Mark Finck

In 2016, I was having severe pain in my left leg and numbness in my calf, leaving me unable to walk or stand for more than 30 seconds without experiencing pain. Simple tasks became almost impossible. I received epidurals for the pain and eventually an L5-S1 micro discectomy at another hospital, in which only part of the disc was removed. Following surgery, the disc was still impinging on the nerve, increasing the pain.

Anyone who has had an unsuccessful surgery, especially if the condition got worse, would understand that when I met Dr. Hughes I was apprehensive about having another surgery. But he made me feel at ease right away. He determined that the L5-S1 disc needed total removal, so I had fusion surgery two weeks later. He saved my life.

Following my surgery my leg pain was gone. At first, I had to wear a back brace but after six weeks I no longer needed it. After 12 weeks, I was able to do the things I enjoyed again, like golfing and running.

Even though I came to Dr. Hughes at a scary and unpleasant time, the entire staff and nurses were welcoming and empathetic. From all the pre-testing, including an MRI, to my follow-up visits, everything was very structured and smooth. I even received an itinerary with the times and locations for each test.

For anyone in a similar unpleasant and scary situation, I want them to know that Dr. Hughes and the entire staff make it as good as possible. Dr. Hughes truly saved my life.