Dr. Eric Elowitz

Dr. Eric Elowitz: My mother and I are both thrilled with Dr. Elowitz’ expertise. My mother is 84 years old and had been in severe pain for three years. Her back pain radiated into her left leg and she had great difficulty walking, sitting and lying down. Her lifestyle changed dramatically and she could no longer keep up in activities with my father. My mother tried the usual treatments ie. chiropractic, physical therapy, acupuncture and epidural injections however did not experience any lasting relief. A laminectomy was the only answer. I researched surgeons for my mother as I am a registered nurse. I found three top spine surgeons including Dr. Elowitz in NYC and we scheduled consult appointments with each. Dr. Elowitz was the only surgeon who was confident that a minimally invasive laminectomy was the way to go. The other surgeons wanted to cut up and rebuild my mother’s spine (including performing a fusion) which was way over the top for an 84 year old woman. My mother and I did not… feel that she would survive the recovery period for a fusion which is very involved. We chose Dr. Elowitz to perform my mother’s surgery. Her care was top notch every step of the way. From admitting to preop to operating room to recovery room to the hospital floor where my mother stayed overnight (as did I), everyone we dealt with was professional, competent and ready to help. Dr. Elowitz even has hospital privileges to admit his patients to the 15th floor at Weill Cornell which is a post surgical floor with only private rooms and views of NYC and the river. We were very impressed. Dr. Elowitz spoke with us before the surgery, numerous times on the day of the surgery and checked on my mother at 7:00 AM the day after the surgery. He gave us as much time as we needed to answer all questions and told us to contact him at any time if we needed him. The surgery went well. My mother is presently 10 days postop and feels much better. She no longer has tingling down her leg. Dr. Elowitz says that my mother’s nerve was damaged over the past three years and that she will continue to see improvement over the next few months as her nerve repairs itself. My parents have been going for walks all over the neighborhood since her second day postop! My mother could barely walk before the surgery from her bed to the bathroom. We absolutely made the right decision to go with Dr. Elowitz for surgery. He obviously is capable of performing a more intensive surgery (as the other surgeons we consulted suggested) but he took into consideration my mother’s age and type of recovery that she would experience and performed the perfect surgery for her. I highly recommend Dr. Elowitz. He is a highly competent neurosurgeon who happens to have a wonderful bedside manner as well. Edward Butler, NP: My mother and I are very impressed with the competence, practical knowledge and professionalism of Ed Butler, who is Dr. Elowitz’ NP (Nurse Practitioner). My mother is 84 years old and needed a laminectomy. I am a registered nurse and helped my mother chose Dr. Elowitz as her neurosurgeon. We spoke with Ed Butler who took a through history before we saw Dr. Elowitz. We also met with Ed at the two week postop visit before seeing Dr. Elowitz as well. Ed treated us with respect and responded to all of our many questions. Ed has worked in spine surgery for quite some time and has a wealth of experience to draw upon. My mother thought that she was having an allergic reaction two days postop and we called the office. We were put through immediately to Ed who considered my mother’s symptoms and gave recommendations. Ed realized that my mother was experiencing throat tightness due to residual soreness from the breathing tube that had been inserted during surgery and was not having an allergic reaction. I had told my mother the same thing but she had to hear it from Ed, not me. A few days later, my mother called Ed with another question and he promptly called her back. All too often, it is very difficult to get in contact with medical personnel after surgery. The patient seems to be forgotten. That is not the case with Dr. Elowitz and Ed Butler. They make their patients very comfortable and assure them that they are always available for problems or questions.

I’m an active 80. Well, I was till spinal stenosis pain made walking unbearable. Docs said my age and heart stent made me a surgery risk. A life of pain lay ahead. At Weill-Cornell Spine Center we found Dr Eric Elowitz. He and nurse Ed Butler were reassuring, said I was great candidate for minimally invasive surgery. Day after surgery I took a 1/2-hour pain-free walk. Dr E is a genius! His team, especially Ed and recovery room nurse Jessie, were amazing. Can’t I give Dr E more than 5 stars?

After years of chronic, debilitating pain and trying various methods of treatments, I finally decided to visit Dr. Eric Elowitz. A friend of mine who was a former patient referred me to him. I underwent microdiscectomy just recently. The entire process from start to finish was easy thanks to the staff and the hospital. I was walking immediately with almost no pain at all. Incredible! Dr. Elowitz and his team changed my life! In addition, NY Presbyterian Hospital is amazing.

I presented with a degenerated disc between L4 and L5. It was completely gone, and the grinding was causing extreme pain that eventually opioids could not control. The surgery I received from Dr. Elowitz was nothing short of miraculous. With so many horror stories about lower back pain and unsuccessful surgery, this stands out as a complete success! I NEVER have lower back pain anymore, unless I foolishly try to lift too much. In those cases, it goes away within 7-10 days.

I was living with severe back and leg pain for months. Dr Elowitz performed a microsurgery 2 months agoa and I was pain free the same day. I still cannot believe how well I am doing. He was honest, warm and spent a lot of time with me explaining the surgery. I recommend him highly!

I tried to make an appointment for my mom-in-law but the front desk is TERRIBLE (!!!) I called 5 times: 3 times I was put on hold for over 5 minutes each, 1 time I was promised to be called back. And the last time when I called (2 hours after the lady promised to call me back) the lady was so rude. She stated that the day is not over and put me back on hold. I understand that the front desk personnel gets sometimes overwhelmed however a lot of patients are turned off mainly because of unprofessionally handled calls.

Dr Elowitz was amazing. Very level-headed, calm and smart. Explained everything. Did not push. Saw another "mega-star" surgeon for a second opinion but choose Elowitz over him. I had prestige cervical disc replacement c5/c6 and had next day relief. That was 6 years ago. My neck feels like new to this day. I can call or email him to this day and he answers promptly.

I found Dr. Elowitz was both remarkably caring and meticulous in his care. I underwent C5-C7 two-level discectomy with bone grafting and fusion. He was patient and very thoughtful in his discussions with me. The surgery went very smoothly and I am a very grateful for an excellent outcome. I cannot recommend him more highly. His assistant Mr. Butler also was wonderful, as well as his office staff.

I HAD SPINAL STENOSIS...I WAS FEARFUL OF PERMANENT INJURY AND WAS ADVISED BY MY NEUROLOGIST "TO GET HELP IMMEDIATELY". I ASKED HIM WHO HE WOULD USE HE PROPOSED "ELOWITZ". WE HAD A CONSULTATION. DR E. DID A THOROUGH EXAM WITH SOFT SPOKEN PATIENCE. HE CREATED A WONDERFUL ENVIRONMENT OF CALM AND SECURITY. THE SURGERY WAS PERFORMED SHORTLY AFTER. HE VISITED ME THE NEXT MORNING AND I WAS DISCHARGED. NOW 5 DAYS LATER I AM WALKING MORE THAN 1 HOUR PER DAY AND NO LONGER HAVE DROP FOOT . MY STRIDE IS STEADY AND I HAVE FEELINGS IN THE SOLES OF MY FEET. A SOLID START TO THE RECOVERY PROCESS. IF YOU HAVE THESE SYMPTOMS I SUGGEST YOU CALL HIM..... IN ADDITION THE SUPPORT STAFF WERE POLITE AND FRIENDLY...

Dr. Elovitz is very good and professional doctor. He set right diagnosis in prompt manner. He is very polite and accurate doctor. I could not walk at all. Thanks him very much for his treatment of my problem. The surgery was successful and as result I completely recovered. I would highly recommend him to everybody who has spinal problem.