Find a Top Orthopedic Surgeon Near Me in Oxnard, CA – Book an Appointment Instantly

 

Jonathan Oheb, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with extensive training and years of experience in hand and upper extremity surgery, as well as general orthopedics and orthopedic trauma. In addition to hand, elbow, and shoulder care, he provides comprehensive surgical and nonsurgical treatment for all orthopedic conditions of the hip, knee, and ankle, including broken bones and injuries. His patients in Beverly Hills, Encino, and Mission Hills, California, benefit from his expertise and exceptional attention to their orthopedic needs.

With patient comfort and satisfaction as his top priority, Dr. Oheb strives to give each patient a positive experience and customized orthopedic care. His goal is to relieve symptoms and restore function in patients of all ages.

As an avid bodybuilder, Dr. Oheb has firsthand knowledge of the physical and mental challenges active individuals face. In his orthopedic practice, he works closely with each patient, helping them heal, rehabilitate, and return to their activity in optimal health.

Dr. Oheb graduated from SUNY Binghamton University with degrees in economics and chemistry, receiving high honors in chemistry and valedictorian honors in economics. He finished college in three years and stayed at SUNY Binghamton where he attained an MBA in 1.5 years.

Dr. Oheb then went on to pursue his true passion in the care of others. He attended SUNY Upstate Medical University, graduating in the top 5% of medical students in the country with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. He went on to study orthopedic surgery at the prestigious Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. During his residency, he received extensive training in general orthopedics, orthopedic trauma, and shoulder surgery. From there he went to the Oklahoma Hand Surgery Institute to complete a hand surgery fellowship.

Dr. Oheb is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and maintains memberships in several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Dr. Oheb has been honored as an exceptional physician by both his peers and his patients.  He was most recently awarded the Doctors Choice National Award in orthopedic surgery in 2017, and Super Doctors recognition in both the Los Angeles Times in 2017, Los Angeles Magazine in 2018, and the Los Angeles Times again in 2019.

Dr. Oheb is committed to providing the best possible care for his patients, allowing them to enjoy healthier lifestyles. He approaches his patients with compassion and is driven to learning and developing new ways to improve the well-being of his patients with orthopedic conditions.

Patients drive from all around Los Angeles County just to see Dr. Oheb. Patients travel from areas such as West Hills, Canoga Park, Winnetka, Reseda, Lake Balboa, Woodland Hills, Hidden Hills, Chatsworth, North Hills, Panorama City, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Mission Hills, San Fernando, Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, Sylmar, Santa Clarita, Burbank, and Glendale just to see him!

To learn more about the services provided by Dr. Oheb, please call and schedule an appointment. New patients are always welcome.

 

 

Dr. Shahryar Ahmadi is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with extensive experience in treating complex orthopedic conditions. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Toronto and advanced fellowship training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. A former faculty member, Dr. Ahmadi has conducted extensive research and has trained numerous orthopedic residents and surgeons. He remains actively involved in educating the next generation of orthopedic surgeons while providing innovative, patient-centered care.  

Sohail Shayfer, MD, gradualted summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of California, Irvine.  He then earned his Doctor of Medicine with Alpha Omega Alpha hononrs from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the Univeristy of California, Los Angeles.

After medical school, Dr. Shayfer went through his internship and orthopedic residency training through the Tufts University-affiliated hospitals in Boston. He completed two additional fellowships at USC: one in hand surgery through the Joseph H. Boyes program, followed by a fellowship in sports medicine with an emphasis on disorder of shoulder and elbow.  

To ensure that his patients receive the latest treatments and care techniques, Dr. Shayfer underwent stringent board testing. He’s currently board certified through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.  He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and member of the California Orthopaedic Association. 

Patients of Dr. Shayfer praise his compassionate bedside manner and his ability to provide the utmost kindness during each visit. Dr. Shayfer is known for offering comprehensive solutions, caring for patients from the early diagnostic stages, all the way through post-treatment or postoperative periods.

Since Dr. Shayfer is affiliated with the Providence-Cedars Tarzana Medical Center and the Specialty Surgical Center.  Dr. Shayfer welcomes new and existing patients to the practice.

ABOUT DR. THOMAS KREMEN

Thomas J. Kremen, MD is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced subspecialty training in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery. He cares for patients of all activity levels—from professional athletes to individuals simply looking to stay active and pain-free.

