Been seeing Dr K for 20 years. She's prompt, and gets to know her patients well. The staff is great

Dr Karamlou and her staff are exceptional. We have been so fortunate to have found this intelligent, proactive, caring rheumatologist in our area. She goes above and beyond for my daughter and is on top of everything. She is also an excellent communicator and we have 100% confidence in her treating our daughter's chronic condition. Dr Karamlou and her staff are the best if the best. read more

Dr. Karamlou is a superb doctor. I have been her patient for over ten years. I appreciate how much time and thought she puts into my treatment. She really individualizes me, and develops the best treatment plan for my condition, keeping in mind what she knows about me and my life. She is thorough about following up. One of my blood tests showed abnormal blood protein levels. She called me and referred me to an oncologist she works with. It turned out I have lymphoma, and am now under the care of an oncologist for this condition. This quality of medical care is priceless. I am extremely grateful to be her patient. read more

I had a referral & called for a new patient appointment. I was told & agreed to all money (annual admin fee) due at visit. I was sent new patient form which I filled out and returned the same day. Over a week went by before I received an email stating "too busy to take on new patients!" Why waste my time & keep me in pain for over a week? So disappointed!!! read more

Dr. Karamlou is a wonderful physician who provides fantastic care and concern for her patients. She's knowledgeable, kind, and a great communicator with other physicians. I highly recommend her. read more

Dr. Karamlou is a phenomenal doctor. Her expertise, patience, kindness, communication skills, and medical knowledge instill in me a feeling of confidence. I saw her at the end of a long day, and she was so kind to not make me feel rushed at all, and to give me her excellent guidance and observations, explaining everything patiently and with great interest. She deserves all the praise that's been given in the 5 star reviews. Her staff is compassionate, quick to find solutions, helpful and highly efficient, while still being warm and welcoming. I don't know how they juggle everything they have to. Naomi, Amanda and Michelle are the ones I have interacted with and they are excellent. This is a terrific team. I'm truly grateful for the care and help that I receive at this practice. They make me feel valued and they respond to my concerns. Thank you to all of them. read more

The reviews that have been captured relative to a $380 service and paper-work charge per annum to their patients are correct!!!! As if medical costs and insurance premiums/deductibles aren't enough - they have the will to charge YOU additionally what should be paid for through the normal variable costs and margins of any business. It was also frustrating trying to get through to the office to learn this. Don't waste your time. read more

I've been a Patient for over 3 years. She is compassionate, listens, inquisitive, will research for information and follows up. The entire staff is friendly and efficient. I highly recommend her. read more

She treated me absolutely horribly. I have 5 autoimmune diseases, when I developed horrible pain and inflammation in my hands she ordered an MRI of one hand she called me with the result and then proceeded to tell me that it was not rheumatoid arthritis (turned out it was of course) because "It was only in one hand." I respectfully pointed out that both hands were affected but she had only ordered an MRI on one. I was, by that time, in excruciating pain and could not walk or use my hands. When I called her office crying and begging for help they waited 3 days before calling me back. i ended up in the ER and then she accused me of "faking" my pain and told me there was no reason to be complaining. I immediately found another rheumatologist who is wonderful and I ended up being disabled for a year until they could get the disease under control. I would NEVER recommend Dr Karamlou read more

I have been to this rheumatologist a few times over the last few years and I never was able to see the actual doctor. I only saw the nurse practitioner since the doctor was never available. I just received an email indicating that as of June 1, 2023, they will be charging an "annual membership fee" of $380 in order to be seen by this doctor. This is unfortunate. Just like many other doctors these days, it's all about the money. Since I never actually saw the doctor, I guess it makes no difference to me to find another rheumatologist who doesn't charge a "membership fee." read more

This review is for Brittany Tihein at Dr Karamlous office. I originally scheduled an appointment with Kathy Karamlou and had an online appointment during the Covid period she asked me to show me my hands and pretty much diagnosed me and later made a 6 month follow up appointment and at this time it was with Brittney the nurse practitioner I was hesitant at first but must say she has been very thorough and completely transparent in all exams and information. I find her knowledgeable and very easy to communicate with and will continue to use her for all follow up treatments. read more

I was referred to Cathy Karamlou by my integrative doctor however, I waited to call to be seen. Once I did call, the office had me jump through multiple hoops; first of all, there is a 300 some odd dollar annual fee to be a patient called an "administrative fee." Secondly, they have you send your medical records, and if they do not like your case, they wait 1-2 weeks and then reject you as a patient. I was also charged a nonrefundable deposit of $200 to be rejected as a patient. I don't see a charge on my card however, I don't know if the charge will be run in the future. I had to wait weeks to be told I could not be seen, but I was provided with a phone number to reach out to a medical group to find another rheumatologist. This is unprofessional and unethical. Doctors, please reconsider referring patients to Dr. Karamlou unless you are sure she will take their case. I have had chronic pain for years and just now have the courage to seek answers, and I am being rejected by a specialist without even being seen. Sad. read more

