Laser Spine Institute
Reviews and Complaints

I went to Laser Spine on 6/1/2023. I received a high pressure sales pitch and a "diagnosis" of spinal stenosis from a flexibility examination. That type of pronouncement requires x-rays. The laser treatment improved my pain but not nearly as much as a different chiropractor I attended later. I signed a contract for one price. Then was billed to care credit for 3 times that price. I'm currently disputing those charges.

After surgery continue to experience pain and unable to walk appropriate. We never heard from laser spine institute as a follow up on his condition. No one called to see how he was doing and now there are doors are close. We trusted this company to do the right thing unfortunately they just didn't care it was about money. My husband have so much pain and have problem walking. Some days he can't get out bed.

Was operated on by Dr Weiss from Tampa for spinal stenosis at the end of August. Since then I tried to go back to work, but have been in worse pain and I cannot find a doctor who will have me as a patient because they didn't do the surgery. I had gone to the Laser institute for follow-up x-rays, but now they are closed and I have nowhere to go for help.
Richard Burgan
83 Calle De Lagos
Fort Pierce, FL 34951
[protected]

I flew to Tampa in 12/15 after 2 failed surgeries (Laminectomy-failed, Facet Fusion-failed). I flew to Tampa as Dr. M Weiss is the only surgeon who was willing to assist me. My first procedure was on my Cervical Spine, 2 ablations and 3 decompressions which relieved my pain. 2 days later he began my L4, L5-S1. The pins, screws and rods were placed, but Dr. Weiss stated there was cadaver bone glued to my spinal cord, so during the surgery my spinal cord was punctured and the surgery was stopped. I was then hospitalized and that puncture actually has now diagnosed me with Arachnoiditis of which there is no cure.

I flew to Tampa as a patient of Dr. Michael Weiss. I had Cervical ablations, and 3 decompressions. 2 days later my lumbar fusion was to take place, but midway my spinal cord was punctured.
Ultimately resulting in a diagnosis of chronic Arachnoiditis that I was unaware of having. There's no cure and the prognosis is equally as bad.
My situation will never get better and no one will touch me.

I was told that my insurance covered surgery and that my out of pocket costs would be $2500 and that they would write off any amount not paid form insurance minus the deposit of $2500 they have billed me additional $8000.00

Margie Huggins
5445 Middlecrest Ct
Salem, Oregon 97306

[protected]

Medical record number

Provider AZ, Scottsdale (Laser Spine Institute, LLC)
Date May-[protected]:24 AM
Result Recurring Scheduled
Approval Code 771192
Payment Type Manual - Visa - 5867
Patient Name Margie Huggins
MRN Number 260499
Amount $250
Transaction Type Deposit

paid balance post surgery additional $2250

again I was told that I would not have any additional billing other than maybe labs ect but my labs were done eslewhere
Laser spine institute
8888 E Raintree Dr Ste 165, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
[protected]

With a week-old MRI imaging disk on hand, I called the toll free number posted on the Website and talked to two women over the phone. Both said calling from Tampa, FL, called themselves 'Whitney, ' and denied talking from a call center. Both proved to be pushy talkers. First woman Whitney asked all my personal information including what kind of insurance I had, refused to answer my questions, said a nearest location was in Cincinnati, OH but did not know the address, and brought up her coworker in Tampa to the phone after saying that she was connecting me to Cincinnati LSI. Second woman Whitney digged into my medical condition, insisted they were offering only surgeries, but rejected me due to a failure to understand my detail explanation of a minimally invasive surgical procedure I was recommended by my spine doctor.

I went to a lecture sponsored by LSI held at a Marriot Hotel. In pain, all I heard was the hopeful. I was "interviewed" later and they called me. I was told in the "interview" at the hotel that Aetna covers this surgery (disc surgery for lower back). Not true. Price of the surgery was $30, 000. I agreed and paid a deposit. Flew from Maryland to Tampa. In pain. The techs took X-rays and sent me to have a shot. The shot helped a bit. Everyone seemed anxious to be sure that I should be deemed sick enough to have surgery! Finally they decided I could. Paid up front with credit card. They said they would bill Aetna and all would be paid.

The nurse before surgery could not even insert the IV into my hand. He tried 3 times and finally called someone else to insert it in another vein. As my hand was now all bruised. I nearly got up and left. I was losing confidence. I wish I had left.

My Dr was Dr Scott. I was asleep through the process. I awoke face down looking at spatters of blood on the floor and feeling my lip was bruised and swollen. I asked what happened. The orderly or nurses present said "you stopped breathing and we had to quickly do something. Sorry for the bruised lip". I was too woozy to ask what the "something" was.

