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STEPAN KASIMIAN, M.D.

Stepan Kasimian, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon with specialty training in complex spinal reconstruction and minimally invasive spine surgery. His primary interests include degenerative spine disease and spinal deformity. He has extensive experience in treating multiple spine disorders including disc herniations, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, kyphosis, scoliosis, tumors, and spinal trauma in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

EDUCATION

Dr. Kasimian received his undergraduate degrees in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and History from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. After residency, Dr. Kasimian obtained further training in complex spinal reconstruction surgery at Cedars-Spinal Medical Center, Institute for Spinal Disorders.

RESEARCH

Dr. Kasimian has presented his research at the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques and has written a chapter on endoscopic thoracic disc herniations in a prominent spine textbook.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS

He is a member of the American Medical Association, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, North American Spine Society, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In order to better serve his patients, his practice is located in Beverly Hills, Glendale, and Rancho Cucamonga and he maintains privileges in numerous hospitals including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

Matthew J. Gargulinski, DO, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who has been practicing in California since 2007. Today, he's proud to join the OasisMD team in Encinitas, San Diego, and Temecula, California, where Dr. Gargulinski works tirelessly to help his patients recover from injuries and achieve optimal health.

Dr. Gargulinski is a graduate of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After completing his undergraduate education, he attended medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri.

While in college, he suffered a severe injury while playing football. This incident inspired him to specialize in orthopedic medicine, and he completed his residency at Michigan State University/Mt. Clemens Regional Center in Mount Clemens, Michigan (now known as McLaren Macomb). Later, he also completed his fellowship in sports medicine at OASIS MSO Inc in San Diego, California. During this time, he was mentored directly by David Chao, MD, a leading surgeon at OasisMD.

Throughout his career, Dr. Gargulinski has served as team physician for various sports, including football and rugby. He is experienced in treating cases in professional athletes, as well as on collegiate or high school teams. 

An active member of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, Dr. Gargulinski is also dedicated to helping his patients recover from the effects of injury or arthritis. He strives to help patients achieve and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Dr. Gargulinski provides his patients with the compassionate, expert care they need to improve their quality of life. 

As a dedicated athlete, Dr. Gargulinski enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and beach activities. When not assisting patients, he can often be found spending time with his wife and son in the great outdoors.

Considered one of the top physicians in his field, Dr. Steve Mora is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports related trauma, knee, shoulder and arthroscopic treatment of the hip and the elbow.  He has a passion for treating and preventing injuries related to mixed martial arts and soccer. Dr. Mora has unique perspective on orthopedic surgery, having suffered from serious orthopedic injury himself that required multiple surgeries and a lengthy recovery time. He knows on a personal level what his patients are going through both physically and emotionally.

Although he has extensive surgical training, Dr. Mora takes a generally conservative, patient-tailored treatment approach, offering non-operative options wherever possible. However, when surgery is necessary, his patients can rest assured that it will be handled with leading-edge technology.

Because of his expertise, Dr. Mora is a frequent lecturer on sports injuries, and has been published extensively on sport injury related topics. He is a member of the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Dr. Mora speaks fluent Spanish and is the team doctor for the Pro soccer team the Anaheim Bolts, Foothill High School, and Professional UFC fighters.

For more info go to www.myorthodoc.com 

Specialty

• Orthopedic Knee and Shoulder Specialist
• Knee, Elbow and Hip Arthroscopy

Subspecialty

• Sport Medicine
• Cartilage Restoration

Special Expertise

• Complex Knee and Shoulder Reconstruction
• Partial Knee Replacement
• Complex Cartilage Injuries of the Knee
• Sports-Related Trauma
• Arthritis

Procedures and Services:

Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery for:

– Rotator Cuff Tendon Tears including revision repair for failed Rotator Cuff Repair

– Rotator Cuff Tendon Impingement and Bursitis

– Rotator Cuff Calcium Deposits aka Calcific Tendinitis

– Shoulder Instability (Dislocations) and Labral Tears

– Shoulder Joint Arthritis and Loose Bodies

– Shoulder Joint Stiffness (Frozen Shoulder/ Adhesive Capsulitis)

– Acromio-Clavicular (AC joint) Arthritis and Pain

– Biceps Tendonitis and Tears

– Complications Resulting from Prior Shoulder Surgery 

Open Shoulder Surgery for:

– Total Shoulder Arthroplasty/ Replacement

– Partial Shoulder Replacement/ Hemi-Arthroplasty

– Shoulder Instability with Bone Loss or for failed arthroscopic repair

– Acromio-Clavicular (AC joint) Separation/ Dislocation

– Proximal Humerus Fractures

– Clavicle Fractures

– Pectoralis Major Muscle Rupture

– Acute Proximal Biceps Ruptures 

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery for:

– Meniscus Tear Repair or Excision

– Articular Cartilage Damage/ Chondromalacia

– Stiffness/ Catching After Total Knee Arthroplasty

– Patellar Pain

– Loose Bodies
 Synovitis

Open Knee Surgery for:

– Patellar Dislocation/ Subluxation (MPFL Reconstruction)

– Torn Patellar & Quadriceps Tendons

– Reconstruction of Collateral Ligament Instability

– Persistent Bursitis

– Cartilage Resurfacing including Genzyme, OATS, Fresh Allograft, Meniscus – Transplantation 

Elbow Arthroscopic and Open Procedures:

– Fractures including olecranon, radial head and coronoid fractures

– Elbow Stiffness due to arthritis and trauma

– Lateral Epicondylitis

– Persistent Bursitis

Hip Arthroscopy for the treatment of labral tears, impingement and loose bodies

Treatment of most fractures including ankle, forearm, tibia and wrist

Non-Operative Orthopedic Procedures include Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Bone Marrow Derived Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cell injections and Hyaluronic Acid Injections for the treatment of sports injuries and arthritis.

