The Harley Street Hospital

I had spinal decompression/discectomy surgery at the LSU 3 weeks ago after suffering with excruciating nerve pain in my right leg for months that kept becoming worse. What began as random strange numbness in my right leg in November 2023 steadily developed into terrible sharp shooting nerve pain from June 2024 down the whole leg to my toes. MRI showed severe prolapsed L5 disc at S1 nerve root level with degeneration in the disc. I was walking with a large waddling gait since July, having muscle spasms, preventing me from driving, working, sleeping, looking after my young children, most things! I tried 2 different physios, osteo, acupuncture, nothing helped only made symptoms worsen. After a trip to A and E taken in by ambulance, being ignored by the junior doctors, no pain relief given or any tests conducted, I had an epidural injection in August privately which unfortunately didn’t help me personally though for my case however I have heard how it can offer relief to some patients. I then set about exploring the option of surgery. I went to various different clinics but wasn’t satisfied with the consultations I had, in that I felt they were rushed, I came out feeling they were dismissive of my symptoms and the level of impact this had on my life and the proposed 5 day hospital stay for surgery put me off too. I was looking for a day surgery and a quick recovery so I could get back to my responsibilities. I went to see Dr Akmal late August for an initial consultation after googling day surgery options for spinal surgery. I found both Dr Akmal and Dr Lok to be very knowledgeable, they both understood my problem right away and were attentive and took the time to listen to my symptoms. I was satisfied this was the right course of action for me. I decided to go ahead with the surgery and had the pre op blood tests, ECG and doctor consultation a few days ahead of the surgery. Once I got the all clear and declared fit for the operation I was given a date for surgery. On the day of the surgery I was rather anxious but Dr Akmal and his team made sure I was very comfortable and calm. They all came to speak with me and explain what was going to happen etc. Dr Bedran the anesthetist was very kind and explained what was going to be used factoring my allergies etc very well and it was all very reassuring and thorough. The procedure went well and I was able to walk straight for the first time in months. I was given the all clear by Dr Akmal and very happy to go home in the evening. I was given a full briefing on meds to take during my recovery process at home and hard copies of detailed instructions which I was so grateful for as it’s a lot to take in! I was provided with a medication pack, some extra wound dressings, decompression stockings etc. Once at home the doctor with whom I had the pre op consultation would call me every morning for the first 3 days to check in with me. This was a great opportunity to ask any questions, things I had forgotten etc. 3 weeks in I can say it’s been the best decision for my specific case to undergo the surgery. I could walk straight as soon as I had the surgery, there is the obvious pain when you go home as the drugs from the surgery wear off and roughly Day 2-5 you will feel as if you have been hit by a truck. I was very lethargic had short bursts of energy followed by tiredness and pain/ soreness in back and legs. The nerve pain flared up for me around Day 5 around my foot, hamstring and calf but thankfully gradually passed day by day and now I get minor little rumblings as the nerves are settling back down after being trapped for so long mostly under hamstring and back of the kneecap, this is tolerable and I am gradually improving to being hopefully pain free in the coming months! I am most happy to be walking straight again even if I can’t manage long walks just yet! Thank you again to Dr Akmal and all of your team, to the lovely ward nurses, to Dr Bedran, Dr Lok, also the wonderful ladies at reception who escorted my husband and I, carried my bags to the car and made sure I was sat comfortably before she let us go. Thank you so much for such a positive experience after suffering bad experiences at other clinics, I am truly grateful God led me to your clinic.

