Reviews of Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care (Hospital)

carol donofrio

Dr Mehta and Dr. Sein are amazing dr’s I am a patient of both , I recommended my boyfriend and 2 friends ! Great experience, they are both very professional. I highly recommend Weill Cornell

Vincent FitzPatrick

Superb treatment and the doctors and nurses all treated me with respect, concern, and kindness.

Cheryl

Do they ever return calls? I left a message on Monday, sent an email on Tuesday, it's Friday today and I still haven't heard anything back. I haven't left another message as my call keeps on being diverted to an external call centre, which is a complete waste of my time.

Nick B

I've received nothing but the best care possible from this practice over the course of many years. My Dr has always been empathetic, proactive & sincerely invested in my care/well being. I feel lucky to have found them.

Larry Ruth

This past week Dr. Sein performed a procedure. He is not only thoroughly knowledgeable about his area of expertise, he also has a warm and respectful "bedside manner," making the procedure easier to undergo and actually a positive experience. Dr. Sein is a top notch physician and I have recommended him to several friends. His assistants, Brian and Frances, are as effective and warm in their own work as Dr. Sein is in his. The three of them make a great, comforting team. Their awareness of the patient's level of concern and their amazingly supportive and warm care is remarkable. My experience with this team has been so positive, it makes me realize what exceptional patient care should be.

kim m

I am a relatively new patient to the Spine Center. My journey began seeing Dr. Michael Sein for pain management. I had an excellent experience, Dr. Sein was very caring and clearly an expert at what he does. it was unfortunate that the injections did not produce sustained relief and I was referred to consider surgical management. The benefit of being seen within a Center with a multidisciplinary team was quite apparent. I was then referred to Dr. Roger Hartl and was seen pretty quickly. Again, had another exceptional experience. Dr. Hartl and Nurse Practitioner Chelsie McCarthy were amazing. They spent a lot of time reviewing the proposed surgery, what to expect etc, all of my questions and concerns were addressed fully. Dr Hartl has a wonderful chairside/bedside manor. Thankfully, I had surgery last week (another phenomenal experience) and am feeling so much better. Chelsie McCarthy, NP has been wonderful and has walked me along the post operative care continuum, extremely responsive. I couldn't be more pleased with the process and with the care I have received. I strongly recommend this multidisciplinary team.

Faigel Perlstein

Extremely impressive center. We felt confident that we were in good hands from the start! Doctor Hartl was curteous, caring, and very professional. After suffering for almost a year with an acute herniated disc, my husband's surgery was a tremendous success. Highly recommend.

Nicholas Maurio

The best

Ana Cris

Weill Cornell Medicine Center is the best place in NYC. The staff and doctors are amazing and they really care about their patients. I was really impressed by Rosalina Montilla, the Senior Patient Coordinator. Her dedication, hard work and patience deserve 5 stars. Rosa helped me when I need, she explained all the process and paperwork. Thank you so much!

Claudia Harary

Dr Hartl and his staff are excellent and I received great care at the hospital after my spinal surgery.

Grace Pinello

There are not enough words to say that could express how grateful I am for Dr. Hartle, Chelsie, Nick, Joe, and the rest of the team at Weill Cornell. They were absolutely wonderful to me, and really cared about my recovery and well being. They were very professional and made me feel comfortable and safe. I would recommend them to anyone who asked. They gave me my life back and I am finally up and moving without pain!

Carolyn Bartholdson

I can't say enough about the physicians and the staff associated with the Spine Center. From Dr. Sein who was able to diagnose my problem which had remained a mystery to my PCP for 4 years to Dr. Hartl who removed the schwanoma from my spinal cord, the physicians exhibited an excellent blend of expertise, skill and compassion. The fellows and nurse practitioners are all warm, engaged and responsive. I also appreciate the friendliness of the office staff. The fact that I was skiing, ziplining and doing regular cardio yoga within months of my surgery is because of the incredible skill and care I received from the center.

kirasheba

I am an old OR Nurse and I watch everything! I can be very critical. I can not rave enough about the staff here!! All the staff from the second you walk in to the second you walk out. I've now had 2 procedures and the staff in this area are FABULOUS!!!!! Charli the RN is my kind of Nurse, fabulous!!!!! Smart, kind, compassionate and can do her job very very well!!!! Afya , I hope I got her name right, is so sweet, she also watches over the patients. They ALL have eyes in the back of their heads they see all., and act immediately to make sure you are ok. And the sweetest young man, Demar!!!! He is the X-ray tech in the room and my procedure could not be done without him. Many forget about that! In the procedure room the care from all including my Dr. Siddiqui, is amazing. And yes, I mean amazing! I've been to many and thrilled to have finally found a doctor and staff at a facility that truly care about you!

