No better hand and wrist expert. He is the best! I have gone to him for several years. Always immediate relief after his expert diagnosis.

As a fellow surgeon and a new practice owner, I know how rare it is to find a clinic that balances high-level clinical expertise with administrative transparency. I'm writing this because the team at Hand and Wrist Center didn't just treat a condition; they saved my career. As an eye surgeon, my hands are my livelihood. When I developed De Quervain's Tenosynovitis, the pain and loss of dexterity were terrifying. Dr. Nathan and the specialists here understood the high stakes of my profession. They provided a clear, evidence-based treatment plan that was both conservative and effective, allowing me to return to the OR with full confidence. I particularly appreciated their upfront communication regarding pricing. In an era where medical billing is intentionally opaque, their team was refreshingly direct. Because they were out of network for me, I opted for their cash-pay prices, which were very reasonable and clearly communicated from the start. To those reading negative reviews regarding billing: take them with a grain of salt. As a practice owner myself, I see the "behind the scenes" of the insurance industry every day. The system is often designed to be cumbersome, creating hurdles for both patients and providers in the hope that we will simply give up on reimbursements or coverage. It is a systemic issue, not a clinical one. If you are looking for a surgeon-owned, local practice that is both ethical and highly experienced, I cannot recommend them enough. They are a credit to our medical community. read more

He is absolutely a standout amongst all doctors in every speciality that I have been to in last fifty years. I found him from google for my FOOSH injury and he took me in the next day. He took a special x ray and confidently diagnosed the wrist fracture. He told me nothing needs to be done and it will heal in 4-6 weeks. Seeing the doubt in my eyes , he wrote on his letter head : " Trapezial ridge fracture - will heal no matter what the MD does! pain / tenderness 4-6 weeks- ignore It!" WOW - every thing he wrote came true! He is one of a kind full of knowledge, expertise, and confidence. I will go to him for any hand or wrist issues as long as I am alive. read more

Dr Nathan is great! I had to undergo a second wrist surgery and I'm so happy to have found him. Great experience thus far. Would recommend this office. read more

Would give 0/5 if possible. I've been struggling with trigger finger issues now for almost 1 year, had surgery on both hands, and have tried everything to mitigate inflammation and triggering before and after surgery. My regular doctor was on vacation and I started to experience pain and catching again so I went to Dr Nathan and it was horrible. He talks to you like you're a 2 year old- so patronizing. He also contradicted himself constantly- saying "no one knows what causes trigger fingers", saying "there's nothing you can", but also "it's not work or lifestyle, it's because you are a woman and woman are hormonal and prone to swelling". He never took a moment to actually ask me what has helped in the one year I've been going to occupational therapy and trying everything to reduce swelling. He seems very arrogant and set in his beliefs, which I think makes him a really bad doctor if he cannot see beyond himself and treat a patient for their specific situation. I found this appointment a complete waste of time and money. read more

I'm going to attribute my FABULOUS experience today with Dr. Ross as a reward for "paying it forward" --- now I hope someone does this for him. For years, I have been helping a good friend of mine with my specialty --- she's a retired VA rehab doctor. When she heard I was having issues with my right wrist and took a look at the xrays and MRI, SHE INSISTED (actually bugged me) to pivot over to Long Beach and consult with Dr. Ross. Said she trusts him 1000% and felt I wasn't getting the right advice from my two local sources. So, in part because any sort of pain is new to me and because I know she's smart and well respected in her field, I made an appointment to see him, and already got to experience true caring from his staffmember, Caroline, who followed up with me graciously (I was away and didn't return her pre-appointment administrative calls). Well, THE APPOINTMENT CHANGED MY THOUGHT PATTERN 1000%. It was both lay back and over-the-top professional. I did have a pre-conceived notion that seeing a surgeon and obviously hearing I had a tear was going to lead to a surgical outcome. DR ROSS IS HONEST, EXTREMELY (CAN I SHOUT THIS LOUDER) E-X-T-R-E-M-E-L-Y well versed in his breadth of knowledge and now I have my life back with a game plan and actually THE BEST piece of durable medical equipment to get things done. I hope someone "pays it forward" for Dr. Ross. I may or may not need to visit him again ----- and as an aside --- his new office is beyond lovely. Beautifully appointed as well as tongue in check with the many pieces of "hand" art. Thank you, Payandeh for pushing me to make this appointment and thank you Caroline, Dr. Ross and team for giving me use of my right wrist again without worry. read more

