Laser Spine Institute

Just to note, I am only a day out of surgery, so I reserve my right to amend this review.
June in 2013 I had a hemilaminectomy on the L5/​S1. It was successful, but after a trauma to the back, I was again in pain. I did some rehab and had it well enough, but after a bad step, I was out of commission. Being the stubborn person I am, it took me months to seek treatment. I saw the commercial for LSI and gave them a call. This was just before Christmas and I thought it would be a month or two before they could see me. Much to my surprise, I was able to get in on Dec 29.
They conducted an MRI that morning, and that afternoon I had a meeting with a lady who evaluated the images. I had a lot going on; the disc previously operated on had collapsed, a huge cyst that was causing spinal stenosis, and a small tear in another disc. We planned for the surgery in March because I’m a photographer and the holidays and start of the year are always busy… yes, I wanted to continue working as much as I could.
My quote for surgery cost was $ 1,000. Yes, One grand. I have insurance through United Health Care and they work great with LSI. The only issue with UH is having to have the pre-​op tests and meetings (nerve block and meeting the physicians) a week before surgery. It’s a two day ordeal that could easily be done in one (this is the reason for a one star deduction, but should only be a half star deduction). Because of this, I incurred two more hotel bills; sucks, but it is what it is. I did have to have an extra MRI with contrast because something caused them to be concerned about a possible infection. Imaging was clear and we were back on track. Nerve block showed them the exact source of the pain and that was it.
I came in day of surgery and they got me right in. Met with the whole team… also, everyone in this place is amazing… more on that in a moment. I wasn’t nervous because, sadly, I’ve had my fair share of surgical procedures. They offered me an acupuncture device to wear on my ear for 5 days to help with pain management. I opted for it. Went back for surgery and the next thing I remember is waking up and laughing with the post-​op staff. Soon I was back with my husband and the surgeon came out to tell me how it went. They repaired the problematic disc, abated the nerves, removed the cyst and also some scarred tissue from the previous surgery. They gave me a back brace and some ice packs to use during recovery, then I went back to the hotel shortly after to rest.
The next morning I had to go in for a quick post-​op checkup. They changed the bandage and further discussed recovery care and when I could get back to certain activities.
I understand that I am likely still feeling some effects of a steroid or whatever they use for the procedure, but after spending eight months at a pain level of 8 to 9, having it at a 1 (for discomfort), I’m pretty ecstatic. I’ve barely touched my pain pills… mainly to take one for bed and then for the long ride home.
Back to the personnel; every person there is amazing. They get it; you hurt. I’ve been to ortho’s and pain management clinics who treat you coldly because you’re just a patient number to them. These people learn your names, ask about your family, pets, jobs… they invest some time. Maybe it is to get you to buy in, but you cannot take for granted how nice it is to have caring faces surrounding you. Even the surgeon had great bedside manner. Also, breakfast and lunch are brought in for you to eat free. If you’re a patient there, they’re feeding you. Drinks and snacks are also on them. This comes in handy on the long appointment days; grab a drink and a nice lunch and you don’t mind waiting as much.
Again, I’m only about 30 hours out, but so far, so good. I’ve seen a lot of people on the Scottsdale locations Unilocal call them a scam. There’s nothing «scam» about them. Yes, they do perform REAL surgeries. And yes, for some it is expensive… but you cannot put a price tag on your back health; you truly cannot. This is not coming from a wealthy person either. After my MRI, they encouraged me to get a second opinion — I did. I got two more and they all said the same thing. Except, they told me «yes, you’ll need surgery, but let’s try injections and PT first.» I’d been doing PT and injections have never worked on me. Sounded like they were trying to milk as much money as they could on the band-​aids before they actually tried to fix anything. Not cool. I respect that LSI encouraged me to get another opinion. They gave me my MRI disc and write up to do so. I came back because A: I felt like they treated me well and B: They were serious about fixing me. If you need back relief, please check them out.

