Eight years ago, at the age of 22, Dr. Bhatia performed my spinal fusion at L5-S1 and completely changed my life! Before surgery, I was bedridden for a year and a half with severe spondylolisthesis and herniated discs from L4-S1. I was in constant pain and couldn't stand, walk, or sit for more than 10 minutes at a time. I only left the house for physical therapy appointments. I interviewed multiple surgeons and knew right away Dr. Bhatia was the right choice. He was confident, knowledgeable, compassionate, and took my condition seriously. He made me feel comfortable and supported throughout the entire process, including recovery. He told me I would get my life back after recovery, and he was right. Recovery was tough, but within six months, I was doing dramatically better, and now eight years later I'm living a completely normal, active life with no restrictions. I'm an elementary school teacher, despite being told by some medical professionals that my back would never tolerate that career. I'm incredibly grateful for Dr. Bhatia and his team. His skill and care gave me my life back. read more

When an MRI showed a really scary black void where some cervical discs should be, my orthopedist recommended Dr. Bhatia. He said that he had a stellar reputation in spinal surgery. Although Orange is a long drive for me, I made the requisite appointment. Dr. Bhatia and his staff were great, and I made the decision to have a cervical fusion. There were many appointments that had to be made (another MRI, pre-op stuff) and the visits were smooth, professional, and informative. Dr. Bhatia called me the week before the surgery to answer any questions, which was a genuine surprise. He answered every last minute question with zen-like calm but genuine understanding. I was scared going in, since this was my first ever major surgery, but Dr. Bhatia and his team were fantastic. I have not completely healed yet - it's only day six - but I can't believe how well it's going. The afternoon after the surgery, Dr. Bhatia stopped by to check on me, the nurses were great, and I felt pretty dang good. It seems I was close to having my spinal cord seriously compromised, and I'm so happy that I chose such a skilled and knowledgeable surgeon for the work. I took a photo of the x-rays showing the hardware, (so to speak), and it looks beautiful to my inexpert eyes. It's a little weird to leave a medical review on Yelp, but when you look for a surgeon or a doctor, the site always pops up. Some of the reviews here are for cost or for appointment time screw-ups, which didn't happen to me - but know that Dr. Bhatia himself is profoundly talented. A great doctor. read more

I was referred to Dr. Bhatia after excruciating back pain in my SI joint, fusion pain at L5/S1 and L3 pain. Dr. Kramer wanted Dr. Bhatia's opinion after years of pain and discomfort and it looked like additional surgery would be necessary. I was referred to Dr. Learned (he works in Dr. Bhatia's office at UCI) to address the SI, Dr. Bhatia suggested he would handle the L3 fusion and possibly do the two surgeries at the same time. Dr Kramer, Dr. Learned and Dr. Bhatia we're going to figure out what to do with managing my pain and upcoming suggested surgeries. I met again with Dr. Learned to hear the suggestion about moving forward with these two surgeries and I was literally dismissed after my boyfriend called and listened to our appointment. After questioning Dr Learned about what we would do next it really became uncomfortable, so much that I reached out to Dr. Kramer about my treatment. I made another appointment with Dr. Bhatia to follow up. I explained this to Dr. Bhatia's PA who meets with you before he comes in. Dr. Bhatia then comes in and tells me that Dr. Learned no longer suggests an SI fusion, I then go over the pain AGAIN and without skipping a beat he suggests I go back to my original doctor and have my hardware removed. That's it?!? I walked out and have never been so disgusted by UCI, these doctors, their lack of listening and professionalism. Good news is I went to DISC Sport and Spine and had the SI fusion, the limited version instead of the plate Dr. Learned suggested and am now pain free! Get other opinions because I almost had three surgeries with Dr. Bhatia and Dr. Learned and it could have ruined my life. I had an outpatient procedure and am doing great! After all of the tests, doctor appointments it was an absolute waste of time and insurance money I am so grateful that I was treated badly because it made me look outside their treatment. read more

Here we are a year after my spinal fusion, let's just say I've seen Doctor Bhatia and his amazing PA more then some of my family members. Sadly I have genetic back issues that won't be getting better but I know I am in good hands with a Doctor Bhatia. Next week he is going in to take out my bolts and screws from my fusion last year and shave off my tail bone since it is causing some issues. Doctor Bhatia and his team is extremely professional, he is smart, kind the best bed side manors I have ever seen. He doesn't rush to cut you open, he listens and comes up with the best possible plan. Again! Don't think twice, go see Bhatia if you have back or neck pain. read more

Just called for initial consultation $394. !!! Wow! That is before any treatments, MRI or anything else! read more

Dr. Bhatia is an excellent.physician. He's got savvy medical expertise as well as a kind bedside manner. He's also conservative about recommending surgery. His office staff are friendly and efficient. RECOMMEND read more