Beautiful mural on outside wall, very organized office, very nice people at the desk, that's where it ends. I've seen almost 100 doctors in the last 10 years, due to many surgeries, and in my opinion he ranks as one of the top 3 worst encounters with a doctor that I have had. I went in, they checked my hand, he basically said , "didn't see anything" , prescribed me some pills, and said "come back next week", and just turned around and walked out. I came back, I tried to tell him of continued problems and he did not listen, he was rude, he said , basically, "what am I supposed to do?, Go to a dermatologist". I said "you never mentioned a dermatologist before". I was in such shock on how he talked to me ( like I was a waste of his time) . I sat for a moment after again he just turned around and walked out. He came back to the door and said "you can leave now" . Went to a dermatologist, after 2 weeks , my hand was worse, he said go back to the doctor. I called the office manager and said Nathan was so unprofessional, nasty and wouldn't listen I wanted to see the other doctor. She asked me to discuss my concerns and give him another chance....Major mistake ! He was , in my opinion, just plain nasty, non caring and like the other visits wanted me in and out, just a rush to get my visit over with, I assume to get another patient. He said "Go see another doctor about arthritis". and turned around and walked out. No goodbye, no have a good day, no empathy, no professionalism. In my opinion 1) do not go to his practice 2) if you go to his practice, time the amount of time he was with you, Take notes on what and how he said it 3) bring a witness or ask for a nurse to witness his interactions with you. In my opinion he has no doctor/patient interaction skills. I am amazed he is in business. In my opinion go anywhere else, but do not go to Dr. Nathan , does not know how to treat his patients, you end up with no answers and beat up by his harshness and talking to you like you were garbage ! In my opinion , one of the biggest medical mistakes I've ever made. read more

I am shocked at some of the negative reviews I see here for Dr. Nathan! Sure, there are far MORE amazingly positive reviews as well BUT this doc is simply a genius at his craft. First, I understand to have billing issues can be very frustrating but first and foremost, in CA the regulatory and employment climate are a major challenges, and I feel the reviews should be primarily focused on the expertise in diagnosis, care, course of treatment and result promised compared to actual outcome. I have endured 3 strange hand-finger injuries over the years, and Dr. Nathan diagnosed them accurately within seconds and provided me with a course of treatment which included surgery as a last result (none ended with surgery). He treated pain in a healing bone spur in my girlfriend's hand with simple injury dressing advice - non-surgical. Yes, he is confident but he definitely knows his craft. Could he possibly make a mis-diagnosis as I have seen in some of the negative reviews? Of course, but I have sent others to him for treatment and they have ALL to a name said he was amazing...and he certainly is! The human body is extremely complex and even the best can occasionally miss something. Next defending his personality. Please don't confuse confidence with arrogance people. Some of you are so concerned about your precious "feelings". So many snowflakes out there. He has a quirky but honest, straight-forward opinion and I enjoy him being expedient and getting me in and out of the exam room. As for waiting a bit sometimes...try going to LB Memorial for an ER visit! You'll be there for 12 hours in chaos to receive a Tylenol when you have a kidney stone and they'll send you a huge bill essentially for sitting in a waiting room. Waiting for patient care in almost any medical practice has become the norm not the exception. Dr. Nathan's office has always had reasonable wait times when I've scheduled my appointments. Dr. Nathan is an amazing expert and is passionate about his craft - I wish all medical professionals cared this much. read more

