Mirkovic Srdjan MD

1 year post surgery. No leg pain or nerve pain! Great work!

2 years ago I had a double spinal fusion. It failed. I then was recommended to Dr. Mirkovic. He immediately ordered an X-​ray the day I was in the office and did numerous tests. We agreed on a methodical and conservative approach — injections, PT, etc. In two months when the pain had become excruciating, he did a triple spinal fusion. He was VERY clear that my pain would lessen between 75−80%. I am now almost a year and half out and everything he said was correct.
Yes, his bedside manner is typical of a top notch surgeon, but I’m going there for the expertise, not to be his friend! At Glenbrook Hospital, the staff at the front desk and in his area were friendly, patient and responsive.

I was having back issues every night after 5 – 6 hours of sleep. I would wake up with a seized up mid-​back and in tremendous pain. Then I would have to walk around or take ibuprofen to be able to go back to sleep. So after a few terrible nights of sleep I asked around and was referred to Dr. Mirkovic. I scheduled an appointment which went rather smoothly and when I arrived I went through X-​rays, numerous questions and an inspection. Everything was going well until I met with Dr. Mirkovic in person. He told me absolutely nothing and that playing basketball will give you back problems… NO SHIT. He then told me that I may have joint pain and that I should wait two weeks and let my body heal naturally. After two weeks, the same thing continued to happen so I called to make an appointment and the only thing available was 45 days out. Total waste of time. Now I have to go back to the drawing board, find a new doctor and go through the whole process again. Thanks Doc.

An excellent surgeon.
I was working with back doctors for over 2 years trying to figure out what was wrong and why PT and steroid shots were not working at all. Most of the other doctors would not even let me get an MRI. After visiting him I had an immediate MRI and almost immediate surgery as it was putting pressure on my spine. I do see all the negative comments about wait times and I can honestly say that this guy starts work at 5.a.m. and is often there late into the night. He spends a lot of time with his patients and explains everything. Yes I’ve had to wait for follow up appointments with him but I do not mind a 60 minute wait if I know he is attending to another patient as when I was the one in need I was most likely the cause of him running late for other appointments. He is very straight forward and I would recommend him to anyone with a major issue. His work ethic and follow up is top notch. If you have a major issue there is no other doctor I would recommend. That being said I also don’t see him wasting his valuable time with someone only interested in whining as he is very straight to the point.

If I could give Dr. Mirkovic 0 stars I would. The office is completely unprofessional. They cancelled my appointment and did not notify me. Then they rescheduled me and made me wait over an hour to see him. The manager that I spoke to about it actually told me that he was passing me off to another manager because he didn’t want to deal with me. If I could go back in time and not have had surgery with this doctor I would. I saw him on a Wednesday, had surgery on a Friday (not even enough time to let the anti inflammatory meds I was taking to get out of my system), and now 12 years later I’m in more pain than I was to start. If you see this doctor, get a second opinion or you may regret it later on.

It has now been three years since my back surgery. Prior to the surgery, I had dealt for several years with two severly herniated discs, a degenerated disc, and rampant arthritic growths. I have now been virtually pain free for three years. Dr. Merkovic resolved the physical issues. The Physical Therapist helped me to retrain my body which had become screwed up from compensating for years. I will not lie, the PT process was tough and painful. However, in the end, the surgery combined with good PT has given me my life back.
As for Dr. Merkovic’s bed side manner, I found him to be thorough, honest, and caring throughout. He does often run behind in his schedule. However, he often spent thirty minutes to an hour with me pouring over the data and options. For a science guy like myself, this was one of the best doctor experiences of my life. I never once felt like he brushed me off as the other reviewers mention.
In summary, every person’s situation and expectations are unique. For me, after talking to many medical professionals, Dr. Merkovic was my choice. I would recommend he be considered by anyone facing serious back issues!

This review reflects only my experience. I can’t speak for anyone else’s. That said:
Upon meeting Dr. Mirkovic, he comes across as an an arrogant, but knowledgeable surgeon with a thin smile. He was highly recommended as well, so I overlooked the arrogance in his voice and attitude. We agreed that, after a few rounds of PT, epidural steroid injections, and complete cessation of exercise, that surgery was my only option left. It was to be a microdiscectomy, a procedure that he apparently excels at. However, before surgery was finally decided, he had also suggested that I could learn to live with the pain. WHO SAYS THAT???
I would absolutely agree that for the two weeks, post-​op, that I had 100% cessation of pain. Immediately after that, however, all of my pain returned and to a higher degree. When going in for my second follow-​up and reporting my returning and more excruciating pain, he blinked a few times and said «What do you want me to do? I told you that there was a 10% chance that this would happen!» This second follow-​up appointment only entailed an inspection of the incision site, a rubber hammer to the Achilles tendons as well as the knees. I am positive that he was more concerned with how the incision had healed up.
PT was recommended again, or failing that, another MRI to see if my disc had rebulged. All other questions were met with derision, contempt, and flat-​out denials of any other possibility of causes of pain. He wouldn’t discuss any other options at all. All my questions were met with an attitude of «Why are you wasting my time with your ignorance?» I was flabbergasted! As a man, I find this hard to even admit. But when he left the office, I broke down and cried for a few minutes because I couldn’t believe that he was so hard-​hearted and unsympathetic. I’ve been dealing with this pain for 18 months. He offered no comfort of sorrow for my continued pain and suffering and was gone within five minutes.
Bottom line is this: If you want a doctor and/​or surgeon who will keep appointment times in a reasonably punctual manner, treat you as if you were an individual and actually listen to you and your problems and symptoms, Mirkovic IS NOT the surgeon for you. He is a complete @$$hole who is only in it for his cut of the surgery fee and could not care less about you. Thankfully, my insurance covered the entire $ 30,000 for the surgery and 14 hour hospital stay.
Footnote: I’ll get the damned MRI (my 5^th since this whole process began), but he will not be my surgeon, assuming more surgery is necessary. I’d rather cut on myself and hope for the best. At least I’ll listen to myself when I report any pain or ramifications from my own surgery. This guy sucks and should be barred from medicine. He reflects poorly on NOI and spinal surgeons in general. Yes, he’s that bad.

This orthopedic surgeon came recommended. He is located also at Northwestern Hospital. Went to see him for consultation for my back problem. After looking at my MRI, he explained what he saw and suggested that surgery was probably the way to go. After listening to his explanations, I agreed and had the back surgery. The surgery went fine, I felt almost an immediate relief.
After the surgery, though, it was a case of Mr. Jekyll/​Dr. Hyde. The congenial person who explained in detail what he thought prior to the surgery became cold, arrogant and condescending. At my post surgery follow up appoitnment (he was running over an hour late, by the way), I asked him some follow-​up questions that I read on my post operative report. I was not challenging or threatening in anyway and they were what I consider normal questions regarding what he saw when he opened my back. He cut me short saying «I told you what I was going to do, I did what I told you I was going to do. The stuff on the report is doctor language.» Also, he was very insistent that I go to the physical therapy place that he specified.
I am used to physicians who act as your partner in your healthcare, not as a hostile, condescending snob.