Had a consult today with Dr Lee about my back pain and what options and possible surgery that could fix it. Dr Lee was very informative about my condition. I had seen 2 other ortho Dr's prior to Dr Lee and liked the other 2 Dr's as well. But Dr Lee separated himself as being my choice for surgery when it is needed which probably is not that far away. Dr Lee is the only one who described everything very clearly and what it would take to fix it. I didn't fully realize what he said (I am tired today) until driving home. He will fix all in one surgery where the others did not offer to do that and were vague about how insurance pays $ etc. Thank you for your time and help today. I will try some of the other options you suggested but will reach out to you again to help with surgery when it comes. Dr Lee wants to fix the whole problem, not half and have to have another surgery down the road. Very smart and informative. Thanks again James read more

This guy could not be bothered with me. Spent less than 5 minutes with me each of the 3 visits I saw him. When I asked him how I could improve my posture, he told me to "just stand up straight" - didn't even care to mention that I have an 80 degree kyphotic curve in my spine. I only realized how horrible of a doctor this guy is after seeing a couple other orthopedic doctors. Go see Sam Bederman at UCI if you want a spine doctor who actually cares about his patients. read more

The most uncaring, rude Dr I have ever been to. His Pompous attitude is totally revolting. Waste of time and money! Apparently does not care for seniors. Staff was wonderful and helpful, unfortunately they're working with this poor excuse for a Dr. read more

My mom's back was a mess and she was in a wheelchair unable to walk at all. She had gone to two other back surgeons who told her that she would need at least two surgeries and she would never walk properly again. We consulted with Dr. Lee and he told her that he would have her up and dancing again with one surgery. Sure enough, the day after surgery, she was up and dancing. I had to see Doctor Lee because my L4 was out of place and I couldn't walk. He actually advised against surgery and told me to do PT. Once again, he was spot on. We love Doctor Lee as a doctor and a person. He reflects whatever energy you put out and we found him to be warm and kind. We are so grateful for his professional abilities and feel so blessed to have met him. read more

Richard S Lee, MD - Dr Lee and my mom who was in a wheelchair before her surgery - Orthopedists Near Me - Newport Beach, California

Me and my children been patient of Newport Orthopedic for many years and for the first time I felt so disrespected from their doctor in the group. I had an accident that was neck and spine involved and stayed at trauma hospital as well . Seeing Dr. Lee was for my follow up. He came to the room after 50 minutes waiting on empty waiting area. He didn't exam me and all had to say was that he is a surgeon and I don't have broken bone! He saw how much I was in pain and didn't ask what medication I'm taking or what be better to do to control my pain. I asked if physical therapy something I should consider and answer was No. He didn't bother to explain the issue I had and rushed exited the room. It's sad how someone can't care for their patient. Terrible experience! read more

Dr Lee and everyone in his office has been amazing. From the moment I decided that having him perform a spinal fusion on my back the pre op and post op instructions were clear. Dr Lee and his staff took the time to listen to my concerns and answer questions. He made both my family as well as me comfortable that I would be well taken care of. The surgery is now over and I am so glad I did it and I chose Dr Lee to perform the surgery at Hoag Orthopedic Hospital. read more

Dr. Richard Lee is a fantastic surgeon. He did a cervical fusion on me. I can't state how lucky I feel to have gotten Dr. Lee. My surgery went well and he has been very supportive before and after the procedure. read more

Absolutely horrible care from Dr Lee. You cannot ask questions because he doesn't like that. I've never seen such unprofessional behavior in a Dr if that's what you want to call him. He's horrible and spoke very unprofessionally to me and does not care about any of your concerns at all. I would never let him treat me or anyone else I love. In 59 years I've never been treated like that by a Dr. He even went so far as to imply that other doctors were overselling??? He got angry almost immediately just for asking a simple question. He walked out of the room while I was still TRYING to talk to him. The RUDEST Dr ever. I also have been coming to Newport ortho for 20 years and I don't understand how you can defend his horrible treatment to your patients that pay very well for their services!!!! read more