Dr. Kremen has extensive experience as a team physician at the highest levels of sport. He has worked with organizations across the country and internationally, including Duke University Athletics, U.S. Men’s National Team Soccer, LA Galaxy, USA Basketball, and the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team. He currently serves as a team physician for UCLA Athletics, the South Bay Lakers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Chargers.

While he has helped elite athletes perform at their peak, Dr. Kremen brings that same level of care and attention to every patient he treats. His focus is simple: help you recover efficiently, restore function, and get back to the activities that matter most to you.

Dr. Kremen specializes in treating shoulder and knee injuries, as well as a wide range of sports-related and overuse conditions. He combines advanced surgical techniques with the latest evidence-based, non-surgical treatments to create individualized care plans. Just as importantly, he emphasizes injury prevention—helping patients reduce the risk of future problems.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Kremen is a federally funded clinician-scientist actively involved in research aimed at improving how soft tissues—such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage—heal after injury. This work allows him to deliver elite care today while building the therapies of tomorrow—helping patients recover faster, perform better, and stay active longer.

Dr. Kremen earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was captain of the NCAA Division I men’s swimming team. He received his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA. He then pursued advanced fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at Duke University.

After several years helping build the orthopedic program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Kremen returned to UCLA, where he is now a full-time faculty member.

He remains actively involved in advancing the field through research, publications, and national presentations, and maintains memberships in leading professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Dr. Kremen’s approach is straightforward: combine leading-edge expertise with thoughtful, individualized care to help every patient move better, feel better, and return to the life they enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Edward K. Nomoto, M.D. is a fellow-ship trained orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in spine surgery. His expertise includes a wide range of surgical interventions to treat the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His special interests include minimally invasive techniques and their application in complex reconstructive techniques for the cervical spine, adult and pediatric spinal deformity, and degenerative scoliosis.  Dr. Nomoto believes in a patient-centered approach with patient education and understanding as key components to the medical decision-making process.

Dr. Nomoto is also board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of many national spine organizations, including the Scoliosis Research Society. He is actively involved in clinical research investigating minimally invasive techniques for the spine and improving patient outcomes. His research has been presented at various spine society meetings and is currently submitted to various peer reviewed journals. Dr. Nomoto participates in global outreach programs to provide care in underserved regions of the world. He also continues to pursue his passion for education by training residents and fellows as well as other surgeons.

Dr. Nomoto graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, with a B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology. He earned his medical degree at Stanford University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and his spine fellowship at the San Diego Center for Spinal Disorders.

Dr Nomoto is part of Global Outreach Spines (GSO) team comprised of board certified surgeons who are 100% volunteer’s with allied health professionals to provide medical treatment and surgery to children suffering from the effects of spinal deformities worldwide without charge to the patient or their families.

About GSO
Global Spine Outreach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since their establishment in 2013, GSO has run 6 medical mission outreach sites through which they partner with and share expertise with local medical communities in Colombia, Mexico and Poland. Through these sites, GSO has clinically evaluated and treated over 1,000 children and performed over 200 surgeries, all free of charge to patients and their families.

Welcome to Spine Group Beverly Hills

As one of the primary physicians of the first spine specialty clinic in the United States, John Regan, MD, is considered a pioneer in minimally invasive spinal surgery techniques. Dr. Regan, a fellowship-trained spine surgeon, board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, and former director of Cedars Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders, offers his expertise at Spine Group Beverly Hills in Los Angeles County with offices in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.

Dr. Regan is one of few surgeons in the United States to complete two fellowships in spine care — the first in spine trauma at A.O. International Hospital in Switzerland and the second at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Regan went on to become a key physician at the Texas Back Institute, a nationally recognized spine center.

He earned his medical degree from the State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and completed both his internship and residency in internal medicine at Emory University affiliated hospitals in Atlanta. He also completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.

Focused on providing the highest quality medical care, Dr. Regan offers comprehensive surgical evaluations and treatments for a variety of conditions, including spinal stenosis, herniated discs, spinal fractures, and scoliosis. He specializes in both minimally invasive and traditional open surgeries to restore a patient’s mobility and quality of life.

Dr. Regan continues to share his knowledge of spine surgery techniques, traveling to the Middle East at the request of dignitaries to train other spinal surgeons. He also focuses his efforts on researching new approaches to reduce patient recovery time and improve surgical outcomes. Dr. Regan highlights his expertise in The Atlas of Endoscopic Spinal Surgery and The Atlas of Minimally Access Spine Surgery, his published books in the field of minimally invasive spine surgery.

