I am sorry but I must update my review. My husband had a near fatal heart attack last year. He had been advised that cortisone shots could be fatal by another practitioner in this office in my presence last February. My husband goes in 2 weeks ago and wants help with his hand. He sees Dr Lin. Dr Lin says "well my brother is a cardiologist and I never heard that." Well guess what? He IS NOT MY HUSBANDS CARDIOLOGIST. Today he goes in and IS administered a cortisone shot. They were supposed to reach out to my husband Cardiologist to see if this was safe and they didn't. I called them this morning and asked. This is not ok. read more

Very disappointed with the phone system. I've called four times trying to reschedule my appointment and have yet to speak to a real person. You're forced to leave a voicemail or wait on hold, but no one ever picks up. It shouldn't be this difficult to manage an appointment. read more

Six months ago I broke my leg on a lovely Saturday afternoon. I was so grateful to get an appointment with MSJ urgent care on a Sunday. After less than an hour appointment, I had ex rays, a diagnosis, and surgery scheduled for the next week to repair my injury. I believe Connor was my PA, and I was very satisfied with his diagnosis and explanations of what to expect going forward. Six days post injury I was in surgery with Dr. Mark C Howard at the surgery center in Monterey. I was very nervous as it was my first major surgery. The nurses and staff at the surgery center were great at my bedside and helped me relax. Following a successful surgery I was routed to physical therapy. Kevin was my main PT Doctor and he supported me on my journey even when I didn't have faith in myself. I worked with a couple other PT doctors and therapists, and they have all been knowledgeable when helping me get my strength back. read more

This review is for Dr. Halamendaris and the entire staff at this location, now known as Montage Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. I suffered with debilitating back issues/pain for several years, floating from doctor to doctor, looking for any type of relief. I was lucky enough to get an appointment rather quickly with Dr. Halamendaris. Within 5 minutes of meeting him, and his review of my most recent MRI, he opined that I can continue to do the things I am trying to make work, but nothing will "fix" me without surgery. I said let's do it. Surgery was done 3 weeks later and I woke up from surgery and have been 100% pain free from that day. I am so appreciative of Dr. Halamendaris and the outcome of this surgery. I cannot recommend him strongly enough. read more

My Dr. Michael Pitta did an excellent job operating on my fractured hip! He is so helpful and knowledgeable regarding my recovery! Returning calls, etc! I highly recommend him! read more

A couple of the doctors here excellent but they unfortunately are with the new change to Chomp. Stay away from this office in group because of their front office. The people answering the phones are absolutely horrible, unprofessional and will not help. If you have an emergency, they'll put you on hold, send you to a voicemail. Call you back in three days. This place is a joke. It's crashing quickly. Definitely find a private doctor or go up to UCSF. The front desk is so bad here I was forced to take my son somewhere else after many years here. We will not be back. read more

i had a very negative experience at monterey spine and joint. i came in with a ruptured achilles. it happened that day while playing basketball. when we called MSJ to let them know we were coming, they tried to tell us to go to a different clinic instead of coming to them. when we arrived and my friends were trying to check me in, the receptionist was extremely rude to them and dismissive about questions around whether my insurance would cover the visit. she was also unclear in her explanation about what the deposit would be applied to and whether there would be additional costs. we waited over an hour and there was no offer to support with elevating my leg or making me feel more comfortable. when i saw connor cole, he was short, not personable, and unhelpful. he did a quick test to gauge if id experienced a full rupture - i did - and then told me that i could either get a splint or a boot. when describing usage of the boot, he told me that it was ok for me to put weight on the injured food. this is absolutely not ok! you shouldn't be putting any weight on a fully ruptured achilles for the first few weeks. he then prescribed me tramadol for the pain. he gave no explanation for why this was the right medicine to take, despite my inquiries, and was dismissive of my concerns about opioids. the following day i went to kaiser ER. they immediately insisted that i get a splint, put no weight on the foot, and stop taking tramadol. this is a big difference from the advice i received from MSJ and is way more consistent with all of the research i've done since my injury. my overall concerns can be summarized as follows: - unkind staff - they were dismissive and not personable. - incorrect advice - there's no way i should have been putting any weight on my foot so soon after rupturing my achilles. - unhelpful - i didn't get clear info for the pros and cons of wearing a boot, no info on the surgical vs. non-surgical options, and no info on the rationale for the tramadol prescription. i would not recommend MSJ to anyone and strongly advise getting a second option if you do decide to go. read more