Just had a visit and it was the WORST experience I have ever had with a doctor. He only spent 2 minutes with me, didn't review the 3 page history I was asked to write up, dismissed the pain I was experiencing and walked out. Avoid this doctor!!!! read more

My wife and I are extremely grateful to Dr. Richard Lee, whose care and skill as a surgeon kept her from spending the rest of her life in a wheelchair. During the first consultation more than a year ago, Dr. Lee laid out the brutal facts; her condition would lead to permanent loss of mobility if not treated surgically, but that people of her age could take two years or more to recover from surgery and might be bedridden for much of that time. He didn't sugar coat the options, but he agreed to do the surgery after she said she would do whatever it took for a successful outcome. Dr. Lee good-naturedly humored her when she stated her intention to walk into his office after three months. Two surgeries were required; the first, 15 hours straight, followed by 5 more hours the next day. And guess what -- three months later, she walked into his office under her own power, very slowly, with the aid of a walker. Then came several months of physical therapy and exercise. Today, she walked into her one-year follow-up appointment with just a cane. If Dr. Lee had a fan club, we would both be lifetime members. He deserves all the accolades we could ever think of. As we resume planning for our delayed 50th wedding anniversary trip of a lifetime, we both know that it is only possible because of Dr. Lee's tremendous skill, ability and dedication. Thank you, Dr. Lee. read more

Dr. Lee is fantastic. Trying to get ahold of his office for scheduling or updates is a nightmare!

I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for the outstanding care Dr Lee provided during my husband's recent spine surgery. His expertise and dedication were evident throughout the entire process, and we are profoundly appreciative of the positive outcome. Dr Lee is man of few words but up to a point. As a layman we were worried whether to go for surgery or not because of the risk involved, but Dr Lee words that "if it was with him he would have done it 5 years earlier" gave us assurance. His professionalism and compassionate approach not only alleviated our concerns but also instilled confidence in us during a challenging time. We are truly grateful for the skill and attention he demonstrated, which have significantly contributed to my husband's recovery. Thank you, Dr Lee, for your unwavering commitment to your patients' well-being. We are fortunate to have you as our surgeon and will always be grateful for the difference you've made in our lives. I hope you continue to help innumerous people suffering from spine related diseases. read more

Dr Lee only fixed half of the problems during my back surgery 14 months ago. He replaced three discs and fused 4 vertebrae with 2 rods. I now have enormous back pain that began immediately after my surgery. The x-ray immediately after my surgery showed that he missed 2 large bone spurs on L5 and L6. He also missed a degenerated bulging disc. Over the last year he explained that he could go back and fix the problems that he overlooked in the previous surgery until I went to see him last month. He is now lying to me saying that he can't fix them, but I know he just doesn't want to see me ever again and have to think about his mistakes. He is also the worst doctor ever when it comes to explaining what he is doing. You have to ask a hundred questions of him before you can understand what he is planning on doing. read more

T10 to Pelvis remarkable medical engineering . Two surgery days at Hoag Orthopedic Institute Monday then Wednesday home by Saturday. Pain free it's a blessing. All thanks to Dr Richard Lee. Phenomenal Orthopedic Surgeon one of the very few who specializes in Scoliosis. Consultation with three other Orthopedic Doctors who weren't sure they knew what the problem was. Research revealed that Dr. Lee was the physician with the background to solve Karen's problem. 4 months post she is pain free. Thank you Dr. Lee. read more

I had my first and last appointment with Dr. Lee yesterday. As a senior with assorted medical conditions I've had my share of doctors, but I don't think I have ever met one who was as rude and condescending as Dr. Lee. If I had read the Yelp reviews I would never have made the appointment. The minute Lee knew surgery wasn't an option, the meeting was over. He even went so far as to tell me that he had to get to the next appointment. I told him that I understood perfectly well. He spent four minutes with me -- I spent one hour waiting for him --and it was time to move on to the next four minute appointment. Forget about me as a patient with needs in the latter part of life. What about all the "minimally invasive" strategies to manage the problem? Never had any time to discuss those. Too ready to move on to the next patient. What a jerk. read more

