Dr. Tradonsky was great. He was really kind and did a through job explaining what my issue was and what my options were for fixing it. Unfortunately, it's very difficult to get someone on the phone at this office to schedule appointments. It took 17 minutes for me to schedule a follow up appointment. This office seems to outsource their calls somewhere else. I waited on hold for several minutes. The call rep I finally spoke with was confused and initially said I needed a new referral because he couldn't find my original one. After he spoke with his coworkers, he finally figured out that I did not. Other times that I have called, I am unable to reach anyone due to the wait times. read more

Care Quality, I have had a few surgeries with this place ,and informed Dr. Pallia the pain I been suffering with. He told me he doesn't want to hear anything about my shoulder's condition or knee. I had to move out of San Diego because I can't work because of my injuries. I told Dr. Pallia's office that I can fly in to see him and I was told due to irreconcilable differences he will not see me anymore. All, because I said, I am in worse shape today than when I first saw him. That is 100% true and he doesn't even care about getting me better. Great Job Doc. read more

I highly do not recommend seeing Dr. Pallia or Ortho1 Medical Group -- they do not hold themselves accountable or transparent. I would rate them 0 stars if I could. *** BILLING PROCESS REVIEW *** I had a doctor's appointment with Dr. Christopher Pallia on July 14, 8:30am for my carpal tunnel symptoms. I was billed for a 45+ minute session on my health insurance claim. However, I know that I was only there for around 30 minutes. I was texting my boyfriend around the time I entered and left the appointment, since he dropped me off and was waiting for me in the parking lot. I've called Ortho1 and I've left 3 voicemails across the last 2-3 weeks, trying to reach the billing department. Their voicemail says that someone is supposed to return my calls within 24 hours -- no one has. *** APPOINTMENT WITH DR. PALLIA REVIEW *** Additionally, I was told that I was required to get an x-ray before my appointment. The front office recommended I go across the street to the Sharp hospital, where they do walk-in x-rays. We didn't even look at the x-ray for my appointment. I had minor carpal tunnel problems (which to me felt pretty major at the time because I'd never had carpal tunnel before), and Dr. Pallia simply moved and pressed my hand and wrists around. Two weeks later, I see my x-ray bill from Sharp hospital. It's a whopping $1356 pre-insurance. And $755 after insurance. Maybe this isn't the doctor's office's fault and maybe it's the problem of our health system in the States, but I believe I have the right to know if (1) an x-ray TRULY is required and (2) give the patient you're a disclaimer that the cost of getting an x-ray at a hospital is going to be very costly. *** PROGNOSIS REVIEW *** For my carpal tunnel symptoms, Dr. Pallia recommended that I get cortisone shots in my wrists if it got worse (aka to invasively stick a needle into my wrist), but to give it a week or few. Dr. Pallia's recommendation was to just wait the symptoms out, and to consume cortisone pills to reduce inflammation. I never got the prescription. When I asked Dr. Pallia about stretching or his recommendation on seeing a physical therapist, here's what our conversation sounded like: "Sure, home stretching could help." "What kinds?" "Oh you can find them on the internet." "Should I see a physical therapist?" "Your symptoms aren't that severe. You don't need to unless it gets worse. They really shouldn't be letting people see physical therapists without a referral because physical therapists aren't trained doctors." TLDR; Nothing actionable, besides take pills and wait. My physical therapist from Crossover that I saw later that day was much more helpful, and actually gave me a prognosis of ~6 weeks to recovery, actionable home stretches to perform (e.g. x times and y repetitions per z days). ---------- Why did I write this all? You'll see that on my Google reviews history, I have never posted a one-star review with such a long description before (besides the one to Sharp Coronado Hospital with the same story). I am writing this as a PSA to anyone out there who might be going through a similar problem. I don't want anyone to go through what I did. No one should have to jump through so many hoops to get treated, or have to worry about so many other problems, like (1) how many hundreds of dollars is that x-ray going to cost, (2) how can I fight off this claim that's been incorrectly billed to me for the wrong amount of time, or (3) is a doctor or a physical therapist more effective at giving me advice? It's now been 1 month since my doctor's appointment. My claims were posted about 2 weeks after. 2-3 weeks later, I'm still waiting for a response from the billing department. By the way, my wrist and forearm are on fire right now. I went into writing this whole review knowing that I would tire myself out for the day, but I still put my whole heart and soul into writing this. read more

