My problem began with pain from the left side of my lower back that radiated down my left leg. My primary care physician did an x-ray and didn't see anything so he set me up for physical therapy sessions. The first session went well enough and the pain subsided but, within weeks it came back with a vengeance. I suffered through three more therapy sessions, each one with a different therapist. None of their efforts gave me any relief and I actually felt much worse after each session. When I went to my fifth therapy session, the therapist wanted to have me get on a stationary bicycle. I told her I could barely walk in, I sure as hell couldn't get on a bicycle. That's when I came to the realization that physical therapy was not going to work for me. The first orthopedic surgeon I was referred to looked at my x-rays and sent me to a sports medicine facility in Spartanburg where they injected my lower back with a medication that was supposed to relieve my pain. After the lidocaine that was included in the shot wore off later that evening, I was in as much pain as before the shot. When I called the orthopedic surgeon's office, I was told my only options for relief were hot or cold compresses, ibuprofen, or a pain relief patch, all of which I had already tried with no luck. I suffered unrelenting pain most days for about six months. I could barely put on my pants every day and it was very painful to walk, sit, or ride in a car. At around this time, my mother-in-law fell, broke her shoulder, and had to have surgery to fix it. My wife was telling my mother-in-law's surgeon's assistant about my troubles while the surgeon was nearby. The surgeon asked my wife to show where my pain was located and he immediately said that it was a back issue. They set me up with an appointment to see a colleague of my mother-in-law's surgeon at Piedmont Orthopaedics, Dr. Van Pelt. I went to see Dr. Van Pelt and he ordered an MRI. I went for a follow up visit after the MRI and Dr. Van Pelt didn't initially see the problem but continued to study the MRI. He finally located the pinched nerve. He took his time and explained the problem and his recommended treatment. He recommended ALIF (Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion) surgery. It has now been almost three weeks since my surgery and I have nothing but the highest praise for Dr. Van Pelt, his assistant Kimberly, the vascular surgeon, the anesthesiologist, and all of the nurses and staff at St. Francis Hospital. I always felt like I received the highest standard of care with excellent communication as to what was being done and what to expect, and I was discharged after only one night's stay. I have experienced a lot of relief from the pain I was having. To be honest there are some minor lingering discomforts but that was to be expected and truthfully, my recovery has been far easier and quicker than I anticipated. I am doing my best to follow Dr. Van Pelt's recommendations for limiting my activities but I fully anticipate a complete recovery in short order. I highly recommend Dr. Van Pelt and Piedmont Orthopaedics. read more

Excellent surgeon. Sometimes you have to ask for him. He has an assistant that doesn't always know if a surgery is possible. Dr van pelt can figure out how to get it done. Highly recommend him. read more