Dr. Mark J. Winder

Well, where do I start from the first phone call I had with Dr Winders team10/10 customer service. Most of all I’m walking and no pain at all 14 weeks since my op And Niomie she is amazing. I highly recommended Dr Winder and his team. Would not go to any other doctor, he knows he’s staff, great work.

Where do I start? Am 68 year old pretty active woman still running own business. Have had some back trouble for about the last 20 odd years but it would generally just go away after a week or so. Early last year (2014) the pain became fairly disruptive to my life so tried everything, $1000 on acupuncture, numerous types of massage etc. etc. In August 2014 it was particularly bad and after doing some recommended exercise like laying on a flat surface and placing my right leg across my left and pushing down on my knee I was totally incapacitated for about 3 weeks. By this time I was on very heavy opiates not knowing much of what was going on around me. I visited a Neurosurgeon in Canberra and would love to mention whom but of course I cannot and he recommended heaps of scans, MRI's you name it and it all cost a fortune. I saw him 3 times and at the last visit, and this was when I had been using a walking stick for 3 months, he told me there was nothing he could do and I should seek pain management. At this stage I just burst into tears thinking what the !!!! what am I going to do now. Through word of mouth and having someone visit St Vincents for another purpose with another doctor at St Vincents their particular medico recommended Dr Winder.

This is where all the good news starts. I was fortunate enough to get an appointment with Dr Winder within a couple of weeks and after he had viewed all my scans, mri's etc. he informed me even though my condition was degenerative plus some other minor injuries that he could operate by replacing a couple of discs and also inserting 4 screws. Soundy scary and I was quite reticent about the whole thing I umm and ahhh for a few weeks as the thought of back surgey was always a big NO NO to me. However I felt that I did not have much choice so went ahead and booked the surgery. The surgery was performed in mid January 2015. Dr Winder had said that in his opinion I would probably have about 80% chance of success and may still have some minor back pain post surgery. Well I am due to see Dr Winder for the last follow up visit in the next few weeks and I feel really good. If I had to put a number on it I would say that the surgery was 95% successful. I still get a bit achy first think in the morning but it does not last long. I am back working full time and when you have your own business it is not a 9 to 5 job. Sometimes 7 days a week. Can even wear high heals and haven't "tripped the light fantastic" quite yet am confident that this Christmas season I most definitely will.
I found Dr Winder to be a very easy person to be around, he was genuinely interested in my lifestyle and my expectations for recovery and I would highly recommend him. His staff were also very supportive and courteous if he was running late I would get a phone call so I did not have to sit around waiting (that to me is a big plus) as I think that a lot of medical practitioners believe that other people's time is not worth much. I would also like to give a big plug to St Vincents Private Hospital. The staff were fantastic from the minute you walked into Admissions to Departure one felt reassured that they were there to help you
So if you have back problem there you go.
Only other thing I would say about Dr Winder was that to me he looked about 12 and I did inquire as to whether or not he had a note from his mother to be out. Also felt the need to ask how many of these operations he had done. All in all 6STAR