August 19th marked my 3 month mark after ACDF surgery performed by
Dr. Eric Deal. I have been released to perform most duties again, so I played golf! I took it slow but did great. This is 1 year and 3 months after a car accident that caused a disk herniation between my C6-C7. I spent (wasted) 9 months with various treatments and exams. Finally in January 2020 my family doctor finally ordered an MRI that showed the herniation. I was referred to a surgeon who recommended cervical disk replacement. I was unsure of the procedure so started doing research. I came across reviews for Dr. Deal, which were all very positive and many showed the same symptoms as I had. They also mentioned they had the ACDF vs. cervical disk replacement. More research on the two options and I decided a second opinion was needed so I chose Dr. Deal. I got right into the clinic within days. Dr. Deal performed a thorough examination and talked to me at length. He never seemed rushed or pushy to use him or his procedure. He laid out the facts/risks/process and explained it all. I was very impressed and decided to have Dr. Deal perform the surgery. I will tell you over a year after the accident, I was still in great pain. Covid hit right when my surgery was scheduled and had to be postponed several times. By the time I had my surgery in May, the only way I could get through the day was to live on Percocet. I had weekly refills for 4 months from my family doctor to cope with the pain prior to surgery and prayed I would not become addicted. The pain, fatigue, needles, numbness, I had it all. On surgery day, Dr. Deal came by in pre-op just to make sure I had no questions or concerns. I did not as I was prepped well with information. After I woke up from the procedure, I noticed immediate relief. I was in the surgery center a total of 18 hours. I felt like a champ the next morning. I actually walked 4 miles (1 mile at a time) the day after surgery and continued to walk daily. (Dr Deal said that was a bit aggressive :)). I would recommend Dr. Deal to anyone and have full confidence in his abilities. And not to be forgotten, Alyssa his care coordinator is a rock star. I could call her any time and I did, especially when my surgery was postponed 4 or 5 times due to covid. She never failed to answer or return my calls. Top notch customer/patient service.
