Lower back and lumbar spine reviews

I am so great full with Dr.Bhalla for helping me with my back problems. I was constantly in pain and was loosing feeling on my right leg. He made sure to be very specific on my first appointment and what steps to take. My best choice was having lumbar surgery on my lower back haven't had pain ever since then and it's been 5 months since I had my surgery. Thank you so much to Dr. Bhalla and I would HIGHLY recommend him.

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Amandeep Bhalla, MD

Update: Dr. Bhalla performed spine surgery on me on December 38, 2020. Prior to the surgery he came to my bedside and explained what would be entailed in my surgery. I had a lumbar laminectomy L3-L5, instrumented fusion L4-L5, fluoroscopy, allograft ad autograft. He also performed Sciatic joint fusion on me on Dec 19, 2019…Two rods and 7 screws later I am relatively pain free! He is friendly, compassionate and allays my fears prior to the start of any procedure. After the laminectomy, I saw him in the hospital the next morning at 6:45 am! There he was asking if the pain had subsided and it had. Post operative care provided more of the same compassion and general concern for my wellbeing. I have referred many of my friends, family and associates to Dr. Amandeep Bhalla. While I have so much care and admiration for Dr. Bhalla, I would also like to give a 5 star rating to his Nurse. Ronnie is a Breath of fresh air! She is kind, friendly and compassionate. She puts puts you at ease prior to seeing Dr. Bhalla. I have found that I can get an appointment quickly and once you check in for the appointment, Ronnie calls you in quickly and Dr. Bhalla sees you very quick. It is a very well run office. I was referred to Dr. Bhalla for lower back/sciatic pain. He is friendly, courteous and provides a thorough explanation of my problems as gleaned from the MRI. He assisted me in putting aside my fears of an epidural. On the day of my procedure, he came to see me prior to starting and I was greeted with a warm smile. I would like to also give kudos to his Physician Assistant, Mykeal. They are both young medical professionals who strive to make their patients feel at ease through discussion and information. The entire staff of Dr. Bhalla’s office (Corinne the Scheduler), Yvette (his Nurse), and the staff at the Surgery Center should be commended for fast, courteous and friendly interactions with their patients.

Amandeep Bhalla, MD

Dr. Bhalla is fantastic. I trust him and his expertise. Between cervical fusion and lumbar issues, he is caring, kind and always lovely to talk too.

Amandeep Bhalla, MD

My dad had been struggling with lower back pain from a bulging disc for over a year. He had been given a wide variety of surgical options from other spine surgeons. When he met Dr. Khurana, he knew he was the surgeon for him. He had the most conservative approach, took the time to explain everything to him, was very thorough and detailed, friendly, approachable, etc... everything anyone would want in a back surgeon!! His surgery went perfectly and was seriously a life changer for him. We would definitely recommend Dr. Khurana to anyone for any spinal procedure!

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Sanjay Khurana, MD

Dr. Khurana did 2 surgeries - one on my lower back and one on my neck. His care was excellent. It was a complicated surgery and I have recovered fully from the pain I was suffering from. The surgery was successful. He and his team were outstanding. The facilities were top notch. I was treated at LA Spine Group in Marina del Rey. I highly recommend Dr. Khurana. He and his team stayed in touch with me for follow up and made sure that I was healing properly.

Sanjay Khurana, MD

I could not recommend anyone better for spinal issues! His knowledge, care and follow thru are unsurpassed! He is VERY conservative in treatment and tries to rectify the problems without surgery. When I was under his care we did still need to do a double fusion on my neck after Epidurals and PT failed. He informed me that my range of motion might be slightly limited. Now, years later, it is as perfect as it was before I began having complications! Now, seeing him to help me with my lower back. I am confident that I'll be as good as new in no time!

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Sanjay Khurana, MD

Dr Bhalla is by far One of the best doctors I have ever met. He takes the time to treat you like a person and does great work.He has done surgery on my neck and my lower back, he’s great.

