Dr. William J. Richardson, MD

First, having 5 fusions, steel cage, etc., my surgery was very complicated. Dr. Richardson was honest and upfront with me and had a neurosurgeon assist. I was unable to walk at the end, so I faced surgery and it was 100% successful. I have had not one ounce of pain since my recovery. I dance, walk and live pain free in my back. I must say, he is a bit quiet, but when asked questions, he is always helpful to help you understand. I would say he is typical surgeon personality, but a skilled genius in the operating room, where it truly counts. My last 4 years have been wonderful and I sometimes forget how bad it really was. That's a miracle.

"Dr. Richardson is head of spinal surgery at Duke, so he must be the best, " I thought. However, he turned out to be an uptight, uncaring, sourpuss. This miserable man seems incapable of feeling an iota of empathy for his patients' suffering. Rather, he made me feel as though I was wasting his precious time. In his capacity, Richardson is very accustomed to performing strength testing on patients, yet, I am not used to having this testing done on me. So if I didn't respond immediately to his exact orders, he became instantly frustrated & annoyed & rebarked the commands, as though I hadn't heard him the first time. What he doesn't realize is that not everybody processes new information and follows directions instantly. And not everybody who sees a spine surgeon feels 100% great. Very cold-hearted man. Too bad he is like this because, with his knowledge, he could really help a lot of people just by being kind, alone. Be sure to sit a couple of feet away from him so he doesn't spew his… poor breath in your face.

Would recommend Dr. Richardson to anyone looking for a very good orthopedic Doctor.

In my opinion, Dr. Richardson is the best spine doctor there is. My spine was full of arthritis and had stenosed my nerve so bad that I could hardly walk. He did a spinal fusion with a pin and screws. I feel I have been transformed now. My back, hips and legs feel as good as they did when I was 20. I can say this doctor knows his stuff and I recommend him highly for back surgery.

After 5 years of unsuccessful operations (3), Dr. Richardson correctly diagnosed my spine problem and corrected it. I am now pain free and can walk again after 5 years of serious pain and not being able to walk.