Dr. Joe Cooper is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty expertise in sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery, and complex joint reconstruction. He treats patients throughout the Los Angeles area with a full spectrum of musculoskeletal conditions — from acute sports injuries in competitive athletes to advanced arthritis requiring joint replacement.

Dr. Cooper completed his orthopedic surgery residency followed by a dedicated fellowship in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery, where he received advanced training in the techniques that define modern minimally invasive orthopaedics. His clinical focus includes ACL, PCL, and multi-ligament knee reconstruction; meniscus repair; rotator cuff repair; shoulder stabilization; hip arthroscopy for labral tears and femoroacetabular impingement; and robotic-assisted total knee and hip replacement.

Dr. Cooper takes pride in spending meaningful time with each patient — listening carefully, explaining diagnoses clearly, and co-creating treatment plans that align with each person's activity goals and lifestyle. Whether the right answer is physical therapy, an injection, an arthroscopic procedure, or a joint replacement, patients can expect honest guidance, evidence-based recommendations, and continuity of care from the first visit through full recovery.

When he is not in the operating room or clinic, Dr. Cooper stays engaged with the latest advances in orthopedic surgery through research, continuing education, and participation in professional societies including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).

Dr. Cooper sees patients at his practice in the Los Angeles, California area. To schedule a consultation, contact the office by phone or request an appointment online.

Robert H. Cho, MD, FAAOS, FAOA, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon with a subspecialty in pediatric orthopedics, scoliosis, and complex spine surgery. He sees patients at his private practice, which has locations in Beverly Hills and the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Dr. Cho is a world-renowned expert on pediatric orthopedics and spinal surgery. Dr. Cho is the only surgeon in the Greater Los Angeles region who performs motion-preserving anterior vertebral body tethering for scoliosis correction.

He graduated from Cornell University with honors in 2000 with a degree in chemistry and minors in biochemistry and Near Eastern studies. He went to medical school and residency at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his fellowship in 2010 in pediatric orthopedics and scoliosis at Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego.

Dr. Cho then took on a staff position at Shriners Children's Southern California as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon with a subspecialty in scoliosis and spinal surgery. He became Chief of Staff in 2015 and led the medical center for a decade, with a subsequent leadership role in the Shriners Children's Medical Group. He left Shriners in 2025 to start his own practice in the Greater Los Angeles area.  

Dr. Cho has presented papers, posters, and presentations all over the world. Dr. Cho was invited to deliver the inaugural lecture at the 2015 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons meeting as part of the symposium Orthopedic Surgery in the Digital Age: Using Social Media and the Internet to Improve Patient Care and Grow Your Practice.

He is also involved in healthcare advocacy – he was an invited member to the National Orthopedic Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, to discuss the state of healthcare and orthopedic surgery with the United States Congress. He recently served on the Board of Directors of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America as the Communications Council Chair. He was also selected for the prestigious Scoliosis Research Society Dawson Traveling Fellowship in 2024. He serves on the editorial boards for many medical journals, including Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, Spine, and Spine Deformity Journal. He is the section editor for pediatric spine conditions for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Resident Orthopaedic Clinical Knowledge textbook and he authored the chapter on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis for the Orthopedic Knowledge Update textbook.

Dr. Cho believes that every patient deserves individualized care, regardless of their medical challenge. Innovation is key to his practice, and he has also helped to design many implants, instruments, and robotic devices to help children with scoliosis and spinal deformity. He helped to pioneer a method to decrease pain in surgical patients by developing a novel preoperative pain protocol that minimizes the use of narcotics.

Dr. Cho lives in Los Angeles with his wife, their two daughters, and his rescue dog, Sticky Rice. He enjoys playing the guitar, cars, smoking meats, playing video games with his children, exploring new restaurants, and traveling.

Dr. Kristofer J. Jones is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports-related musculoskeletal injuries of the knee, shoulder and elbow. As a former intercollegiate athlete, Dr. Jones understands the unique demands and concerns faced by athletes at all levels of participation (from professional to recreational) and his goal is to return patients back to their regular activities using evidence-based medicine to guide his treatment plan. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, where he was a four-year letter winner and All-Conference tailback for the varsity football team. He was awarded the Howell-Murray Alumni Medal upon graduation. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania where he received the Jonathan Rhoads Prize for Surgical Scholarship. Dr. Jones completed his orthopaedic residency training at the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, frequently recognized as the #1 Hospital for Orthopaedic Surgery by US News & World Report. He subsequently completed a traveling fellowship and acquired further expertise in shoulder and cartilage surgery at specialized centers across Europe, including Lyon & Paris France. Dr. Jones returned to HSS to complete another fellowship in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery. During this time, he served as assistant team physician for the Brooklyn Nets (NBA), New York Red Bulls (MLS), and Iona College Athletics as well as an orthopaedic consultant to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and US Open Tennis Tournament. He is currently the Head Team Physician and Director of Orthopaedic Surgery for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and a Team Physician for the UCLA Bruins athletic teams.