Amandeep Bhalla, MD

The best spine surgeon in the business IMO. He's recognized as a Super Doctor for a reason. Important training you want to look for in a spine surgeon doing fusions, which Dr Khurana has, is a fellowship in spine reconstruction because the doctor is removing certain parts of your spine and putting it back together with implants like a car engine that's taken apart and put back together. I've had several surgeries with Dr Khurana... 2019: L4L5/L5S1 fusion, instrumentation, and decompression and 2020: L4L5/L5S1 hardware removal from the 2019 fusion and C5C6 disc replacement. For my neck, I had radiating pain/ongoing tingling down both arms which was exacerbated even from carrying groceries and severe chronic pain in the lower back due to having very little disc material left and couldn't sit long. After the 2019 fusion, I was walking the next morning as soon as I was allowed and my neck disc replacement was a complete success getting rid of the pain down both arms. Dr Khurana is efficient and to the point, answers all your questions, and will diagnose your condition very accurately. He has a great team taking care of patients in different capacities such as his PA, medical assistants, schedulers, billers, surgery staff, etc.. If you're considering spine surgery or want a consultation to discuss a game plan to rehab your spine, I highly recommend you see Dr Khurana.

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Sanjay Khurana, MD

Dr Bae fixed my back pain! Thank you Dr. Bae. I had severe low back pain. Dr Bae installed the Pro Disc in my L4-L5. The surgery was very successful as I’m still living pain free after 19 years. If you’re a candidate for disc replacement I highly recommend Dr Bae and the Spine Institute.

Hyun Bae, MD

I had a 10 in lower back pain and tried so many different things without any relief. My physician recommended Dr. Sanjay K. Khurana as the best there is and assured me he would be the one to get me out of my misery. I’m so glad that I finally decided to have Microdisectomy surgery for right L4-5 L. The entire experience was made seamless by his team, especially in the time of Covid. I went in for surgery early morning and walked out the same day with zero back pain. Thank you Sanjay for taking such good care of me. I’m eternally grateful. Walter

Sanjay Khurana, MD

I someb managed to mess up my back pretty bad Memorial Day weekend. I contacted dr Bhalla's office on a Tuesday morning and got an appointment for the next day. He scheduled me for a MRI on Thursday. Got results Friday morning and the GOOD doctor said I needed surgery. My pain level on a 1-10 scale was approximately 17! He got his team together and managed to get me into the hospital that afternoon and performed surgery at 6:00AM the following day. When I recovered from the anesthetic the pain was gone. It's important to note the he had things on his agenda that took him out of the country but that did not stop him from making a follow up call to assure all was well. He also arranged for my release the next day. I'm grateful to have had a skilled and caring doctor. Hopefully I won't need his surgical skills in the future. Well, I had another problem with my lower back that required the GOOD doctor do another surgery in January. As hoped and believed, it had great results. I just left his office about 20 minutes ago for a follow up check and ALL IS WELL!! Thanx again!!

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Amandeep Bhalla, MD

I suffered from severe back pain for about 20 years due to a high grade spondylolisthesis. I finally went to Dr Bae who recommended lower back fusion. It was a complex surgery and a complete success. I have not had any pain since the operation over three years ago. It is important to know that it lasts! Everything about the process was very supportive and such high quality care. Dr Bae is an excellent surgeon and very kind and patient. I call him the miracle worker. He changed my life! I will always be very grateful to him.

Hyun Bae, MD

I just celebrated my one year post op from a major C1 - T2 fusion. My review almost a year ago is still on Yelp. My life has changed radically because I went in knowing that I made the decision to lose mobility to save my quality of life. Having wished for death from the pain I was having, I look back and know I made the right choice. Dr. Bae has walked along side me during this year. He has always been a straight shooter, (and I think some people might struggle with that kind of upfront honesty), but I find it refreshing. He never promised my life would be cake walk, but he said that regarding my pain, I would be at least 85% better. I'd say it's better than that. When I first had my surgery, he thought I would have tremendous pain post op. I had none. The only difficulty has been getting used to not moving my head like I did. But honestly, those who know me would tell you I used to lay in bed all the time I wasn't working not being able to face another day. I will take this life instead. Next month I am starting to deal with my low back, as I have put that off for a long time. There is no one else I would trust with my care. I find Dr. Bae to be the most intelligent and sharp surgeon I've ever met, and I have met many. I continue to find his diagnostic skills second to none. I find him to be caring, funny, and personable. I offered my phone number to him for anyone who had to have a very serious surgery like mine so that they could speak with me directly. I still offer that. I am a very busy person, and I continue to fulfill my role as a college professor in as effective a manner as I ever had at the age of 61. I owe that to Dr. Bae for giving me my life back. One year later and still raving about this man!!! Finally, his staff rock. They are all kind and helpful, and I have pestered them enough to where they could have been annoyed. They answer every question and are also kind and patient. What a blessing to have found Dr. Bae.