I was referred to this doc by my PC doc. called for an appt and had to fill out paperwork for her to review to decide if she would take me as a patient. After waiting some time, I get a call indicating that she will see me. When I get there, the appt is with the PA not her. I was never advised of that. when I asked to see her, the whole experience became very uncomfortable. I was made to feel like I was putting her out to see me. They gave me orders for some labs and when I booked for the follow up, I specifically asked to see her. They told me it would be a dual appt. with both her and the PA. When I came in for that appt., PA saw me, not her. I feel like her and the staff should have been more upfront. If she didn't want to take me on as a patient, that's fine, but I am the consumer, let me decide If I want to see the PA or go elsewhere. I can't say if she's a good doc or not as a result of my experience. I will, however, not be returning. Especially now that she is charging a fee to be a patient. I wonder who you'll be seeing for that fee? read more

Just got off the phone with the front desk and she was very unhelpful. I have Ankylosing Spondilitis and am looking for a new Rheumatologist due to severe pain. The front desk dismissed my needs and was in no way helpful. read more

I'm really surprised to see no reviews for Dr. Karamlou here. She has been me and my wife's most excellent rheumatologist for the last two years. She is extremely thorough and caring, and even called my wife in the middle of her vacation to check on her after she had called her office for help with some excessive pain. I would definitely recommend her to anyone who asked. read more

I've been looking for answers to a unique set of symptoms for a long time, and finally decided to look for a Rheumatologist after discussing things with several nurse friends. Dr. Karamlou's office refused to schedule me for an appointment because my primary care provider is a Neurologist and not a General Practice. They told me to go get a GP, and then have that office give them a referral. So the idea is that I go see someone for the first time, and then turn right around and come see Dr. Karamlou for the first time just so I'm in compliance with their policy. It's not about the money. It's about the fact that my Neurologist knows me better than any other health professional out there. They say the reason is because they work with my GP...but they are the ones who decide what constitutes a GP in my case. Maybe you should review your unbending policy, Doc. As a side note, the gal I talked to asked me why I thought I needed to see Dr. Karamlou. I explained my symptoms and she went and talked to the Office Manager, then came back and told me I have to have a GP. I have literally never run in to this type of situation in my life. What do they have to lose by seeing me as a patient? read more

After years of suffering with unusual symptoms...Dr Karamlou was the only Dr. that finally was able to diagnose my disease. I am so thankful for Dr. Karamlou's knowledge and experience. She is so pleasant and her office staff is tremendously organized and punctual. I will always be grateful for Dr. Karamlou and I am to fight back against my disease. I would definitely ...definitely recommend her to anyone who asked. Thank you Dr. Karamlou : )!! read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Kathy Karamlou for over 5 years. If you're looking for a rheumatologist in the OC / Newport area she is one of the most gifted, caring, patient oriented doctors I have ever met. I was diagnosed in 2004 with a rare disease called Polyarteritis Nodosa (PAN) This is a vasculitis disease that affects the small and medium sized arteries. PAN commonly targets the muscles, joints, intestinal tract, skin, heart and kidneys. This is a complex disease and it's difficult to find rheumatologists that have treated other PAN patients. During our first visit my wife and I were impressed that Dr Karamlou had treated other PAN patients at UCLA and in her practice. She immediately put us at ease and took time to listen to our fears and concerns. She collaborates with my other doctors and has always been open to input from other specialists for second opinions. In a nutshell, I trust her with my life. She has never let me down and I'm thankful for her dedication and skill as a doctor. read more

Dr. Karamlou is truly one of the best physicians I've ever been to. She takes her time with her patients and truly you feel cared for. I've had severe joint pain for the past several years and been to multiple doctors who have never gotten to the root of the reason as to why I was so stiff and uncomfortable. Within a couple of visits she not only got to the root of the problem but also started me on a treatment plan that has truly give me my life and function back! She is one of a kind !! A true angel of a doctor. read more

I saw Dr Kathy almost 2 years ago. I received a call recently with no context. When I tried to call back to find out what it was about, the answer service gave absolutely no options for a patient (eg. "if your a doctor press 1 etc.) so I just kept calling and selecting an option until I was able to get through to a person - I found out that they had been holding a refund for me for almost 2 years and when I gave the person on the phone the feedback that their automated system is very difficult for patients to get through - especially if they are trying to call back - because there is not a single option for a patient on their dial system, she was very rude and said "ok" and hung up the phone. I am very disappointed, not only because I spend over a $1000 at Dr Kathy (per recommendation) for a diagnosis in which she did not help me, but also because it took 2 years to get any sort of refund AND I was treated rudely when I was trying to give some feedback that patients are having a difficult time even getting through to the office. Would not recommend. read more

