Michael Dominick Burdi

I was originally referred by my primary care physician to Dr. Burdi after months of back pain without any relief. Dr. Burdi ordered physical therapy and an MRI that showed that the L5-S1 joint degeneration was causing my pain. When physical therapy and cortisone shots were found to be ineffective, surgery was explained as the best way to address the pain. I was hesitant at first due to the lengthy recovery and time I would need to take off from work (I am a kindergarten teacher). However, I decided that surgery would be the best option for me and I am so glad I had the procedure. Dr. Burdi did a great job explaining the procedure and recovery. The pain after surgery was minimal and I was off pain medication by the second day. Getting in and out of bed took some help for the first few days until I was more mobile. I didn’t realize how tiring daily activities would be after surgery and how frequently I would need to rest. Each week after surgery I noticed great improvement. I… never completely understood how involved your back is in every day to day activity. I am stronger now than I was for years prior to my surgery and I am pain free. Make sure you utilize physical therapy and keep up your exercises at home. It makes a world of difference. Now being one year post-op, I am so glad I had the surgery. I would highly recommend Dr. Burdi and his team to anyone that is struggling with back pain.

Dr. Burdi's office is very busy but organized and well run. I have a spinal issue that led to extreme pain and temporary incapacitation and with a care plan involving first PT then injections I've returned to my active lifestyle. Dr. Burdi was busy but knowledgeable and I fully trusted his skills with the needles into my spine. My only wish is that some check-in appointments could be via telehealth but understand that as a orthopedist, there is need for visual inspection.

Should have done this procedure 2 years ago. I had nerve pain in my legs for quite a while before I finally went to see Dr Burdi. Diagnosed as spondylolisthesis but he didn't want to do surgery right away. We tried PT for awhile but when that didn't work, surgery was the only answer to fix my issue. I was hesitant but I shouldn't have been. Both Dr Burdi and Dr Tyler did amazing work and my nerve pain is completely gone.

Dr Burdi fixed my neck and he did an awesome jobe. He is very presonable and he explains things in detail, he uses anologies which I loved. His crew is awesome as well. Dr Tyler and his office person Pat were amazing to work with. I strongly recommend Dr. Burdi if you have a spine issue.

I was referred to Dr Burdi after what I thought was a hip problem, turned out to be a spine issue. Dr Burdi is highly educated, well trained, very experienced, very conservative and methodical in his approach and works with only the facts; no guessing. He looks at the pictures, does the physical exam and then explains to you what you have, what he can do for you (or can’t) and why he recommends a certain course of action AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT. In my case, it is physical therapy and he performed 3 spinal injections which as of this writing, eliminated the pain down my leg and in my hip. I was awake while he did the injections and I was impressed with how meticulous his work is and how he was able to negotiate around the bone spurs in my spine. I find Dr Burdi entertaining as well as competent, however his personality is not for everyone. He doesn’t “sugar-coat” things and he has a very high opinion of himself, which I find very entertaining. His front desk staff and nurses are… courteous and his procedure staff are competent as well. Great doctor!

Me since 2022: Lumbar radiculopathy, Arthralgia lumbar spine, Degenerative Disc Disease, Lumbar Spondylosis, Sciatica left side, Muscle spasm back. 9/16/24 I had Spinal Fusion L5/S1. Now one year later I am training for Long Beach Half marathon in two weeks, back to playing soccer, weights, hiking and fronting my band. My back is pain free. I’m 56F who was suffering from lumbar pain, spasm and sciatica. At times it was so debilitating as to require wheelchair or scooter. Dr Burdi is skilled and will tell you everything straight up. If he believes you can do it, trust me, you can do it. If this surgery is recommended for you and you are on the fence, let me just say how lucky I am that I did it and that Dr Burdi and Tyler at Community Orthopedic navigated me here.