Dr. Richard Lee MD and his team are fabulous. My first meeting and surgery with him for my cervical spine 2019. My very first visit I liked this surgeon because he listened and related...I am his father's age and he looked straight in my eyes and said "if you were my dad this is the surgery I would do for you". 2020 the numbness in my arms and both hands gone. 2023 my lumber spine diagnosed lumbar spinal stinosis. January 2024 spinal fusion. More complex than diagnosed 6.5 hr surgery. Again post op he took the time I needed and explained everything he did and what I needed to do to return to a new normal pain free. Hat's off to Dr. Lee and his NOI team!! Thank you!! read more

Wanted to update my review as this office asked me to call them because they strive to be great! Haha. Called 3 times and left messages 3 times. No response. I spoke to HOAG staff that referred me and they said they "trust" Dr. Lee. Sure there are probably medical conversations between people to make them feel a certain way but look at how many aren't treated well. I'm not even talking about medically, I'm talking about just treating people right when they come in. You are not a trusted person when people are looking to you for help and get insulted on the way out. Simply put ... Dr Lee is not a good person. read more

I been seeing Dr. Richard Lee for few weeks now. Thank full to my friends.,to encourage me to see him after having some bad results with a different surgeon. He is very knowledgeable,caring and kind. ******* Thank you Dr Lee ,for taking the time, going thru my MRI,CT Scan results, and thru the past spine surgery results, and explain step by step, to me and my husband, what is going on and what is going to be the next steps to be done ( extra MRI,CT myelogram and spine surgery.) ******* My husband and I ,would definitely ,recommend Dr. Richard Lee, to other patients ,who needs spinal surgery. He is excellent. Thank you, Eugenia Kiser read more

Doctor Lee is a very good orthopedic. Doctor but not very communicative with the patient. It seems like he's always in a hurry and not willing to discuss at length your problems. After five minute he wants to leave the room to go to the next Patient and I do not appreciate that!! He is very cold in his demeanor, I don't know if I will be back to see him! read more

I'm a patient of Dr. Richard Lee of the Newport Orthopedic Institute. Dr. Lee performed an extensive and complex spinal surgery on me. Prior to the surgery Dr. Lee took the time to explain the surgery, what I would experience after the surgery, the outcomes, and the recuperation timeline. I found Dr. Lee to be patient, professional, and caring. While this was a routine procedure for Dr. Lee, it was a frightening experience for me as to the possible outcomes and Dr. Lee was very reassuring. Prior to the surgery every nurse and other health care professional at the Newport Orthopedic Institute and the Hoag Orthopedic Institute (where the surgery was performed) spoke very highly of Dr. Lee and was so reassuring. The pre-op process of getting clearances from my various doctors was managed so well by Dr. Lee's administrator. The 10 hour surgery went exactly as planned. My post op stay at the Hoag on Sand Canyon in Irvine was made so much better by the excellent nurses, physical therapists, and other health care professionals. I just had my post op visit with Dr. Lee and again Dr. Lee took his time going over my X-rays showing great results and discussing my continuing recuperation which is going better than expected. I, without reservation, recommend Dr. Lee for orthopedic surgery. read more

I had surgery a year ago with Dr. Richard Lee at Newport Orthopedic. The first impression was that he was aloof and short, with answers coming from someone who isn't a specialized surgeon. This should have been a sign of his uncaring attitude towards his patients. I proceeded with surgery for a bulged disc. Every day since surgery, I have felt a sharp knife in my back every time I lean against any chair. I couldn't take the pain any longer and, during my six-month visit, relayed how much pain I was in to Dr. Lee. He dismissed me and stated that it would get better. Asked no further questions or did any testing. I researched where to go and set an appointment with a neurosurgeon who did an MRI and found a collapsed bone sitting on a nerve. Since the prior surgery, this pain has existed. What then happened was that I received a further bill from Dr. Lee's office demanding another 3500 when I had already paid a substantial amount of money at surgery time. Then, when I wrote them a note about it they sent me to collections. Truly unbelievable the treatment I have received from this office and doctor. I just had another surgery to correct the issue and feel great after 3 weeks of surgery. Please do not go to this doctor, as he does not care and will keep billing you. Read the other reviews as they are very similar: he is rude, doesn't care, doesn't do good work, and bills outrageously. read more

