I don’t usually leave reviews, but I felt it would be a disservice to people seeking a good doctor for their back issues if I did not leave one.

I’ve delt with crippling backpain for over 10 years and seen so many doctors for it, to no avail, that I was on the verge of just accepting I’d be in pain for the rest of my life.

Dr. Shamie walked me through the process of identifying the issue and knocking out alternative treatment methods before going under the knife. Patient rapport was excellent. Nothing against surgeons but they usually lack in this department, and it was a huge relief to actually be able to tell someone exactly what my issues and concerns were.

Surgery was a breeze; I was in and out the same day and recovery time was under a month. This was a life changing operation for me and I’m incredibly grateful to have had Dr. Shamie in my corner on this.

Some of the reviews complain about wait times. Yes. It happens with any surgery.

Surgeons are on call and often operating on patients and that means that sometimes you wait a few minutes more to be seen. They don’t leave mid surgery with a patient on the table in order to go to a consultation appointment on exact time. It’s par for the course.

If you get a chance to read this Dr. Shamie, I’d like to thank you again from me and my family.

Submitted Dec. 6, 2022

Terrific surgeon. Very honest and straightforward. One of the best. And a very nice person.

Submitted Sept. 6, 2022

Nick Shamie is a horrible surgeon, arrogant, disrespectful and a liar, he did fusion on L-4 L-5 in 2016, in 2020 I needed surgery again on my L-4 L-5 he

Submitted Dec. 1, 2021

I saw dr Shamie in 2016 ,brought him my entire Med.Hx,he acknowledged that he knew personally my previous surgeon. I told him my symptoms & that I was still working,but experiencing a lot of lumbosacral pain & I was told by the previous ortho.Top Surgeon that I needed L 2 - S 2 Fusion. I should have gone back,but d/t long travel & lodging Costs,my doctor recommended Dr Shamie ,as the best of the best near me!
I wish so much that I had took a loan & traveled longer distance as almost 2 years later ,not only I Can NOT work ,but I can NOT Walk unless I have a cane or a walker.
I told Dr Shamie this on my 2 wks post op appointment,that my lumbar pain is less,but my legs are literally KILLING ME with just few feet of ambulation. He ordered X Ray & said just walk more. I told him that I would fall,not only my feet feel as if I was walking on a rolled up socks,so I do not have even fair balance,but I have excruciating pain shooting from my heals to my buttocks. My sacroiliac pain is non stop day & night. He smiled with his sarcastic grin & repeated to just walk more.
He really barely paid attention to me,as he preferred talking to my young female family member,he also LIED on the surgery report that he " warned me that this procedure would not relief my symptoms & I would need re operation " Straight,bold faced lie, my family remembers asking if I would need another surgery & he said NO,only this one !! Then in his surgical report DR SHAMIE LIED that I choose this procedure as oppose to the conventional Fusion !!! Knowing the horrible side effects with which I am living with every day & night since his botched & dangerous surgery.
Total lie. I wrote him letter with detailed horrible,persisting symptoms , considering suicide every day.
He did not bother to answer it or to even call me. He. Had one of his resident,young doctor call me with similar smirky laughing style,saying for me to drop by so they can " take a look at me "
I told him that I could not manage the trip to F from th.e airport & for sure sitting still on the plane d/t my severe radiculopathy & now neuropathy,which I did not have prior to this surgery.
I also told him that it has caused me to be incontinenet of bladder. I am a R N, No, Not practicing, curtesy of this Doctor,who looks beautiful on paper but be careful when you go & see him.
I had another over 8 hours surgery to attempt to correct his botched procedure, this neurosurgeon said that dr Shamie did very dangerous surgery & very sloppy,used tons of BMP which has spread out over the most of my spine & it took him hours to remove it using a Midas Drill & he was able to partially correct dr Shamie's mistakes,but the damage to my Spinal Nerves- by Stretching them like a Gitar strings is probably no longer correctable " he also advised me to file a complaint with the California Medical State Board. The laws are set up to protect doctors in Ca. & his lawyers would destroy my reputation & life.
So please people if you don't want to end up,twisted,crippled person with no hope for better tomorrow - stay away from him & check out his history ,being afrront of the congress d/t taking bribes/ gifts from Medical supplier company . My life is over ,thanks to this horrible " surgeon " I am sure he knows his craft,but using older people to further his research it's not cool & I still think of dying or not waking up the next morning every day since his surgery. I can't even walk to my mailbox about 250 ft. Without taking pain medication & having someone with me,because I am constantly at high risk for fall & injury.
This has been the most traumatic experience of my life,thanks to his Lies,I am totally done with my life,will need to rely on Opioids & Gabapentin for the rest of m life ! & continue to research on least traumatic for my family end of life measure

