In 2019 my husband was diagnosed with a cavernous malformation near the hippocampus area of his Brain. Due to its location, it has caused him to suffer from seizures, headaches, mood and temperament changes along with memory and concentration issues. In October of 2020 my husband suffered a small stroke. For the first year and a half we were told by other neurosurgeons that removing it was either too risky or impossible and managing his symptoms was our only option. The mood and temperament changes has affected our marriage and his relationships with others including our Children. In March of 2021 a visit to the ER led us to Dr. Rao. Dr. Rao met our circumstance with compassion and concern. He exchanged what was considered too risky and impossible for something doable and possible. On September 13th (My birthday) Dr. Rao successfully removed my husbands Cavernous malformation and gave me the best birthday gift. Hope for a better quality of life for my husband and a chance at restored relationships with loved ones.

Dr. Rao was a true godsend when he came into my hospital room at Mission Hospital on March 21, 2021. I needed emergency surgery, as I had three tumors in my head, and Dr. Rao said he would perform the surgery. He spent a long time with me, explaining everything in simple terms and had a calm demeanor, which was very reassuring. He performed the surgery flawlessly with no brain damage and truly saved my life. I believe it was a miracle to have him as my surgeon and I will forever be grateful.

The whole team was wonderful. Danette got me schedule for the CT scan and Dr. Rao fully explained the results showing me the details of the scan, and explained what I need and don't need to do in the future. I appreciate their efforts!!! And the office staff was great too!!! Thanks!!!

We just met Dr. Rao and his team a couple of weeks ago and are extremely satisfied. He is very knowledgeable, kind and caring. I would highly recommend him and his team to anyone.

I am so blessed that Dr. Rao is my neurosurgeon. He operated on my brain tumor in spring of 2019 and said because of its size the tumor had been growing in my head for at least 20 years. Nothing short of a miracle and I have him to thank for my life. I will always be grateful to Dr. Rao. He is a once in a lifetime, brilliant doctor. Thank you.

Very fortunate that Dr. Rao was available for an unexpected situation involving our young, adult son. If not for his excellent bedside manner, willingness to explain options, and expertise in similar procedures we might have had to deal with long term challenges and difficult decisions if he would have had to work with another provider. We went from hospitalization, to diagnosis, to procedures culminating in a major brain surgery in about 30 days. All of this during a peak period of the pandemic (Halloween through Thanksgiving). He's an excellent surgeon and up to date on latest technology.

Knowledgeable and caring doctor, he correctly diagnosed my issues while other doctors missed. Best of the best! His assistant and staff are helpful and professional! I highly recommend him to anyone with back issue!

Dr. Rao and staff are the best, caring and knowledgeable. I'm lucky to have them as my providers

Wow I can't even express how grateful we are we Dr. Rao for being so personable and knowledgeable! It is evident that he is passionate about medicine and he truly cares for his patients at a human level. He took the time to explain all our options. Even when we asked the same questions, he patiently and happily explained everything. My brother had a ruptured arachnoid cyst in his brain, which was obviously threatening his life and well being. Dr. Rao performed emergency brain surgery the next morning, and we couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. I highly recommend him! Thank you so much for the care and attention Oscar received, our family is beyond grateful.

Dr Rao is my hero!! I was diagnosed with a Colloid Cyst and he performed the surgery I needed that saved my life. I will be forever grateful for the skilled surgeon he is and his calming bedside manner. Dr. Rao and staff were always attentive and compassionate which made me feel like I was their only patient. Being a gal, he left me with a full head of hair with no sign of surgery to be seen by those who did not know. I am happy to report I have made a full recovery Thank you, Thank you, thank you!

Dr Rao has fixed my Lumbar Spine more than once. He is very professional & efficient. Thank you Dr Rao!!

Dr. Rao saved my life. I had an aneurysm rupture. And he was the neurosurgeon on call. He clipped my 30mm aneurysm and saved my life. So thankful for him.

Dr. Rao helped my mother-in-law with her aneurysm. We met him via ER and we could not be happier about meeting him for care. He was extremely caring, sensitive to our family needs for consultation, and expertly managed to put in stents and minimize the problem. He is very well respected by the staff, makes sure his patients are cared for while at the hospital, and is very efficient with follow up. His staff is very helpful in scheduling and managing medical insurance. We could not be happier with him. We highly recommend him!

