SandyLichterman

“When it comes to back problems, Dr. James Paraiso is the best doctor in Florida.”

That glowing praise came from Sandy Lichterman’s primary care physician, who referred Sandy to Dr. Paraiso when he suffered debilitating back pain in 2010.

Sandy, a resident of The Villages, quickly learned how true that statement was during his initial appointment.

“He looked at my MRI, turned to me and said, ‘I want to try conservative treatments first because I don’t like to jump into surgery right away.’ I was very impressed by that because most surgeons want to immediately cut on you. I felt comfortable with him, and it was obvious he makes decisions with the patient’s best interest in mind.”

While a series of epidural steroid injections helped alleviate Sandy’s symptoms for several years, the pain returned with a vengeance on Thanksgiving 2013. Dr. Paraiso ordered an MRI and compared it to the one three years earlier. It was obvious two discs in his lumbar spine had degenerated.

“He told me I needed to undergo a spinal fusion,” Sandy says. “He told me I’d have a short stay in the hospital but that everything would be okay. He was very reassuring.”

The surgery was extremely successful. Sandy went from debilitating pain to no pain.

“I walk three days a week for three miles and I feel invigorated when I’m finished. My results have been outstanding. Dr. Paraiso is a great doctor and a great human being. I’ve referred several of my friends to him, and they have nothing but wonderful things to say. He’s the go-to guy for spine surgery.”