David Pearlman

I am now two months out of major spinal surgery and want people to know what a life-enhancing experience this has been. As a 67-year-old diabetic with several of the maladies that accompany that disease, I was hesitant to consider surgery to deal with the back pain that I have been living with for forty years. On the good days the pain, in today’s medical parlance, would have rated a three or four, on others, a solid eight or nine, with the occasional over the top ten. Over the past decade I’ve had to give up sports that I enjoyed and keeping in any sort of physical shape was harder and harder. I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis and the pain radiating down my legs and buttocks often made me unable to walk or stand for any length of time. An excellent local physiatrist was able to give me relief through a series of procedures, but I knew this was temporary. Then, two years ago, my legs started giving out under me as I would walk and I was unable to do anything but go to my knees.

That’s when, upon the recommendation of a good friend, I contacted Dr. Charles Goodwin of New York Physicians Group and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in Manhattan. Despite living four hours away, I was happy to get an appointment and make the trip. At our initial meeting, Dr. Goodwin spent two hours with my wife and me reviewing my symptoms, examining x-rays and an MRI done locally and asking if I would like to continue with his suggestions for diagnosis and treatment.

Over the next six months I had further tests done at HSS, Dr. Goodwin consulted with a neurologist, Dr. Reichler, and I researched the doctor and the hospital. After two more appointments, Dr. Goodwin told me that the only good approach to easing my pain was to perform a laminectomy and instrumented fusion on my L4, L5, and S1 vertebrae. I agreed to the procedure and on the morning of December 15th I entered the hospital. Thus began an experience I can only describe as amazing.

As soon as I registered, the staff took excellent care of me. From reception to prep, everyone was not only polite but friendly, making me feel as at ease and as comfortable as anyone facing a five-hour operation could. When I entered the operating room, the nurse who first greeted me, waved hello and that was the last thing I recall prior to waking up in the recovery room (I assumed) late enough in the December afternoon for it to be dark outside. Thus began treatment that I have raved about to all who have asked about my stay at HSS.

For the next four days, a team of doctors, nurses and physical therapists descended upon me to help enhance my recovery. As the anesthesia wore off, I felt pain I hadn’t known existed, and immediately I was administered oxycodone, despite my protestations that I didn’t want to become part of the opioid epidemic. Dr. Reichler came in and simply told me I needed to get out of pain and that the team would not let me overdo the medication. Thankfully, I followed his instruction. Along with what I feel was the greatest group of nurses imaginable, I was visited by my cardiologist, Dr. Warschauer (go Mets) each day, Dr. Reichler twice and I began PT the morning after the operation, albeit by taking only eight steps. Dr. Goodwin had called my family back in Cooperstown immediately after surgery to inform them that everything had gone well and there were no complications whatsoever and he assured me the same when we talked a couple of days later. I cannot heap enough praise on the staff of HSS. I wish I could remember the names of all my nurses and the PT folks, but I was pretty hazy for awhile. I do remember Christian, Bonnie, Olga, Amanda and Crystal, but I know there were more. They and the support staff displayed the perfect combination of knowledge, competence and good humor. Despite major pain, made bearable by the medication, I look back upon this experience as purely positive. When I needed relief, a nurse was there; I got regular PT each day and was climbing stairs the third day after surgery. Most importantly, after six weeks I was back to using all the weight machines that had been part of my workout before the operation, but with lighter weights. I have had no radiant pain nor have my legs “collapsed” under me.

As a patient, I consider the surgery a total success and I cannot say enough to adequately describe my evaluation of Dr. Goodwin, his office staff and the physicians and staff of HSS. I thank all those involved for making my life so much better.