I have had nothing but professional, kind, efficient and great patient / physician relationship with Dr. Nathan. He always takes his time, explains what the problem is, in my case "Trigger Finger" and quite adept with the injection. Of course the first course of Lidocaine has a little zip followed by cortisone but wait one week and voila I am good again to play the piano or strum that keyboard. Great Doctor, kind and just an all around good guy. I can recommend Dr. Nathan without reservation. Dennis read more

This doctor is professional, efficient, and funny, too! He made a diagnosis within minutes and took care of the problem. He's informative and gives you all of the choices for treatment. read more

I had to wait to be seen for one hour and fifteen minutes, and then the doctor came in for five to ten minutes maximum. Other than that the service is great. read more

Dear Hand & Wrist Center/Dr. Nathan I would like to take this opportunity to give a huge heartfelt THANK YOU to the Hand & Wrist Center, but more specially Dr. Nathan. On Friday August 28th, I entered the Hand & Wrist Center with many questions and concerns about my wrist which I had injured a few days prior. I state this because I am permanently disabled with 2 auto immune diseases, and fibromyalgia amongst other health issues. To compound my already complex situation I just had serious knee surgery, which is making my daily life and ADL's even more difficult to accomplish. When I entered I was greeted with a huge smile and warm welcome from the secretary/support staff. The secretary/support staff also gave me a very positive experience when I originally called to make an appointment. They patiently listened to all my issues and concerns, provided me with the answers I was looking for, and then proceeded to get me on the schedule within a day. Once Dr. Nathan arrived to look over my case he was extremely knowledgeable as well as professional. He put me at ease and quickly discovered the type of injury I sustained. I left my appointment knowing my health was in good hands. About 2 weeks after seeing the Dr, my initial consultation, I had a few more concerns and QUESTIONS for the DR. I was advised by his staff to send him an email. At first I was very hesitant, as I know DRs are extremely busy, and replying to emails at the end of the day can be very time consuming. Well Dr. Nathan went above and beyond exceptional customer service!! Not only did he respond to my emails he did so promptly. He was knowledgeable, polite, and did everything in his power to make my visit and future visits as comfortable as possible. I have full trust and faith in Dr. Nathan and his support staff to not only assist myself, but others in the community as well. Sincerely, Richard L read more

He's extremely knowledgeable and is very straightforward with treatment. I am so lucky and blessed to know him. His office staff is wonderful, too. read more

Dr Ross Nathan is the absolute best for anything hand or wrist related. He recently treated my 82 year old mom for trigger fingers - a quick and seamless in office procedure. My mom lives on the east coast but prefers to be under the care of Dr Nathan so she sees him when visiting us in socal. He has a calming bedside manner and explains each and every procedure in an easy to understand manner. She will return to have him fix her carpal tunnel. Dr Nathan has also treated my entire family (including athletes) for all hand and wrist injuries, each and every time with great thought, precision and excellent outcomes. read more

Saw 2 other doctors before coming to see Dr. Ross. They didn't have a clue about what was going on. Dr. Ross immediately knew what the problem was and exactly what to do about it. Got immediate relief. Loved his confidence and his expertise. Staff can be somewhat rude, but don't penalize this great doctor for their shortcomings. read more

Dr. Nathan recently performed surgery on my daughter who is a D1 college athlete. As soon as he greeted us in the office, he was friendly, energetic and it was apparent that he not only is an expert in his field but he loves what he does. Within moments of hearing of what happened to my daughter, he performed an exam and made a diagnosis. He was compassionate and understanding knowing that her priority was to return to her sport, pain free, and as quickly as possible. Her recovery went exactly as he had predicted. She had surgery and returned to playing her sport in exactly 5 weeks, just as he had predicted. We have since sent many other athletes to see him and they have all had similar experiences. He is one of a kind and by far the best in his field. read more

Top notch facility with an extremely competent physician. I was provided an accurate surgery estimate and everything from surgery, physical therapy, and final payment were top notch. I highly recommend Dr Nathan if you have Dupuytren's contracture. The doctor is highly knowledgeable and helped to prolong surgery for 9 years with needle aponeurotomy. The only thing confusing was the doctor having 2 first names :) read more

