Dr. Annette Billings, MD

I first saw Dr. Billings because of the extended wait time for appointments with other hand specialists in Pasadena. Her examination was quick, focused, and specific. She answered my questions and identified two different problems causing my hand pain. I’ve followed her recommended treatments for each problem and seen good results. Outpatient surgery at Huntington was consistent with her style: very focused while compassionate and answering all my questions. Recovery has been easy. Her front office staff is friendly and productive, her appointment schedule starts early.

Dr. Billings, was one of the worst doctors I have every received treatment from she talk fast no bedside manner do not listen Very tunnel vision do not have the concepts of every patient is different And heals different ignoring signs and symptoms of the a wound opening and infection and pain. Staff Appears to be terrified of her no concern of the patient’s well-being or livelihood due to a procedure she got paid for I will tell my referral doctor my experience and show him the results and propose he never send anyone there again A doctor should never get so full of them selves no matter how much experience they think they have where the patient do not count and become just an account number.

Dr. Billing performed two surgeries on my thumbs- each a year apart. She was very warm and caring, answered all my questions, and listened to what I had to say.

I was referred to Dr. Billings by my primary physician. Dr. Billings is professional, honest and she really cares about her patients wellbeing. I felt that I was in good hands while under her care. Her staff is a reflection of her very professional and attentive to each patient. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts.

Or, to blatantly, relentlessly, humiliate a nurse in front of a patient? This begrudging God complex that US doctors are getting is becoming insane... Here's my appointment, nearly verbatim to the best of my memory: Me: (gets off phone, roughly 3 second process) - "Okay the doctors here I gotta go, bye babe. Hi doctor." Billings: "So whats going on with your hand?" Me: "My salsa partner pulled down on my finger while we were doing this spin, and i felt a tear on the top of my hand. Then my ligament would go to the side of my knuckle when i made a fist. It doesn't do that anymore, but i can't pull my fingers back like this... yet I can do this, this, and this." Billings: "Let me see... can you pinch like this?" Me: "Yes." Billings: "Okay we can put you in a cast for 6 weeks and see if you heal - or do surgery now." Me: "(A bit taken aback) Um... well I'm curious - I know doctors don't appreciate when we do our own Google diagnosis, but is it the Sagittal… band?" Billings: "Yup, it's the Sagittal band." Me: "And I'm just curious, might I have made it worse by waiting a week to see you?" Billings: "Nope." Me: "And if it tore all the way, would it be in vain trying to see if it self-heals? (since we haven't done an MRI)" Billings: "No sometimes it can heal itself anyways." Me: "Um, okay- I guess we get a cast." Billings: "Ok let's go get you in a cast." Me: "Oh... today?" Billings: "Yes, right now." Me: "Oh snap, okay." Billings: "Follow me." - At this point all I can say is that I was treated like a number, and would never share air with this woman again. And although I can't say that anything was necessarily *wrong* with that interaction - it seemed wildly, unnecessarily, clipped. Yet, it was her need to humiliate her nurse and give me not a single piece of info on the cast that to me seemed very wrong and perhaps malpractice worthy. Once I was in the cast room, I was having it put on by a kind and conversational male nurse. Billings walks in and just commands him to replace whatever wrap he was putting on with something else. Very clipped and very condescending. Then she leaves. A few minutes later she came in and repeated the same word from before. I don't remember what it was but let's assume it was "padding". He looks around for whatever she might be asking for and she walks to me and takes my hand and starts unwrapping everything he did. He offers her what he thinks might be padding, which apparently it wasn't. So, instead of saying - "Oh no bud, that's padding over there.", she *literally* starts to repeat the word getting louder and louder as this guy keeps grabbing different things and trying to offer them to her. Just try to picture this - him grabbing different items while she stands over me, holding my damaged hand, going "Padding... padding... padding... padding... padding... padding... padding... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... PADDING... " Guys, I'm not making this up. That is *exactly* what happened. Finally he grabs the right thing and she takes it and he says "Thanks Dr. Billings I'm sorry we called it something different. And I'm thinking: WHAT!?!? You just apologized and thanked this old crank!?!? Then Dr. Billings leaves the room without a word, and the guy finishes up the hard cast making. I ask if there's anything else, and he tells me there isn't, and I leave. Thankfully, one of my friends was over when I was about to take my first in-cast shower - and informed me that I have to cover the cast since it can't get wet..... I thiiiiiiiiiiiink that might have been Dr. Billings job, but maybe I'm crazy.... In hindsight, I'm ashamed I didn't stand up and leave after the first 3 non-human sentences exchanged. "Hey, this just doesn't feel like you're really all that concerned about making sure I am informed and that my career is best taken care of." And I'm really ashamed I didn't say, "Please take your hand off of my hand, I'm leaving now. This drama between you two is completely insane and I don't feel safe here." But, you wait for a minimum of 1.5 hours to see someone, and want them to help you, so your mind can all to easily be tricked into a servanthood, as opposed to a consumer who is hiring them to do a job that many others would like to have. Doctors have to start being accountable for their actions and their over-scheduling. Maybe that can start with Yelp.

Radio surgery. She is the best in California

Dr. Billings is a confident, personable, highly skilled surgeon. She knows her stuff.

Did not seem compassionate whatsoever to my injury. Asking her questions about my injury seemed to annoy her. She also scrubbed on new stitches and made them hurt more than they had since initial accident. AVOID DOCTOR IF POSSIBLE.

Dr. Billings is a remarkable surgeon.She always has a smile and a great sense of humor. She really listens to what I have to say and takes my input into consideration in my treatment. She spends time with me and answers all questions. When she is with me I feel like I am her only patient. I've been seeing her for two years and have surgery twice, on each of my hands a year apart. I would highly recommend her to anyone who is having any orthopedic hand problems.

She took care of an infected cat bite on my left hand on emergency basis. She is an excellent doctor. I am so lucky to have her for my hand operation.