Mr George Spink

Written by a private patient at Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital

I saw Mr Spink on a number of occasions back in October 2021, at a point where life was unbearable due to the amount of pain that I was under day to day due to (what we soon found out was) an incredible bulging disc that had herniated and compressed my nerve. It had left me with so much Sciatic pain, that I was miserable and it was affecting life and work. I was taking ridiculous amounts of medication which would not always work for me depending on the severity of the pain on that particular day. The ultimate dismay was the fact that my once active lifestyle which always helped maintain a positive mental health for myself had just disintegrated as the pain had taken hold! 36 years old and laying around was not the life for me! So, once the MRI had been done initially, he gave me some options along with a caution appropriate to how invasive the approach would be. 1. Keep on with Physio etc 2. Nerve Root Block 3. Discetomy Sensibly, I opted for the Root Block as Physio was not helping and it had been a problem for some time now. I was given an appointment for less than 3 weeks from that date to come back in as an outpatient. The root nerve block was done in November and although it helped, it did not take the pain away completely, I was able to move around a bit more than I had been doing and I did not need the pain meds as much as I had done. A couple of little winners in there that I was grateful for. I was forewarned that it may be either little/great/no success. Fast forward to March 2022, I had decided that the block had worn off and I was back in a situation as before, mobility had decreased and meds had increased and I was now not able to perform my work duties so I got booked in again and had an appointment in place for April in which Mr Spink agreed it was time for another MRI and fully supported that it was time to explore the surgery route. The following month, May 28th to be exact, I arrived at Spire early in the morning ready for surgery. I was so nervous but excited that it was hopefully going to be a day that life changed significantly for the better! I was not wrong! The team were amazing and I saw Mr Spink that morning ready for surgery. He also checked on me later in that day and let me know how it had gone and that he was pleased with the results. Fast forward 6 weeks, life is so good! I am active, pain free and smiling. Not all heroes wear capes.....some wear masks and scrubs!

Recommend

Trust

Listening

Written by a private patient at Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital

I am reflecting on a journey. Last year, a benign cyst impacted upon my spine causing spondylolisthesis, resulting in great pain and seriously restricting my activities. I was keeping the analgesic industry going single-handedly. I met George, we considered the options, and I elected for ‘complex spinal neurosurgery.’ George operated upon my in the autumn of last year. The cyst(s) were removed, the spine re-aligned and is now held in place with a titanium construction.I am bionic ! We met recently to consider the current position. Notwithstanding some issues with drop-foot as a consequence of nerve bruising, which issues are responding very nicely and steadily improving (with great assistance from Donna Richardson - senior physiotherapist (adviser, guide, mentor, mother-confessor and cheerleader)) the net result is this: I have, in May this year, climbed high fells in the Lake District. I can now - and regularly do - cover Fitbit-monitored steps of 20,000 a day (100,000 + per week). All of this is without pain, painkillers or other physical support. I told George: “Thank you: you have given me my life back.” That is no overstatement. I will forever be grateful.

Recommend

Trust

Listening

Written by a NHS patient at Hull Royal Infirmary

Right from the very start of the process, at my initial consultation, Mr George Spink immediately put me at ease with his very down to earth and friendly manner. He went into detail as regards the findings of my MRI scan, explaining my condition (Spinal Stenosis), the treatment required to rectify it, if I chose to proceed (Lumbar Laminectomy), and also the potential risks. Throughout the consultation, he was very attentive to what I wanted to say, which was me basically having a good moan about the last couple of years of constant pain in my back and legs, which was significantly and increasingly restricting my mobility, thus negatively impacting my overall health and fitness, and also (most importantly for me), lessening my ability to participate in outdoor activities with my 9 yr old daughter. After a week of consideration which Mr Spink allowed me to take, I contacted his team to say I'd like to go ahead with the procedure, after which, I was called in for my pre-op assessment within weeks and the operation carried out a couple of weeks later. The day of the operation at Barlborough Hospital was completely stress free due to being looked after by a friendly and highly professional staff and a pre-op visit from Mr Spinks. After the operation, on the ward, I was back on my feet in a surprisingly short space of time and was allowed home the very same day, a few hours later, which was a bonus after being informed I would be staying in overnight. Post-op I was given a good Physiotherapy program to speed recovery. My Op was on 22nd April 2022 - fast forward to the day of writing this review, 20 June 2022, seven weeks later - no more back pain, no more leg pain, fitness levels and strength improving daily and enjoying outdoor activities with my child again - its not too dramatic to say life transforming. I'm enormously grateful for what Mr George Spink has done for me, and if anyone reading this review has the opportunity to have him carry out their procedure - take it!

Recommend

Trust

Listening

Written by a private patient at Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital

A miracle worker! I had a S1, L5 Microdiscectomy following an MRI - my results came back quickly and surgery quickly. I had been suffering with Sciatica for approx 6 months and undergoing physio. Mr Spink fully explained my diagnosis and the procedure. I would not hesitate to recommend .

Recommend

Trust

Listening

Written by a private patient at Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital

I can recommend Mr George Spink without hesitation. He diagnosed my condition and explained his observations very clearly to me. I was under no pressure to go ahead with the operation and was given as much information as I needed and as much time as I wanted, to decide between alternative treatments. The operation went perfectly to plan despite having to work through the scar tissue of a fusion done 15 years previously. I was satisfied with the after care consultations and felt able at all times to ask whatever questions I had, and was made to feel just as relevant after the intervention as I was before it. In the event of a future deterioration of my spine I would have no hesitation to seek his services again.

Recommend

Trust

Listening