Dr. Jones is accomplished in both clinical and laboratory research and has authored more than 100 scientific manuscripts and textbook chapters that have received national recognition and awards within the field of sports medicine. He is frequently invited to teach and lecture on these topics both nationally and internationally. Dr. Jones is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), a diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and has been recognized as an "Emerging Leader" within the field of orthopaedic surgery/sports medicine by the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA). He also holds memberships and committee positions in several professional organizations including the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), S.T.O.P (Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention) Sports Injuries Outreach Committee, the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), the NBA Team Physicians Society, and the NFL Musculoskeletal Injury Committee. He serves on the Board of Trustees for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Am). 

Dr. Jones currently provides care at the UCLA Orthopaedic Center in Westwood on the main hospital campus, as well as the UCLA Orthopaedic Center in Downtown Los Angeles. 

 

Handpicked by Dr. Robert S. Bray Jr. to join DISC Sports & Spine Center, fellowship-trained orthopedic spinal surgeon, Grant D. Shifflett, MD, takes a patient-centered approach to care at his offices in Marina del Rey and Newport Beach, California. With vast experience in minimally invasive and complex reconstructive spinal surgeries, Dr. Shifflett strives to restore each patient's functionality and quality of life.

Using cutting-edge techniques, he takes an evidence-based approach to treat patients with a variety of spinal conditions, including scoliosis, stenosis, disc herniation, and degenerative disc disease. Whether Dr. Shifflett provides non-operative care such as stem cell injections or performs innovative procedures such as artificial disc replacement, he does so with compassionate care and understanding.

Dr. Shifflett received a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from the University of Virginia before graduating with the highest distinction from the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. He completed an internship and residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery, affiliated with New York - Presbyterian Healthcare System and Weill Cornell Medical College.

After venturing on a traveling fellowship to Japan, Dr. Shifflett returned to the United States and completed a minimally invasive and complex spinal surgery fellowship at Rush University. There, he learned microsurgical techniques, focusing on outpatient, fusion, and non-fusion procedures for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

Highly recognized in the field of spinal surgery, Dr. Shifflett has presented at numerous conferences, written multiple medical journal articles, and received a variety of grants and awards for cutting-edge research and clinical studies.

Kushagra Verma, MD, MS, FAAOS, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Advanced Spine Care in Los Alamitos and Marina Del Rey, California. He is fellowship-trained in complex spine surgery and has many years of experience. He offers surgery when it’s the best option to ensure the highest quality of life for his patients.

Dr. Verma earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Cornell University School of Engineering in Ithaca, New York, and a master’s degree in molecular biology from the NYU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in New York City. He completed medical school at NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

Dr. Verma also completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University’s Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an adult and pediatric spine fellowship (with a focus on spinal deformities) at the University of California at San Francisco. 

Dr. Verma has been recognized many times for his expertise. He was selected by The Leading Physicians as a Top Orthopedic Surgeon of the Spine. He also received the Top Doctor Award in Los Alamitos and numerous other professional recognitions for his excellence. 

Dr. Verma is an experienced college educator with experience at the University of Washington in Seattle, Long Beach Memorial in Long Beach, California, and the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. 

He specializes in treating spinal anomalies, including spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, disc herniation, and flatback syndrome. Dr. Verma is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS). He has contributed to nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications. 

Dr. Verma spends as much time as patients need to ensure they feel heard with all of their questions addressed. He fully explains their diagnoses, thoroughly reviews all imaging results, and discusses detailed treatment options — always giving patients a voice in their treatments. He uses the latest technological advances and procedures to ensure long-lasting outcomes.

Dr. Verma welcomes new and existing patients to Advanced Spine Care and looks forward to optimizing their spinal health and overall quality of life.

Amit Nathani, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Alta Orthopedics with fellowship training in both sports medicine and shoulder surgery. He sees patients in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Solvang, and Oxnard California. Dr. Nathani is accepting new patients. Dr. Nathani was fellowship-trained at Stanford University, where he served as a team physician for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers.