If I could give this "doctor" a 0 I would. I was diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis and this guy couldn't care less. He pretty much told me I'm not ready for surgury and to go back to my primary. He acted like I was bugging him. I don't know if he's mad because of something, but by his terrible attitude I would NEVER choose him for anything. Most likely he would act exactly the same during surgury putting me at risk. STAY AWAY! read more

I recently had a very intense back surgery performed by Dr Richard Lee. This was my first surgery and I must say from the beginning conversation I felt totally cared for and knew Dr Lee was the one to help my situation. The respect he has from all within the Newport Orthopedic Institute added to my comfort level. And everyone on the staff including a big shout out to Kim Donaldson was so helpful and positive. After reading the mix of reviews I'd like to say a big huge thank you Dr Lee for your professionalism and direct manner. Your bedside manner worked for me in giving me the confidence in moving forward with this surgery!!! read more

Dr Richard Lee of Newport Orthopedic Newport is the worst doctor I have ever come in contact with! I've been going to NEWPORT ORTHOPEDIC for over 20 years. Dr. Safman was wonderful. I'm sad she's gone. Dr. Lee is a surgeon. I have pain every day( my neck) it never leaves. My MRI shows it my husband and myself saw him for the first time probably a month ago. We were not pre-warned about his bedside manner. He was rude, but he said he would " Accept me" for surgery., my husband asked him one question and he replied back, like I've told you four times before! Terrible no excuse for this, we just couldn't believe it. When we got home, we did a lot of research. It is said that he is one of the best surgeons so I thought fine. I'm going to go with him with his reputation as being a good surgeon. I made a follow up appointment for today. It was so degrading ! He lied and said he would not take me. In fact when he first came into the room he said and how can I help you? Are you kidding me? I thought, I said I'm here because you said I was a candidate for you to do surgery for. He totally lied and said I don't even know it was so turned around. It was so crazy. He is an ego maniac but worse than that, He's a narcissist he doesn't care anything about his patients, I took off time off work to come in today. He was condescending and I had tears in my eyes. He didn't care because what he was telling me like I said was a complete lie. After seeing him the first time, I had to psych myself into this surgery because I know I need to have it for quality of life. So when I did, he doesn't accept me.??!! he is something else. I wonder what kind of childhood he had. Something is really wrong with this man.! he just wasted my time. I'm going to a very well-known Doctor Who is supposed to have a wonderful demeanor and caring. This map is void of all of that.! he insulted my intelligence today and NEWPORT ORTHOPEDIC I can't believe that you have someone like this on your staff. But the problem is you all own this together he is a bad person who should not be in this position. And yes, I am very angry. I forgot about this what he said you should be happy that you have a surgeon that isn't just dying to operate on you! What?! 20 years I have done physical therapy. I have tried everything and now I have pain 24 seven this man should not be anywhere near people. He's disgusting.. read more

When I met with Dr. Lee, I was in severe pain with a pinched nerve. He ordered x-rays and the MRI quite quickly. However, when he and I reviewed my MRI he told me that I had a slipped disc, two bulging discs and a bone fragment at L3. I asked for my options as I am fairly young and very active. He was not interested in pain management for me. I suggested an epidural and he did not prescribe me any pain medication. He made it abundantly clear that he was not interested in seeing me again unless I was interested in surgery. I went to another surgeon, who was incensed by Dr. Lee's diagnosis. I am going to have a procedure done, but its and outpatient, 1 hour procedure to remove the blockage. 6 weeks of no heavy lifting and then my life will resume as before. I found Dr. Lee unempathetic and very arrogant. I would not recommend him. read more