I am 6 weeks post-op from a fusion from L4-S1 with a disc replacement. I had one incision from the back. I was able to schedule my surgery very quickly and returned to work after just two weeks! Cosmetically the incision is beautiful, everyone I’ve show it too is nothing but impressed with how amazing it looks. My work was shocked when I said I only needed two weeks off to recover, realistically I only needed one. The first week was extremely manageable as long as you follow your medication schedule and take pills as prescribed. After that first week I was mostly pain free! I’ve dealt with some expected nerve pain and initially had thigh numbness. The numbness lasted about two weeks. The nerve pain started in my thighs, then went down to just my calves, then to both my feet. Now I have just a little bit of nerve pain at the top of my right foot. All the nerve pain was manageable and I was prescribed medication to manage as well. I’d take the nerve pain over the back pain any day, but… thankfully this is just a temporary recovery thing. Post-op is working closely with Waldron PA-C who listens to my concerns and explains everything in easy to understand ways. I’ve spent the past 10 years with back pain that would shoot down into my thighs. I’d only be able to stand for about an hour before needing to sit or lay for several hours to find only a little comfort. Working with Dr Burdi and Waldron PA-C is the best decision I’ve made for myself! I am 6 weeks post op and have cried multiple times with how grateful I am at my second chance at life. I’ve had 0 back pain since surgery other then the initial surgical site pain that was minimal for a week. My back feels great, and I can do normal things such as cleaning the house without being in pain after. Getting this surgery by this wonderful team was hands down the best choice I’ve made.

I decided to write a short paragraph about my recent lower back surgery at the request of Dr. Burdi. He was the doctor who performed my back surgery (along with an entire medical team). He indicated that many people feel apprehensive about this type of surgery. Sometimes it helps when someone else tells of their personal experience. That is me! I must start by explaining that Dr. Burdi told me in a step by step detail, the entire operational procedure. He did so and used language that I could easily understand. He used visual aides, pictures and model "mock ups" in this part of my learning curve. By the morning of the operation, I had very clear instructions on what was needed by me to have a successful operation. I was sedated and I woke up thinking I still had to be operated on. But I was alert with no after effects of the operation. During the operation, there was another doctor (among the many other assistants in the room), who was responsible for managing a special… computer. This computer allowed the doctors to make "cuts" very precisely and do "repairs" that were needed on a microscopic level. Praise the Lord, Dr. Burdi did a phenomenal job! I had no pain but I was very explicitly told not to BLT (Bend, Lift or Twist) for several weeks. I was able to be discharged the same afternoon. I commend Dr. Burdi and his team for an outstanding job. Just a side note, Dr. Burdi has an assistant, Pat Weber, who was just as wonderful. She would answer questions or make the contact to the person who could answer any questions! Very valuable! Thank you Dr. Burdi and team! Steven O.

I had Spondylolisthesis in L4-5 and got the spinal fusion on 9/1/23. Recovery has been great. The first month I mostly laid down and circled the living room many times a day. I learned that the ice machine, back brace and not going too fast could (with the medications) keep me comfortable. Sitting up for 6 straight hour was the first time I over did. This would be a theme of my recovery taking on more than I should then resting. I am now more than 4 months post surgery and can do more than I could before. The sciatica and cramping that drove me seek treatment are long gone. I can still over do but I am not to the magic 6 month mark and so expect to continue to improve. Be aware that he is a bully about losing weight. He clearly doesn't understand that move more eat less is unenlightened even after I explained that I had done this many times and could not sustain it. He had me in tears over it repeatedly. In the end I didn't lose weight he operated, I recovered beautifully.

I'm a long time patient of Community Orthopedic for all my soccer injuries, but when I hurt my back lifting furniture in Dec. '21, I was nervous. I saw Dr. Burdi and PA, Tyler. They quickly diagnosed me with herniated disc in S1-L5. The sciatica was so bad that by mid Jan '22, I couldn't stand, walk, or sit for more than 2 minutes. I ended up having the laminectomy microdiscectomy. I am one week post-op and I have no sciatic pain- I am able to walk twice a day for 30 minutes each and can stand for long periods of time. Dr. Burdi is direct and to the point and sets very real expectations because he is so knowledgeable. They have done so many of these surgeries that based on my symptoms he knew it was the perfect solution for me. Tyler spent a lot of time talking me through my injury, what the MRI showed, and how the surgery would work. They answered all of my questions and took me step by step through the entire process so that I wasn't nervous. I'm very grateful for their care