Education

University of California Irvine (UCI) School of Medicine

• Finished top of his class, earing the coveted Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society

Residency

University of Southern California (USC/LAC) Medical Center

• Gained extensive experience taking care of high energy trauma and complex fractures

Fellowship

Santa Monica Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Group

• Sports arthroscopy, shoulder, knee and cartilage

Message from Dr. Mora

"I hope to create a close patient-doctor relationship based on trust and mutual respect. I believe my patients’ medical treatment begins with their complete understanding of their condition, and I promise to do my very best to understand the cause of your pain and then provide a treatment approach that is tailored to meet your specific needs.

I believe that my success in diagnosing and treating orthopedic problems was borne out of my own personal traumatic injury to my legs. While living in Peru, I was struck by a commuter bus, severely injuring my legs and forever changing my life. I have experienced many of the same surgeries that I now perform on my own patients — and I believe this experience has allowed me to be more in tune with my patients’ concerns, symptoms and experiences.

My family heritage is Peruvian and I speak fluent Spanish."

Gregory Carlson, MD, of Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center in Orange, California, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with subspecialty training in spine surgery. He specializes in minimally invasive spinal surgery for rapid recovery, including diagnosis and repair of previously failed spinal surgeries, revision surgery, and artificial disc replacement and other motion preservation techniques. He also performs microsurgical procedures for herniated discs, spinal stenosis, and other neurocompressive problems.

After completing his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology at Southern University in Collegedale, Tennessee, Dr. Carlson attended medical school in California, at Loma Linda University, graduating with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. He did his residency and first year of spine fellowship at the University of California, San Diego, and then finished a second spine fellowship at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Dr. Carlson has published numerous scientific articles on both basic science and clinical topics, and lectures extensively on spinal reconstructive topics. He continues to teach residents and orthopedic surgeons both locally and abroad. Dr. Carlson is also a Clinical Assistant Professor of Orthopedics at the University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Carlson serves on the editorial advisory boards for Spine and The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery and regularly provides peer review services for scholarly articles that have been submitted for publication. He has received research funding for clinical and basic research projects resulting in award-winning paper presentations at a number of spine society meetings.

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the California Orthopedic Association, the Orange County Medical Association, the American Orthopedic Association, and the Cervical Spine Research Society.

Navid Ghalambor, MD, is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in shoulder, elbow and wrist surgeries, with special emphasis on the treatment of shoulder and elbow conditions.
​He received his medical degree from the University of Southern California - Keck School of Medicine.
​
He subsequently completed his orthopaedic surgery residency training at the University of Southern California – Los Angeles County Medical Center. Dr. Ghalambor underwent fellowship training in shoulder arthroscopy and reconstruction at the renowned Harvard Shoulder Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston. He also underwent an adult arthritis and reconstruction fellowship at the UCLA/Orthopaedic Hospital in Los Angeles.

​Dr. Navid Ghalambor was awarded the graduate research fellowship during his medical school training at USC. During his orthopaedic surgery training at USC, he was chosen by the faculty to be a chief resident of the program, which was one of the largest orthopaedic residencies in the country. Dr. Ghalambor has served as an Assistant Clinical Professor of orthopaedic surgery at USC for 12 years and during this time he has been involved in the training of orthopaedic surgery residents at the USC Sports Service. He has also served as an instructor of orthopaedic surgery at the Harvard Orthopaedic Surgery Program.

​Dr. Ghalambor has published numerous articles in peer reviewed orthopaedic surgery journals including articles on shoulder arthroplasty, instability and stiffness. He has given numerous local and national presentations including those at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
His research has been presented at international orthopaedic surgery meetings. Dr. Ghalambor is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, California Orthopaedic Association, Codman Shoulder Society, and Southern California Society for Surgery of the Hand. He has been voted as being one of the “top doctors” in Orange County by Orange Coast Magazine and Orange County Medical Association. Dr. Ghalambor has also been chosen as one of the Southern California’s top doctors by Castle Connolly Medical, LTD.

​​Dr. Ghalambor enjoys trail running and hiking. One of his most memorable sports experiences was being the head coach of his son’s AYSO soccer team for 4 years and leading his BU10 Team to local and regional finals. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling and oil painting.

Click to view Dr. Ghalambor's website

Dr. Mitchell McDowell, a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, specializes in hip and knee reconstruction. He co-founded M Bone and Joint and serves as CEO. A Southern California native, he earned his undergraduate degree with Howard Hughes Medical Institute Honors from CSU Long Beach and completed medical training at Western University of Health Sciences. Dr. McDowell completed residency at Riverside University Health System and an Adult Reconstruction Fellowship at Rush University. Before founding M Bone and Joint, he practiced for eight years as an award-winning surgeon, mentor, and researcher. He is an Associate Clinical Professor at UC Riverside and Western University. Specializing in primary and revision joint arthroplasty, he is certified in robotic-assisted surgery (MAKO, ROSA) and researches regenerative health, ortho biologics, and shock wave therapy. In his free time, he enjoys guitar, woodworking, cooking, and reading.

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.