Best visit I've had to the doctor's office in YEARS. Dr. Nathan is fantastic. A pleasure to talk to -- quickly assessed my 'jammed' finger to the more specific injury it was. We walked down the hall to get x-rays done, and after looking at them he talked me through exactly what was going on with my finger. Strikes an immediate rapport with his patients. He has a way of giving you an extremely detailed understanding of your injury, and what the plan is from here on out, all in a comfortable, masterful fashion. As a former athlete, some of this might be personal bias. If you are or were an athlete. THIS IS YOUR GUY. He's a hand specialist but I already told him I'm coming back for ankles, knees, or just to have a laugh. Thanks again Dr. Nathan! read more

The most ethical hand surgeon....! I'm a dentist and my wrist is my tool and livelihood. I won't trust anyone else in this arena. He's on it with the latest technology and research. The best in this specialty. read more

Dr. Nathan and his staff were very accommodating to me and my son (the patient) after scheduling a last minute appointment for a possibly fractured wrist. They squeezed me in on a very busy day and when I knew I wasn't going to be able to make it, they squeezed me in at a later time....I was very appreciative. I didn't have to wait long and the nurses and medical staff were very friendly to my two year old son and he felt very comfortable in there, which is saying a lot for a scared two year old. After, receiving a "possibly fractured" and then a second opinion in which the orthopedist claimed it actually was fractured, I came to Dr. Nathan who specializes in hand and wrists in which he proceeded to take his own X-ray and did his own physical assessment of the arm and the patient and discovered there was NO fracture and he simply had an osteochondroma and was walking around wearing a cast for nothing. I am grateful I was referred to Dr. Nathan who said he was the best person for this sort of thing and they were not lying. Thank you to Dr. Nathan and his staff. read more

Doctor Ross Nathan is the best. I had a painful wrist condition that prevented me from doing simple things without discomfort. I walked into Dr. Nathan's office, he looked at my situation, gave me a correct diagnosis, shot some steroid into my wrist, and that was it. Now it's been 1 month, my wrist is fully functional once again, and I can do all things without any pain. Super professional guy who knows what he's doing. Plus his staff is great too. Thank you Dr. Nathan for all that you do! read more

I found the care five stars. I was Dr. Cooke's surgical patient. I also had around six weeks of OT/PT. My concern is the billing. It seems to take them quite a bit of time to get the Blue Shield EOB entered into their system. I'll update their YELP score to four or five stars after billing is finalized. read more

Difficult to work with. Will charge upfront even though you have spending account and insurance in place. No response about my refund for duplicated charges. Beware. read more

I unfortunately lost half my thumb while working in my cabinet shop last week. After speaking with two close friends who are anesthesiologists they highly recommended Dr. Nathan to do the emergency surgery. I think he did a great job putting me back together again and made me laugh while doing it. Not to mention how generous he is. Thank you Dr. Nathan. read more

Dr. Ross performed surgery on both my wrists 15 years ago he Was an excellent doctor then. I'm sure with all the new advances to technology that he is a great doctor now. I highly recommend him. I have RA In both wrists. The surgeries he did on my wrist help me to be able to maintain a better way of life and independence read more

