Laser Spine Institute

Pure hoax the place is a menace to society. AVOID … this place is not moral nor ethical.
A scam 100% worse than a crooked used car lot.

Why do you think the staff is SOOOOO wonderful and completely accommodating? They’re all on commission to ensure you will write an excellent review RIGHT AFTER your «procedure». This is the timeframe in which the ablation and steroids are working best. You will almost certainly leave LSI feeling no pain, A MIRACLE! Nerves are funny that way. Once they grow back and your pain has returned you then realize you are SOL! Or maybe you’ll be one of the lucky few that has a longer lasting placebo affect and THINK you are cured.
LSI is doing NO SURGERY, only a procedure commonly done in pain management called an ablation which costs up to $ 6000 outpatient MAX.
LSI is a scam, well rehearsed & getting better at its game each time it performs another miracle! One day these folks will be shut down & you can have a little chuckle. By that time these folks will be long gone in some other country with all your money, LOL!

I accompanied my husband to the Scottsdale Laser Spine Institute for surgery on his neck. We flew from Colorado to Arizona for this surgery. Pain is a horrible thing to deal with and the thought of surgery — especially surgery that involves the spine — is downright terrifying. We could not have dreamed of a better experience! From the initial scheduling, to the pre-​op appointments, throughout the surgery and everything since has DEFINITELY been a 5-​star experience. They run a tight ship — super clean facility with highly competent and friendly staff that worked with us throughout the entire process, setting clear expectations of what was expected of us and what we could expect from them throughout our time there. They met, or exceeded, our expectations at every point. The medical team was extremely well-​trained, knew what they were doing, worked incredibly well together and had the patience and caring aspects that are so necessary when having to go through something as traumatic as spine surgery. We always felt like we were in great hands, which reduced our stress levels significantly. The actual surgery went exactly as planned (our surgeon, Dr. Timothy Luke was phenomenal) and my husband had immediate relief of his pain symptoms! We highly recommend the Scottsdale Laser Spine Institute for anyone considering spine surgery.

My wife suffered 2 annular tears back in September 2014. Our neurosurgeon in Orange County offered disc replacement as a last resort. He asked us to wait 6 – 8 months to see if my wife will get better with PT. He then asked us to look at our other options and come back to him if we decided on disc replacement. He then referred us to a pain doctor in Laguna Hills.
By March 2015, I decided to look at our other options besides the pain doctor.
We found Laser Spine Institute online, and they requested for an MRI. I do not know who reviewed the MRI, but I was told that my wife qualified for surgery there –this got me so excited because my wife had suffered so long. So I paid the $ 1000 deposit and got her scheduled for surgery in July 2015. Looking online at what they had to offer, I was curious about the ablation procedure, as well as the stem cell procedure (I am an MD). I requested to talk to one of the surgeons. The representative in Florida told me that the surgeons are too busy performing their procedures, so another doctor would call me to explain everything, but it would not be a surgeon. I asked, «is it an MD?» and he said «no, it’s a chiropractor, but he is very knowledgeable in what the surgeons do…» So I talk to this chiropractor, and basically he tells me that my wife should come in on a Monday, ask whatever questions she has, and if all is acceptable, she would have surgery on a Wednesday (cost = $ 21,000 cash — they insisted that our HMO would not cover the procedure). If she was not better by Friday the same week, she could proceed with the stem cell procedure that same Friday (cost = another $ 21,000). Total = $ 42,000 cash.
Eventually, after finding out about our plans to go to LSI, our pain doctor in Laguna Hills strongly discouraged us from going there, stating «it’s a gimmick; their surgeons are not very good.» The neurosurgeons I work with at the hospital also told me the same thing. Let me tell you, where I work, the neurosurgeons are outstanding! I have seen their work as I have been consulted on some of their patients. We also found some very poor reviews on Laser Spine Institute — and these reviews had to do with the place being a money-​making scam. So we backed out of our scheduled surgery with LSI.
We subsequently went to another surgeon in Arizona who also offered minimally invasive endoscopic spine surgery (Dr. Anthony Yeung of Desert Institute of Spinal Care). So far, my wife has had good results (it has only been about 2 months). Dr. Yeung also charged us much less than LSI. But eventually, we ended up paying nothing because our HMO covered the procedure. Dr. Yeung’s office gave us a full refund of the cash we paid. Funny how LSI insisted that our HMO would not cover us. But the HMO did cover the full cost! I wonder if LSI would have refunded us our money had we gone to them.
It took my wife about a month to get over her post-​op pain. I cannot believe the LSI chiropractor told us that she could get minimally-​invasive back surgery on a Wednesday, and then if she did not feel well the day after, she could get stem cells injected into her back the Friday of the same week. What a HOAX! The guy did not even know the kind of pain patients go through post-​op. He did not know that recovery time took weeks and therefore, another possible procedure should be planned months later. But how could he know? He’s a chiropractor, not a surgeon. And obviously, he had not even met 1 patient post-​op to know the kind of pain and discomfort being post-​op entails.
Anybody reading this, please note, as a family member of a patient who suffered severe back pain, and as a physician, I can honestly tell you, this place is A SCAM. There are many other places, with more reputable physicians, who will charge less (case in point, Desert Institute for Spinal Care), and will not have questionable billing practices.

