David S. Raskas, M.D. Orthopedic & Sports Medicine

I am a patient, one-year post-op, quite pleased with the great outcome of my surgeries and am thoroughly impressed with Dr. David Raskas. I don’t know what I did right in my life to deserve such a great surgeon but am glad I was fortunate enough to have met and receive treatment from him. I feel truly blessed.

To give you a bit of history: The back pain and spasms I was experiencing were intensifying year over year and I had tried everything I knew to try: ignoring it, hot/cold therapy, chiropractor, injections, physical therapy, stretching, inversion table, along with everything my friends and family recommended that sounded reasonable. None of it gave me any real relief and I felt like it was a constant burden, occupying my mind every day and interrupting my sleep every night. I had reached the point where I just knew I was going to need surgery to achieve long-term, sustainable relief from the issues plaguing me and, frankly, I didn’t even know what all the issues were at that time. I just knew it hurt. Badly.

Dr. Raskas was open, friendly, attentive, confident and professional from the moment we met. He reviewed my imaging studies and explained to me what was causing my pain, where it was located and how he was going to fix it. He answered all my questions during our appointment and didn’t make me feel rushed at all. My diagnosis was spondylolisthesis, degenerative disc disease, bulging discs and bone spurs.

My treatment plan consisted of lumbar fusion for my L4/L5 and L5/S1 levels via two surgeries, an ALIF (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) followed by a PLIF (Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion). This is where Dr. Raskas made an incision on the front of my body (lower abdomen) for the first surgery to place metal plates on the front of my spine, then 2 days later, he made two incisions on my back to complete the cage around my spine during the second surgery. The scars are minimal, so if you get this same treatment plan, don’t be alarmed. My abdominal scar is practically gone, and I haven’t even looked at the ones on my back. Scars are a small price to pay for the pain-free life I’m living now.

In the interest of full disclosure, these are major surgeries and it hurts for a little while. That’s no joke. It took me some time to heal, but no longer than I expected and was communicated to me prior to surgery. I believe it was around 6-7 weeks. Every time I had a question, I called, left a message and received a return call usually by the end of the same day or the following business day. It was important to remember that I wasn’t their only patient, so I called early in the day whenever I could to ensure I could get a call back the same day (again, usually). Jared was great at returning my calls, communicating with Dr. Raskas and getting back to me in a timely fashion. The two of them make a great team, much better than most of my other doctor’s offices.

Throughout this past year, I have been impressed with the entire staff. In addition to Dr. Raskas, I have worked with Jared, Amanda, Kelly and Kim. They have all been welcoming, caring and professional throughout the year and have earned my trust. Their concern for my well-being has been unparalleled and far superior to other doctor’s offices I’ve visited in the past.

My spine is now fully fused and I am living a pain-free life! I am confident the cage around my lower spine will remain stable and secure for the rest of my life and that’s a comforting feeling. I will continue to recommend Dr. Raskas to anyone who needs spine surgery. If you’re experiencing back pain and need a surgeon who listens to you, is an effective communicator and has mad surgical skills, put your faith and trust in Dr. Raskas; you’ll be glad you did. He’s simply the best.

The attached picture is me with my baby Molly living a happy life! Best of luck to you on the journey to end your back pain. Get your life back. Today.

Dr. Raskas is very compassionate and I appreciate how he explains everything.