Hard to fathom he couldn't see I had a Tumor in my spine that needed to be removed when I saw him, considering I read he was a competent spine surgeon. He basically told me there was no hope and there was nothing he could do for me. By the grace of of God I found another surgeon, Dr. Robert Bray Jr, (DISC)who changed my life forever. Don't see him if you have back problems. Dr. Bray treated Sidney Crosby, Preformed back surgery on Lolo Jones, an Olympic athlete! Your back is the most important thing in your body, and I would not waste your money to see him when he couldn't even see I had a tumor in my spine! A tumor!!!! If I listened to him my life would still be a living nightmare. read more

I would recommend Dr Bhatia to anyone. I work in healthcare and have been on both sides of the healthcare giving/receiving relationship. I can say confidently that this office does it right. I had such a good experience from start to finish. The whole office was ultra-professional and when I came out I felt that all of my questions were answered. Dr. Bhatia was so knowledgeable, evidence based, and, most importantly, personable. If my own mother has spinal issues, I'll be sending her there. That's the strongest recommendation I can give. read more

Dr. Bhatia stung me along for almost 4yrs, 3 visits. The second visit he told my Wife and I he would enter the left side of my neck to correct my Cervical Spine issue. Then Covid hit and it was close to 2yrs since my last visit. He told my Wife and I there's was nothing wrong with my neck. Now after many painful months, I have 25-30 percent Atrophy in my right shoulder and arm. I have a appointment with Stanford next month to have my neck repaired in hopes of regaining the use of my shoulder and arm. Dr. Bhatia really just kind of blew me off that last visit and actually addressed my Wife more than I. First I had to see his Old Lady PA that went through the motions with her in room tests. Then she went in and talked to the doctor. I brought fresh MRI and Report from the Radiologist. He looked at neither and had a generic looking MRI on the monitor that he never showed me anything from. It was apparent he wasn't interested in performing surgery on me. After leaving my appointment and him giving me an order for a bone scan, I never heard another word. I wouldn't go see him again if the surgery were free. There are plenty of great caring Doctors out there other than him. My left hand and arm are completely numb now and ache all the time. I drove 235 miles each time to come and see him and had to spend the night in a Hotel to get there early enough to make my appointment. I'm a patient 67yr old man, but totally ran out of it with this Doctor. Actually, before my second trip down there, I was warned that Dr.Bhatia wasn't doing his own surgery and letting others perform them under his guidance. I called him out on it when he came in the room with a group of team members, and he didn't know quite how to answer me. My Pain Management office removed him from their list of preffered Doctors and no longer will reffer patients there. Stanford just removed a tumor from my employee's Thoracic spine that he couldn't see, it was the size of a large jaw breaker. Disgusted ! Richard Tomlinson read more

I walked out after waiting 40 minutes for my 9:30 appointment when I found out there were 2 other patients waiting that also had 9:30 appointments - and the 9:00 patient was still waiting. This is the first time I've ever been triple-booked. I don't think even airlines have the gall to triple-book like that. I wish I could be paid for the 1 1/2 hours I wasted. So incredibly rude. read more

My boyfriend had an early morning appointment with Dr. Bhatia for an L5-S1 herniation he has struggled with for almost a year. Bhatia took extra time to go over an MRI with him and even provided emotional support/understanding in a professional way. Dr. Bhatia did not push for surgery which was reassuring, and my boyfriend left his office with a great excercise sheet and a reference for a good doctor who could provide additional help. We left knowing exactly what my boyfriends next plan of action was to be. Until this visit we both had felt a little lost. He is a class act and his physicians assistant was great as well. His front desk ladies were also very lovely and they had a Keurig coffee machine and TV for while I waited,. This was not an "in and out" session. Dr. Bhatia went above and beyond, and we are very pleased! read more

I saw Dr. Bhatia after my uncle recommended him to me. I am so happy he did. I went to Newport Orthopedic Center to get an epidural (avoid Newport Orthopedic if you can) and saw Dr. Bhatia following that procedure for my herniated disc at L5-S1. He has the best bedside manner of any doctor I've seen. He took his time with me and had a conservative approach to surgery. I even called him a week later to schedule a surgery because my epidural didn't help as much as I hoped and he said to see him in a few weeks (after the second epidural) and to wait on surgery. His first choice is to avoid it if possible. I feel like some doctors would schedule that appointment just to make money. His P.A. was also very friendly and helpful. If you have questions, feel free to use the email listed on their website as they will respond. Now, if I could just find a Primary Care doctor with the same level of expertise, compassion and attitude. :-) I highly recommend Dr. Bhatia. read more

The best doctor I have encountered.....performed a 4 level fusion....going into postoperative week 4....recovering nicely....dr bhatia is the kindness physician, super caring, a great personality, would definitely recommend him.... read more