Dr. Nathani specializes in injuries affecting the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee, as well as general orthopedics and fracture care. He performs minimally invasive surgery (arthroscopy) and open surgery, including joint replacement of the shoulder. He is trained in the latest cartilage-restoring procedures, helping many avoid joint replacements. These advances include the use of biologic and FDA-approved regenerative cell therapies.

Dr. Nathani has published numerous peer-reviewed papers and textbooks on sports medicine injuries and treatment. His research includes anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, running injuries, rotator cuff tears, and hip injuries. He has lectured internationally and is an active member of several orthopedic societies that focus on improving care and outcomes for his patients.

Dr. Nathani holds privileges at several conveniently located hospitals. He accepts all types of patients, including those in professional sports, recreational athletes, and patients looking to resume a pain-free and active lifestyle. He prides himself on providing comprehensive and compassionate care and sees patients throughout their entire course of treatment, including overseeing their physical therapy and rehabilitation process. He believes in taking the time to explain a diagnosis properly and ensuring that patients leave the office fully understanding the treatment plan.

Dr. Nathani is a former Division I Tennis player and continues to enjoy golf and tennis recreationally. He is active in global humanitarian healthcare and donates time to surgical care for the underserved in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He currently lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Isabella, three children, and two rescue dogs.

About

ALTA ORTHOPAEDICS

Serving the Santa Barbara community for over 30 years, Alta Orthopaedics is dedicated to getting patients back to active, healthy lifestyles and a better quality of life. With locations in Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Solvang, and Oxnard, California, the team strives to return their patients to the lifestyle and any activities desired through their expertise in orthopaedic surgery, pain management, and sports medicine.

The multidisciplinary team of orthopaedists, physician assistants, and physical therapists provides modern, state-of-the-art care for nearly all orthopaedic problems, including deformities, injuries (fractures, as well as sprains and strains), and developmental and degenerative processes like arthritis.

The fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons are skilled in all aspects of spine surgery, interventional spine injections, sports medicine, hand and upper extremity conditions, shoulder replacements, hip and knee replacements, orthopaedic trauma and foot and ankle surgery.

Alta Orthopaedics employs the most contemporary and proven diagnostic and treatment techniques available. Diagnostically, their clinicians use in-house radiographs and ultrasound. Treatment options include injection therapy (viscosupplementation, amniotic fluid, bone marrow aspirate concentrate), physical therapy, and, when necessary, surgery (including microsurgery, arthroscopy, and minimally-invasive computer-navigated total joint replacement).

For the highest quality care and personalized treatment approaches, call any Alta Orthopaedics office, or book your appointment online today.

Amy Wickman, MD, is an experienced spine specialist with the team at Alta Orthopaedics, with locations in Solvang, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard, California. In the midst of the complexity of spine surgery, Dr. Wickman puts patients and their families in the foreground. Having dealt with sick family members as well as with her own orthopaedic issues, she knows how important it is for patients to feel validated, to feel that they are heard, and for the doctor to be able to see the situation from the patient’s perspective.

Dr. Wickman became a doctor because she wanted to help people have better health. She completed her undergraduate degree in urban planning at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, before graduating with her medical degree from the Stritch School of Medicine at Loyola University Chicago. It was there that she developed her love of spine surgery during her five-year residency, training at a Level 1 Trauma Center, the Hines VA, and the Shriners Hospital for Children. She dealt with everything from traumatic spine and spinal cord injuries to treating children with scoliosis and adults with degenerative conditions such as herniated discs.

Her education and training in orthopaedic surgery allows her to see issues from a broader perspective, to look at the whole person and identify problems that may not be as obvious as they appear on an MRI. At the same time, she avoids surgery when there are other equally effective solutions.

When it comes to the spine, there may be more than one way to handle a problem. Options may depend on goals and lifestyles as well as medical issues. Dr. Wickman takes time to make sure her patients are aware of all those aspects so that each individual finds the best solution for the circumstances. When possible, she includes family members in decisions about surgery and hospital care. In addition to her busy practice at Alta Orthopaedics, Dr. Wickman is an on-call surgeon for the Emergency Room.

Dr. Wickman is a self-described “city girl” born and raised in Chicago. Now she loves the year-round healthy Santa Barbara lifestyle and understands how important it is for her patients to get back to the activities they enjoy. In college, she was captain of her rowing team. Today, she remains active by running and hiking. In addition to spending time outdoors, Dr. Wickman’s great joy in life is her family – her husband and two children.

