José Soto's Story

Dr. Seth Neubardt with José Soto

“I feel like a normal person again. Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Stern did a wonderful job.”

José Soto was in a car accident in which he was rear-ended. It wasn’t until a few days later that he began to feel symptoms: Stiff and painful shoulders, tingling and numbness in his arms. Worried, he embarked on visiting with four area surgeons, the last stop with Drs. Neubardt and Stern. “I felt welcomed by Dr. Neubardt’s introduction and felt at ease when he explained the procedure in detail, using diagrams and models to help me understand.” Unsure about having surgery, José brought his wife with him on a second consultation with Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Stern. “We both received a good understanding of my injury and how he could help me, felt more confident, and was impressed with the amount of time the doctors gave us.”

After three more months, and discussion with his family, José decided to undergo the surgery suggested: Microscopic two-level anterior cervical discectomy using the PEEK disc replacement. “At 6:00 a.m. I was in White Plains Hospital having surgery and at 12:30 p.m. I was in recovery. When the anesthesia wore off, I have to say, I felt nothing. No pain at all.” José returned to work doing maintenance six weeks after the surgery, enough time to allow him to fully heal as the nature of his work involved heavy lifting.

“In the beginning, I was nervous about surgery when I visited with the other surgeons,” José says. “But with Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Stern, I felt confident that I was in good hands. I feel like a normal person again. I feel great! Dr. Neubardt and Dr. Stern did a wonderful job.”