Mr George Spink

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

In 2016 I started getting tingling in my arms, hands and legs. By 2019 the symptoms were getting worse and I was also getting numbness in my legs. By the end of 2021, in addition to these symptoms, I was feeling weakness in my hands and legs resulting in loss of balance and walking as if drunk. At this stage I had a full spinal, neck and head MRI scan through my GP on the NHS following which my GP recommended having a consultation with a Neurosurgeon. After carrying out research on neurosurgeons I was impressed with the reviews and experience of Mr Spink so I made an appointment to see him at the Spire Hull and East Riding Hospital. At the consultation Mr Spink put me and my wife at ease and went through the results of the scan which clearly showed compression on my spinal cord affecting the nerves at the C5/C6 level. Mr Spink went through the possible outcomes if I decided not to have surgery and then what an operation would entail, the risks involved and the possible outcomes. Once I decided to go ahead with the operation (C5/C6 Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion) I contacted Mr Spink and he arranged for the operation to go ahead as a matter of urgency. I went for my operation at the Spire Hospital on 28 May 2022. Mr Spink came to see me and talked through things just before the operation. By lunchtime I was back on the ward feeling relatively fine with no pain and no tingling in my arms and hands. Mr Spink again came to check on me shortly after I got back to the ward and said that the operation had gone well which was very reassuring. The next morning I was out of bed and preparing to be discharged. Mr Spink came to see me before discharge and I remarked to him that I couldn’t believe the difference in how I was feeling before and after the operation. I was in no pain or discomfort, my balance was much improved, my legs and hands felt stronger and that I felt back in control of my limbs. I had a follow up appointment with Mr Spink on 19 July 2022 by which time my walking had continued to improve although he had always said that full recovery could not be guaranteed and walking would take the longest to recover however I am delighted with the progress so far and very optimistic about the future. Mr Spink and the team did a thoroughly professional job for which I am extremely grateful and would highly recommend anyone who needs to consult with a neurosurgeon to look no further than Mr Spink.

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

Just over 4 months now since my spinal fusion surgery carried out by Mr Spink and I have had my final consultation. Before the operation I was in constant pain, had no quality of life, difficulty sitting and could walk only a few metres. I am now rowing 30 mins plus per day, pain free and walking up to 45 mins without a break. In summary Mr Spink (and his team) have changed my life beyond belief. Mr Spink is a fantastic surgeon with excellent communication skills with his patients. Everything was explained up front - including the risks / possible downsides. I’m pleased to say my surgery and recovery were trouble free, with just a little numbness in my right leg which is getting better with time. I am now well on the way to getting back to a normal life and this is thanks to Mr Spink and his team!

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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!

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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.

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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!

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