The physicians are terrific, but the office staff is the worst I have ever experienced in my long life. As I left Dr. Patibanda's office, after my appointment, he gave me his card to set up an appointment with his assistant, Carmen -- she was not there at the time. She is seldom there. I have been calling, every 4 or 5 days, for one month. I speak politely and leave calm messages. And nobody has ever returned a call. That is not a typo, I've actually been trying to get an appointment with Dr. Patibanda, my wonderful doctor, for 30 days. I have left messages with the scheduling manager Diana, and she hasn't called me either. I wish I could say this is surprising, but everyone I know has the same complaint about this place. I do not recommend starting care with any of the doctors, because the frustration level is just too high. Some people I know actually drive there to make appointments in person, because the odds of getting the right scheduler on the phone -- or getting a return call -- are so low. The doctors do know how bad the office staff is, but they seem helpless. Now that Montage has bought the practice, I expected it to improve -- but it is as bad as ever. I don't think any of the staff there could have been hired by Montage, they have high standards for office staff. But these people must just not care at all. Nobody working as a schedule could possible be that inept -- it's got to be intentional. read more

Dr. Kasim is the most wonderful orthopedic surgeon!! She did a total reverse shoulder operation on my left shoulder and now my pain is all gone!! I am so thankful for her and would positively recommend her to anybody!! read more

Doctors are fine but the administration is the worst in the region and everyone knows it. I don't understand how the partners aren't completely embarrassed by how horrible their reputation is. I am writing this as I sit in their waiting room, and where I have been waiting for well over an hour for a scheduled appointment. Ridiculous. read more

Montage Health care system is a fraud. I am a 100% war veteran with Tri-Care health insurance and Medi-Care who was scammed. I phoned CHOMP and asked for a referral for a Doctor who specializes in orthopedic surgery in the Monterey area, and who accepts Tri-Care health insurance. I told him that I had been diagnosed at Palo-Alto VA hospital with a knee needing replacement knee surgery, and I was under the community care program at the VA. The Montage Representative instructed me that I needed to go to the ER in order to get an MRI from the Doctor they suggested who that day was on duty at the Hospital. So I went to the ER as instructed doubting the referral instructions. I told the admission people at the ER the same information I told the gentleman on the phone that I was requesting a referral from Chomp only, and that I did not know why I was told to go to the ER. They admitted me. After a very long wait in the ER a very nice bewildered Dr. asked me why I was there. I told her the situation in detail all about the phone call to Chomp telling me to go to the ER. She seemed uncomfortable and very embarrassed that I was given the wrong information but that she suggested I get an X-ray anyway while I was there. RED FLAG, I told her that I did not want any care because I felt scammed and that I did not want the government billed thousands of dollars because of a brand new misinformed Montage employee who was not trained and who gave me incorrect information. I felt like I was dealing with used car salespeople, not a professional healthcare system. She told me to go to Monterey Spine and joint at Ryan Ranch. After following her advice, and being in a great deal of pain, I went to Monterey Spine and joint. I was very frustrated with their unprofessional attitude repeatedly stating that they did not know why I was told to go there without an appointment, and they had just been taken over by Montage and not trained in their new system. I asked to speak with the manager and was told she was not there and was not available. I asked them to call the police wanting to report fraud, and the manager came out to the lobby immediately. She took me in to a private room and apologized for all of the wrong information I was given because of all the confusion with the employees unhappy with the new owners not training them. She was also sympathetic that I was away from my wife in 4th stage cancer who I was the healthcare provider for. She was very nice and did everything under her power to help me without an appointment, so I followed her advice and spoke with a very knowledgeable and professional PA who ordered X-rays and a MRI. I was told I would have to wait hours to see the Surgeon so I waited. After all day following advice from Montage employees I got to see a DR. for three minutes. After him leaving without even showing me the MRI and seeming frustrated that I was not ready to schedule surgery right then because I was taking care of my wife going into hospice care. After he left the room his PA informed me that he was very busy and overwhelmed because he was seeing 50 patients that day. Today I received a huge bill from Montage and their third world country billing Dept. who are half a world away and are completely unfamiliar with the case. They were rude and seemed like a collection agency. I have yet been able to find a phone number to complain to Montage's administration about their fraudulent practices, their phone menu is not set up for customer complaints. Our VA has been billed and paid a huge bill from tax payer money, and now I received a huge bill myself. Montage are just plain crooks. Richard Davis Pacific Grove CA read more