Phew! I am so happy to be able to extricate myself from this place! I am used to dealing with not great admin in the medical space, but this one was special! Their communication is horrid! Phone calls rarely go direct (too many tiers of separation), voicemails not returned, offered text communication never answered, transmitting referrals has taken two weeks and counting. That's just the communication end. Have a had a couple visits in other offices that were pretty standard, but the last with Dr Pallia was just ... bad. He was condescending with a smirky tone and made me feel like I was just whining - would not have been surprised if he just told me to rub-some-dirt-on-it. Rare that I will find a business or office that give me such a clear evidence to stay away. They were the nearest appointments I could get - for a reason. read more

Massive waste of time. Had high hopes and drove an hour to be seen at Ortho 1, only to have Dr. Pallia imply I was wasting his time. Horrible bedside manner, uncouth, and inappropriately sarcastic. Would say more but am just completely baffled and at loss for any words beyond the ones I've already expressed. read more

Dr. Chris Pallia is great. He's not perfect in every way, but he's been exceptional in helping me deal with a broken foot, a bone bruise on my knee and some metatarsalgia I've been getting due to running. All of these took place within a little over a year and he's been super helpful and informative along the way. Highly recommend. Note that he doesn't handle any back issues, but I believe he handles all else. Oh ya and that rude older receptionist they had is no longer there or else is there less often. The two women that handle some of her related work (receptionist + office manager) are amazing though. read more

I am a patient of Dr. Christopher Pallia's. He did a fantastic job on my total knee surgery and repair of a femur fracture. I'm walking normal for the first time in 3 years! This physician is a miracle surgeon, I highly recommend him for any knee or hip problem you may have. I'm a registered nurse of 45 years, I know an excellent physician when I see one, Dr. Pallia is a blessing and has changed my life for the better forever!! read more

I took my aunt in to review her xray. She told Dr. Pallia she wasnt having as much pain, but I still wanted to know the results of her xray. He said "What does it matter?" WTH?????? he is a sarcastic jerk with ZERO bedside manner. We will be finding a new doctor. I hope his supervisors see this! He is horrible. read more

Dr. Pallia is an amazing orthopedic. I see him for my shoulder and knee. He took his time to understand my orthopedic needs and explained various treatment options for my injuries. He is straight forward, gives his undivided time, and does not rush through visits. My 2 injuries are complex and he gave me the sense that he really cares. Highly recommended! read more

Dr. Pallia performed partial knee replacement surgery on both of my knees. He is a fantastic surgeon. I am pain free for the first time in 30 years. His office staff repeatedly went above and beyond to assist me with both VA and SDI paperwork and forms. When I had any issues I was able to see Dr. Pallia, within a day or two. I cannot fully express my gratitude and appreciation in a written review. If you are searching for a fantastic orthopedic surgeon with a stellar office staff Dr. Pallia is the answer. read more

I recently went to see Dr. Chris Pallia. I have multiple health conditions, including advanced arthritis, rotator cuff tears, knee surgery, and dislocated wrist. When I sat down and spoke to Dr. Chris Pallia he wouldn't say much. As I explained what was wrong with me he would look at my best friend sitting next to me and sarcastically exhibit a gently laugh, more like a smirk. I felt he was making fun of everything that was wrong with me and left his office feeling humiliated and depressed. I never asked for any of my conditions, and to have Dr. Pallia find my serious health conditions "funny" is very insensitive and disrespectful. I didnt say anything at the appointment since I needed help and not a confrontation. But later I thought this is something I should mention because no one deserves to be treated the way I was treated that day by Dr. Pallia. I was unlucky to be born with a frail body but being a doctor doesn't give him the right to make fun of someone in need of help. I hope this letter reaches your attention for I will be posting a similar review on social media and yelp. No one deserves to be treated this way. This doctor has no bedside manners and is a total jerk. read more

Note: I only consulted with this surgeon, I have never allowed him to operate on me. I tore my ACL skiing in Jan 2010 and I was cautious with the doctor I chose to perform the surgery. My first consult was with Dr. Pallia. I chose him because of his credentials (on paper) and as I recall, he was surgeon for the Chargers that year. Although I see from his website that little notation is no longer there. I left that office in TEARS. Dr. Pallia has no bedside manner and described my upcoming surgery so graphically that I wanted to hobble out of there, never visit another orthopedist, suck it up and just live with my busted knee. He might, *might* be a great surgeon. But he had no idea how to handle a young runner who accidentally thought she was an Olympic skiier on fresh powder over the Christmas holidays. If his skills in the operating room vastly outweigh his skills in consultation, then call me a monkey's uncle, but I wasn't stickin around to find out. Want a traumatic consultation? Look no further. read more