About a year ago now I went to the laser spine institute. I have had chronic back pain for way too many years. I had to get new mri of all of my spine. Did that. I then went to the facility for my evaluation. I have my mri to the front desk and waited for my review. The review was the best explanation as to why I’m in pain all the time. I was told my options and brought to an office. I felt like I was getting financing for a car! I was asked about running my credit. I said NO! I’m in the middle of a divorce and my ex has ruined my credit. He ran it anyway! Knowing my credit was bad, I was asked for $ 25,000 up front out of pocket! Really who has that!?! Don’t build up your patient and give them hope ! I was thanked and showed the door! I haven’t heard from then since! There’s many other places for this procedure. I recommend using them!

1 month after surgery and I’m feeling amazing! I have no pre op pain whatsover. I am still taking it quite easy. I have someone with me at all times to help lift my 18 month old, 33 lbs son.
I am taking it almost overly easy, by choice, as to give my new and improved body the best kick start possible.
LSI calls me frequently to check up on me and I feel very well cared for by the team. I would recommend this procedure to anyone suffering with chronic pain. The travel, the cost and any time missed with family is well worth it in the long run.
Thank you LSI Arizona!

Such a great place!!! Just did pre op so far but the staff is so amazing ! They really have it all organized. And they are so knowledgable! Way surpassed my expectations. I will feel confident leaving my husband in the hands! Ready for surgery day!

I went to the Lasar Spine Institute this past November, I did not experience some of the negative comments regarding the shadiness of the institute. I am quite sure if that was the case my insurance would not cover as much as it did for this procedure. In fact they recognize it as a very skilled procedure with a highly effective outcome. Although, I am not 10o percent of what I would like to be, I am a lot better for having done this surgery. the staff was wonderful and the doctors at the Philadelphia site were caring and very skilled. They provided the best standard of care I have ever received. I felt I was in remarkable hands and I would not hesitate to refer anyone. No, it does not work for everyone but neither does a lot of surgeries. They told me before my evaluation that it might be a possibility I was not a candidate but fortunately I was and I am very glad I went through it. I was back to work in two weeks on light duty.

I was there for a visit last week and the center was extremely well run and highly organized. The facility is spotless and the staff seems to be very well trained and extremely helpful to not just patients but very accommodating to family members as well. The staff really seems to listen and hear what you are saying. They serve complimentary food throughout the day just off the waiting area and even have some type of program where they donate a meal an underprivileged child when a meal is served to you.
They can take care of x-​rays and MRIs in-​house which is nice and the recovery and surgical areas seem to be very well run as well.
Overall I would stay this a state of the art facility with a fantastic staff.