Returned to my hotel for recovery. Horrible pain that night and next day. Was told at the clinic that this was normal and was given a new exercise routine by the PT. "your new exercise is walking".

It took weeks before I felt less pain. I still had the original pain in my disc and now had nerve pain in my foot and leg which I had never had. I still have it to this day to some extent and have never recovered the state of activity I had even before the LSI surgery.

Each time I called about this they said I was doing well and to say so on the forms. They were submitting my insurance. I did everything they said. They kept asking me to report I was doing better. Of course I was doing a bit better slowly from the surgery, but never attained my previous health.

Aetna deemed this "experimental surgery, unnecessary surgery" based on my MRIs and said I should have been treated with gel packs and PT. they never paid.

Short story: I had on and off again back episodes. In between I was a runner, worked out in a gym, had an active life. I will never run again. I have daily chronic pain, nerve damage which never went away. I am much much worse after LSI. It is 6 years from the surgery. I am a positive and hopeful person. I take nothing for my pain as I dislike drugs. I work around my (new) chronic, never gets better, back pain and remember Dr Scott and his team often.

LSI is a group of unskilled doctors, managed by crooked thieves. The head of orthopedic surgery at Georgetown University Hospital saw my X-rays and MRIs and said I should not have had this surgery. But that he had "seen worse". Not high praise.

I was also bedazzled by the whole orientation and told how happy everyone is in Tampa, indoctrinated with their CHOICE values (we even had to listen to someones made up song about them) and how it's so great to help all of our patients. Then reality hit. Get as many pts in as possible...tell most of them they are candidates for surgery and most of them will have to pay out of pocket. Health information is gathered over the phone. At my (former!) Facility, you meet your surgeon the day before surgery-if he stays your surgeon. We've had traveling surgeons schedule one type of procedure for a pt, then the surgeon doing the surgery ~looking at the same MRI and Xrays~Decides that same pt needs something else and changes the procedure. It doesn't matter how short staffed you are, they'll just keep dumping on cases, then push the pt out the door a couple hours later, to stay in a hotel to recover. Many come from hours away. Most of our docs didn't have hospital privelages anywhere, so if you went home that day, and had problems that night, you go to the ER to get treated post op without anyone knowing anything about you, because your surgeon won't be there! My facility had many questionable practices going on regarding sterilization and proper cleaning of instruments...addressed to management several times, things did not resolve and instead we were told the "bullsh** needs to stop" direct words from supervisor! Then when it gets so bad you can't tolerate it any more and go into your administrator to RESIGN-aka turning in my keys, my badge, and giving an explanation of why I am resigning -they turn around and tell your new job interviewers that you are ineligible for rehire due to JOB ABANDONMENT! I have showed up for every scheduled shift, even the morning I got into a car accident 15 minutes before getting there explaining that I got hit, but was STILL coming in...and did. Luckily a prospective employer was kind enough to tell me that LASER SPINE told them I abandoned my job. I never received a termination later stating I was let go for not showing up (because it never happened ) and when I call HR to request to speak to someone regarding their abandonment policy, I get sent to Nicole Barton's voice mail and she never returns my call. Its been months...Thinking about getting an attorney!

I talked to their salesman, they told me I would be getting my father's old surgery, in the hospital. Like their surgery was all new. First told me it would be $13, 000. Then called me back and told me it would be $18, 500 to have the surgery done in oklahoma city, probably because of the indians on welfare there was why it was more money. Just felt wrong. They would never have taken care of all that was done to my back. They do one procedure at a time, they are not AMA accredited. Thank god, i did not fall for that scam. My insurance paid every dime. All is well. Stay away from laser spine institutes. What a money making racket.

