Microsurgery training
Reconstructing a badly injured hand often comes down to working on structures a millimetre across. That is a specific skill, learned in a specific fellowship year.
Hand, upper extremity & microsurgery · Orange County
Gautam Malhotra, MD is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in upper extremity and hand surgery, fellowship-trained in hand, upper extremity and microsurgery at the University of Chicago. He treats acute trauma and chronic conditions alike, in Laguna Woods and Fountain Valley.
No appointment needed — you can also just walk in during clinic hours.
Most PPO and HMO plans and Medicare accepted. Second opinions welcome.
Training & teaching
Medical degree, residency and fellowship all at the University of Chicago. Then years reconstructing complex hand injuries — and teaching the next generation of hand surgeons — at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Fellowship
University of Chicago
Hand, upper extremity and microsurgery
Residency
University of Chicago
Orthopedic surgery
Medical school
Pritzker School of Medicine
University of Chicago
Undergraduate
UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
Faculty
University of Illinois Chicago
Practiced and taught hand surgery · reconstruction of complex hand injuries
Recognition
Resident Educator of the Year
Awarded by the senior residents he taught
10+
Years in practice, including teaching hand surgery at UI Chicago
Micro
Fellowship-trained in microsurgery — the techniques complex hand reconstruction depends on
Taught
Named Resident Educator of the Year by the senior residents at UI Chicago
2
Orange County offices — Laguna Woods and Fountain Valley
Meet your surgeon
Dr. Malhotra approaches each case with the same compassion and attention to detail as he would for a family member, and believes in empowering patients through education so they can make informed decisions about their own treatment.
Gautam Malhotra, MDHand & Upper Extremity Surgery
Reconstructing a badly injured hand often comes down to working on structures a millimetre across. That is a specific skill, learned in a specific fellowship year.
Conservative management or surgery — Dr. Malhotra walks patients through both, and considers it part of the treatment rather than a preamble to it.
As part of OrthoWest, your care connects to in-house imaging, hand therapy and pain management without starting over somewhere else.
What Dr. Malhotra treats
A wide range of hand and upper extremity conditions, in patients of every age.
How a visit works
Step one
No appointment needed. Walk in to the office nearest you during clinic hours, or request a time online if you prefer.
Step two
You are examined in person, your imaging is reviewed with you on the screen, and you get a straight answer about what is going on.
Step three
You go home knowing your options in order — what to try first, what to try next, and what surgery would involve if it ever came to that.
Find us
Dr. Malhotra sees patients at the OrthoWest offices on El Toro Road in Laguna Woods and Brookhurst Street in Fountain Valley.
Fountain Valley
18785 Brookhurst Street, Suite 100Text this office
(714) 500-5056Before you come in
No. You can walk in during clinic hours, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You can also request a time online if you would rather plan ahead.
Not always. Many PPO plans let you schedule directly. Some HMO plans do require a referral — text the office and we will check your plan with you before you come in.
A photo ID, your insurance card, a list of your medications, and any imaging you have already had — X-rays, MRI or CT on a disc or through a patient portal.
Most PPO and HMO plans and Medicare. If you are unsure about your plan, text the office and we will verify your coverage before your visit.
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for sudden severe pain, loss of strength or numbness, or loss of bladder or bowel control. Those need emergency evaluation, not an office visit.
Stop working around the pain
Request an appointment with Dr. Malhotra online, or text the office nearest you.
Second opinions welcome. Most PPO, HMO and Medicare plans accepted.