Dr. Pallia is a great surgeon! I have been seeing him for the last several years. He has worked on both my knees( I have little to no cartilage left in them). He always takes the time to explain things to me to ensure I understand all the risks and benefits. I recently saw another ortho doc as he is a family friend. They wanted to do a full replacement on my right knee. I'm 38. I went back to Dr. Pallia and he showed me on X-ray that I didn't need that yet. He did a simple scope of my knee, drilled a few holes to generate new cartilage and my knee feels awesome! I see Dr. Pallia for all my ortho needs. Just broke my wrist and he took care of me. His staff is amazing! You can always get in quickly to see him and you don't have to wait 6 months for surgery. I would recommend anyone to go see him. As far as the reviews about his bedside manner. He is a very professional person and I have never had any issues. We get a long great. He asks about my family and shows a true interest. read more

Dr. Pallia worked with me through an injury. It was a long process due to the nature of the injury. His staff, and Dr. Pallia remained patient and kind to me through the long process with insurance, and trying to fix my pain. I'm grateful for the time they spent with me. Thanks Dr. Pallia and staff for being so kind at a hard time in my life. read more

When I walked into the office I was greeted with, " you must be my next appointment". Then Dr. Pallia turned and said, "Hm, I guess I should grab lunch", so the scheduled appointment came and went. When Dr. Pallia was finally ready to see me I reached out to shake his hand, you can tell a lot from a hand shake and here we go. It was mentioned by a previous reviewer that Dr. Pallia has no bedside manners and comes across as a sarcastic individual with little to no regard for an individual, I agree. As I talked I felt like I should have been a mind reader since Dr. Pallia does not possess the ability to communicate using his words but rather with weird smirk. As I talked about my injury he finally said a few words and those words were not only rude but uncalled for. Dr. Pallia said, "If could attach a special dot to the area of pain and if that dot could then tell me what I am supposed to do then my job would easy". I figured Dr. Pallia was trying his hand at comedy, so I asked about the x-ray. Dr. Pallia said the x-ray tech noted that the results are normal and looked at me and smiled. I shook my head and asked, so what are your thoughts DR.? A few days later I received a call from the Dr. Pallia's receptionist. I was told by her, "I've called your PPO plan and they are giving me incorrect information and that I need to talk with HR and or plan provider". Hold on, when was I promoted to a medical billing specialist? According to the other reviewers Dr. Pallia is a great surgeon, which I will never experience since I also believe that customer service is part of the care that a provider should express. The office of Dr. Pallia does not care. read more

Dr. Pallia has done two total knee replacements for me, three months apart. In hindsight I think this is best approach, to do them one at a time, because recovery is much easier with a working leg. I am thrilled with how functional and pain free my artificial knees are. I am going back to Dr Pallia! He is conservative (starts with the least invasive therapy) and extremely ethical. He's not the most "chatty" doctor I've had but I prefer his practical, honest and direct communications. read more

Dr. Pallia and his office staff are fabulous. Efficient office, easy to make appointments, office runs on time for appointments. Ortho tech is excellent and Dr. Pallia is great, very knowledgeable , works with you as the patient and provides the best possible care. read more

Preface: I worked for a restaurant that had no issues overworking their employees into the dirt. After working for that company for 7 years full time I sustained several injuries. In 2007 I developed a searing pain in my left knee, presumably from running up & down stairs while carrying a tray above my head full of food dishes, repetitiously about 200 times throughout the night. When I went to the ER I was referred to Dr. Pallia. After a consult & some diagnostics, I was scheduled for surgery. The wait for my turn on the table was a little nerve racking but after that, the surgery was a breeze! I didn't even remember it! 8 years later and my knee is still going strong with no issues. I am extremely thankful that Dr. Pallia removed the searing pain that had once made my life a living hell. Unfortunately, I returned back to the slavery house, I mean work, where, in short order, I developed severe & debilitating pain in both feet & ankles. I returned to Dr. Pallia. After extensive tests & diagnostics, it was determined that I had developed osteoarthritis. I wore my cartilage down to the bone. (There isn't a cure for that.) Even though my condition is permanent, that I would never heal & that I would have to live with chronic pain for the rest of my life, I think the most important thing that stands out for me, was during that time in a fragile state of being, Dr Pallia was never blunt about my chances of recovery, never worded my recovery, or lack thereof, in a way that would leave me hopeless. I am still being treated by Dr Pallia til this day, I developed a femoral acetabular impingement of my left hip, presumably caused from limping. Thankfully this is correctable through surgery, and if Dr Pallia did hip surgeries, I would jump at the first chance to have him as my first pick. So all & all, this man has single-handedly changed the quality of my life for the better, I trust him with my life & you should too. read more