Everyone in the facility was exceptionally nice, there wasn’t a staff member that didn’t have a smile on their face. I was in total shock on how well the doctors, nurses, and every personnel handled themselves and how much they cared.

clean n beautiful place! however if is not run sufficiently. waited hour n half to b seen by the doctor then waited some more. a. 2 day evaluation could get done in one day. really just was a waste of time n money. don’t recommend it

In my humble opinion I think this review is extremely important to anyone suffering from neck and/​or spinal issues (i.e. pinched nerves, bulging discs, spinal mis-​alignments, spinal issues caused by various trauma, acute and chronic back pain, etc.). I’d been suffering from a severely pinched nerve, caused by a bulging disc at C6,7 (lower neck), since July of 2013. Right side of my body symptoms included severe stabbing pain in my right scapula, radiating pain down my shoulder and triceps, tingling and numbness in my hand and fingers, loss of strength and atrophy in the right triceps. Neuro and Orthopedic surgeons both recommended highly invasive fusion and artificial disc replacement surgeries. Not being comfortable with these recommendations, I researched other non and/​or less-​invasive options. I tried specialized chiropractic care for 6 months with no success. As all symptoms remained the same or worsened, I finally bit the bullet and turned to the Laser Spine Institute (LSI) for relief. They were easily accessed online, so I was able to review their procedures, read about their physicians and review patient testimonials. LSI specializes in minimally-​invasive spinal surgeries (laser, endoscopic, furaminotomy, laminotomy, etc.). Looking back, the entire process, from pre-​admissions through post-​operative care and follow-​up was (other than some minor customer service hiccups) very good! My surgery was 8÷22÷14 and all my pain symptoms are gone! My strength and atrophy issues are also steadily improving! Once again, in my humble opinion, anyone facing similar or other spinal issues should at least give LSI a look. So far so good for me!!!

When Mark and I got married in August 2009, we had high hopes and great plans for our future. Three months later, the cortisone injections Mark got every six months or so stopped working, and the doctors couldn’t figure out why. Mark couldn’t walk very well, as the pain in his back seemed to be affecting his sciatic nerve. His left leg was fine, but his right leg was very weak and in a lot of pain. In the next three years, Mark had several surgeries on his back and an appendectomy. He had massive pain and there were hundreds of trips to the ER and brief hospital stays. There were falls that led to a few concussions, short-​term amnesia one night, and another night when he fell down a flight of stairs and cracked a rib. A neurostimulator was implanted in his back, and a few months later it was removed for causing more pain. Throughout this whole time, he was in so much pain that he could not work. After three and a half years, the surgeon who had stuck by us — determined to figure out what was wrong — gave up on the case. We were desperate, tired of the endless ambulance rides to the ER, with both EMTs and doctors and nurses implying (or outright telling us) that there was no physical cause of Mark’s pain, and that he was addicted to the pain medication. In an ER one night, Mark told me for the hundredth time that he couldn’t live like that anymore, and that if I wanted to leave him he would understand. I went to Google and typed in something like «fix rare spine problem when no one else will.» The first result that came up was Laser Spine Institute. I did my research and even used the chat feature on the LSI website to talk to a Patient Coordinator, and I started to feel hope for the first time in months, maybe longer.
Three or four weeks later, we walked into LSI Philadelphia. It was a busy two days that started with an MRI and ended with the promise that someone would call that night with a surgery time for the third day. Instead of surgery, the third day ended up being a meeting with Dr. Girton, who wanted to hear the details of Mark’s surgical history before agreeing to the surgery. We appreciated that the doctor wasn’t going to blindly do surgery if he wasn’t sure it would be a success. Ultimately, Dr. Girton said he was positive he could help. This was Friday, and the surgery was scheduled for the following Wednesday. The day of the surgery, April 10, 2013, Mark hobbled into LSI using his cane, since his right leg was still so weak he couldn’t walk without it, and his back hurt so much that he couldn’t stand up straight. Literally three hours later, he walked out post-​surgery as tall and strong as I’d ever seen him. He felt good, and even though it had a lot to do with the lingering anesthesia, I knew this was the last surgery he would have for his back. The next day we went to walk around the huge nearby mall. I was so amazed when Mark lifted his right foot, resting it on the car’s bumper, and tied his shoe — something he couldn’t have done the day before — that I took a short video clip on my phone of him tying his shoe and walking away towards the mall. I uploaded it to YouTube and later shared it on the LSI Facebook page — this is what someone looks like a mere day after surgery at LSI! Things continued to improve, and in July I recorded Mark at a golf range practicing his swing, another thing we thought he’d never do again.
Over a year later, Mark and I still can’t stop raving about how LSI changed our lives. We are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary in two days, and our first child is due in seven weeks. I call her our miracle baby, because before surgery at LSI, we didn’t know if Mark’s back would ever be fixed, or if the pain medication had messed up his ability to have kids. So far, all of the tests have shown that our daughter is healthy and growing properly, and the ultrasounds show that her spine looks really good.