TOTAL SCAM!!! STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.
I’ve never written a review on Unilocal where I felt that people’s lives actually could be put in harm’s way, but this place is a total SCAM, and this place is going to hurt someone eventually.
Why? I had back surgery a couple of years ago in Colorado. It was successful, but I was having just a tweak in the middle of my back and I just wanted to have someone look at it, but didn’t want to go back to Colorado, thinking that of course there are back doctors here in Phoenix. My doctor put through a referral, and I called them. They checked and verified that they took my insurance, and then we scheduled an appointment a few weeks out. In the meantime I got the medical records from my prior back surgeon and sent everything over to them. All this time I worked with a guy named Matt Carbone. I should have been a little concerned that he wasn’t even in Arizona (he is out of Florida), but I kept the process moving.
Two or three days prior to the appointment I got a call from Matt telling me that he just found out that unfortunately they did NOT take my insurance. I was a little peeved that they had wasted my time, but ok no harm done. I at least didn’t waste my time going to the clinic’s office or anything like that. I would just look for another doctor. However…
After canceling the appointment, Matt — God Bless Him — went ahead and sent me the information on my surgery… as in, what they were going to do, and how much it was going to cost… you know, just in case I wanted to see if I could find other financing.
So… without ever meeting me, and only going by records that were over two years old, they had already planned what types of surgeries or procedures they were going to do, and how much they were going to cost. What legit surgeon, without EVER meeting the patient, knows exactly what types of procedures they were going to do. Other than telling Matt that I just wanted to talk to a Doctor about a slight pain in the middle of my back, that was it.
And then the realization just hits you. That first meeting, which they call the consultation, really is just a set up to get you to BUY their procedures… and that’s without ever getting any new x-​rays or other tests. But for them notifying me that they made a mistake and they didn’t take my insurance, I would have walked in there and they would have tried to sell me a back surgery no different than someone would try to sell you a time-​share. And the cost was in the tens of thousands…
I still can’t believe that there is a place that would run their business this way, let alone a medical practice. I never thought a facility NOT taking my insurance would be a Godsend. I feel so sorry for anyone who goes there with true chronic back pain, or other serious conditions, because clearly this is a SCAM to just get your money. I know what it feels like to have horrible back pain and wanting to do ANYTHING to fix it, but thank God I never came across this place when I was in that mental state.
Anyone reading this who feels like they just can’t handle the pain anymore, I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL, but trust me — avoid this place and find a real back surgeon. I had back surgery in Colorado at a very reputable clinic for spinal stenosis and I was more than scared prior to the surgery because all you hear from people are the horror stories. But, my surgeon then fixed me up and saved my health and my sanity. This Laser Spine SCAM will most likely not be able to help you. Keep looking for a REAL doctor. I know it may seem hopeless now, but don’t give up, but even more importantly DON’T go to the Laser Spine Institute.
Again — just in case anyone is still reading this far down — this place ALREADY HAD THE DATE, THE PROCEDURES, AND OF COURSE THE PRICE, ALL DONE BEFORE I EVEN MET ONE OF THEIR DOCTORs!
That is INSANE. Stay clear folks. Stay very, very clear of this company.

SCAM
I have 2 annular tears. I sent all my MRIs and reports. I had a discogram done on my back to confirm my pain is coming from the 2 discs. They called back saying that they would most likely perform an ablation on my nerves. Since I have HMO, they will most likely not cover and I would have to pay out of pocket $ 20k for the entire procedure and pre/​post-​op appointments. If I had PPO, they would charge the insurance $ 50k.
I went to a pain doctor who was covered by my insurance. I ended up getting biacuplasty, which is similar to ablation. He charged about $ 6000 including initial consult and for procedure.
Check out Bloomberg report on this facility. Quite alarming…

Everything they said they would do is exactly what they did. they figured out in 72 hours went our normal doctor took six months to do. My husbands primary doctor wanted to do extensive surgery and took 6 months to figure out, while my husband was miserable. yet the laser spine institute did minimal surgery and my husband feels wonderful. The employees are happy and helpful. It was too good to be true. N it was true. Thank you Dr. Luke for caring and taking your time to do exactly what was needed. Thank you for listening. Along with everyone else!!! We felt heard and cared for. The Disneyland of back surgery. 24 hours later we are enjoying lunch and he is comfortable, finally.

My wife had surgery there 2 months ago and it didn’t go well. She has had no sciatic pain relief. The frustrating part has been the follow up. She has scheduled to get back in to see the doctor (Dr Moffat) 3 times and all 3 times she has gone back to the clinic they have given her some excuse as to why the doctor can’t see her. Luckily we live in the Phoenix area so we don’t have to travel. We are starting to wonder if they are leading us on until we finally give up. They seemed very organized for the initial surgery but getting any type of follow up treatment has been a nightmare.

Had surgery a year and a half ago and I still feel great!

Not only do they not follow up after an MRI, they take forever sending your MRI to you. This is my MRI and it shouldn’t take over 3 weeks to get it. They wonder why their ratings are so low… how about follow up and Customer Service!