Jayne Wallace

The people who work here are dedicated and knowledgeable, and they look at your problems holistically. i went in for back pain expecting to see an orthopedic doctor but they started me off seeing a neurologist which I wouldn't have thought of but it turned out my pain was nerve-related.

Flower S

I had the most absurd experience here. The bed side manor of the doctor was absolutely horrible. She lumped me in with all the other patients like we were all the same type. She cut me off and didn't even bother actually listening to what I was trying to tell her. She sent me for completely unnecessary testing and proceeded with the tests without even explaining them to me until I screamed at her to stop. Then when I cried she made me feel like it was my fault that we had to stop the tests that may or may not find out what is wrong with my back. I have a really high pain tolerance after dealing with my spine pain, but no one told me they were going to stick me with a bunch of needles, she just did it with no explanation of how the test goes. What is wrong with this place? Then I repeatedly got calls and bills from the office for a copay that I had paid before entering the evaluation room. When I screamed at the last lady on the phone they never sent me another bill. It's like no one at this place actually listens to the patients they just robotically operate. The doctors name was naomi feuer.

Deborah Busking

Great Doctors, wonderful staff! Was seen right away , they explained everything very clearly. Cara was especially helpful.

Edith Wolpin

Dr. Hartl is an exceptional surgeon with a very kind and compassionate disposition. The first time I met with him I had developed a back problem so painful that it forced me to quit my job of 22 years. I could not enjoy any aspect of my life, as the pain was so intense and pervasive. After sharing my symptoms and my suffering during my appointment, Dr. Hartl listened carefully, reviewed the MRI and rapidly diagnosed the problem. He scheduled me for a lateral laminectomy and a repair of a herniated disk that had left fragments throughout my spine. The surgery was life changing for me. In a short amount of time I was able to walk again and enjoy life free of debilitating pain. A few months ago, I fell and herniated another disk and was in terrible pain. Once again, Dr. Hartl came to the rescue and did surgery to repair the disk and remove the pain. I cannot imagine what I would have done without him. I think it is fair to say that he has given me back my life. In addition to his great surgical talents, Dr. Hartl is a real humanitarian. He travels overseas doing surgeries on people who would never be able to afford them. And, he spends additional time training the doctors in these countries to do them so that many more people can receive relief from terrible pain. He is a wonderful surgeon and a wonderful person. If you are suffering, I highly recommend that you schedule a visit with Dr. Hartl. Edith Wolpin

Maurice Powell

Great and helpful staff

Kerry DiSalvo

On July 14th, I developed an icepick headache that progressed into positional migraines, extreme nausea, partial deafness in one ear, weight loss, and fatigue (note: July 13th and prior, I was a perfectly healthy 42 yr old woman). Within 2 days, I was rendered disabled; I could not sit up for more than a few minutes. Desperate for answers, I called and fortunately got a same day appointment with Dr. Weaver, neurologist @ NYP-Cornell. An MRA and a c-spine MRI revealed a spinal CSF leak: a very rare condition. Dr. Weaver worked collaboratively with all doctors at the Spine Center and their interdisciplinary approach truly saved me. Dr. Hartl took on my case, thankfully! He was methodical and worked with Pain Mgmt (Drs. Joshi and Metha) in an attempt to avoid surgery. When those efforts failed, he worked closely with neuroradiology (Dr. Schweitzer) to obtain the most precise imaging thus ensuring a successful surgical outcome. Dr. Hartl made himself available to my husband and I for any and all questions, stayed in close contact before the surgery and daily afterwards. I never felt I was disturbing him; no question or concern was too insignificant to ask. This collaborative effort is not seen at many hospitals (or by many doctors) and it is what makes NYP-Cornell and the Center for Comprehensive Spine Care standout. We live 1.5 hours away but I would travel to the ends of the earth for the care and doctors at The Center for Comprehensive Spine Care.

