Marcos Elizondo

My name is Marcos and I normally do not take the time to write reviews but in this case I felt I need to. I have been dealing with back problems since my early 20s and have undergone several nerve decompressions in my lumbar spine. I met Dr. Hughes in 2013 through a Veterans Affairs Consult. I liked his demeanor, patience and explanation and solution to my current issues. Unfortunately, our timing did not match and I opted for a close provider in my area for another decompression. Six years later I was back in the same position, so I decided to see Dr. Hughes again this time at HSS. He did a thorough review and examination and took the time to explain my options. Dr. Hughes believed that a 2-level fusion would be my best long term option, but I was hesitant. By the time I was ready to make a decision, COVID hit and paused everything. I went back to Dr. Hughes looking to move forward with the fusion. But, after reviewing my latest scans, my situation had worsened and now Dr. Hughes recommended a 4-level fusion to try to prevent further surgeries in the future. I was very hesitant and explored 3 other opinions but none gave me a sense of assurance that doing nothing or doing something else would give me long term relief. After a lot of soul searching I decided to put my faith into Dr. Hughes' hands along with his staff. So far, I am 3 months post-op and feeling better than I have in a long time. I'm not back to how I felt in my 20s, but the constant pressure and pain were essentially gone and replaced by minor aches, which are mostly due to all the scar tissue from the past decompressions. I am writing this to hopefully help someone else who was in my position help them feel better or more comfortable with going with a multi-level fusion. As I was deciding on going with the 4-level fusion, I could not find any reviews that fit my situation, so I'm hoping this helps someone get their life back and become more active. I highly recommend Dr. Hughes and his staff for having the patience and being responsive to my multiple questions and needs pre- and post-surgery.