I went in for a bulging disc and bone spur pressing against my spinal cord, I was in a huge amount of pain. They said I was the "perfect candidate" as they could go in and solidify the disc and take off the spur. But my insurance wouldn't cover it all and I would have to pay 29, 000 to make up the difference, but that after the surgery I would have a 95 % chance of no more pain. We thought about it and decided to proceed, I and to sell everything we owned and cash out my retirement to make the bill. We flew down and they rushed us through the "process" day one MRI and paperwork, day two review for an hour and they tried to sell my wife on getting her back done. Day three first thing in the morning I go in to a operating room that looked like a set for a bad porn movie. A table with four clamps bright purple in color to hold my arms and legs stable, a platform for my stomach and I'm told to lie face down on it. They put me under and I awoke hours later in recovery. They had cut me in three locations, mid back and once on each side severing the nerves. I'm thinking what the hell just happened to me. They send me back to the motel they have a deal with and I spend the night only to have to go back for a "follow up" the next morning. We ride a bus over and after a ten minute exam they send us "back home" saying it was a success. We flew out that evening (look under plane ride from hell) I spend weeks on my back missing work and in terrible pain. They call but I never can speak with a doctor only one of their reps who won't answer any questions, I call and I'm told they will get back with me but never do. My pain only gets worse. I wait till I can afford it again and get a follow up MRI to see if just what the hell they have done... The answer NOTHING.. Except I now have a cyst on my spine now along with everything I had before the surgery.
STAY AWAY FROM THESE CROOKS ... My doctor was the one the one on the commercial and they called him " Dr. Z " for short.
I wish I had done more research before hand and had found this site as I would NEVER had the "procedure".
They are lying crooks, now a year later I get a "BILL" from them as my insurance refused to pay them and they are saying I owe them an additional three thousand dollars (came in three days ago) it's been almost a year this July.
So final score I'm out almost 32, 000, I'm worse off than before and they are getting away with it. Anyone know a great lawyer in Florida who does malpractice ? They need to be shut DOWN, and their backs operated on, so they can feel the HELL I live with. I thought I hurt before, now it's twice as bad.

What a scam!.. Called for my "free MRI review" to see what they offered and if they can help my long term issue with my cervical spine. There are no direct numbers to their centers, instead you are given a "care specialist" in a call center. They take your info and insurance information and state they will call you back within 2 days. Roth called me back and told me they are out of network with my 2 insurance companies but they will work with me. I was told my procedure is normally 20K without insurance and since I am out of network they determined I will owe 10K? What? First of all I was never seen by a doctor nor did they even look at an MRI so how can they know what procedure or procedures are needed to quote a price? Secondly, Since my out of network coverage is 80 % and my secondary covers they balance in full, how is this 10K? When questioned I was told the insurance company doesn't pay their full fee so I have to pick up the difference above the usual and customary fee?
What a scam.. No doctor evaluation, just a sales company trying to sell you a full package not covered or needed... STAY AWAY!

I went to laser spine institute in Pennsylvania in 2013 had surgery they say get up and walk right away only a bandaid would be needed I had a massive bandage took me 13 weeks to just start to feel better it called them from time to time to say it still hurts ect they kept saying give it time well by the 17 week I did have some relief then in February of 2014 I began calling them to report I have the same excruciating pain I had before the surgery it took 6 months talking to nurses trying to get results of any kind having to repeat my story many times over speaking to many different nurses finally I said I want to speak with the doctor after saying I will seek a lawyer the doctor called me that night after speaking to him he said I need to get you in here your MRI shows another disc had slipped that Monday a nurse calls tells me they are sending in my e mail patient packet but also a overnight pack in the mail I got the e mail with itinarary about surgery but nothing about traveling the Tuesday when it was suppose to be here was vets day so even though I was suppose to leave on Wednesday I figured any moment I will recieve the information I need well by 11am I herd nothing I called had to leave numerous messages on laure hemmingways machine I get a call about 4pm saying sorry mis communication on our end meanwhile all this time the sever pain I'm in is unbearable she says we want to get you here thanksgiving week on Thursday the institute calls says I have you scheduled for the 24 I said ok great but ease I need information on travel I explained all that happened he said I will get back to you I didn't hear anything on Monday again left numerous messages Laura now says we booked you to leave the 23rd I said he said the 24th? ok whatever well I'm suppose to leave Sunday the 23rd which is tomorrow I still have no information I'm hurting aggravated angry I can not believe a business is run like this my emotional self is going through such pain and anxiety please help me get justice please I can explain all this better speaking to someone there is more to their incompetence please contact me please

