I chose Dr. Lebl in early spring after getting a finally accurate devastating diagnosis December 26th, 2014. I do not regret seeking a second opinion and deciding to go forward with HSS & this surgical team. Planning with family and other preparations went through the summer for a mid September surgery date. At this writing, six days after a 9 hour procedure, I'm going home up two flights of stairs, slowly, and without a cane. As I'm not permitted to lift over ten pounds for a few weeks or carry anything, I can also go up those steps without holding onto the railing if I chose to, as I was taking two steps at a time in the PT dept. during recovery to prepare for the higher steps at home. I intend to provide additional updates as recovery continues. From what has been called 'spinal reconstruction surgery', where I was so scared of the complexity of the procedure I wrote a will and considered the prospect of not coming out of the operating room alive (and I've had a number of other surgeries), no discredit to the surgical team. It was just that major. Going forward was the only way to potentially have a quality of life in later years, and I had every hope of coming out better than going in. To be walking unassisted with a normal or unchanged gait before leaving the hospital and maybe even able to dance and be an athlete again has more than pleasantly exceeded expectations. It's really possible, and the staff at HSS has been exceptional as well.