I rarely write online reviews but am making a well-deserved exception for Mr Mo Akmal and his impressive private Team at The London Spine Unit, Harley Street Hospital. I had spinal decompression surgery via the NHS some months ago that resulted in a potentially life-threatening and excruciatingly painful L4/L5 disc infection that the NHS failed to quickly diagnose. After struggling to get anyone on the NHS to diagnose and treat me when I was in a state of unbelievable extreme pain and suffering, I turned to Mr Akmal’s private clinic out of desperation for help. Mr Akmal quickly diagnosed the disc infection that was missed by the NHS and put me on a course of antibiotics while carefully monitoring and following me. It is now some months later and I am on the road to healing with pain greatly reduced. The London Spine Unit is a completely private, self-contained private hospital fully equipped with the latest MRI and EOS scanners. They also are one of the few spinal clinics globally who routinely use very advanced pioneering techniques like minimally invasive day surgery, antibiotic powder to reduce their infection rates to near zero, special co-flex spacers to keep the discs apart so they can heal properly and reduce stress, etc. I kick myself for not having my spinal decompression surgery done with Mr Akmal’s London Spine Unit in the beginning as this would have prevented so much pain and suffering that the NHS unnecessarily put me through. In hindsight it would have been an excellent investment to have gone private to avoid the extreme pain and suffering the NHS left me in. Mr Akmal has had a spinal decompression surgery himself, so he has extreme empathy with spinal patients who are suffering. Unlike most arrogant neurosurgeons who refuse to listen to their patients, Mr Akmal is very kind, calm and takes all the time needed to carefully listen to his patients. He personally phoned me up several times to check how I was doing at no charge. I did check prices at several private clinics and believe Mr Akmal’s London Spine Unit is not only competitively priced, but they offer the absolute best world-class cutting-edge spinal care that you can find anywhere in the world. I also paid to get several other opinions from various other neurosurgeons and in hindsight Mr Akmal was the ONLY neurosurgeon who was consistently 100% correct in all the advice he gave to me. The amount of bad or incorrect advice being given out by other neurosurgeons is shocking so everyone should get at least one second opinion on all spinal issues. Mr Akmal talked me out of having some additional expensive treatments when I was begging for them to get me out of pain and in hindsight, he was right! I can’t say enough good things about Mr Akmal and his elite team to properly do them justice but they have been truly excellent, more than fair in their very reasonable charges, and left the NHS in the dust in regards to quality of care. If anyone has spine problems of any kind, then your first port of call should be Mr Mo Akmal and his London Spine Unit at the Harley Street Hospital. You will be extremely well taken care of, and he will use advanced techniques that you won’t find on the NHS or with most other spinal surgeons (including private ones) who are clearly inferior to Mr Akmal in many respects in my opinion. If you are looking for an honest, compassionate, fair, down-to-earth, highly-experienced spinal neurosurgeon who genuinely cares about you – and who is up on the very latest global advances in spinal care then Mr Mo Akmal is the neurosurgeon for you. 5 Stars and Excellent rating without question for Mr Mo Akmal and his Team at the London Spine Unit, Harley Street Hospital. This is a 100% genuine review I wrote myself with no coaching from anyone. I don’t know what I would have done without Mr Akmal’s most kind and compassionate expert help getting me out of the mess the NHS left me in. Very grateful to Mr Akmal and his most excellent highly skilled team – one of the few private spinal clinics that can be trusted to put the patient’s care first above everything else including money. Clearly one of the best spinal clinics in the world. Honest, fair, trustworthy, compassionate, deeply experienced, knows their stuff, puts the patient’s wellbeing first. I might not be here today if it were not for Mr Akmal. Thank you sincerely!

I found all the staff at the Harley Street hospital to be professional, warm, friendly and caring. Their professionalism ensured you felt secure and cared for while undergoing treatment. The hospital is geared towards day cases and such the room facilities reflect this, comfortable and private.

I was referred to Mr. Akmal following continued spinal issues. I had previously had a fusion in my neck (C5/6) about 15 years ago and was now suffering again. Over more than 9 months, my level of pain and disability had increased to an unbearable level. I now live in Malta and the surgeons here could not help as the situation was too complex due to the previous operation. There were issue both above and below the original fusion. Mr. Akmal and the team at the London Spine Clinic were amazing and the level of care was very high. Following the initial consultations, The continual flow of information, both before and after the operation was superb. I felt very confident that I was in good hands. This was proved to be correct and Mr. Akmal performed a double operation in one process. He fitted a prosthetic disc above the original fusion and performed another fusion directly below. The operation was done in one day and the pain relief was immediate. The level of follow up support was second to none and the team were caring and attentive. Dr. Lok was very good and reassuring, being happy to see or talk to me whenever I needed. Some weeks later, any residual pain is just about gone, and I am back to living a normal life again. I have nothing but praise and gratitude for Mr. Akmal and his team and would definitely recommend them to anyone who is in need of spinal care. Thank you!

I would give 5 stars and highly recommend Mr. Mo Akmal of the London Spine Unit at Harley Street. Mr Akmal is an amazing surgeon who really took time to understand my symptoms and gave sensible advice to help me. I wish I had found him years ago but I'm so pleased that he is here, if I ever need him again. At the consultation, he took time to go over the diagnosis clearly and we discussed the treatments options carefully. The surgery itself went smoothly. I was really impressed that they could do such complicated surgery as a day case. My anaesthetic was great as I felt no nausea or pain at all afterwards. I was called the day after the surgery to make sure everything was ok. Overall, my experience was wonderful and reassuring from start to finish but most importantly, I am very grateful to Mr Akmal for his expertise in giving me some quality of life back. I wholeheartedly recommend him and his surgical team.

They made me feel like family .Thankyou for your professional and kind manner.