I live in Montana, and was watching the news one night and saw a commercial about Laser Spine Institute, my wife has been having back problems for four years. When I saw this commercial I picked up the phone and gave them a call. They had some one call back the next day and took our information and our insurance information as well as had us send a copy of her MRI. In a couple of days they called back, told us how much out of pocket it would be and what was wrong. In a couple of weeks we were on a jet headed to Florida. When you walk into this place you would be amazed at the facilities and how you are treated. The first day there we did paper work and they asked questions, the second day they did a new MRI and x rays, the third day was the surgery, and then the forth day it was follow up. Each day we were there we didn't have to hardly wait for anything like you do in most hospitals, their system for working with everyone is amazing. The day of the surgery we go there at around 8 in morning, she went in for the procedure around 9:30am, when she came out and woke enough that I could talk to her, I asked how she was feeling, she said the pain is gone, it is sore around where the incision is. We were headed back for the hotel around 12:30. This is no kidding we were walking on the beach by 2:00 that afternoon. We are both still amazed at how fast they fixed her and how great the results were. If you are having back and neck pain don't hesitate give them a call. Oh one last thing, they have a restaurant for the patients and spouses that you go in get what you want to eat and there is no charge, they even had massages on the house for me while my wife was getting operated on. Everyone in the place always had a smile and kind word for us. Take my advise give them a call.

I really want everyone, especially the laser spine inst, to know how disgusting it is to take advantage of a women in so much pain. She is completely bend in half, she can't stand up straight. When a friend of hers told her about the LSI in Arizona, she was looking for a miracle. Every single person with a "brain" in their head can look at that MRI and KNOW that there is NO WAY a laser will help her. But, the Laser Spine Inst doesn't care about helping people with pain, they only care about cash money. My mother was completely scammed by this place.
And the REAL kicker is after the "surgery" she was told that she needed to come back and spend another $25, 000 cash for her to be out of pain. That the surgery she had just spent $25, 000 cash on wasn't going to help her but come back and spend $25, 000 more...then it should "help" her! Are you kidding me? No amount of laser surgery would help her at all! You can clearly tell that by taking a look at her.
My mother is older and just wants help. She is in a lot of pain and she TRUSTED these "doctors".
I live in Texas and went to spend the summer with my mother. From the first day I got there, my response was.."why are you in so much pain still? Didn't you just spend $25, 000 on surgery?"
My parents do not have the money to spend on her back. They are frugal, good people. They live in the same small home I grew up in. Seeing her bent over and in so much pain still makes me FURIOUS to think she was taken advantage of.

Past patient and employee. I do "NOT" recommend. Only of you're extremely knowledgable about your condition/options/and LSI. Do your homework. I thought I did. I'm in more pain after the surgery than before. Was a candidate for a minimally invasive fusion if regenedisc didn't work as well as a different minimally invasive procedure by the previous surgeon ( if the diagnostic tests were positive). Two different surgeons at the same institute with different recommendations. My 3rd opinion from a reputable ortho was that I'm looking at a two level fusion. Do everything possible to avoid it.. Exhaust all conservative options. 4th opinion with a well respected neuro.. Same recommendation as the ortho. Both surgeons that were not a part of the laser spine institute strongly advised against the additional surgery suggested by my surgeon at LSI. Note..your initial MRI review is not always reviewed by a physician or a nurse. Demand that your records are reviewed by a physician prior to moving forward and ask to speak with one, especially if you're traveling. It's not abnormal to be turned away at the time of consult because your records were not properly processed/reviewed prior to making arrangements w/ LSI for surgery. Please, make sure you know what you're doing before giving them your credit card for a deposit. FYI.. When I was there .. They would ring a bell and cheer whenever they scheduled a surgery/consult. The sales team that sold the most surgeries got to go on a "party bus" on Friday night as a reward. I'm embarrassed that I was so naive prior to the surgery although my eyes were wide open as the days passed and I realized my back would never be the same.. and not in a good way. As my Ortho said.. "My surgeon didn't do me any favors". He asked me.. "Did your surgery work?".. The response was obviously no. He replied.. "Then please tell others as I treat LSI patients regularly". When I told him I worked there the look on his face was priceless. A mix of disgust, frustration, confusion, and empathy. That sat with me for the last few years.. It still does. With a heavy heart and a bad back I offer this to any of you that are considering a minimally invasive procedure. There is no such thing. My post op MRI is proof.

I went there for advanced lumbar spondylosis. They said it would be $18, 000 cash. They did the first surgery and then immediately, the same day said i needed another surgery and they would give us a discount so instead of another $18, 000 they would "be so kind" as to only charge $12, 000. I was just coming out of the anaesthetic when they dumped this on us. Of course we said yes after they laid all these fear trips on us. Mean while after 6 months, i am still in pain and they will not return phone calls. I don't know if a class action law suit has to be in the same state but we went to their arizona place. Each doc i have gone to at home who has reviewed my mri has said they operated on the wrong area for where my pain was.
Anyone want to join a class action law suit? Any good lawyers interested? I know there are thousands of people who feel like their tv ads are false advertising and that we all got duped!
Diane