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Dr. Greg Khounganian

Orthopedic Surgery
TARZANA, CA
20 years experience male

Locations

Office

Tarzana, CA

Address

5525 Etiwanda Ave, #311, Tarzana, CA
Directions

Practice website

Insurances accepted

BCBS Blue Card PPO

Blue Cross of California

UnitedHealthcare

Aetna Life Insurance Company

Blue Shield of California

Cigna

Health Net Of California

About

Bio

Dr. Greg Khounganian is board certified in spine surgery that emphasizes minimally invasive techniques. After earning his medical degree from the University of Southern California, he completed his orthopedics surgery residency in New York City. As he grew adept at treating a variety of orthopedic problems, ranging from sports injuries to broken bones to arthritic joint conditions, Dr. Khounganian developed an interest in spine and spine-related disorders. He returned to his home in the San Fernando Valley to expand on his spine surgery training with a fellowship at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute. Here Dr. Khounganian learned some of the most innovative orthopedic techniques available to patients, including treating spine conditions with non-operative techniques and utilizing microscopic and other minimally invasive procedures. His use of these state-of-the-art practices means patients can return to their regular activities as quickly as possible. Customizing his approach to match each patient’s specific needs, Dr. Khounganian performs procedures involving the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His extensive list of procedures includes: cervical discectomy and fusion, cervical arthroplasty, lumbar microdiscectomy, lumbar decompression, and fusion procedures. Dr. Khounganian has participated in a number of orthopedic research projects and been published in a range of academic journals. His research has been accepted for presentation at both national and international spine surgery meetings. During his medical education, he was awarded recognition for his outstanding scholastic achievements. In his free time, he enjoys music, movies, personal fitness, and outdoor activities with friends and family.

Specialties
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.

Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedic Spine Surgery

Languages spoken

Armenian

Doctor Q&A

70 Answers
37 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Depends: It depends on the age of the patient, how many levels are involved, if instability is present, and how much degeneration is present in the spine. It ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
A disc replacement: Certain individuals with lumbar or cervical disc disease can qualify for a disc replacement. Somewhat similar to hip and knee replacements done today.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old female asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
See specialist: You may be having continued pain due to recurrent stenosis or epidural fibrosis/scar after the procedure. You may benefit from some injections to hel... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Muscle relaxer: Soma (carisoprodol) is a muscle relaxer that can help with the back and/or leg muscle cramps you get when you have sciatica. Be careful when taking m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Yes: There are musculoskeletal conditions that cause scoliosis at birth. In addition there is 'infantile scoliosis'. Scoliosis as an infant newborn can b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
We don't know: We do not know why adolescent (idiopathic) scoliosis occurs. This form of scoliosis develops as adolescents as has the highest chance of progressing ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old female asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Get checked: Bulging discs can be painful and debilitating. However, you should be examined thoroughly for any other causes. If you are significantly disabled by... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
The approach: Anterior lumbar fusions utilize an approach through the abdomen called a retro peritoneal approach. This approach actually never enters the cavity co... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Spine surgeon: A spine surgeon (orthopedic or neurosurgeon) trained in the implantation of disc replacements can perform this procedure.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 30-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Need a spinal tap: For evaluating spinal fluid a spinal tap is necessary. This is the only way to evaluate the fluid for any problems. An MRI would only be able to eval... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
No: Lumbar disc herniations do not cause hand numbness.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Reproduce symptoms: Provocative exam relative to a discogram means they are trying to recreate your pain symptoms to determine which disc is causing your pain.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Minimally invasive: Xlif (extreme lateral interbody fusion) is a technique to fuse one or more segments of the lumbar spine. It is done from the side to access the disc ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 61-year-old female asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Adjacent level: It is very possible that you are having one of the adjacent non-fused levels degenerating. Especially after 30 years. This can cause pinching of ner... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
No: Ankylosing spondylitis is a disorder that is not common. Osteoarthritis, which is the arthritis most adults develop, is much more common. If for some ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old male asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Most likely: Check with your surgeon for follow-up xrays and an exam. They need to determine how well you are healed after the procedure and if you have any residu... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 32-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Depends on severity: The procedure can take anywhere from 3 or 4 hours, to much longer. It depends on the severity of the curve, how many segments need to be fused, and i... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
No: That is a structural problem that chiropractic manipulation can't change. However, some local treatments can help if you have back pain.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 29-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
You can't: Scoliosis is a structural problem of the spinal column causing a rotational abnormality and a curve of the spine. No amount of chiropractic care can ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
No adjustment!: Myelopathy means you have symptoms due to pressure on the spinal cord in the neck. Adjustments are absolutely out of the question. A decompression o... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A male asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Yes, decompression: If the cause of the lateral recess stenosis is purely due to something compressing the nerve, like a disc or bone spurs it can be treated with a decom... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 33-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Yes: If pain management is not helping you should see a spine surgeon to further evaluate the cause of your pain. If epidurals are not helping you may nee... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Get checked: If it has been persisting for a long time you should see a doctor. An exam as well as xrays can help find a diagnosis. And if necessary some blood w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Surgery: Spinal stenosis is the condition where the canal which the nerves and spinal cord travels gets narrow. This can be congenital or progressive due to a... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 24-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Not really: Spinal stenosis can be caused by many things. But as long as the canal is narrowed, by a variety of things, we call it stenosis. Congenital stenosis... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
No arm symptoms.: L2-5 lumbar disc herniations or stenosis would not cause upper arm symptoms. They would cause leg symptoms.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
See a doctor: You first need to have a specialist evaluate the size of the curve and possibly any other reasons for the curve. Then, depending on how mild or sever... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Orthopedic surgeon: A surgeon that specializes in spine surgery or pediatric orthopedics would be the best to evaluate the scoliotic curve for treatment recommendations ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 40-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
About an hour: The time spent in the recovery room after spine surgery depends on the length and complexity of the surgery as well as the health of the patient. If ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 31-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Very little: When an epidural steroid injection is done by someone with a lot of experience there is very little chance of side effects. Like any injection, you c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 44-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Arthritis: Joints in the spine are similar to joints in the rest of the body. When they degenerate due to arthritis they become fluid filled. That fluid is ref... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 46-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Stops motion: The purpose of a lumbar fusion procedure is to stabilize the segment in the lumbar spine. It stops motion in that segment to treat back pain and poss... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 41-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Long: Numbness may take a long time to resolve, if ever. Some people continue to have some residual numbness that never completely goes away.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 25-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
However you like: There is no correct position to sleep in after a lumbar microdiscectomy. Whatever position is most comfortable to you. The more important aspect of ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 36-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Most cases, not.: Idiopathic adolescent scoliosis is a the most common type of scoliosis diagnosed in pre-teens and teenagers. It is a curvature of the spine that can ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 39-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Can be serious: Stenosis is an objective finding on imaging studies, like an mri. However the symptoms of lumbar stenosis determine how severe it is. It can be as m... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old female asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
No: A pinched nerve in the lower back would cause symptoms in a downward direction toward one leg or the other.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 37-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Yes: If you are referring to scoliosis, there are definitely treatments available. Depending on the severity of the curve it can be treated with therapy, ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 42-year-old female asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Muscle weakness?: A disc bulge can cause weakness, numbness and pain, or a combination of those three. The disc causes these symptoms by pressing on a nerve that trave... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Meds and exercise: The easiest way to alleviate mild to moderate back pain is a short course of anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen. As well as exercise, especially c... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old female asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Yes: Cervical stenosis means that the canal where the nerves and spinal cord travels in the neck is narrow. This can cause pinching in nerves that radiate... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 50-year-old male asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Piriformis syndrome: Its the george costanza problem. If you have a large wallet in your back pocket it can cause pressure on the sciatic nerve, also called piriformis sy... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 27-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Arthritic jonts: It is referring to the facet joints of the spine. Each level of the spine is connected by a disc in between the vertebrae and two facet joints. Just ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
A few weeks: The initial pain should start to improve over the next week or two. However, there may be continued residual pain that slowly diminishes over the nex... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 23-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Wound: Initially after surgery you want to avoid submersion in a pool or tub due to wound healing. You want to avoid it due to the possibility you may infec... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Straight leg raise: An easy test to perform to see if the pain may be related to a slipped disc causing sciatica is called the straight leg raise test. If you lay flat an... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Both are good: Yoga and Pilates both employ a lot of core strengthening exercises without high impact or heavy lifting. I recommend them both to my patients frequen... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 35-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Not sure: A discectomy is just that, removal of the entire disc. So residual disc herniation should not occur, unless a complete discectomy was not performed f... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Rare: In the hands of someone experienced epidural injections are very safe. They are done often under light sedation and utilize x-ray for proper placement... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 34-year-old member asked:
Dr. Greg Khounganian
Orthopedic Surgery 20 years experience
Surgery: Cauda equina is a syndrome that causes numbness and weakness to the lower extremities from a severe compression of the nerve roots in the lumbar spine... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Testimonials
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.

2
Recommendations
277
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Mar 30, 2015
Dr. Khounganian is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Mar 31, 2015
Dr. Khounganian is an amazing doctor! #nationaldoctorsday2015 #virtualflower1
HealthTap member
Thank you, your answer was very helpful! Very helpful! About to have lower back spinal fusion , confident!
HealthTap member
Thank you so much for sharing your time & knowledge. I really appreciate it, it's very helpful .
HealthTap member
This saved my life. Thank you. now I know what it might be

Education & Training

Medical/Graduate school

Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, CA
Graduated 2003MD

Medical/Graduate school

University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine
Graduated 2003MD
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