I would not advise anyone to have surgery at ANY Laser Spine Institute clinic. Like so many, I have suffered from debilitating low back pain since I was 28 years old. I was determined to find ANYTHING to help eradicate or even decrease that chronic pain. So, as desperate people will do, I believed that I had done enough research to validate the Laser Spine Institute as a legitimate medical facility and went to Scottsdale, AZ, for the surgical procedure. I want to tell you now that these facilities are ALL a scam.
I was fortunate that the universe was looking out for me and was spared from being harmed by these people. They claimed that my MRI showed that I was a candidate for the laser surgery AND the Stem Cell procedure. So I spent money and time flying to Scottsdale, staying in a motel and then attending my appointment at the institute. On that day, I met with a «anesthesiologist» but NO doctor. He said that my previous MRI didn’t clearly show what they wanted to see so that they needed to do another one. I am severely claustrophobic and require being put to sleep in order to have an MRI. I told him this AND that my insurance would not pay for another MRI so soon. The anesthesiologist stared at me for a few seconds and then said he’d have to «confer» with the «doctors» before they could proceed, and that they would call me the next day.
This behavior automatically sent up a red flag in my mind. You see, I am a retired nurse of 40 years. So I have the experience and history to recognize fraud and nonsense when I see it. The Laser Spine Institute did not call me for THREE DAYS. After not hearing from them on the 2^nd day, I made my own phone calls. First, I discovered that not one of their facilities has a direct phone number at which to contact them. They have four facilities now in four different states. I called the listed numbers (local prefixes) for EACH clinic and EACH time the phone call was re-​directed to the facility in Florida. I ended up speaking to my original pre-​surgery facilatator in Florida after making all the other calls. My first question to him was, «Why are ALL of your clinic phone numbers directed to the Florida Institute?» His response was a rhetorical, «Yes. We answer all calls at this facility.» THIS did not make sense and another red flag went up.
Here is the biggest red flag of all. I contacted my insurance. They pay 80% of ANY surgical procedure, and I then pay the remaining 20%. There is no deviating from this. However, the Laser Spine Institute REQUIRED me to pay the FULL amount of $ 18,500.00, UP FRONT IN CASH, before they would do the surgery. They stated that they would NOT refund the 80% (even if my insurance paid the 80%), and that was THEIR financial requirement. This made no sense whatsoever. The insurance companies call this «double dipping» and it is illegal. In addition, LSI claims that they have Stem Cell therapy available. According to the FDA website
«Consumers need to be aware that at present – other than cord blood for certain specified indications – there are no approved stem cell products.» By this time, I was convinced this entire network was a huge scam.
I received a call from them on the third day. The «person» quickly told me that they had determined I was NOT a candidate for the procedure because they didn’t believe that I would tolerate the spinal anesthesia. Their final comment was that they were «sorry» that they could not «help» me.
That was all. Nothing else was mentioned or said, and, at NO time did I EVER speak to a qualified doctor. I suggest that you do extensive research before using this clinic, but I assure you that they are NOT legitimate in any way and that they are making MILLIONS off of people who are desperate for some pain relief. You MIGHT get lucky and survive or even benefit from a procedure there, but you’re taking a huge gamble on your health if you do. Please do not fall into their trap. They will do or say anything to convince you that they ARE legitimate and can «help» you, but they are not legit. I cannot emphasize enough how fortunate I am for avoiding what could have been potentially disastrous for me both physically and financially. Good luck to you all.

This place is beyond ridiculous. I chose this place out of many different facilities (UCSF, Stanford, and Berkeley), and decided to make the travel to LSI from suggestions of other people. However, after I paid for flights and hotel and rental car and all other expenses, not to mention the expenses of the people I brought with me to take care of me after my surgery, the LSI decides to tell me I need a MERSA swab before I can proceed with surgery.
Funny thing is, I’ve never had MERSA in my entire life. This procedure of getting swabbed for MERSA takes 3 days. So now my surgery is postponed waiting on those results. Due to this, I now am stuck in Scottsdale by myself with no friends to take care of me after surgery and have forfeited the money spent coming here prior to surgery. Wasted 3,000 dollars on this trip, not to mention the 10,000 dollars they made me pay in cash up front when I have TWO insurance plans that are government issued and are PPO BLUE CROSS plans! best insurance you can have, so now I have to wait to get my money back from the LSI after my insurance pays them.
What upsets me the most, they could have had me do a MERSA swab at my primary care doctor week prior to traveling from California. This is beyond acceptable in regards to patient care. DO NOT COME TO LSI!!! ITS A WASTE OF YOUR MONEY. THE CARE YOU RECEIVE IS COMPARABLE TO WHAT YOU WOULD RECEIVE IF YOU WERE A PESANT IN A ROYAL KINGDOm, Basically treated like S@$#.