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Hyun Bae, MD

Before Dr Bae I had seen 4 other back dr's. All told me I had stenosis in my L3-L5 region. All told me I would need fusion. I went through this over a 6 year period. I refused fusion since It would debilitate me for life. One of the earlier Dr's began to perform newer, minimally invasive procedures when a friend who happens to be a anesthesiologist told me to go see Dr Bae. I saw Dr Bae in Nov of 2016. I was more than impressed when he told me I did not need fusion. A Lumbar Laminectomy was his prognosis. I saw Dr Bae again in Jan of 2017. Surgery was scheduled for May 2017. Over the 4 month waiting period things changed and the procedure was changed. Still a Laminectomy but now 2 - 6" Carbon Fiber Rods and a titanium spring would also be implanted. May 15 2017 I went in at 1:30 pm for Surgery. I was in my hospital room at 6:30pm. At 6:30am the next morning I was walking up and down the hallways. I was released 2 days later. 3 weeks later I was back doing light work. Recovery was amazing. I was able to walk 1/4 mile at first, then 1/2 mile and finally a full mile. My only mistake was not going to PT when I was told to. A few issues but 4 weeks later I was a champ again. Dec 2017 I did a 2 mile walk/hike through the desert. I continued to improve. longer walks. less fear about having to park too far away to a store entrance. Sept 2018 I did a 8.5 mile hike through Malibu creek in 3 hours. I could not remember when I was able to go a distance like that with no pain. Dr Bae can be cold. However he was the warmest and patient man when it came to explaining everything to my wife. Before the surgery he made all the time needed. Lisa can be short. But they do care. The whole office staff cares. Amazing surgeon.

Hyun Bae, MD

I just want to say my experience with Dr. Bhalla has been nothing but positive. From the first time I met him I definitely felt his concern. I came in with pain to my lower back. After looking at my X-rays, he found that I had no cartilage in my L4 and L5. This was causing numbness in my toes and tingling of my feet when I stood up and walked after sitting for awhile. He referred me to do physical therapy. This option I felt did not help. Then Dr. Bhalla suggested I get an epidural. During the procedure I felt Dr. Bhalla really wanted to help relieve the discomfort I was feeling. After receiving the epidural, it helped relieve some of the discomfort but I was still feeling pain. So I opted to get the surgery. Dr. Bhalla did a L4/5 and L5/S1 anterior lumbar interbody fusion with insertion of biomechanical cages, allograft, fluoroscopy L5 partial corpectomy. Stage 2 L4-S1 posterior spinal percutaneous instrumented fusion. This procedure pretty much relieved all pain and numbness. I'm still recovering but I am back to exercising. Dr. Bhalla is an awesome doctor. I definitely would recommend him to anyone who is having back issues. Thank you Dr. Bhalla for curing my back and giving me my active lifestyle back!!

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Amandeep Bhalla, MD

Dr. Bhalla is a wonderful specialist! For over five months, I had been dealing with almost constant pain from a bulging disc. My primary physician tried oral steroids . . .sent me for weeks of physical therapy. . .and I worked out responsibly on my own. After no lasting improvement, my primary physician referred me to Dr. Bhalla, claiming that he was the best spinal specialist in Long Beach. I met with him and immediately like him. . . very friendly manner, easy going, caring, compassionate, an expert who provided clear, simple suggestions. First, we went the epidural route. I experienced about 10 days of relief then after holiday travel (cross country), some long car rides, and over-extending myself through exercise, I was down again. . .more pain than ever. As the last resort, Dr. Bhalla performed a lumbar discectomy on Jan. 8. He explained everything in a reassuring manner, of course, not guaranteeing optimal results. However, he was positive that I would experience relief, stating that he had very good success rates. In short, after the operation, I had no more pain in my butt and left leg. (My bulging disc had been pinching the nerves going down my left rear end and leg.) I still have some numbness in my feet and toes, but I expect this to improve. Certainly, I was very well prepared for this surgery after going through over five months of alternative treatment. Plus, I am in very good shape for a 63-year-old man. However, Dr. Bhalla's positive, confident, caring attitude helped greatly! I would highly recommend him. . .the best ever!

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Amandeep Bhalla, MD

I don't even know where to start. From the first appointment to the end of surgery and post-op care, Dr. Bhalla and his entire staff where wonderful. Dr. Bhalla is an amazing surgeon. My Lumbar stabilization and Fusion was done so beautifully that I could tell that the pain was gone immediately after the surgery. I had total support throughout my recovery. The doctor and his staff where all compassionate and gave me the time I needed for questions. I was treated with respect throughout the entire process. The Spinal Section at Memorial Hospital in Long Beach was also great. I am deeply grateful for my care and the successful result.

