Dr. Angela Santini, MD

Dr. Santini performed double spinal fusion on my neck in April 2024 and I can't say enough great things about her and her staff. Every step of the process from evaluation to surgery to post op has been amazing. I am living free of nerve pain and headaches for the first time in over a decade. Easier recovery than I ever imagined, with just one night in the hospital. Did not need prescription painkillers once home. Minor shoulder pain for a few weeks as my body adjusted to my new alignment. My scar healed well, settling into the natural crease in my neck.

I recently visited Dr. Angela M. Santini, M.D. at Virginia Spine and Sports Orthopedics and was impressed by the care and professionalism I received. Dr. Santini stood out with her excellent communication and empathy. She took the time to listen to me and provided instructions on what I needed to do next in the process. Approximately a week later and after an MRI, Dr. Santini diagnosed my condition and then explained a potential surgical procedure in a clear and reassuring way. Her genuine care and speed of working with the hospital to reserve a date and time for the surgery, combined with her prestigious pedigree as an orthopedic surgeon, made me feel confident in my treatment plan.Feeling much better post the Lumbar discectomy decompression L5-S1.Overall, my experience at Virginia Spine and Sports Orthopedics was outstanding, and I highly recommend this practice for anyone seeking top-notch orthopedic care.

Dr. Santini is wonderful. She was the only DR. to take my symptoms seriously. We did an in office X-ray, & went to get an MRI for confirmation on my issue. She determined surgery to be necessary.I recently had the surgery, & she was great. I saw relief immediately.I highly recommend this practice. I would 100% do it all over again.

First visit okay but was quick to try and make a fast judgement of a 6 month long condition, and I had to push to get an MRI to access structural damage. Second visit, I waited 50 minutes in the room and no doctor or anyone to even pop in with a timing update. We all have lives too and some of us are taking off work for this. Rude and unacceptable behavior, so I left. Too many great doctors in northern VA.

This doctor was awful. I went to her for knee pain and she completely ignored the symptoms I had mentioned and wrongfully diagnosed me with patella tendonitis. She didn't order an MRI and told me to go to physicals therapy. PT wasn't helping and I went to another orthopedist. He ordered and MRI and I had a complete ACL tear. Do not go see her if you want someone to actually check what is going on.

Dr Santini listened to my concerns and took the time to make an informed diagnosis. I have been limping for years and tried endless solutions from other health professionals. I knew in post op without even standing up that my back surgery was a success. I had my 1st follow up and every staff member asked me how I felt and told me I looked well.

Dr Santini and her staff are excellent. Twice she was able to diagnose painful issues that my other doctors and chiropractors had written off. She saw things on the MRI they missed. For twenty years I had a herniated disc in my neck and the other pinched nerves in my lower back. It is cliche, but I feel like I have my life back. After surgery there is no more pain, I sleep well which gives me so much more energy during the day. Not to mention saving money on chiro and massage. Her work is flawless. Seriously, go to her.

I have not written many reviews but in this case I feel compelled to do so. Dr. Santini is in my opinion one of the finest doctors and surgeons that I have encountered in my lifetime. For close to 20 years she has healed my children’s broken bones, replaced discs in my wife’s neck sparing her from years of pain, and most recently, decompressed my old, rusty lumbar spine allowing me to walk normally again. I am forever in her debt for what she has given me. I give her my highest recommendation and encourage you to utilize this valuable resource that we have available to us in Loudoun County. Thank you Dr. Santini.

Dismissive demeanor ~ Her surgery on my knee still left me with pain. Her response was "Well, you have arthritis". Why did I need a torn meniscus surgery then? Why wasn't arthritis mention prior to surgery? I've heard better results from friends but I wouldn't recommend her.

Dr. Santini is a phenomenal physician. She truly changed my life! She performed an Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF) for my collapsed disc and now I am finally pain-free. I can play golf and tennis and jog, none of which I could do before. Dr. Santini is trustworthy, honest, caring and an incredibly skilled surgeon. She answered all of my questions and never rushed me but was also efficient, which I appreciated. She was excellent with follow-up after my surgery. From start to finish, it was as great an experience as surgery can be and I am so grateful. Dr. Santini’s team is also amazing. Janet and the front desk staff are wonderful. Matt does a fantastic job with X-rays and is so personable. Dr. Santini is the absolute best and I recommend her wholeheartedly!

