As someone who has had over fifteen surgeries, I can attest to Dr Sardar being the best surgeon I…read morehave ever had.
I presented to him with debilitating pain from a drop head (chin on chest) condition, along with a bad kyphosis of my thoracic spine from three collapsed spine surgeries done in Boston. I was quite deformed and could not look up at anyone as I walked, just seeing the ground before me. Thankfully, I was referred to Dr Sardar. Joy Heller called me the next day to set up a pre-op. We met with Dr. Sardar, and he did a thorough exam with films and a CT scan. My severe osteoporosis was a concern to him, and he said: "If you had come to me without having these prior back surgeries, I would never accept you as a patient with a T-score of -3.6, but I can't leave you this way." That is a perfect example of a doctor with great compassion! He set a six-month regimen that I needed to complete before surgery, but when I took my first injection of a PTH analog drug, he would book the surgery.
This was a two-stage surgery. The first was a Halo application and the second was the main surgery which took around ten hours. Dr. Sardar replaced old hardware with smaller rods, performed a T6 vertebral column resection, improved my spinal alignment, and corrected the drop head and kyphotic curve. I was there from Oct 4 through Nov 2nd and was discharged feeling like a completely different person. I was amazed at the difference, and excited to be able to see properly and stand straight.
Due to the length of time, my head and spine were misaligned, and wearing a head brace 24 hours a day, the recovery took time. Six months post op I was allowed to discontinue the head brace, and I continue to see good improvement.
I am so grateful for Dr. Sardar, his wonderful office staff, and the team at Och Spine Center. In my book, he is a miracle worker. He is kind, and compassionate and his expertise is incredible. His five-star reviews speak volumes. I am so thankful that he was willing to operate on me, especially with my list of many complicated health issues.
Also, many thanks to Joy Heller and Mayra Vargas, who coordinated all that had to be done to make this happen. They were incredibly kind and understanding, always quick to respond to my questions. Truly, they are treasures. Also, a shout-out to the New York Presbyterian/Allen Hospital/Och Spine unit. I have stayed in many hospitals and this one is far and away the best I have ever been in.
Only you, Dr. Sardar, could have done this!
Thank you for the impact you have made on my life. God Bless you and all your wonderful staff.
Marilyn Keenan