Brian BUGSY Moran

Third error in appointments. I am on the upper East side and have to walk to this facility because car service/cans on 2nd Ave at 2:30 in the afternoon take much longer and I would miss my appointment. Today, for the third time in a year. I managed to walk into the facility to be told that my appointment is not till next week. And that any error in scheduling was on my part. They send no emails, they do not send texts. So, obviously when they err, there is no data. Now I know why. Horrible slow witted receptionist.

Rachel Yohai

Dr. Roger Hartl and his team are not warm and fuzzy, but I knew in my gut he would know my case inside and out. He was completely focused on his job...fixing my back. After a bad fall, I had severe compression on my spine and required a fusion of my L4 and L5. Getting an appointment requires a recent MRI. Mine was 9 months old so I had to get a new MRI just to see him. He doesnt take appointments unless he feels surgery is required so I had mixed emotions when they called and said they would like to set up an appointment. He was very concerned. He explained my options and surgery very clearly. He gave me his email and cell phone number and responded while on vacation. Sometimes he was unavailable and had his PA, Chelsie McCarthy respond, but its understandable because he’s in surgery much of the time! Chelsie had the answers to all my questions. Everybody told me horror stories about their surgeries and the recovery period. My back was so bad he was worried about paralysis or incontinence. Post-op I only saw him once very briefly but immediately the numbness from my waist down was gone following surgery and his team was available for any questions or concerns that i had. He is a genuine, kind and caring man, but more important to me - he is a BRILLIANT surgeon.

Erhard Rom

This past August I was diagnosed with a cervical spine Tumor. My wife and I did a good deal of research because we were very concerned about finding the right doctor to perform the surgery. We decided that we wanted to go to Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive spine care because of its excellent reputation. We made an appointment with Dr. Rajiv Magge who then referred us to the world-famous Surgeon Dr. Roger Hartl. I cannot express how happy we were to be able to work with Dr. Hartl. What he did was nothing short of miraculous. He was able to remove the tumor and, in a few days, I was actually able to walk again without even needing to use any device. His talent as a surgeon cannot be overrated. Moreover, he is a missionary doctor who uses that talent to help people in great need. Dr. Hartl is one of the kindest most thoughtful people I have ever met. He is very clear about the diagnosis and extremely clear about what he thinks he can accomplish. He does exactly what he says he will do and is clear about everything. After surgery there were many opportunities to speak with him and his staff. He was always available and eager to follow up with any concerns and questions one might have. I feel deeply thankful for his skill and knowledge and that I was lucky enough to have him as my surgeon. He saved my life and I will never forget this brilliant man.

G EM

I am a 60 year old woman with acute and chronic lower back pain for 15 years. Evaluated at NY Presbyterian Columbia neuro surgery where I was told I would need surgery for both a small lesion on the conus medularis and fusion of my Lumbar vertebrae 4:5 because of stenosis, spondylithesis and severe facet disease. I was evaluated by two neurologists, one referring me to Dr R Hartl at the Cornell Spine Center for a second opinion. I Sent results of my MRI and EMG , and was told by Dr Hartl's rep that he reviewed the images and determined " that there was nothing there that indicated a need for surgery", and that I should see one of the neurologists at the spine center. I was assigned to Dr Bridget Carey. She performed a thorough exam and told me she would present my case at the weekly Wednesday patient conference with Dr Hartl. Seven weeks passed and After multiple telephone calls I still had no response from Dr Carey. Her secretary actually placed notes on her desk and computer to call me, all to no avail. Finally, I reported my complaint to the office manager for the entire group. I received a call back immediately from Dr Carey who apologized and stated that because it was the summer they had not convened for their weekly conference. She presented me the next day, called and advised me to contact the front desk and that Dr Hartl would finally see me and I should make an appointment. She also advised that at this point I needed up to date images and she would have the requisitions sent to my radiology group. When I attempted to make an appointment with Dr Hartl 8 weeks into this process again I was told by his screener that he reviewed my images and nothing indicated a need for surgery. No new scripts for MRI were ever sent and I was Advised to follow up again with Dr Carey where she would determine a plan of action. This experience has left me totally dumbfounded. Never did get a second opinion by this "renowned physician". Would never pursue further evaluation or treatment with the Cornell Spine Center because of this very frustrating experience Run, don't walk and find competent practitioners elsewhere GM