I would not recommend that anyone have surgery at ANY Laser Spine Institute clinic. Like so many, I have had debilitating acute low back pain since I was 28 years old. I was determined to find ANYTHING to help eradicate or even decrease that chronic pain. So, as desperate people will do, I believed that I had done enough research to validate the Laser Spine Institute as a legitimate medical facility and went to Scottsdale, AZ, for their surgical procedure. I want to tell you now that these facilities are ALL a scam.
I was fortunate that the universe was looking out for me and was spared from being harmed by these people. They claimed that my MRI showed that I was a candidate for the surgery. So I spent money and time flying to Scottsdale, staying in a motel and then attending the appointment at the institute. On that day, I met with a «anesthesiologist» instead of a doctor. He said that my previous MRI didn’t clearly show what they wanted to see so that they needed to do another one. I am severely claustrophobic and require being put to sleep in order to have an MRI. I told him this and that my insurance would not pay for another MRI so soon. The anesthesiologist stared at me for a few seconds and then said he’d have to «confer» with the «doctors» before they could proceed and that they would call me the next day. At no point did I ever see a real doctor.
This behavior was suspicious and automatically sent up a red flag in my mind. You see, I am a retired nurse of 40 years. So I have the experience and expertise to recognize fraud and nonsense when I see it. The Laser Institute did not call me for 3 days. After not hearing from them on the 2^nd day, I started making my own phone calls. First, I discovered that not one of their facilities has a direct phone number at which to contact them. They have four facilities now in four different states. I called the listed numbers for each clinic (that had a local area pre-​fix) and EACH time the phone call was directed to the facility in Florida. I ended up speaking to my original pre-​surgery facilatator in Florida after making all those other calls. My first question to him was, «Why are all of your clinic phone numbers directed to the Florida Institute?» His response was a flat rhetorical, «Yes. We answer all calls at this facility.» THIS did not make sense and another red flag went up.
Here is the biggest red flag of all. I contacted my insurance. They pay their normal 80% for ANY surgical procedure, and I then pay the remaining 20%. There is no deviating from this. However, the Laser Spine Institute REQUIRED me to pay the FULL amount of $ 18,500.00, UP FRONT IN CASH, before they would do the surgery. They also stated that they would NOT refund the 80% (even if my insurance paid the 80%), and that that was THEIR financial requirement. This made no sense whatsoever, but I have learned from the insurance company that this practice is called «double dipping» and it’s illegal. Furthermore, LSI also claims that they have stem cell therapies. According to the FDA (who REGULATES the medical practice laws), the ONLY legitimate stem cell therapy currently available in the USA is from cord blood. Period. If anyone claims they have «stem cell therapies» other than that, they are lying. By now, I was convinced this entire network was a huge scam.
I received a call from «someone» from LSI on the third day. The person quickly told me that they had determined I was NOT a candidate for the laser procedure because they believed I would not tolerate their spinal anesthesia. The final comment was that «they» were sorry they could not «help» me.
That was all. Nothing else was mentioned or said, and, at NO time did I ever speak to a qualified doctor. I might say do your research before using this alleged medical clinic, but I assure you that they are NOT legitimate in any way and that they are making millions off of pain-​ridden people who are desperate for some relief. Please do not fall into their trap. They will do or say anything to convince you that they are legitimate. I cannot state enough how extremely fortunate I am for avoiding what could have been potentially disastrous to me both physically and financially. Please do extensive background research first on any medical facility and their doctors before letting someone treat you. It could just save your life.

I had surgery on my back in 2010 at the Scottsdale Facility. Prior to surgery I could not sit for more than 5 minutes without being in pain. My pain was making me miserable and irritable. I am what you call a light weight when it comes to medications so taking pain meds and working was not an option. I had surgery on a Wednesday and returned to work the following week. I of course had some post surgical pain for the 1^st few days, but it was managed with pain medication. When I returned to work the following week I was off all pain medications and was pain free .I continue to be pain free and enjoy life to the fullest.
I had a wonderful experience at LSI. The staff was wonderful and treated me like royalty. They went out of their way to make me feel special. I would highly recommend it. Thank you LSI for giving me my life back:)

I have stenosis, arthritis and a bulging disc at L4-​L5. Immediately after surgery at the Laser Spine institute it appeared my pain had decreased however, within two months the pain was back. A year after the surgery I had an MRI which showed no difference compared to the MRI which had been done prior to the surgery. Since then I had traditional decompression surgery and the difference was night and day. It’s been two years and I am still in a much better way. I don’t wake up with pain as I did before and after the LSI surgery nor is it anywhere as severe as it was before. I would seriously consider traditional surgery before jumping into anything at the Laser Spine Institute. Do your homework and look for a good surgeon rather than a good marketing campaign.