I highly recommend Dr. Pallia for Orthopedic surgery. After months of getting the run around through the VA, I chose to use my private insurance. Dr. Pallia was very straightforward and answered all of my questions which put my mind at ease. He zoomed in the MRI to determine whether I needed a partial knee replacement or a total. It was determined that a partial on the medical side would be sufficient and the best option. He prescribed all the necessary medications ahead of time so there was less to worry about after the surgery. I'm thankful for his expertise as prior to the surgery I was using a cane to get around due to the extent of pain. My partial knee replacement was June 20th and since August I have been walking around with minimal to no pain. I'm even able to navigate stairs normally rather than one leg at a time as I used to do. Dr. Pallia gives you straight answers and thoroughly explains any questions you may have. His staff is also wonderful as they worked with me on the last follow up appointment that had to get moved several weeks later due to emergency gallbladder surgery. I would use Dr. Pallia again if I were in need of an Orthopedic Surgeon. read more

Fixed my 85-year old Mom's hip and even with dementia, she was mobile; my husband's shoulder....he became bionic and continued playing softball....and now the perfect new knee for my husband. His bedside manner is REAL....he will not give false impressions or false hope and will stay in reality....ooops some people need coddling and, well, whatever,....Oh well, I would go for a long track record of perfect surgery.....your recovery is up to you. read more

Extremely grateful that I found Dr. Palia! He is not your average surgeon. He has high expectations. He is critical of others in the care pipeline. He repaired a complete tear of my patellar tendon and rotator cuff/labrum tear. He did such a good job I swear my "bad" knee is stronger than the good one. My rotator cuff tear was in a rare place. He said he might not be able to repair it with conventional methods. When I came out of surgery he said it was a good repair. Now I'm doing push-ups and running/hiking/boulder hopping. No pain! On other sites I've read complaints about his lack of bedside manners. Do you want a social butterfly or a good surgeon? Dr. Palia is legit!! I can't thank him enough for putting me back together. read more

Had surgery last Thursday after a skiing accident 3 days prior. I needed surgery to get my shoulder back to 100%. No other surgeon could have done it that quickly. I don't think I would have wanted another surgeon anyways. Everything was explained to me about the procedure and it was cool to see the animation online. I am recovering well and have nothing but praise. From the front office staff to hospital staff, very smooth easy process. Highly recommend using Dr. Pallia. read more

Great surgeon, great doctor!! I had a knee injury and was very worried about what that would mean. From the beginning I was made very comfortable. The office staff was professional, helpful and friendly, which I needed as I was very nervous from the start. Dr. Pallia himself was absolutely wonderful. I was taken directly into his office/ exam room and he took the time to explain what was going on in my knee, showing me models and diagrams and talking in language that I, a lay person, could understand. He explained my MRI and x-ray findings at length and described what would occur during surgery as well as after. The staff was very helpful with all of the other info and logistics. Very professional and friendly. They were able to get referrals for me in the shortest time I have ever seen! They explained what I needed to do prior to surgery and walked me through everything. I was anxious and nervous and they were great...repeating info for me and making sure I had it all down on paper. Overall the experience was fantastic and I am back to being active as I was before with no sign of surgery! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! read more

Dr. Pallia has taken care of my knees, my back and most recently my ankle. I got a quick appointment, X-ray and I was in the operating room the next day have my fibula screwed back together. The process has been great and the doctor has been there for me when my cast was annoying and when the PT got a bit painful. Dr. Pallia is a professional and doesn't do the small talk, etc. He gets right down to business and gives you the scientific, doctoral explanation of your problem and how to fix it. I like that in a doctor. My recovery is progressing and I will ALWAYS seek out Dr. Pallia whenever I have an orthopedic need. read more