Ross Nathan, MD - Orthopedists Near Me - Long Beach, California

The short version: 1. If you don't need surgery then Dr Nathan can't be bothered. You are not worth ($$) his time 2. Terrible bed side manners. 3. A Doctor who likes to hear himself talk. I went in to see Dr Nathan because I was in pain for over 4 month. The diagnosis was pretty straight forward (didn't need a Dr degree for that) but nonetheless very painful and worrisome. First I want to say that he has a beautiful office and that his staff was very helpful in my case. They are running a tight ship over there; everyone is dialed into their position and task. My disappointment is solely with Dr Nathan Ross. I am very aware that not everything that I was telling him about my symptoms would be important ... but THAT is FOR HIM to decipher. Don't interrupt me and make me feel three-years old. I am paying YOU to tell you what, how, and when it bothers me. HE kept saying: " Yea...we'll get to it." Dr N. also seems to think he knows more about my profession and how it could impact my hands than I do. Dr N. kept bringing up Rheumatoid Arthritis. For background, RA does not run in my family. Furthermore, my hands never hurt (nor does any other part of my body) when at rest. My hands hurt only with movement and when I put stress on them. Always. Frustrated and disappointed with this visit, I decided to give Dr. Ross the benefit of the doubt and went to my Primary Dr. to get tested for Arthritis (add another doctor visit and blood test to the cost), just to find out what I already knew. The tests came back NEGATIVE, with absolutely no indication of risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Dr Nathan told me that my profession couldn't cause this or the pain and that resting or time would NOT fix my problem. With the words: "I cannot help you." he dismissed me. Frustrated and disappointed with this visit, I decided to give Dr. Ross the benefit of the doubt anyway and went to my Primary Dr. to get tested for arthritis (add another doctor visit and blood test to the cost), just to find out what I already knew. The tests came back NEGATIVE, with absolutely no indication of risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis. Hey Doc, here's a tip... maybe you could have asked me if I would like to have my pain alleviated at least in the short term so I can work? And maybe you could have answered my question that I never got around to ask. Dr Nathan couldn't have been more arrogant and wrong in diagnosing my hands. Forward 6 weeks and my hands are a lot better, after finally taking off work and resting. I totally wasted my money and time on this so called hand specialist. Lesson learned. YOU know your body best and can trust your judgment. Why go to a Dr if we have google? ha ha ha read more

What a let down, I waited two weeks to see Dr. Ross Nathan and it was all over in under two minutes. Well that's if you don't include the 45 minute wait time I did in the lobby after arriving 5 minutes early and had my forms emailed to them beforehand. I couldn't even speak before being run over by him. I walked out with unanswered questions and $40 poorer. I think he knows what he's doing but I couldn't even have the chance to find out. If you need a hurried diagnosis this is the spot! read more

Went in for trigger finger surgery. Dr Nathan Ross and team did a great job on my left thumb and got me back to normal work duties a week after. My experience was just as he had described it would be. He is a pretty straight forward Dr and may give you news and options you weren't looking forward to hearing, which is why I think some people give him bad reviews. My right hand carpal tunnel is starting give me trouble. I will definitely trust him when it's time for surgery. read more

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I was referred to Dr. Nathan by my mom who had hand surgery about 15 years ago. Dr. Nathan performed carpal tunnel release on both of my hands, and now I'm finally not waking up every night with numbness or pain. Dr. Nathan is a great guy & caring physician. His office staff is also great and full of very friendly & helpful people. If I ever have to have any other hand or wrist surgeries, I will not hesitate to see Dr. Nathan! read more

This doctor disregarded any pain I was having and just told me to take an Aleve after I broke my wrist and showed up in the hospital crying. I've talked to several other orthopedist who said that six months after a broken bone I should still not be in this much pain where I wake up every night in tears. When I address this with the doctor disregarded it and said oh well. Please do your research before just choosing any old doctor. I suspect that now my wrist is ruined and the pain will never go away read more

So I was referred to Dr. Nathan since my original MD left his office. I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome ... worse feeling ever in both of my hands, started affecting my job and hands going numb while typing. Now most people think this came from me using computers at work, possibly,however I began feeling the numbness 4 years ago while being pregnant with my 3 rd child.. did some research and learned that pregnancy hormones can often trigger this and continue the symptoms even well after my son was born. Just wanted to share a little history up to this point. Back to my review, Initially yes I can definitely see how Dr Nathan can start off a little abrasive but being a nurse his words didn't worry me. I will say to those who can't handle straight forward people he is not the MD for you ! However I appreciate honesty and straight to the point ... dnt baby my situation, tell me how bad it is and what I should do so that I can recover and get on with my life. Steroids were no longer the option so I opted to have surgery and so glad I did. Yes I was scared, worried, and nervous. He said you will only have local anesthesia and will be ok to drive your self home. Ok I'm thinking wow really and oh btw "no dope for pain" Mds words so now I'm like "how on earth will this play out? " so happy I went ahead and had my carpel tunnel release surgery, I can say I'm sooo grateful for Dr Nathan and his staff ! I survive it and am pleased with my results. No pain like he said, yes sore yes sensitive to touch and a little pain while doing hand range of motion but nothing unbearable. So here is my fresh out of surgery and during the healing process pics. My surgery was in Dec 19 and here is a recent pic of my right dominate hand exactly one month and 2 days later. No more numbness and no waking up at night or day time at work shaking my hand to wake up from the numbness I would go back to him and do it all over again. Now I'm suppose to have my left hand done as well but I'm letting this right one heal completely first. read more