Love Dr. Pitta, no complaint with him, however since Montage has taken over the help with scheduling has gotten poor. Have tried for over a week for a call back to make an appt. with Dr Patibonda. I left another message today. This is for both my mother and myself. read more

My experience was totally positive. I had a lower back issue, causing my Primary Care Physician to order prescription meds in hope of solving the problem. I had an allergic reaction to all the medications and had to be hospitalized at CHOMP. While there I was introduced to Dr. Halamandaris, the hospital's' go to Neurosurgeon. One myelogram later and he knew exactly what was wrong. Surgery was the only option. Dr. Halamandaris performed a very difficult procedure and encouraged me to claw my way back to better health. He is a man of few words. His bedside manner is as straight to the point as it can get. But, his surgical skills are beyond anything I could hope for. If you are looking for a doctor who gets all warm and fuzzy with you while you're lying in a hospital bed in pain, he may not be the right guy for you. But, if you want a top-notch surgeon doing the job of making a canoe out of your back he is my number one choice. My recovery is going better than expected and I couldn't be more pleased with the result. read more

The worst run medical office in town. You soon figure out nobody's going to answer the phone and nobody's going to call you back so if you need to do business, you have to go there in person. read more

I cannot understand how in 2024 a medical office could have a communication system this awful. I'd probably have better luck if I sent Morse code via telegraph, or even smoke signals. Need to make an appointment? You can't, nobody will answer the phone. Need to change an appointment, don't bother...just let them sit there with empty time slots because nobody will answer the phone. Need to ask a medical question? You should probably make an appointment for that but no, you can't, because they won't answer. They don't have a viable email system to get to your doctor either. Leave a voicemail or request a callback? Nah, they won't call you. I've spent probably ~20 hours on hold over the last 3 months trying to get a human on the phone. At several points, I actually had to leave my work to drive there to request my daughter's medical records in person (so I could go to a different doctor....because I couldn't get anyone on the phone). Funny enough, both times I walked in to get help, 1) A person was standing at the front desk complaining that they'd been in the waiting room for over an hour past their appointment time, and 2) The front receptionists had NO phones ringing and were happy to explain that they don't answer phones there...some off-site service does, except they don't. They don't seem in the slightest bit concerned that people can't get the help they need. Monterey Spine & Joint...look at your rating. Do something about it. And for the love of god, hire people to answer your phones. read more

Not that it will make a difference to leave this review, but I was happy with MSJ. Now that it's Montage, it's back to no one answering the phone, no one returning text messages and no one that seems to care about patient services. I've tried to make an appointment for two weeks. Finally, today someone called back. He put me on hold and then said he couldn't reach the doctor's scheduler. I explained the issues trying to reach them and he said there was no record I had called. I also texted four times but who's counting? Perhaps training the call center on customer service? Maybe consider making an appointment without having to go through just one person. It can't be that difficult to make an appointment. I hope they figure out the logistics soon. The doctors there deserve a better front-end experience as do the patients. read more

Dr Anderson is a fantastic surgeon! 5/5 Physical therapy is wonderful! 5/5 Coordinating appointments is very difficult: 2/5. Protip - if you are receiving community care as a veteran, there seems to be a misunderstanding or disconnect with how Tricare insurance works and how the VA works. MS&J continues to reach out to Tricare for additional PT, however they need to fax a request for service form to the VA's community care office at (650)614-9993 in order for the approval to come back to Tricare. I have left messages to this effect and the physical therapy office seemed to be aware of it, as they told me the issue earlier on in March and April, but I am still trying to get it sorted out. I think we are close; it's just difficult without having an advocate on the inside who is able to follow-up on these things with you. read more

Everyone here was great -friendly and professional. Charlie, the doctor, was friendly and knowledgeable. He gave my boyfriend very helpful advice and a good treatment plan. read more

They really have issues with their systems. The reps put you on hold and the line disconnects over and over and over again. it's Impossible to get an appointment. Then they say the schedulers is on break and will call you back. They never call back. Then when you spend another hour trying to reach them they say the Dr is reviewing it. what?! The Dr has not even seen us yet. Its crazy making. Then they send a link and the link doesn't work saying wrong name or birthday. complete nonsense and incompetence. I finally gave up and went to ER to get help which it is not an emergency but we needed an Xray. When explaining to them your experience they say be patient. The issue isn't my patience. The issue is their systems. Then we heard from another party that it is indeed impossible to get unless you're an existing patient. I don't know how those existing patients ever got given the experience had. read more

