Recovery and return to activity · Patient experiences
6 five-star reviews for Dr. Leonel Hunt discuss recovery and return to activity. Hear what patients share about finding their way back to everyday life, and bring your own recovery questions to a visit.
Read the full patient accounts and original sources below. Review totals reflect the source ratings available here.
A person behind your care
Dr. Leonel Hunt is a nationally recognized, fellowship-trained spine surgeon with deep expertise in both adult and pediatric deformity, motion-preserving techniques, and minimally invasive spine surgery. From advanced cervical disc replacements to complex spinal cord injury protocols, Dr. Hunt has helped shape the evolution of modern spine care—especially in shifting major procedures to same-day, outpatient settings.
He treats patients of all ages and backgrounds, with a particular focus on helping older kids, young adults, and aging patients stay active longer. His philosophy is clear: care should be personal, precise, and focused on the whole patient—not just the scans. Whether it’s a small incision for a fast recovery or a complex reconstruction for a life-changing result, patients trust his skill, honesty, and unwavering commitment to doing what’s best for them.
For more than a decade, Dr. Hunt served as Director of Spine Trauma at Cedars-Sinai. Today, no longer in that role, he continues to lead with empathy, innovation, and impact—one patient at a time.
Outside the OR, he’s a self-described exercise enthusiast, foodie, globe-trotter, and podcast host.
Bring what matters to you
Returning to everyday life means something different to everyone. These reviews bring together personal accounts of recovery, rehabilitation, walking and getting back to activities.
In their own words
These are individual experiences. A topic mention does not establish who performed a procedure, medical suitability or a typical result.
This collection shows written reviews rated 4 or 5 stars that mention recovery and return to activity. You can read every rating and written review on the full clinician profile.
6 written reviews
Highest rated first · Newest within each rating
Best decision of my life to have Dr. Hunt do my back surgery. It has completely given me my life back. His professionalism and bed side manor is top tier. I am 99.9% pain free everyday and back to living life to its fullest.
Leonel Hunt, MD
A rainmaker Orthopedic Surgeon. Dr. Hunt saved my life. I suffered from 30 years of debilitating back pain. Eight compression vertebrae fractures. Six surgeries. Dr. Hunt recommended a Kyphoplasty procedure. He set me up with Dr Marcel Maya, Interventional Radiologist. Also a rainmaker. Dr. Maya performed this breakthrough procedure. Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive surgical procedure. An out patient procedure. He injected a targeted vertebrae with cement. I have been pain free since this procedure was done. 30 years of severe back pain and addiction to painkillers. I awoke pain-free. I was in a very dark place. All the credit goes to Dr. Hunt. He recommended this procedure and referred me to Dr. Maya and together, they performed a miracle. God bless them both!
Leonel Hunt, MD
I am 74 year old. For a long time I had severe pain in right hip and leg due to the pinching of the sciatic nerve between 4 and 5 vertebrae of the spine. Physiotherapy and multiple pain relief injections did not help me. On the advice of doctors Zalkinder and Kievsky I contacted with doctor Leonel Hunt for concultation. Doctor Hunt explained to me in great detail how the surgery would be performed to free the nerve from the pinching. On July 18th this year doctor Hunt did surgery of LUMBAR LAMINOTOMY/FORAMINOTOMY, after which pains in my right hip and leg disappeared. Now I can walk freely, do housework, I will be able to walk with my dog after full recovery and look to the future with optimism and hope.I thank doctor Leonel Hunt from my heart. I wish him success in his work and advise everyone who has problems with spine to contact him for help. I'm saying it again thank so much.
Leonel Hunt, MD
Dr. Leonel Hunt gave me my life back to be there for my family and my kids. I am so lucky to have met him, he is so talented god gave him a gift that no one has. Every doctor told me that I cannot ever be back to normal. Dr hunt performed a surgery on my back and I am 100% back to normal walking running and doing exercises. Anyone is very lucky to have Dr hunt as their doctor. He is carrying and loving I am so happy and grateful that I’ve met him. Cannot express my feeling towards this Dr. All I have to say is that god bless him and look after him.
Leonel Hunt, MD
Dr. Leonel A. Hunt is a great Doctor. I suffered from chronic right lower back and right back hip pain for over 2 years and he fixed it. I was diagnosed from my MRI with Sciatic Nerve Pain where my nerves was hitting my vertebrate at L4-L5, obstructing my walking, and standing, causing me to have spasms running down my legs, thighs, knees and to the bottom of my feet; I would have to sit down when they occurred. Dr. Hunt performed a Laminectomy and in 3 months I was during physical therapy and recovered fast. His staff was amazing, especially Raquel, she took care of all of my employment issues in a timely manner. Thank you very much.
Leonel Hunt, MD
Dr. Hunt and his office are terrific. I had had great pain and trouble walking any distance. He quickly diagnosed my problem, spinal stenosis, with a vertebrae pressing against my spinal cord. He was able to schedule surgery around my work and it was quick and the result was excellent.In and out the same day, and a speedy recovery. I could not be happier and recommend him to any friends in need.
Leonel Hunt, MD
A little more understanding
Spine
Recovery planning works best before discharge. These nine conversations help you organize support, understand the instructions for your actual operation, and know where to turn when a question arises.
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