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Worst doctor EVER. The first time I went I was seen 1 1/2 hours AFTER my appointment time. The last time I saw him in 2021 he said he wouldn't touch me without both of the COVID vaccines. WTF. I'm not old enough and my hand couldn't wait. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. Dr. Desai is VERY GOOD and really nice and CARING. read more

Hard to reach his staff as they list their phone number ( in many places) which is connected to their fax number. Would be so easy to correct this. To me this shows an attitude of not caring or not wanting to be bothered. Most professional offices would deal with this in a positive way. read more

Dr. Ross P. Nathan was verbally abusive to me and created the worst doctor office experience that I've ever had. I traveled a long way to see him, and on top of him being ill-tempered and frequently snapping at me, he took very little interest in my injury and was more interested in finding ways to insult me that had nothing to do with my injury. The doctor also seemed distracted during his examination and was quite rough and careless for someone who was supposed to be caring for a sprained wrist. He left after a few minutes of examining me, and meanwhile billed on a report that he spent 45 minutes on my examination. Not true unless that counted reviewing notes after the appointment. I would never go back to the Hand and Wrist Center or recommend this doctor to anyone. read more

Dr Nathan is an amazing specialist. He treated my teenage son who had a very complicated and significant wrist fracture. His ability to diagnose, stabilize and then repair with a complex surgery is unparalleled. I can not recommend him highly enough if you have any finger, hand or wrist injury. read more

My elderly mom went to Dr. Ross for a cortisone shot in the wrist. SHE WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN, SHE WAS IN TEARS from his horribly executed procedure. Dr. Ross is insensitive, unprofessional and the completely opposite of a doctor should be. Avoid at all costs. read more

This doctor must have an identical twin that changes places with him half the time. Half the reviews were about a positive caring doctor and the other half is about a a rude, rushed, insensitive bully. I was unfortunately treated by the bully. I will be going elsewhere to finish the treatment. It remains to be seen if he did quality work, or not. read more

Heard Hand and Wrist Clinic in Long Beach was excellent. Unfortunately, excellent Dr. had retired and left the rudest person I have ever met. However, I am sure he only treats women this way. Please look at all the negative reviews- they all are are what you will experience- especially if you're unsure about what you want to do- and believe me- 1 minute with him- you will be unsure why someone even recommended him. He's disrespectful, almost scary and probably should not be practicing medicine. Do not waste your time or co- pay. There are plenty of other doctors who treat you with respect and aren't crazy! read more

Complete quack. First he acts like a smug a-hole and won't listen to the patient. He starts to examine your hand and pokes at joint until it hurts. Then proclaims that is where the problem is on both hands even though that is not where the original pain is located. He tries to show how smart he is by drawing pictures, but still dismisses what you are telling him. He then proclaims based on his diagnosis that there is nothing he can do without an MRI analysis that he thinks will not show anything. He never acknowledged the pain as described. read more

My hand was in tremendous pain so I was recommended to Dr. Nathan Ross. I was kept waiting for over an hour in the street outside their office. They were very ungracious. All were far more concerned about insurance paperwork than patient care. When I was finally able to see the doctor, I found him very rude and off-putting. His analysis of my wrist and hand was brief, having me come back in another couple of weeks of pain where he again made me wait an inordinate amount of time and again did nothing for me. I would never use nor trust this doctor. read more