“I’ve had three spinal fusions for different parts of my back, performed at Oregon Neurosurgery since 2005—one by Dr. Kokkino and the other two by Dr. Hutton. Both are excellent surgeons and I’m very happy—the level of care was outstanding.

When I came to Oregon Neurosurgery, it was for a second opinion. And I knew within the first 8 seconds of meeting Dr. Kokkino that he was the right person to perform my surgery. He’s technically brilliant. He made eye contact with me. And he spoke to me like a human being, in terms I could easily understand.

Not only did he ask me about my current condition, he went all the way back to my childhood to find out why I might be having back trouble—a true full circle approach. And Dr. Hutton was no different—he’s an excellent surgeon and he really cares. I love to run, bike and swim. And they told me, “We’re going to get you back to doing all the things you love.” And they did!

Those who have nerve pain, like I had, know there’s nothing you can do to ease that pain—not without surgery. Back surgery has come so far—it’s not as scary anymore! Dr. Hutton used a minimally invasive technique that he pioneered for my second surgery. When I woke up and the anesthesia wore off, my nerve pain was completely gone. It was miraculous.

The people at Oregon Neurosurgery really care about you as a person, and they care about the end result. I’ve even run into them out and about in public a couple times—and when I did, they embraced me with kindness. They go above and beyond what neurosurgeons would normally do, and I appreciate being able to do the things I love again.

I love to hike and walk with my dog, which was impossible for me before surgery.
Now, I can take him to the dog park and even go hiking and camping. I also have two teenagers who are very active in sports. Prior to surgery, I couldn’t sit through their games without being in agony. Now, I can stand and cheer, enthusiastically!”

Nancy Bruce-Ceccanese