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Patient Stories – Denise

I had continuous pain for two years. It started in my buttock and radiated down my left leg to my foot. At first it was bearable, but after a year it became so severe that I started looking for a doctor to help me. At first I tried sports medicine doctors, and then I tried orthopedic surgeons. But I could never get a clear diagnosis.

Denise // Age: 62
Condition // Scoliosis/Spinal Stenosis
Occupation // Retired (Puerto Rico)

Why did you choose Dr. McCance for your spine surgery?

Dr. McCance was very thorough. He was clear. He’s very thorough. He was the only doctor I saw who described my back problem in very simple terms. He explained to me what would happen if I did nothing and what would happen if I had surgery. He pointed out where the problems were on my film. My pain was caused by a vertebrae that got out of alignment and was pinching a nerve.

It’s so surprising that so many doctors had seen the same films, and Dr. McCance was the only doctor who really looked at it and determined what was wrong.

I thought his staff was extremely professional. They were extremely helpful. They did everything for me. They contacted my insurance company; they made appointments with the radiologist. They took care of me from my first visit to the final surgery. Since I don’t live in New York, they coordinated everything so that I only had to make two visits—my initial visit with Dr. McCance and when I arrived for surgery.

I had my surgery on Wednesday and I was out of the hospital Saturday morning.

How did you feel after your surgery?

From the second day on the pain was gone. The continuous pain from the past two years was gone.
Dr. McCance talked to my husband right after surgery. After a six hour surgery Dr. McCance was back checking up later that night. The next morning he was with me before 7am. He followed up daily while I was at the hospital. He made sure that two days before I returned home he checked everything. He followed up very closely.

I was walking 3-4 miles daily from the 4th day on. It has been remarkable.

How do you feel now?

I think having spinal surgery is the best thing that has happened to me. I’m glad I followed my friend’s advice. You know my friend had his surgery with Dr. McCance when he was 75 years old. He was suffering from severe back pain for many years. He said to me “I love Dr. McCance. I don’t know why I waited so long. I have been suffering so much and I feel so good right now.”