I saw many surgeons for my cervical spine issues. The who's who of spine surgery in LA. All of them…read morewere impressive and at the top of their field. But even among this elite group, Dr. Ehsan Saadat stood out as the one doctor who I would entrust with my spine, and by extension my life and the future of my children, above everyone else.
As a scientist myself, I know a remarkable and detail-oriented mind when I see one, and Dr. Saadat is as good at it gets. My case was not straightforward: I saw 6 different and distinguished spine surgeons and got almost as many different opinions on what to do. Dr. Saadat spent a lot of time thinking through my case, he referenced the latest scientific evidence, and he consulted his trusted colleagues on my behalf to double check his own judgement. He also spent a lot of time emailing back and forth with me to discuss the pros and cons of various approaches rigorously, patiently, and honestly.
On a human level, It became clear pretty early that Dr Saadat is caring and generous with his time and attention. I can imagine that when you do something as demanding as spine surgery for a living, day in and day out, then no matter your level of empathy it becomes easy to forget that what is routine to you can be one of the most scary and nerve-wracking experiences for each of your patients. Not Dr. Saadat; he treated my case with the same level of thoughtfulness, attention to detail, and meticulous planning that one would usually reserve for their own family. I felt that my spine is in good hands all throughout the process.
Dr. Saadat is also a man of great integrity. The surgery we ended up going with is far from the most expensive for my condition, but it was the best tradeoff between risk and reward. He talked me out of a more expensive surgery --- which is something he also specializes in ---- because he believed something simpler is a better risk/reward tradeoff for me, despite it being a close call. He based this on evidence, data, sound judgement, and consultation with trusted colleagues. That's the kind of honesty, care, and impartiality you want in your corner.
Leading up to surgery, Dr. Saadat made the time to sit down with me and explain in detail what he was planning to do. He had a well-thought out answer to every question I asked, and I asked many as I had spent the past two months reading and watching everything I can find related to my spine condition. It became clear that he left no stone unturned in preparing his team for my surgery, and making sure I'm comfortable with everything he planned to do in there. He explained how he will use every modality of Neuro monitoring available, how he would decide which size and angle of implant he would use based on what he finds when he goes in there, and many other details. Best of all, he assembled a team in place that would be able to handle every contingency, and he told me about them. Notably, he explained how he will be joined by an exceptional neurosurgeon colleague in the operating room; this turned out to be a prescient judgement call, as they discovered dangerous adhesions to the covering of my spinal cord once they opened me up, a grave challenge that Dr. Saadat's all-star team overcame with precision. Without Dr. Saadat's meticulous preparation, his refusal to leave anything to chance, and his dedication to leaving no stone unturned for the benefit of his patients, I might have been left permanently disabled or worse. I am thankful I chose someone who was able to keep me safe, give me my life back, and safeguard for my children their father.
On surgery day, I experienced no hardships. The last thing I remember before surgery was joking around with the anaesthesia team as they injected something in my IV, and the next moment I was talking to Dr. Saadat as he was checking my strength after surgery while I told him how I was feeling remarkably little pain. I was released 24 hours later after staying overnight for observation, and left the hospital virtually pain free feeling as if nothing happened, having to consciously remind myself to take it easy.
Once all was said and done, my surgical outcome has been great, and I'm continuing to recover nicely with all my pain and symptoms seemingly a thing of the past. Dr. Saadat has been with me every step of the way, generous with his time and his attention as always. I couldn't be more satisfied.
Thank you Dr. Saadat for the care and attention you showed me, for leaving no stone unturned to keep me safe, and for your sage and generous guidance throughout this difficult time.
