Mr Greg Rudol

Written by a patient at The Spire Elland Hospital

Mr Rudol operated on my spine 6 weeks ago. I had decompression (3/4 and 4/5) and laminectomy (4). The main symptom of my illness was pain in my thighs, going down into my calves, which severely impacted on exercising. From being a very active person I was reduced to doing no exercise at all. Since the operation my symptoms have disappeared completely, although I do have a little back pain which is gradually reducing due to me religiously carrying out the exercise programme I was given on leaving the hospital. I would encourage patients to really stick to the exercise programme (even though you really won’t want to do it when you leave the hospital) and the initial post-operative pain will quickly go. Next week I start back on my thrice daily 10 minute speed walks (starting with 2 minutes and building up gradually) which I’ve so missed. So pleased to have had this operation - now filled with optimism.

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Written by a patient at Nuffield Hospital Leeds

I was first seen by Mr Rudol in 2018 to review the pain I had with my legs and back due to having a spinal defect called Congenital Spondylolisthesis. I had reached a point where my sciatica was constant and quite bad in my left leg. I also suffered with numbness which had started at that time if I spent any length of time stood up. During this time I was unable to walk for more than 10 minutes without having to squat to release the nerve in my spine to reduce the pain in my leg which then started to return once I stood up again. We agreed to try a nerve block to isolate the nerve affected and understand exactly where the cause of the problem was. I had the block in September 2018 and I had no pain for 6 weeks which was amazing and made me realise how much the pain had been affecting me. I was even able to fit boards in our loft which was out of the question before. Unfortunately the pain returned and I revisited Mr Rudol to review the results and discuss the options moving forward. For me the only option was clear and this was surgery but Mr Rudol was very careful to make sure I understood any risks and outcomes of the operation and that I took the time to think this through. Fast forward to Nov 2019 and I had a multilevel spinal decompression and fusion completed by Mr Rudol at Nuffield. I won't say it was easy to walk in to the hospital that day for the surgery but the outcome was amazing. I had the surgery and made sure I stuck to the recovery plan. I was discharged from hospital on the 3rd day although I had to make sure I pushed myself to be fit enough for that. I was off work for 8 weeks whilst I recovered and during this time a spent a lot of time walking and following the physio exercises. This was hard work and challenged me a lot in the first week home following the surgery but I had support from my wife during my recovery. I am now able to walk as far as I want to. Some days I walk for 2 or 3 hours which was not even an option before the surgery. I now really appreciate the ability to just go where I want with no pain. I do still have some small pains from time to time but this is a result of the nerve damage after having the back problem for so many years. I believe the success is down to the skill of Mr Rudol and could not recommend him more.

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Written by a patient at Spire Leeds Hospital

I suffered for some years with back problems and my GP practice (never the same doctor twice) recommended various treatments without success. I was finally referred to Mr Rudol who took moments to identify the cause as constriction of the sciatic nerve. This was borne out by various scans which showed constriction in two places. Mr Rudol then carried out spinal surgery on 28 September. It's now five weeks later and the improvement is astounding. I have been able to sleep and turn over in bed pain free. I am able to walk around the house and up and down stairs. I have a daily walk of between half an one mile. (I was told today to push myself harder and I intend to restart cycling. There is some residual pain and numbness but I'm told this may decrease with time. I am 74 years old. I am totally delighted with the whole experience, including Mr Rudol's care and admin staff and whole heartedly recommend the procedure to others.

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Written by a patient at Spire Leeds Hospital

I am a 37 year old female who was moderately active and travelled extensively prior to my S5L1 herniation. In January 2020, I experienced my third onset of sciatic pain down my left leg. As with the previous two occurances, I assumed this would be acute and would go away on it's own within a few weeks. Boy, was I wrong. Over the course of the next four months, the pain got gradually worse to the point that I could not stand for longer than two minutes, and could not walk more than 200 steps without squatting down to relieve the pain. It was clear that my situation was unsustainable. I had been visiting my NHS GP by zoom consult on a monthly basis at this point and they were keen to prescribe me pain medication to manage the pain, and told me that it 'would never get better and I needed to come to terms with this'. I won't lie, I was devastated, and it took everything to remain positive. I had gone from never taking any medication to taking 13 pills a day to just be able to make it through. COVID-19 lockdown was in full swing, so I decided I would hold off getting more help as long as possible. I made it until June 2020. After 5 months, my pain was around a 9/10 the majority of my waking day. I was at the end of my tether. Exasperated, I decided to seek a second opinion and in walked Mr Rudol. I contacted Mr Rudol's Medical Secretary Sorelle, who was amazing, and got me a prompt Zoom appointment with Mr Rudol. During my first appointment, Mr Rudol asked me to describe in detail the pain I was experiencing, and where it was felt. He then told me what he thought the problem was and that he was 85% sure it was the L5S1 joint. He asked me to go for an MRI to check and then told me that the follow-up appointment would be when he could go through treatment options and let me know what the issues were. So just to recap, my symptoms were as follows: -Inability to stand for any length of time -Inability to walk more than 200 steps -Electric shooting pain down my left leg (going down the outside of my hip/thigh, down the back of my calf and under my foot) -I had no pain in my back itself. It was all referred pain. -Tingling in my left foot -Inability to lie on my left side -Inability to lie with my legs flat on the bed -Broken sleep and poor quality sleep. Mr Rudol ordered an MRI during my first consultation, which took 10 days to take place and my follow-up consultation was 5 days later. During the follow-up consultation, I was told that it was definitely the L5S1 and I was given a range of treatment options, but was told that surgery was the best option for the type of pain and the length of time I had significant symptoms. I agreed, and my micro-discectomy was booked for 15 August. I had a face-to-face appointment with Mr Rudol mid-July to re-confirm the diagnosis, to answer any questions and to sign paperwork. Throughout this entire time, Mr Rudol was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, patient and re-assuring. He was very honest about my likelihood for recovery. Prior to surgery, I went for a COVID test and on the 15 August, I had the surgery. My care at Spire Hospital Leeds was great. Instantly after surgery, the nerve pain was gone. The surgical site was sore (as to be expected) but not unmanageable. I was in the hospital for one night. Upon returning home, the first night at home was the hardest because I was vomitting due to the general anaesthetic working it's way out of my system, and I was in significant discomfort. However, by Day 3 post-surgery, I was able to walk, stand and move (albeit gingerly). I was able to walk 3km by the end of Day 8. I am now just over 6 weeks post surgery, and the pain is gone. I am back to living my best life, and I couldn't be happier. This surgery was the greatest gift I could've given myself. I am still being careful with lifting and am about to have physio, but otherwise, I am walking 10,000+ steps a day, and I feel about 15 years younger because the grating, searing and exhausting pain is gone. I cannot recommend Mr Rudol strongly enough to you. I am sure, that you are like me, and you've been reading every online review you can find, and watching all the YouTube Videos. I won't lie before surgery I was nervous, but I knew I wouldn't get better without help. Mr Rudol quite honestly gave me my life back, and I am incredibly grateful to him, and his team.

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Written by a patient at Leeds General Infirmary

I would really recommend Mr Rudol. He listened to what I had to say and took my pain seriously. I found him to be very thorough in trying to establish where the pain in back/hips was originating from, and he was very detailed and patient when explaining my options. I found Mr Rudol to be approachable and friendly, whilst remaining professional. Thank you Mr Rudol.

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