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Amandeep Bhalla, MD

I don't even know where to start. From the first appointment, to the end of surgery and post-op care, Dr. Bhalla and his entire staff where wonderful. Dr. Bhalla is an amazing surgeon. My Lumbar stabilization and Fusion was done so beautifully that I could tell that the pain was gone immediately after the surgery. I had total support throughout my recovery. The doctor and his staff were all compassionate and gave me the time I needed for questions. I was treated with respect throughout the entire process. The Spinal Section at Memorial Hospital in Long Beach was also great. I am deeply grateful for my care and the successful result.

Amandeep Bhalla, MD

Dr. Sanjay Khurana is my hero! I'm 71 years old and have had back problems all my life with 7 curvatures in my cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine leading to pain, pinched nerves, numbness, etc. I've relied on chiropractic adjustments to alleviate my discomfort for many years, but my condition had been getting worse the last 2-3 years. My back pain was now expanding down both legs and was accompanied by numbness as well. I was now walking like Quasi Moto, hunched over and to the right to relieve some of the pressure on the nerves. In May 2018, I saw an orthopedic doctor who took x-rays and sent me for an MRI. Upon reviewing the MRI, he referred me to an orthopedic spine surgeon in his office who informed me that I was precariously close to becoming incontinent (best case scenario) or paralyzed (worst case scenario) due to the severe stenosis I had from L2 to S1 (4 levels) as well as anterolisthesis at L5 on S1. I was scheduled for surgery early July 2018 for decompression at 4 levels and "some" fusion. I was told I would have a scar about 10" long on my back and be on a walker for 4 months. I got all the instructions regarding no bending, lifting (5 lb. max.) or twisting, driving and travel restrictions, etc. This was really depressing since I'm so accustomed to being independent and not relying on others to do things for me. I wanted a second opinion so I asked my chiropractor for a recommendation. I showed him the report of my MRI and he referred me to Dr. Khurana, telling me the outcome would be critically dependent upon the surgeon I chose. I called Dr. Khurana's Torrance office at Beach Cities Orthopedic that day and got an appointment for the very next day (he's only at the Torrance office on Wednesdays and I live in the South Bay). Dr. Khurana concurred that I needed surgery and described the technique (microsurgery) he employs in detail for the decompression L2-S1 (4 levels), as well as the anterior approach he preferred for fusion of L4-L5 & L5-S1. This would leave me with about a 4 inch scar on my back. He works with a vascular surgeon to perform the ALIF (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) and his preferred vascular surgeon was Dr. Rao, whose first available date was July 10, 2018 at Providence St. John's Hosp. in Santa Monica, so that's what I signed up for. That vertical abdominal scar is about 3 inches long from the navel down. The next part of my story is the best part. I did remarkably well post-op. I never used a walker once after I returned home. Sure I had to wear a back brace whenever I wasn't sitting or lying down, but what a huge relief. I stopped all pain killers and muscle relaxants after 2 weeks. I have no more leg pain or numbness at all. I still feel a little ache in my low back but I assume I will until the fusion is completely healed. I started walking in the neighborhood 10-20 minutes a day and worked up to 1 hour walks in week 4 post-op. I'm almost 3 months post-op now and I only wear the brace when I walk. I do that daily and while walking I think about how I couldn't walk even 5 minutes without pain and numbness before the surgery. I thank God for my blessings every day... and Dr. Khurana.

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Sanjay Khurana, MD

Dr. Hyun Bae performed lumbar fusion surgery May 15, 2018 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, CA. My diagnosis was extreme lumbar stenosis, spondylolisthesus, and scoliosis. My legs were giving out from under me and I couldn't walk from the car to the front door even tho' I am athletic and in great shape for 70. Long and short of it, I am extremely happy with the results and grateful we found Dr. Bae. We interviewed several surgeons but found Dr. Bae to be the most informed about my condition and treatment option. His professional attitude was confidence-inspiring, answering all my questions and providing me a sense of security. Back surgery is generally the last therapeutic resolution to extreme back problems and I did everything to prevent having to have it so I am happy but surprised with the results. His staff and his assistant Lisa, were caring, efficient and available throughout the process. That's important if you want your doctor to focus on you! -Guy M.