I was living with severed nerve pain in my lower back radiating to my legs and toes over a decades. Thankfully my friend's daughter who works at HOAG recommended me to see Dr Lee then he became my spine surgeon. Dr. Lee precisely explained and answered every questions I had during the entire process. He gave me the confidence that his surgery would correct my spine problem resulting in a better life quality. It has been one month after my successful complex spine surgery. I could tell that my body is improving each day and I am no longer dealing with that daily horrible back pain. What a life changing experience for me! Many thanks to Dr Lee 's talent, compassion, incredibility, and professionalism. He truly has God's hands and magical ability to surgically corrected my spine. I am forever grateful for his help. read more

Dr. Lee performed surgery on my husband and he is an incredible surgeon. It was a complicated surgery and thanks to Dr. Lee it was successful. He explained everything to us with great patience and his follow up care is equally as good. We are so grateful to Dr. Lee and his staff . read more

Worst surgeon - super egoistic and no bedside manners! Negative star for such a liar like him. He messed up my back. I had to go through another surgery for he didn't correct my back issue, but made it even worse. NEVER EVER LET HIM TOUCH YOUR BACK. He will back bite you and blame you to cover himself for his mistakes on his medical report. I don't know he can sleep at night with the way he treats his patients. read more

Dr Lee is a fabulously talented surgeon that did surgery on my spine in February. I had come in with 10 years of chronic pain in my lower back and both hips. After my surgery in February, I woke up with absolutely no pain in my hips and haven't had hip pain so nice. I would recommend Dr Lee to everyone, he works MIRACLES. Patricia Webber Belmont Shore read more

This is my first time writing a Yelp review and I am only doing it because of how fantastic Dr. Lee was for my mother's spinal surgery! On behalf of my mother, father and I we want to thank Dr. Lee for his professionalism and expertise. Before surgery, my mom was in so much pain that she could not walk or even sit up comfortably. Seven months post surgery, though she is still recovering, the intense pain she had is gone. She is now able to walk, drive and can pretty much live as she did before the pain started. It's like night and day! He was very kind and clear throughout the process and is clearly very knowledgeable about his field and we are extremely grateful for his help. We would definitely recommend him to anyone who needs spinal surgery. read more

UPDATE: I didn't reach out to office management because I've been busy and had given up on the office altogether. My initial complaint was that Dr. Lee was in too much of a hurry to answer all of my questions and put me at ease regarding my almost 30 degree scoliosis. Dr. Lee just personally called me and apologized multiple times for how short he was with me the day of my appointment. He explained that the staff was called into an emergency meeting that particular day about the coronavirus which is now wreaking havoc on society altogether. The fact that Dr. Lee reached out to me, one puny patient, during such a stressful time means so much. Dr. Lee spent 10 min (a long time to me) on the phone with me answering every question I had left and I'm feeling much more confident in the treatment plan of my scoliosis (which is mostly physical therapy). He really does care about his patients, and he really listened to me. I will be returning next year for my follow-up to make sure my curve hasn't progressed significantly. read more

BAD CHOICE for Spine Doctor ! HE will Not Help YOU !! ----My Husband Have Spine Fusion done By Dr LEE --(7 Hrs Surgery) -Doesn't Help , HE Got Tremendous Severed Pain - day And Night after Dr LEE SURGERY - It Is more then ( 5 Years after surgery - WE Visit Dr LEE 2 Months a Go---(For Hope) He will HELP ,No Suggestion , No Answer - No Help !!!- HE send Me to Rheumatology Dr - instead try to fix or explain this Problem !!---PLease Help -This PAIN is unbearable !!! --There Have to b Some Help For This Problems !! -----Thank YOU FOR READING THIS REVIEW--Please HELP !! read more

I definitely would not recommend Dr. Richard S Lee of Newport Orthopedic Institute (spine). I found Dr. Lee to be very uninterested in my situation, not engaging and did not provide basic answers to my questions about my back issue. I asked many questions which he simply refused to answer, or if he did answer, many times they were 1-word answers. It's like I was dealing with a mechanical robot which to me was very disconcerting. Another reviewer posted a comment that Dr. Lee was "rude and impatient". I concur. My comments are based on seeing Dr. Lee twice. Working with a good doctor to me is one who you develop a caring and healthy doctor-patient relationship. Again, my recommendation is to stay clear of Dr. Richard Lee at NOI. read more