Submitted July 8, 2018

My husband suffered a very severe fracture of his spine in September of 2015. After enduring very painful days with no relief from Emergency room visits and other treatments to no avail. For a total of 5 weeks he was unable to sit or walk without severe pain. I cannot say enough about the UCLA medical staff who were nothing but professional, kind and compassionate to the needs of my husband. We were given very quick appointments and had very minor wait times at those appointments. Dr. Shamie had excellent bed side manners and answered all of our questions thoroughly. After much research and many consultations with some of the best surgeons on the west coast we opted to have Dr. Arya Nick Shamie perform his surgery. Once it was decided that surgery was necessary, they did all they could to ensure that it was done as quickly as possible since he was in so much pain. The surgery went very well and thanks to Dr. Shamie’s excellent skill my husband was walking the very next day. He gave my husband his life back. We highly recommend this Super Doctor. Thank you Dr. Shamie.

Submitted Nov. 18, 2015

Punctuality - In three visits, I waited for this doctor a total of 6 hrs. and 15 mins. No, that is no mistake. The second time I was in back room for 1 1/2 hours of that time; the third visit I waited 1 hr. 15 mins. in the room where you are put when the doctor is supposedty "ready" to see you. HELPFULNESS -Answered only a question I asked ; offers absolutely no information. On some questions I asked - one day it was one answer; on another visit, something completely different from the first time. "KNOWLEDGE" - How could one possibly know? He never talks!!He certainly looks like he walks on water on paper but, in reality, leaves much to be desired. I would suspect he has never heard of what is called "bedside manner"! And I truly don't know if I can muster the courage to find out! After 4 visits , I am as confused and uninformed as I was when when I first went to see Dr. Shamie.
Reviews I've read are not encouraging; it would be good to hear from someone who has something positive to say!

Submitted Sept. 25, 2014

He is the best surgeon I saw in LA. I was diagnosed and got rid of my pain with a small surgery. I recommend him highly.

Submitted March 7, 2013

The doctor is a very demeaning and dishonest man. He is arrogant to the point of abusiveness. There are many good doctors in Los Angeles. I would not recommend seeing him.

Submitted Jan. 24, 2013

Dr. Nick Shamie looks good on paper, and he knows a lot about orthopedic surgery. After all, he’s an L.A. media celebrity of sorts. The problem? He cares more about his career than about his suffering patients. I saw him twice, first in May 2010 and again in October 2011. He operated on my lower back in 2010, but it did nothing to relieve my pain. (I had a successful lower-back operation two months later at Cedars-Sinai.) Because of my HMO insurance restrictions, I visited Dr. Shamie again in October 2011, this time for neck pain. I vividly described all I’ve been doing for it: exercise, ice packs, TENS unit treatments, medications, rest, posture, and six weeks of physical therapy (the PT didn’t work, however). But I don’t have shooting pain down either of my arms, and I don’t have any arm- or hand-movement problems, so the best Dr. Shamie could do for me was suggest physical therapy—which I told him had NOT worked. He didn’t seem to care.

Submitted Oct. 28, 2011

He was highly referred by his colleague that he was top in doing minimally invasive S.I fusions. I arrived hopeful with c.t scan in hand, finally I'll be diagnosed and treated. He was congenial but a bit more interested in my girlfriend then me. He atemately said no S.I fusion surgery for me. Did not explain why or what alternative options I might have, just a don't do it. I walked out as uninformed as before. He hardly looked at my data and no alternative was discussed. Total waste of time and money in the long string of referrals that lead to dead ends . Later i tried to contact by email for a few questions. Forget it! Had to write to 3 secretaries before one passed on message. The answer was as uninformative as the consultation. Waste of time and money, all of it.

Submitted Oct. 25, 2011