Dr. Stuart Hutchinson has served the Santa Barbara community as a spine specialist and surgeon since 1980. He practices at Alta Orthopaedics, located in Solvang, Santa Barbara, and Oxnard, California. His grandfather was a doctor and his father was a prominent general surgeon in Seattle. As a child, it was clear to him that he wanted to follow the same path in the medical field.

Watching how his father treated people and how much his patients loved him, taught Dr. Hutchinson the importance of connecting with patients on a very human level. He believes that part of the art of medicine is to treat them with care and compassion, and to be sensitive to their needs. That means he takes time to listen carefully to his patients’ concerns and to discern whether issues in other areas — not always physical — are affecting the patient’s overall well-being and ability to heal.

During his 5 years of medical training in South Africa he learned that, given time, patients can often heal without surgery. Some situations require immediate surgery. It’s important to recognize those. But he favors a less invasive approach that steers away from the current trend of offering surgery as the first treatment option.

In 1985 Dr. Hutchinson teamed up with Dr. William Dunbar, to establish the first local center for orthopaedic surgeons who wanted to specialize in more focused areas, such as spine surgery or foot and ankle surgery. Their center grew into what is today Alta Orthopaedics.

Dr. Hutchinson draws inspiration and energy from nature and being outdoors. He likes to play golf and hike the beautiful Santa Ynez mountains. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Whitney, and Mount Rainer, and has snow skied in Utah and Colorado. Dr. Hutchinson’s family is close by in Southern California and Arizona.

 

VOLUNTEERING
Dr. Hutchinson has a deep personal connection to the world of volunteering. His father founded the non-profit Fred Hutchinson Research Cancer Center in Seattle, after his uncle, a Big League pitcher, died of lung cancer at age 45. Today it is renowned as one of the best cancer centers in the country and the best place in the world for bone marrow transplants. It has produced three Nobel prize winners over the last 20 years. Dr. Hutchinson serves on their Board of Ambassadors and MCs their annual fundraiser in Palm Springs.

 

SPECIALTY WITHIN SPINE SURGERY: KYPHOPLASTY
Dr. Hutchinson was the first surgeon in the Tri-Counties to perform kyphoplasty to treat compression fractures of the spine. Today he is the only surgeon in Santa Barbara who uses this procedure. Pain goes away immediately and patients get great results. They can return to daily activities much more rapidly than with more invasive methods of treatment.

 

PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Participating physician in the Summer Olympics 1984

Co-founder of Orthopaedic Specialists, Santa Barbara, which later became Alta Orthopaedics

 

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Arizona.

Completed his medical training at the prestigious Stellenbosch University in South Africa where he spent 5 years

Certification by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, September 1982

Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons since 1985

Active member of the North American Spine Society since 1985

Member of the South Africa Orthopedic Association since 1990

Rivka Ihejirika-Lomedico, MD, is a fellowship-trained Orthopaedic surgeon and Spine specialist at Alta Orthopaedics, located in Santa Barbara and Solvang, California. Dr. Lomedico understands that the journey to seeking a spine consultation can be challenging for patients. She aims to provide compassionate, patient-centered care while offering non-operative, minimally invasive, and traditional surgical treatments for all spine disorders.

Dr. Lomedico, a southern California native, is a graduate of Davidson College where she was a Presidential Scholar earning a full academic scholarship and three research grants. She then attended Vanderbilt Medical School where she received the Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship and graduated in the top 5% of her class with Junior AOA designation along with numerous other clinical and service-oriented awards.

Dr. Lomedico completed Orthopaedic Surgical Residency including an additional basic science research year at New York University Langone Medical Center/Hospital for Joint Diseases. As a graduate of the 6-year clinician scientist track at NYU, she continued to distinguish herself during residency by receiving four grants and numerous research awards. She then trained at the Harvard Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital combined spine fellowship program in Boston, MA. There she gained extensive experience in the operative and non-operative management of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine pathology. Here at Alta, she treats patients of all ages with traumatic, degenerative, deforming, oncologic, and congenital conditions in the spine.

Dr. Lomedico has a strong interest in bone health optimization, regenerative medicine, and wellness. She has over 100+ contributions to the scientific community including publications, presentations, and teachings. Here at Alta, she continues to engage in clinical research and collaborate with researchers locally and at major institutions. Dr. Lomedico is also a certified yoga instructor whose experience in Integrative Health allows her to provide patients with evidence-based recommendations for alternative therapies.

She is married to Mark Lomedico, and they have two beautiful children. In her spare time, she enjoys family life, running, hiking, yoga, and working on her golf game.