If I could give 0 (zero) stars, I would. Chapter 1: Over a month ago i was given a referral for an MRI at this location. One week later I called them because I hadn't heard from them. I spoke to someone who told me that they didn't have the referral yet. I also asked if I could make an appointment to see Dr. Meckel. I was told that his scheduler was not available but would call me back. I hung up, called my doctor's office to check on the referral. They assure me that it had been sent but would send it again. For the next 4 days I called and left voicemail messages but NEVER heard back from anyone! I went to my doctor's office and had them print out the referral which I then hand-carried to the Salinas office. The staff there were possibly some of the worst I have ever encountered ANYWHERE. beginning with the receptionist who snapped at me stating "we don't do MRIs here!". When i told her ok then, I'll drive the referral to the Monterey location. She then said "I can check to see if they have it". Perhaps that would have been a better starting point? it turns out that they did have it but nobody could explain why may calls and multiple requests for a return call had been ignored. I told her that I would drive over there and speak to someone in person. "WAIT" she said, "the MRI manager is in this office. Let me see if she can speak with you..." She left me standing there for quite a while so I left. It was as I was in my car and about to pull out of the parking lot that "Nancy" came running out the door3, practically throwing herself in front of my car to stop me, begging me to "give her a chance to fix this." About a week and half later I managed to get the MRI done. Chapter 2: After a follow-up with my doctor he gave me a referral to Monterey Spine and Joint for a shot in my back to see if that would help with the pain before exploring other options. The following day (a Thursday) I called to see if they had received it. I was informed that they had received it but that the scheduler was not available. I told the person I was speaking with that I was going to be driving for an extended period of time on Monday and did she think I would be able to get in before then as it would be a great opportunity to see if the shot was going to work. I asked, specifically, if she thought I might hear from someone before the end of day. She said "well, they do have up to 72 hours." As of this writing it has been more than 170 hours and I am still waiting, in pain. I made the drive this past Monday, in pain, and truly regretting ever getting involved with these folks. I absolutely DO NOT recommend this practice. I would suggest to them that they have a look at the folks on the front lines and put them through some training on being a bit more friendly. Finally, fire THE scheduler or hire additional help for them. read more

I went to MSJ several years ago for a hand/wrist problem. I saw Dr. Kasim. everything was great. So, when I hurt my knees, of course I wanted to return. But the recent experience was really bad. It took a very long time to get an appointment. The staff were not very nice, they gave a very negative attitude. I was in a lot of pain, I asked about going to the urgent care (which is by appointment only and has limited hours). The staff said if I did that they would not schedule me with an orthopedist, I would just see the PA. SO I waited weeks. I finally had my appointment. I brought my xrays and notes from the Emergency visit, digital, on a disk. The assistant barely spoke to me, didn't want to look at the disk, wanted me to have everything repeated. She was pretty rude. Did not want to talk to me at all. Finally saw Dr. Howard. He was fine. He spent about 4 minutes with me. Very fast. He ordered an MRI. I had the MRI, the appointment went smoothly. I was glad to get that appointment pretty quick, only 18 days after the office visit. I tried for a very long time to schedule a follow up appointment. They NEVER answer the phone. EVER. It seems like it's some kind of office policy. It's all voicemail. My job does not allow me to answer the phone whenever it rings, I'm usually with my own clients. So, I am always trying to return a message if no one will pick up on their end. I called at least once a day, sometimes several times a day for weeks. Eventually I just gave up. I went to my chart to see the MRI results. Its now months after the MRI. No note from the appointment with Dr. Howard months ago. No results from the MRI months ago. The chart lists my provider as an MD I have never met. Just unbelievable. Its hard to get medical care in this area. I guess they just don't care. They are busy, plenty of paying customers. So, they don't care about being helpful or responding to patients. I'd probably be better off driving to Palo Alto or even LA. The drive time is worth avoiding the aggravation and not getting any treatment anyway. This practice has really deteriorated over time. It seems they feel like they don't need to be professional, let alone helpful. This was a very very bad experience. Wish I could give zero stars. Or negative stars. read more