Dr Rao is GREAT!!! Need I say more? I had been in his office before, with a patient of his colleague, and liked the atmosphere straight off. He operated on my back this past June 2019 and I was very happy with surgery, recovery, and the results. He is kind, compassionate and honest. He went over my MRI thoroughly with me a couple of times and he found the problems in my back I didn't even know I suffered with. So then Dr Rao told me what he would do, what to expect and sure enough everything was as he said it would. His coordinator Danette (hopefully I spelled it correct) always keeps the patient informed and calls you personally, no automation, to remind you of appointment or to followup on anything you need. The whole staff is great and I thank them all for being so kind to me. Not many Drs are in his class. I'd recommend him to anyone suffering with back issues.

Dr. Rao saved my life and has given me more days on this earth. After a fainting spell it was found that I had a very large tumor that had been growing in my head for many years. I truly believe he is the most amazing doctor and man I ever met and I am so thankful and extremely appreciative of the skills he possesses. I highly recommend Dr. Rao and say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I know he will continue his path to greatness.

Dr. Vikas and his office were exceptional. The were always available to answer my questions, even if they weren't the ones responsible for the information. They made this difficult time bearable.

I have to say truthfully, Dr. Rao is one of the best doctors/Surgeons I have ever dealt with. From his office staff to his surgery and post Surgery. The entire group will restore your faith in the medical world. Dr Rao truly cares and will go out of his way to make you comfortable. He will actually speak with you , answer all your questions and truly cares about your health. His office and staff were amazing. The are in contact with you at all times and will do what ever it takes to resolve issues you might have with insurance! You are treated with respect and a smile from the minute you walk In The office. Danette is incredible!

Dr. Rao in my families opinion is the best best in his field! My mother was diagnosed with a plum size brain tumor on June 25, 2018. We met with Dr. Rao at Saddleback Memorial hospital to review MRI images. Dr. Rao explained the seriousness of Moms condition and gave her two options one was to do nothing and live for several months and then hospice or to have the tumor removed. Dr. Rao is pleasant, comfortable to speak with and tells it like it is. Dr. Rao was of course confident that he could remove the tumor, however did not know exactly how my mother would recover at 87 yearly old. Mom decided to go for it and after surgery we were all amazed at how remarkable my Mom was doing and also still is doing well. Paging Dr. Rao! Come and take a bow!

At 6:30AM May 30, 2019, my 30-year old son broke his C2 vertebrae while body-boarding at Salt Creek Beach. Meeting Dr. Rao at Mission Hospital 2 hours later, my wife, my son(who by this time had his neck immobilized) and I learned that our son may not live through the upcoming surgery. If he did live, he had a fair chance of becoming a quadriplegic. We had very painful end of life discussions and faced the greatest challenge of our lives. Yet after a 6-7 hour surgery, our son survived and didn't end up with paralysis. Yet doctor after doctor, and nurse after nurse, came into the hospital room to meet the "miracle surfer" who survived a C2 break. Dr. Tao is our son's savior, and we are grateful beyond words for Dr. Rao's knowledge, education, and experience. After a week in the hospital, our son's arrival at our home for a month of recovery was as emotional as any of us had ever experienced. Our son started his PhD work at Columbia in September, and with no long term cognitive issues. We owe so much to Dr. Rao, and I couldn't more highly recommend a surgeon than Dr. Rao! Thank you Dr. Rao for giving us back our son!!

Dr Rao performed a very difficult surgery on my 91 yr old mother to remove a large aneurysm behind her eye that I believe other surgeons would not have even attempted! He was very upfront about the high risks involved, explained everything in detail, and answered all our questions. I appreciated the balance between his balance between giving the hard facts and his confidence for success! There were difficulties during the surgery and it took a lot longer, but surgery was a success and she is home now and has full cognitive function! So much better than just going home to wait for it to rupture. She is just shy of her 92nd and anticipating more! Thanks Dr Rao from all of our family!!!