Our Patient Stories
Patients at Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian experience an unparalleled level of care. Our team provides personalized attention, compassion, and support, as well as connections to resources to get better. We attend to family and caregiver needs, too, so patients can focus on taking care of themselves.
Greta Baier
Treated for Scoliosis
Greta loves the arts — she plays piano, sings, and has been dancing since she was 5 as part of three different dance companies. She’s also a straight-A student who loves technology and is considering a career as a computer scientist or engineer. Her social feeds document her life as she travels, poses in the latest fashions, and explores favorite hidden spots in the city.
Alicia Ortega
Treated for Herniated Disc
As Alicia awaited surgery in excruciating pain, she was afraid she would never feel better. When she met Dr. Härtl, however, she was comforted and reassured by his calm confidence. Today, she is grateful for each pain-free day.
Bridget Pasapane
Treated for Degenerative Discs
“My other doctor told me if I went to [NewYork-Presbyterian], I’d just be a number. I wouldn’t get any personal attention. But I didn’t feel like I was a number. I feel like the team is family.”
Charles Bieler
Treated for Back Pain
“The procedure put me in an amazing place to enjoy some hard-core athletic endeavors that I would not have been able to do otherwise. The trip was a world-class helicopter skiing operation with huge terrain and 30,000 feet of vertical a day.”
Dale Winell
Treated for Spinal Stenosis, Scoliosis, and Spondylolisthesis of the Lumbosacral Spine
“I feel I have made the best decision to enable me to enjoy my senior years. What a great outcome!”
David Burtka
Treated for Back Pain
“I'm chopping and stirring in the kitchen and running is not a problem anymore. I feel like at my age, at 46, I'm in the best shape I've ever been."
Eleanor Gagnon
Treated for Scoliosis
“Dr. Angevine has truly given me my life back"
Gabby Rodriguez
Treated for Curvature of the Spine
“Back Behind the Plate After Spine Surgery”
Gary Layton
Treated for Spinal Stenosis and Scoliosis
“When the first neurosurgeon referred me to Dr. Angevine, he said specifically that Dr. Angevine handled the age group from 64 to 84, which a lot of doctors were not willing to touch.”
Gary Leff
Treated for Back Pain
“I feel secure when I'm with [Dr. Smith] and I've never had to wait long," noted Gary. "He even calls to see how I'm feeling, despite his busy patient load.”
John Sarcona
Treated for Scoliosis and Kyphosis
“Dr. Lenke saved my son’s life,” says John’s mother, Joanne. There are not enough words to describe how blessed I feel that we found him. We found the miracle that John and I were looking for.”
Katie Bennett
Treated for a herniated disc in the lower back
“I felt as if I literally had the knife pulled out of my back. The surgery really did give me my life back, and quickly”
Kate Salerno
Treated for scoliosis
“To be able to say today that I am an athlete; I have scoliosis; and most importantly, I didn't let it stop me means more than you can ever imagine.”
Louis Najarian
Treated for Back Pain
“Even during Covid, Dr. Härtl was available. June 2020, I was in and out, in a 5-hour surgery,” says Najarian. “I was out the next day and on my way to recovery.”
Matilde Anacoreta
Treated for aneurysmal bone cyst
“It started when I was 13 years old, when I felt an extremely painful and sharp back pain,” remembers Matilde. “It would hurt when I would stand up and walk.”
Nicole Zinerco
Treated for Extradural Arachnoid Cyst
“From the moment I woke up after surgery and wiggled my toes, I felt so relieved and so happy. I can’t believe I’m feeling so good already.”
Oscar Blandi
Treated for Nerve Compression
“Immediately, the pain and tingling were gone,” he says. “Same day.”
Rachel Mason
Treated for Curved Spine
"Being able to do gymnastics in my condition was a way to prove to myself and others that I’m not fragile or different from everyone else.”
Solomiya Dezhnyuk
Treated for Scoliosis
“I was walking on my own with no walker after six months. I grew a few inches, and I feel so much better, this was an awesome experience,” Solomiya says. “I'm thankful to everyone at NewYork-Presbyterian for their love and support.”
Susan Kingsolver
Treated for Scoliosis
“This surgery was a life-changer. When I talked to Dr. Lenke about having the surgery, he told me this was about improving my quality of life, and he was absolutely right.”
Wendell Williams
Treated for Back Pain
"Before the surgery, a simple thing such as putting on my pants or standing up from a chair was difficult. Now, I’m able to walk, I run. I even go kayaking."