I was referred to Dr. Santini after a back injury left me with a drop foot, excruciating hip and leg pain and loss of use of my leg. Dr. Santini was professional and caring, quickly diagnosing the issue as a herniated extruded disk. Her office manager Janet was incredible, in getting me the quickest date for surgery and navigating all the insurance issues. I couldn’t be more thankful for the team at INOVA Ambulatory Surgical Center. They provided compassionate, professional care. I was cheerfully attended to by all parties who assured me that Dr. Santini was the best- even the go-to doctor for other doctors. She performed the surgery which removed disk material from compressing my spinal cord and nerves. I immediately felt relief and saw immediate improvement in my drop foot. I left the center without a limp and was provided excellent and prompt follow up care to answer all my questions. I am thankful I was in good hands with Dr. Santini!

Awful. Dr Santini is a Jekyl and Hyde type…..you never know what you’ll get. Pleasant and knowledgeable on one visit and then absent minded and unhelpful the next. Very strange. Notes did not match what I reported in the visit at all. I can’t imagine why anyone would get a surgery from her. There are MUCH better orthopedic options in this area.

Dr. Santini came recommended to me by a friend. I made sure she/the office knew that when I made the appointment. I had a 10:10 appointment and was not seen until 11:45 with no apology or anything. I felt like she was rushing, no compassion, common courtesy, respect or bedside manner. There are plenty of other great Ortho doctors who have come recommended that I will now try.

A few months ago my wife fell down some steps and fractured her thoracic spine. Thank God we were referred to Dr. Santini, I was fearful that a spine surgeon would encourage spine surgery but upon examination Dr. Santini said my wife would not need surgery and put her in a hi-tech lightweight brace that immediately gave my wife support and comfort. Weeks later, final x-rays revealed that she is healed; she no longer needs the brace and is back to normal. It was a pleasure meeting Dr. Santini; she is simply the BEST! Also, kudos to her Assistant “Matt” who received us when we arrived and made us feel very comfortable prior to meeting Dr. Santini.

I started seeing Dr Santini in fall ‘18.I had hand numbness/tingling (more left hand)since being pregnant Oct ‘17 and radiating left thoracic back pain since Apr ‘18.Had been to 10sessions of physical therapy with no relief,had previously had hand steroid injections with no relief.She dismissed my symptoms after simply listening to me (no imaging), said “I don’t think you have any serious spinal issues”.I demanded an MRI-she ordered thoracic which was apparently normal.Gave me thoracic trigger point steroid injection-again no relief.EMG showed mild carpal tunnel.Being that my husband&I wanted to get pregnant,I went ahead and scheduled left carpal tunnel surgery. While the surgery itself went well I had NO relief in hand tingling.Fast forward to 2021 @31 weeks pregnant, my hands and back in 9/10 pain.I went to another spinal Dr who immediately ordered a cervical MRI-showed disk herniations at 3 levels mostlyC7.Have been on steroids,may be headed for disk replacement after delivery.

I waited forever ... she finally comes in Doesn't even say her name and starts yelling at me. This is how she treats new patients. Very judgmental and cold hearted Never go here

1st appointment - Santini diagnosed my shoulder pain and gave me a Cortisone shot. All was well up to that point. But then she quickly left the room after finding out if a 2-week follow-up would work for me. No parting words, or asking if I had questions or just "goodbye". Just walked out and closed the door. The 2nd appointment was similar. She said that I would now have to schedule an MRI and stopped me mid-sentence of a question as she headed for the door and said: "hold on a minute" and left the room. So I waited for her but instead, her assistant comes to get me and leads me to the front to get info on MRI imaging and to check out. I had to send the assistant to her with my questions. Although I was literally around the corner and she could hear me, she sent him back with the answers. I felt very demeaned and unrespected. She lacked compassion, common courtesy, and respect. I'm definitely switching to someone else who shows genuine care for ALL people.

Dr. Santini was an excellent choice for my two level ACDF surgery. The surgery was a complete success with surprisingly little post op pain and virtually none of the potential negative consequences. I was very nervous about this surgery and her pre-op preparations and conversations with me gave me a great deal of confidence in her experience and abilities. She has a laser focus on the success of the surgery and your full recovery. She came highly recommended and I see why. Without a doubt, I would go back to her for additional surgery if needed.

Dr. Santini and her staff are exceptional. After experiencing several months of pain due to a disc fragment impinging a nerve root, I was treated with excellent and compassionate care at this office. Dr. Santini performed my surgery with incredible expertise and she also gave me some sound recuperation advice which helped me get back to my normal routine much faster than I expected. Today I have zero pain and feel that I have better understanding of keeping my back at optimal health; I highly recommend Dr. Santini and am so grateful for her care!

I had a 2 level fusion done in my neck after suffering for many years on and off. It had gotten to the point where I couldn't do the things I loved without paying for it with pain and neck stiffness afterwards. Now I feel like I got my life back! Dr. Santini was great! Between she and Janet, I had all my questions answered fully and felt really prepared going into the surgery. Best decision ever.