Dr.Bhatia is fantastic! I had spine surgery in April to fuse the first and second bones in my neck and I wouldn't want to have gone to anyone else! He was my second opinion due to the first doctor saying everything was fine(which it wasn't). He has a great bedside manor and actually takes the time to listen to your concerns. His PA is also very nice and they both have available appointments when you need to get in. He's the best! read more

I got lucky to have this surgeon. I had some pain that I believed to be another recurring inguinal hernia that I had while in the Army. A lengthy 6 months of trying to figure it out with the VA finally ruled that out. I lived down the street from UC Irvine Medical Center at the time and figured since they were a teaching hospital with many residents in various disciplines along with being the only Level 1 trauma center in Orange County, they must have good medical care. I saw a general physician who referred me to Dr Bhatia who is at UCI a few days a week. He is super nice and friendly and his entire staff there are as well. I first saw him in summer 2011 and he sent me off for an MRI. Sure enough I had a herniated L5 S1. He said I was too young for surgery (I was 33 at the time) and said the body will usually adapt to this injury and over time I would feel much better. He sent me off with some medication and sure enough he was right. I would have very painful flare ups every few months or so but nothing I couldn't handle periodically. He recommended I see a pain management doctor but I passed and just did the exercises on a sheet he provided me along with my normal exercise routine. Fast forward to summer 2013 something happened and I was in constant pain nearly 24/7. Sometimes it was crushing and debilitating and sometimes it was just a sensation I would feel in my back and left leg. I saw him again, we do another MRI, and I finally started seeing the pain doctor he recommended. He still wanted to wait to do surgery on me. 3 epidurals with the pain doctor did nothing so Dr. Bhatia said it was time for surgery. I scheduled the surgery for a few months later primarily because work is slower around the holiday season. By the time surgery day came I could barely stand on my feet for 20-30 minutes without being in so much pain I could barely walk. Anyway, Dr Bhatia explained the whole process to me and my family in a way that was easy to comprehend. His PA was the same and very friendly. On November 10 he performed a microdiscectomy on me and the wifey and the rest of my family were very impressed with his professionalism and his overall demeanor during the entire process. The same day I was able to walk, albeit slowly, but aside from pain from the surgical site I felt much better. He and my pain doctor both told me that I would feel immediate relief but some pain would last for several months to a year due to having the nerve being compressed for so long. It's been 3 weeks since the surgery and I have had some bad days, some good days, and some so so days. Overall I feel progress and that I am moving in the right direction. I would highly recommend him if you live in OC. If you have any reservations about seeing him, just Google "Nick Adenhart Dr. Bhatia." Adenhart is the Angels pitcher that was tragically killed by a drunk driver. There was one survivor in the crash who was internally decapitated. Dr Bhatia was his surgeon who reattached the guy's spine to his skull. Not only did the victim survive, he is walking and talking. Incredible. I was nervous of course about surgery but always felt I was in good hands with Dr Bhatia, his staff, and UCI Medical Center. I figured if he could reattach skulls, my surgery was child's play compared to that. When I said that to him he told me that my surgery was just as important to him as that one was and he would put in the same care and attention as he did with that surgery to mine. He is a sharp guy and a class act with a great personality. I highly recommend him. read more

Dr. Bhatia is perhaps the most skilled spinal surgeon in the United States. His extensive back surgery on me when I was 59 for multiple ruptured discs and severe spinal stenosis literally saved my life. Recovery was free of all pain after around a week and I did not take any pain pills past 10 days. There is no better surgeon and his confidence and demeanor as a person is unmatched. I was told by country club orthopedists just to live with the pain and take shots. Thankfully I sought out Dr. Bhatia instead!! Playing golf now twice per week and a 14HDCP!! read more

Simply the best orthopedic spine surgeon on the planet. I had surgery with Dr. Bhatia 2 years ago. The day after, I felt better than I had in years! All pain was gone. I have a degenerative condition related to psoriatic arthritis and need more surgeries. Dr. Bhatia is the ONLY doc who I will let cut me. He and his PA, Florica are beyond comparison. They have amazing bedside manner and treat patients like family. I wish all docs were like Nitin Bhatia. I can't say enough good about him. read more

Dr. Bhatia was fantastic. I had excruciating pain in my lower back. I already had my MRI but the Newport Beach Doctor I was seeing could not get me in for a moth and a half to read it (absurd!). That's when we asked an ER physician friend of ours for a referral. He told us about Dr. Bhatia and boy was that a great recommendation. Dr. Bhatia was also scheduling out about a month but I called his office inquiring about cancelations and they got me right in. His bedside manners were great. Super professional and seemed like he truly cared. I had a disk herniation and he did not want to do surgery. He first wanted to take the conservative approach and suggested an epidural and some PT afterwards. By going to him, he saved me about a month of agonizing pain waiting for the other doc to see me. Got the appointment to do the epidural right away and hopefully I am on my way to recovery. I would highly recommend Dr. Bhatia. read more