I've had three surgeries through Monterey Spine And Joint. I had my spine fused and was skiing within three months. I had my collarbone reconstructed and I was teaching by the end of the week. I had a brand new knee reconstruction and after 11 1/2 months it's finally getting to the place where I can move and do fun things like go skiing. read more

Unfortunately I've had to use a couple different doctors here for different injuries, but I've liked them all. My only complaint is I've been trying to reschedule a surgery and they haven't called back after 2 or 3 messages. read more

If I could give negative stars I would. The front desk person was totally feckless. They charged my husband $300 then took him back where the mri machine was broken. The feckless front desk woman refused to refund us then and there. Instead, I had to call and wait on hold for an hour during a work day. Finally, I was connected with the equally disastrous billing department who claimed that the person who handles fee reversals is on vacation for two weeks. I was forced to escalate to a supervisor, who claims she will reverse the charge "as soon as possible." When I pressed for a timeline, she gave me the estimate of "a week or so." Everything about this place is a disaster. Stay far away. read more

I'd give a 1 star to the office (mri, orthopedic and rehabilitation) Takes weeks to get an appointment and sometimes months to see someone. They don't seem to care that you are in extreme pain... That said I want to give 5 star and if I could more to the physical therapists. Alex and Hannah are amazing. They are extremely knowledgeable and listened to my goals. I enjoy going there and feel so much stronger. Thanks to Alex I am able to workout again and resume some of my activities after having a "gone bad" discectomy! read more

they have the worst medical front desk people and the ones that answer phones i have ever seen. no one knows anything, they never call back to make an appt been 5 days after referral sent out phone call yet. the nmanagement definitely sucks. the doctors don't care about you just looking to male money! read more

Welp, Had a bike accident Tuesday afternoon. Went to MoGo urgent care. They sent an urgent referral to Monterey Spine and Joint. Called four times yesterday, Wednesday only to be told at the fourth call that the scheduler wasn't in. Also, the usual turnaround for scheduling is 24 to 48 hours minimum. I've called twice today being told both times someone will call me back I don't know if I need surgery but it seems likely. If this is how they treat an urgent case, how do they respond to "non-urgent" cases? read more

Do not get referred for MRI as outside patient. I see two doctors at MS&J, and I'm getting a second opinion from an outside doctor. He ordered an MRI from their MRI center. I called after one week and was told that they haven't looked at the paperwork yet since it was from an outside doctor. Lady on phone said it would take two weeks for them to even look at it to request insurance preauthorization. Get your MRIs someplace else. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Gullarte, Monterey Spine and Joint, for 2 to 3 years. I was convinced I found the most supportive, innovative, and knowledgeable doctor who could help me with my back and shoulder issues. Sadly, I must find another medical group as I am done waiting for return calls from his scheduler, who I shall regain from naming. In the past 6 weeks, I've left messages requesting information and an appointment each week. Today I finally received a return call. It wasn't from his scheduler, but her assistant perhaps? After explaining the situation, overdue for the last of a series of shots by 6 weeks, I was told that they couldn't ask him the question about the delay and if u needed to start again. After discussion, it was determined I would have to write him a letter asking for my answer or wait for my next appointment. When would that be? February 25th. No wait list, no options, nothing that they could do to help me. So, I want to reiterate that it isn't Dr. Gullarte that is the ptoblem, it's his office team. I am 73 with a terminal disease and chronic pain.i don't have time to wait 6 weeks for a return call. read more

Bad experiences with Dr Jesse Bernstein, have had 2 visits with him to go over medical reports, both times he has avoided going over findings in report, he either doesn't give a crap or isn't knowledgeable in the specifics field I am being treated for. He is a pain management doctor and he is just trying to refer me to get his incentive. Very unprofessional, even after I brought up specific findings that I read on the report, he deliberately avoided answering any questions. He just tried to refer me to get a nerve block shot. I would not recommend anyone to see him. I am in the process of replacing him as a physician as we speak. read more

Excellent pre and post care. Great physical therapy office and team. I would recommend Dr. Kasim and Dr. Brian Chen.