As the owner of In Motion O.C. (physical therapy), we work closely with a lot of doctors and we also get a lot of patients asking us where they should go. For patients that need to see an Rheumatologist, Dr. Kathy Karamlou has been so amazing for a long time. Her patients LOVE her. A lot of our Aquatic Therapy patients especially either have been referred to us by her or we have referred them to her. You can't go wrong with Dr. Karamlou. read more

Dr. Karamlou is a wonderful physician. She's beyond caring and it shows by how meticulous she is. Be sure to book early because she is in popular demand! Completely worth the wait. I absolutely love her and I wouldn't recommend anyone else. read more

I visited Dr. Karamlou after getting high regards about her from several doctors and was referred hoping that she could help me get to the bottom of my many confusing symptoms. After my first appointment with her she only did 1 test which came back negative and insisted that I take this medication for a disease which I do not have, which is also contraindicated with another medical problem that I have. I had specifically been told by my GP to avoid this medication. If she had been thorough enough to look at my records, she would know that I could not take it but she insisted. I then asked about a specific diagnosis and she told me that it was too complicated of a disease and working on a diagnosis was futile because there was no way that she could help me if I had it. She did however agree that it would make sense as a diagnosis given my symptoms. I am now undergoing a work up for this disease from my primary care doctor and am never going back to Dr. Karamlou. From her lack of regard for my concerning symptoms and lab results to her misdiagnosis, I cannot see why she came with such high praise. She attempted to write off my symptoms as mental health issues, telling me that my crippling fatigue must be depression without asking me about my mental health at all. It seemed as though she had more concern about getting as many patients seen in a short amount of time as possible than actually helping me get a proper diagnosis and treatment. If you suffer from a disease that is not cut and dry and/ or is rare or an atypical presentation I would urge you to seek a different rheumatologist as I could have saved months of my time waiting to get in to her office and lots of money if I had gone elsewhere. As a side note: if you are an EDS patient I would specifically avoid her as that is what I was attempting to get worked up and she said there was nothing she could do for EDS patients and that it was a pointless diagnosis. read more

I hear Dr. Karamlou is wonderful, however 10 days following my initial call to this practice, and an email exchange with the office manager who promised to call me back, I was never even allowed to book an appointment (I was seeking help for constant arthritis pain). Obviously I have gone elsewhere ... read more

Dr. Karamlou is the most caring and capable doctor I have had. She is highly intelligent, thinks outside the box and takes time to understand what's going on. I highly recommend her. read more

Dr. Karamlou has been my Rheumatologist for over 10 years. She is the most caring doctor I have ever had. She truly take interest not only in your current medical condition, but your family and overall well being. She help diagnose a problem I had after a medical procedure by another doctor and send me immediately to the ER. She saved my life. I always recommend her to my family and friends. L.Taylor read more

Dr. Karamlou and her staff provide outstanding / excellent services, on both the medical and administrative levels. I've been seen by top rheumatologists for 30+ years and Dr. K's office is by far, the best. Dr. K. discusses her observations and recommendations and IMO really works with each patient, individually, to develop a care plan. And to her great credit, she'll check that you're staying on it - or discuss why you might want some changes. I've had several small circumstances arise, and each time, Dr. K has been one step ahead of my body and mind, helping me to realize what was going on, and what we should do to handle the concern in the best way possible. Her support staff - Pam, Nora and now Dorothy - are super. Practical, caring and efficient - and a pleasure to see when I come in, whether I'm feeling good or facing a challenge. read more

Terrible staff. I was referred to Dr. Karamlou by my oncologist. After calling to make an appointment I spent 25 minutes on the phone going through all the insurance stuff (medicare and blue shield) then all my symptoms and medical history and what test results had caused my oncologist to refer me to her. At the end of the call she said "our scheduling assistant" will call you back to set up an appointment. No call back that day. One week went by--no call. Two weeks went by--no call. I figured after two weeks I should try to find another rheumatologist. Made an appointment with another rheumatologist. Then after 3 weeks I received a phone message from their Karamlou's office that if I had "any organ involvement or peripheral artery problems" it was vital i call them immediately since they would try to get me in "sooner". I called and told them when no one called me to schedule an appointment after 3 weeks I made an appointment to see another rheumatologist. No apologies from them, only a nervous giggle... read more