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Hyun Bae, MD

About 3 months ago, I went to see Dr. Bhalla on a recommendation from a friend. I had been having lower back pain and sciatic nerve pain down my left leg. I consulted with Dr. Bhalla, and he set me up with an MRI. The MRI showed that I in fact had a herniated disc and that it was pinching my Siatic nerve pretty severely. Dr. Bhalla gave me my options, and since I had experienced this same situation 25 years ago, we decided my best option was surgery. Today, I am pain free, and have resumed my normal life style ( running, working out etc.) I’m really glad I got the tip, to see Dr Bhalla. He was easy to talk to, professional, and gave me his confidence in his abilities. I would recommend Dr. Bhalla to anyone with the same back issues that I had, and with total confidence.

Amandeep Bhalla, MD

This review is 1 year and a month post S1-L5 and L5-L4 microdiscectomy. After an injury at an obstacle course race that was completely my fault, load over capacity on a heavy lift, I had lumbar pain that eventually became a sciatic pain that was most felt in my left calf. I started Physical Therapy to resolve the issue, but in my case and situation, it was not resolving the issue the way we wanted it. The pain kept coming back immediately when walking, even after performing exercises that would relieve it. My PT recommended a few surgeons to talk to, and after looking at DISC I chose to go see Dr. Khurana. I figured if DISC gets Red Bull athletes back to performing, I would be in capable hands. Another reason I chose Dr. Khurana was that he understood why I had the injury and what I needed to do to get past it. There was no "oh you must have surgery" or "we can do surgery but never flip that 400lbs tire again". Upon initial consultation and look at my MRI, we both agreed to continue PT for a few more weeks to make sure that PT was not progressing for "me" and what I wanted to continue doing. As another reviewer stated, these things are not one size fits all. Make sure your PT, surgeon AND YOU are in line with your life goals. I felt that Dr. Khurana, and the entire DISC staff, cared about my situation and wanted to get me back to where I wanted to be. I wanted to race again that year, wanted to carry 70lbs buckets uphill, wanted to trail run for 30+ miles, wanted to crawl under barbwire, wanted to blah blah blah. Dr. Khurana understood where I wanted to be as an athlete and where I was before the injury and I felt his consultation kept all this in mind. I elected to have the surgery performed, and everything was super smooth. In on a Friday morning, out that evening and I was back to work on Monday. I was back to racing again in just over six months (Tahoe Ultra Beast, aroo!). My case is not all cases, as I had done a ton of work during the previous years that would have been considered pre-hab. The surgery experience was excellent. Everyone was very caring and explained everything to me in as much detail as I wanted. I would do it again if I "had" to. I was never second-guessing the decision. All of the post-op appointments were the same caliber. Dr. Khurana explained what I may experience in the next year or two as I started training again, so while sometimes I am alarmed thinking "uh...should I be feeling this now?" between Dr. Khurana and my PT I am guided in the right direction. He cared about how I was progressing and how I was getting back to my pursites. Shout out to Devin Blessing at Evolution Physical Therapy. They are just around the way from DISC in Playa Vista and are an excellent place to follow up your surgery at.

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Sanjay Khurana, MD

I am 46 years old and struggled with severe lower back pain for 18 years. I have had epidurals, rhizotomies and a microdiscectomy at L5-S1. I avoided a fusion for years because it was such a big surgery. Dr. Khurana was fantastic in his analysis of my condition due to his vast experience. He was never in a rush to perform my surgery and always said to come back whenever I was ready. His kind demeanor and attentive staff really made me comfortable during my decision making process. I am now six months post op from having Dr. Khurana perform an ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion) and am 100% pain free. My low back has not felt this good since I was in my mid 20's. Before my surgery I could hardly put my shoes on and never slept through the night. I am now back to swimming, surfing, lifting weights, sleeping through the night and most importantly I am able to do everything with my kids completely pain free. You always hear the bad outcomes with spinal fusion surgery but rarely hear the positive. Dr. Khurana has a fantastic surgical team and I would recommend anyone to go see him before having surgery. He was always a pleasure to deal with and his surgical skills are second to none.

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Sanjay Khurana, MD

Dr. Estess is a great doctor. I came to her complaining of ongoing lower back pain and she provided me with a few options. One of which was to get an MRI just to be safe, so I decided to go with that. Turns out, I have two herniated discs in my back! No idea how! Again, she went over a few options with me and I'll be starting physical therapy soon to see if it helps. I'd recommend her to anyone. I felt very comfortable the entire time and I felt like she really listened to me :)

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Allyson Estess, MD