The other reviews are not lies, the doctors (Dr. Howard & Dr. Cheng) here are fantastic but the staff here are the worst to deal with. They always try to push their work onto others. God forbid you have a workers comp case, they will NOT send out authorizations and make your "primary" doctor's office send them out instead even though it's Monterey spine and joint who is asking for the authorizations, and you haven't been to the primary ever since. The primary office even told me that they don't know why Monterey s&j won't send them out when they can, they just don't want to do the work for it. This issue has been going on ever since 2017 and till this day I have to do all the leg work myself by calling the dept of labor and forwarding message to Monterey s&j. Shoot they should just hire me to do all the work since their staff doesn't seem to do any of it. As I'm writing this review I'm on hold to speak to a supervisor cause I got my authorization and the authorization # from the dept of labor, but Tatiana the scheduler for Dr. Gary Cheng, refuses to schedule the procedure that I've been waiting for years to get approved. Saying they need an authorization letter, I told them to just call the dept of labor and they'll let them know it's authorized but that requires them to do extra work of calling which of course they won't do. So guessing they want me to do the leg work of calling the dept of labor again... what is the point of having all that staff for? What even makes this worse is that my procedure was actually approved back in July but when I called Monterey s&j they said it wasn't so I was just waiting. When I called the dept of labor last month they said it was approved back in July but they never scheduled so it expired within a month. When I let Monterey s&j know about this they said they never got anything so they weren't aware it was approved. Now when I'm trying to get scheduled Tatiana told me they actually see an authorization letter from back in July for the procedure... so which is it? Just be prepared to go through these headaches while dealing with the staff here... read more

I have been trying to get an answer from these people about a follow up appointment for my wife who had a procedure that made her nerve condition worse in her lower back. Phone inquiries are met with long delays, excuses and no responses. At least a dozen requests to the person who schedules follow up appointments has completely ghosted us and left us in limbo while my wife is dealing with an agonizing and debilitating condition. Compassion is not existent. read more

There is no better doctor than Doctor James Lin!! He is so good that we actually put up with the horrible administrative patient service at the Monterey Spine and Joint Medical Center. It doesn't look like they're under-staffed; yet it is virtually impossible to make and cancel appointments. Today (and several other times in the past five years), I called and remained in automated recording never-never land for 25 , 16 and 13 minutes respectively. They never picked up the phone. I know that my husband gets in the car and drives to the medical center in order to make an appointment because he's faced the same thing on many occasions. That shouldn't have to be so. Efficient customer service should be a given in the medical industry. Thank you, M. Valentin (831) 206-8439 read more

Dr Mark Howard was great! Very little wait time and good care. I hope I don't have to see him again but I know I'll be in good hands if so.

My son had surgery there. Was successful and went good. Great doctors and team. Clean hospital. read more

Great doctors for the most part a few need to be gone but they have the best surgeons. Dr Meckle and Dr kassiem are excellent in there specialties. Before you go to Stanford atleast meet with dr here Great pt office as well. If you need a pain management dr, dr gularte is the best. He brings so much to this office that hadnt been offered in monterey , im so greatful this office is here . All the assistants are awesome as well read more

Saw Dr. Patiband today for a nerve conduction assessment and was amazed at this man's bed idea manner. He was so attentive and really wanted to help me. I wish he could be my primary care giver. Every doctor should treat their patients like he did. Thank you, Dr.Patibanda!!!! read more

Monterey Spine & Joint - Thumb joint replacement - Orthopedists Near Me - Monterey, California

I developed a severe hand pain a few days before leaving for a vacation to Big Sur. I tried to get an appointment with my own doctor's practice, but they couldn't get me in for a week. While driving to Big Sur, my hand pain got worse. So I drove to Monterey Spine and Joint to see if I could be seen in urgent care. Chucks arranged for me to come back the next day for an appointment with hand surgeon David Crandall. Dr. Crandall immediately diagnosed me with having trigger finger and gave me a cortisone injection. My pain already started to improve by evening. I'm truly grateful for Chucks going above and beyond to help me get an appointment with a hand surgeon. And I am very grateful for Dr. Crandall squeezing me in at the end of his day and providing the correct and immediate treatment. read more

Dr. Pitta is a very experienced and conscientious surgeon with stellar credentials who has successfully performed total knee replacement surgery on many Monterey Peninsula residents--which is why my own PCP recommended him. The staff is professional and responsive. Thorough pre-and post-op instructions and follow-up. Dr. Pitta lived up to his great reputation-- I had an excellent surgical outcome for my right knee. Was in the hospital overnight, returned home by noon the next day and was walking almost immediately. I have now scheduled surgery for my other knee. I thought I might have been too old and decrepit for joint replacement surgery, but I was pleasantly surprised by the very high standard of care I received by Dr. Pitta and his team at MSJ. We're lucky to have them here in Monterey. read more