Victoria Montes

For 3 1/2 years I suffered from lower back pain, tightness in my calves and cramping in my feet. During this time my parents brought me to three different Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeons and at some point I was given a diagnosis of Spondylolisthesis and Spondylolysis. As suggested, I tried exercises to strengthen my core muscles, physical therapy and had facet injections, all of which provided no relief.

I had always been active in sports growing up and imagined I would play throughout my high school years. During my freshman year I played soccer, basketball and rowing, but was unable to make it through any of the seasons due to my back pain, There were many days when I could not get up out of bed in the morning due to the pain and could not bare the thought of sitting in a hard chair the entire school day. I missed many school events, asked to leave work early and was waken many nights due to the pain, My condition had become quite debilitating and I was asking my parents to let me get surgery because we were given different opinions from multiple surgeons. It was not until meeting with Dr. Hughes that my parents were ready to go ahead with surgery,

Dr. Hughes was recommended to my parents by a former patient of his. He first recommended trying PT for a couple of months and told me you want to know that you tried everything before going ahead with surgery. The PT was not helping as much as we had hoped, and I had a second visit with Dr. Hughes when he thoroughly explained his approach, the risks involved and the recovery. My parents and I were well informed and prepared for my surgery. We knew I was in good hands with Dr, Hughes and HSS.

I was scheduled for surgery a couple of months after my second visit with Dr. Hughes, but he knew I was anxious to have the surgery and my parents received a call saying he was able to perform the surgery much sooner. On February 16, 2016, I had Posterior Spinal Fusion, L-5, S-1., My surgery lasted 2 1/2 hours just as Dr. Hughes said it would and everything went well. I was in the Pediatric Unit in HSS for four nights,. The day after my surgery I was able to stand up and take a couple of steps with assistance from the staff. By the time I was ready to go home, I was taking laps around the nurses' station and climbing stairs. The entire staff at HSS was warm and compassionate. Everyone did everything they could to make me as comfortable as possible and I felt I was well taken care of. Since I was a pediatric patient, my mother was able to stay with me the entire time. Everyone at HSS is trained to care for orthopedic patients and it shows.

I  recently had my six month post-op visit with Dr, Hughes and he has cleared my for all activities. I have begun running and it feels great to be active again! My parents have since recommended Dr. Hughes to another young girl that was in need of a similar surgery. Her and her parents had a great experience with Dr. Hughes and HSS as well. This picture of me is from six weeks after my surgery before my high School formal. I am actually wearing heels! Dr, Hughes is an incredibly talented surgeon with a great bedside manner. My parents and I are very grateful for him. Thank you Dr, Hughes and HSS for getting me back in the game!