This is our second major surgery with Dr Lee neck fusion last year now L4 L5 and S1. He is kind caring and very professional ... we highly recommend him! read more

I was dealing with back pain for years possibly from an injury 20 years ago. It was a life changing experience for me at age 60, when I found out it was necessary for me to have back surgery or the outcome would not be good. I am amazed with Dr. Lee and his team. We did a lot of research trying to find a surgeon and everyone we spoke to highly recommended Dr. Richard Lee. He was very informative about the process and everything went the way he said it would. He has great bedside manner and takes the time to explain everything to you. The surgery was successful and it feels great to get out of bed in the morning and not feel like a 90 year old woman. He even guarantees me I will be skiing again in February. Thank you Dr. Lee and all of your team members for taking such good care of me through this very unnerving experience in my life. Diana & Lyndi V read more

We have had a good experience with lee in the past so when I took a second family member, we thought we were in good hands. I'm not a doctor so I can't judge his technical skills but he is very rude and impatient. The god complex is so real with this one. You provide a service that you are well paid for so don't think you are doing anyone a favor. There are plenty of great doctors out there who have excellent bed side manners and who won't tell you that they are very busy and don't have time to talk to you. I work with doctors all day and trust me they don't know it all. Don't be afraid to take charge of your health care and question everything. Nurses are awesome or Get other doctors or hospital management involved if you must. A doctor's ego should never get in the way of patient care. read more

I was referred to dr Lee in Nov 1 2015 after being in on and off pain for last 5 yrs. this year the pain got unmanageable. I am 41 and in excellent health minus my disk. . On my first initial appt. dr Lee suggested microdisectomy after reviewing my MRI which showed a large herniated disk. I am 2 weeks post surgery. Living pain free. Woke up from my surgery and the pain- numbing of my leg completely gone. Thank you so much dr Lee. read more

Dr. Lee was referred to me by a friend. I called and made the appointment and was told he took my insurance only to find out after arriving they don't take it. They told us for a consult it would be $100-$330. We explained to Dr. Lee our situation and he seemed very understanding so we were hoping for a good rate. All he did was review the X-rays I brought and they charged us $365. Not only was that a horrible experience, but Dr. Lee made several racial comments. read more

I underwent spinal surgery on 2/3/2020 under the care and expertise of Dr. Richard Lee and his five star team at Hoag Orthopedic Institute. I never write a review but felt compelled to share my positive experience. He is honest about the risks of surgery, brief and to the point but a talented surgeon that I highly recommend. read more

I saw Dr. Lee for the first time last fall when I was having lot of pain in the tailbone. On inspecting the MRI Dr. Lee smilingly told me that there was nothing wrong with my lower back or the tail-bone. Then he showed me the horrible state of my cervical spine. C2-C6 had almost collapsed and the curvature itself had changed due to the disc-collapse. Dr. Lee is quite soft-spoken and doesn't speak much. He is not someone who pushes his opinion. He cautioned me that it was in very bad shape and surgery was the only option. However, he didn't insist and told me that as long as I am OK and there are no alarming signals of getting a paralysis, I can defer it. He asked me to look for any weakness on numbness in my arms. After that I started observing myself very closely and I found that I had developed lot of weakness in my left arm and the fingers of my left hand used to get numb very often. I visited Dr. Lee again in April this year again with a fresh MRI. He told me that the treatment would involve fusing the C2-through-C6. He also told me that the spine needs to be pulled back in order to correct the shape. He clearly told me the risk of doing so and he didn't promise if the complete curvature can be brought back. He told that he will determine only during the surgery. Dr. Lee is quite conservative and very clear in communication (using very few words though :). Surgery was done on May 16. Dr Lee was able to bring the full shape back in the spine. This suggests that he promises less and believes more in delivery. It's been three weeks after the surgery and there has been no complication so far. The shape of spine looks great although the complete bone fusion will take 18 months. I can see the improvement in my left arm already. I keep my fingers crossed for my full recovery. But nothing stops me from giving thumbs-up to wonderful doctor Lee. Rishi read more