I am extremely grateful to him for his care and patience, understanding, kindness, but in particular for his professionalism and excellent expertise and skill in his specialised area.

Alison Simon

November 2014

I developed sciatica in February 2014, after doing some heavy lifting during a house clearance. The nerve compression caused me severe pain when sitting down, and in bed at night, with pain in my left buttock, down my left thigh, calf and down to my left foot. I visited my GP and was prescribed painkillers. I was informed it could take 6 weeks for the inflammation to calm down. During February, March and April 2014 I attended 10 physiotherapy sessions and 10 osteopathy sessions, but neither course had any positive impact on the pain. In April 2014, still in a great deal of discomfort, I consulted another Birmingham spinal surgeon not connected to Mr Ishaque.

After an MRI scan showed a lumbar herniated disc pressing on my sciatic nerve, he suggested a spinal injection, which he administered on 2nd May. The injection was a thoroughly unpleasant procedure, conducted without a general anaesthetic, and was located by asking me during the procedure whether the spinal needle was causing the same pain as I was experiencing. It was extremely painful, and as it turned out was administered incorrectly as it failed to alleviate my symptoms at all. The surgeon in question recommended I should immediately proceed to surgery, as the injection had not worked.
I was discussing my back problem with a friend who works at the Priory Hospital. She told me that the best spinal surgeon in Birmingham was Mr Ishaque, and that I should certainly see him for a second opinion before having any surgery. She arranged an appointment for me with Mr Ishaq on 22nd May 2014.

I immediately found Mr Ishaque  to be very supportive and caring. He was upset to hear of the procedure that I had undergone with the previous surgeon, he said that he always carried out this procedure under general anaesthetic, and using dyes and radiography equipment to properly locate the injection into the correct area. He also was of the opinion that it was far too early to consider surgery, he was confident that he could help me with my symptoms without resorting to such extreme measures.

After full consultation and another MRI scan, Mr Ishaque  carried out another spinal anaesthetic for me, on 1st July 2014, and this time it was a totally different experience. The procedure was fully explained to me, I was admitted into hospital on the day, I had a general anaesthetic and the whole experience was completely calm and pain-free. I went at home shortly after the procedure, and after that I experienced no pain at all for five weeks. It was a wonderful feeling after virtually 5 months of constant pain. Once the injection wore off, after about 5 weeks, the pain returned to a certain extent, albeit much less, however Mr Ishaq explained to me that the injection would continue working for a few weeks. By early October 2014 the pain had disappeared altogether and I am now completely pain-free, and have regained full movement.

It is such a marvellous feeling to be able to sit comfortably in the evening, sleep without pain in bed at night, get out of bed in the morning and be able to walk across the room without hobbling, all of which were impossible before I saw Mr Ishaque. I am extremely grateful to him for his care and patience, understanding, kindness, but in particular for his professionalism and excellent expertise and skill in his specialised area.

Alison Simon