Dr. Cathleen Susan Vanbuskirk, MD

Her treatment of my scoliosis was outdated. It progressed rapidly and could have been prevented, had the dollar signs not been in her eyes. I started seeing her at 8. She had horrible manners with children and would ridicule my anxieties (and my mother's) and act coldly towards me. She told me for years that she would have to perform surgery on my spine and no treatment (not even bracing) would work. Only HER surgery. I never got it because I never trusted her. Now I have body dysmorphia associated with my spine and crippling anxieties about doctors. She overcharged me for her visits, and I lost a lot of money to the laundering scheme that financed her lifestyle and sent her to prison. But, I'm still losing money to the constant upkeep of my adult spine and to my therapist who's trying to undo all my medical trauma. Thanks a lot Cathleen. If you ever get your medical license back, remember the future is now.

Using the stuff she could find around the prison, a couple of shivs, some toilet wine for sterilization/anesthesia, and some floss for stitches, she did alright.

I have a healthcare education and many years of experience as a healthcare professional. Unfortunately, I have needed multiple spine surgeries and have had an excellent outcome with Dr. VanBuskirk. I owe so much gratitude. She is amazing!

My experience with her was awful. She's a horrible human that cares nothing about her patients. Only the money. She left a screw she misplaced causing terrible pain and more herniated discs. I'm on disability because of her. She was indicted for money laundering...

She did 2surgeries on me for a simple microdiscectomy. Neither was effective. I went to a different doctor, who did a 3rd surgery and fixed the issue. 2 useless surgeries including removing 3 spinal process. I wonder if she does better surgeries in handcuffs.

Conservative Dr. Listens, and gives diagnosis. Does not rush into surgery as first option.

Ten years ago, two weeks before our daughter was supposed to enter college, we found out that she had a severe congenital spinal deformity. We will never forget having to tell Nikki that instead of going to college she was going to have to have surgery and spend the next year recovering. She underwent 10 hours of spinal fusion surgery by Dr. Van buskirk and spent the next 12 months in back braces. She entered college the next year, and one year from now will be receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from CSU. I am 64, and have been battling spinal stenosis (both central and foraminal) for years. Recently the pain in my legs became so bad that I bit the bullet and chose to have Dr. VBK perform laminectomy surgery on me. I had the 2.5 hour operation 3 months ago. I saw the doctor today and am recovering fine. My pain is greatly reduced and should continue to improve. She gave me the go-ahead to start getting back into my normal exercise routine... yea! Dr Van… Buskirk is a no-nonsense surgeon. At Boulder hospital the nurses refer to her as "demanding". When someone is digging around in my spine, I could not think of a better quality for that person to exhibit. Her office is run professionally, appointments are on time, and pre- and post-op instructions are presented clearly. She is caring, thorough, and listens. Here is the deal. Do what she tells you to do after your surgery. When she says do not bend, twist, or lift, don't bend, twist, or lift. She is telling you that for a reason... she wants you to experience the best long-term recovery that you can. If another family member or my best friend needed to see a spine surgeon, I would recommend Dr Van Buskirk to them in a heartbeat.

I have been dealing with severe back pain for 5+ years. I had tried many different doctors ranging from acupuncturists to spine experts and none of them were able to provide relief. I wasted thousands of dollars on shots, stem cells, etc. Finally I found Dr Van Buskirk. She is literally my savior. She is incredibly intelligent and equally compassionate. She listened carefully to my story, and rather than jumping to easy recommendations, she carefully performed a serious of diagnostic treatments. Once she was sure she understood the specific source of my pain, and only then, she recommended a fusion. She operated on me in late September. 3 mos later I am pain free. I cannot recommend her strongly enough. She is quite simply the best there is.

She's the best ,I had a sciatica, I would highly recommend.

I brought my 16 year old daughter to see Dr. Vanbuskirk for pain in her back. First off, she has a great bedside manner. She is very knowledgeable and she actually listens to your complaints. My daughter was very comfortable seeing her. She explained the xray to us so we could understand the cause of the pain. I can honestly say she was the nicest surgeon I have ever met. She took time ...not rushed..and smiled:) I would without a doubt recommend her!!!! sure glad to have found her.