Patient Testimonials

Dear Dr. Neustadt,

On behalf of Rachel, I would like to thank you and your staff for everything you have done the past year. Rachel is doing great physically as well as mentally. My hopes for the surgery were to avoid scoliosis related mobility and lung problems later in life. I had no idea we would see so many immediate benefits in areas like balance and motor skills. Cognitive improvement seems to be improving along with her physical growth.

Rachel has had motor and balance issues her entire life. She is 15 years old and has never been able to master riding a bike. We spent many unsuccessful hours, on various bikes, trying to help her pedal, sit upright, and stay on a seat. Following surgery, it only took 1 try on a tandem for her to start pedaling. 🙂 In addition to physical benefits, this type of activity provides Rachel an opportunity to be out and active with our family. This is priceless as autism is somewhat of an isolating disorder.

Your staff is great. Everyone we encountered approached Rachel’s disability with an open mind, compassion, and a sense of humor.

Thanks again for all you do!

We have three kids all of who play soccer. They are ages 18, 15, and 9. Our daughter has been treated by Children’s Orthopaedic twice, once for a broken arm and the other for two broken bones in her hand both due to sports injuries. Our son was also treated for a broken arm. In each case, we were tended to right away and given the best care. The kids were nervous but the staff and Doctors put them at ease. Their injuries healed perfectly and the follow up care was tremendous. We have since gone back with our other son for treatment on his knee due to sports camp. We are a sports family and there is no other place we would trust our kids to than Children’s Orthopaedic!

Kim Pivacek

Jordan started his first day of high school with lots of excitement but the end of the day turned tragic. During football practice after school, Jordan had a collision with another player after catching the football. A phone call a mother never wants to hear is, “Your son broke his arm and he is being rushed to the ER.” Dr. Hahn and his staff repaired his fracture and was very thorough in explaining the procedure and road to recovery. Luckily, Jordan will be on the football field next season and be able to enjoy what he does best!

Thanks from all my heart,

Larisa Lunsford (MOM)

Dear Dr. Beck,

I’ve been writing this letter to you over and over again because I am searching to find the words to express just how much you mean to us. Since having my oldest son Shawn 14 years ago, of whom you treated once for a fractured ankle, was I then blessed with DJ in 2009. There have been limitless physicians…some worthy, some satisfactory and a very exceptional few. YOU are among the exceptional! You answered a special calling to be not only a physician, but a surgeon who spends countless hours away from your family and life.

I do not have to remind you of how compassionate and encouraging you have been with DJ or how delightful you have been with me. You have spent time with us, helped me to comprehend your purpose, listened and heard me when I communicated my aspirations for DJ and I always felt that we are working toward the same expectancy which is nothing more or less than to embellish DJ’s world and give him the tools in becoming a man of his own ultimately. You have eased the anxiety many times back in 2003 when I brought Shawn to you when he was 5 for the fractured ankle and again knowing that DJ is in your care.

After the surgery you met with my mother and I and informed us that the surgery was successful. We shook hands, parted ways but I knew then that I would never be able to repay you. There are no words to properly thank you for all that you have done. You are truly extraordinary, remarkable and your talent both in the operating room and out is a beacon of hope for the future of all your patients.

I would also like to mention that from the moment we open the office door in the Tampa location to receiving a call back in the middle of the night the compassion is sensed in every way. Everyone is patient, kindhearted and they listen. I’m certain that it helps that I too deal with countless individuals regularly and am mindful that it takes superior individuals to deal with the public and how we approach is what is received and then returned. I know that you all have your lives and your families but never did I feel that DJ’s well-being was not priority to you all. From the moment surgery was complete and met with you to Dr. Smithson checking in on DJ in the middle of the night the same day of surgery before he went home to Sarah who was on call reassuring me and facilitating me through soothing my child in pain. I know that the phones are ringing constantly throughout the day and it is hard to focus when so many requests are pending. A few that I would like to reference is Derrick who appears to never have a bad day, Michele, who is always busy but goes above to help even if the something is out of her reach-she does what she can and it somehow always aids, Linda, the x-ray technician is phenomenal with the little ones and the staff who receive us to the staff who schedules our return appointments upon exiting are all too accommodating. Everyone is top notch and a Great Team who make you feel that they are one devoted family.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Mom & DJ

Well after 10 months of major rehabilitation and hard work my son Trent (#9 – QB Countryside HS) started his first HS football game last night. Dr. Benfanti was pretty adamant Trent probably would not play until Nov or so but all the hard work he completed on my son’s foot to repair the broken toes Trent was able to play!! Thank you ever so much Dr. Benfanti!!!

The Chmelik’s

We have a special love for all of the doctors and staff at Children’s Orthopaedic & Scoliosis Surgery Associates (especially the Tampa location’s staff). My son was being seen by Dr. Gregory Hahn to have his hips checked due to breech birth. At his 1 year follow up Dr. Hahn saw something that no other doctor had noticed and suggested that we followed up with genetics for some further testing. Well it turns out that my Son has a rare bone disease Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bones).

After having fracture after fracture and becoming a regular at the Tampa office (seeing almost all of the doctors) we were advised to meet with Dr. Scott Beck to discuss Fassier Duval rodding surgery bilaterally in my son’s femurs and tibias. We decided to go ahead with the surgeries. It has now been just shy of a year since the rodding was completed and my almost 3 year old son is up and going again! My son had a broken leg every month for a year prior to this surgery and has only had 1 fracture that needed cast since the surgery!

Dr. Beck has given my baby a chance to be a kid and live a normal life without leg deformities! Thereâs not a day that goes by that our family isn’t thankful to Dr. Beck, Dr. Hahn and their associates!

We love Dr. Neustadt! When Keaton was born with bilateral clubfeet we were so concerned and sad with his condition. We began seeing Dr. Neustadt and Derrick in the MLK office when Keaton was only 5 days old. They quickly eased our fears, and soon we were looking forward to seeing them weekly for castings. Keaton just had surgery yesterday and Dr. Neustadt did an amazing job. We are so happy that we did our research and found this office! Very professional and friendly and we have never once second guessed our decision to come here!

My son (age 13) fell through a skylight 15ft over the Thanksgiving break and shattered all his toes in his right foot, fractured his tibia and his left wrist. He was brought to All Childrens Hospital in St. Pete under the care of Dr. Paul Benfanti. Dr. Benfanti had the painstakingly hard task of repairing my son’s foot.

It’s been about a month and a half and my son is on the long road to recovery.

Everyone that we came in contact with at All Childrens and The Orthopaedic Group have been awesome. Dr. Benfanti came very highly recommended by his peers in this specialty. We could not be happier.

My son has played football (QB) since he was 7 and we put our faith in Dr. Benfanti’s hands to repair his foot so he can play football again next fall.

Thank you to everyone at All Childrens Hospital, Dr. Benfanti and his staff!

The Chmelik Family

Dr. Neustadt and Elizabeth.

Everything about your office oozes professionalism. We were treated so well by everybody from the front office to the casting room. Your staff made sure our visit was trauma free for my little guy and got him back to doing what he loves. Thank you so much for taking a scary time and turning it into a positive experience.

The service was good while everyone was nice and polite. They worked fast and gentle. The docter is professional, nice and I would recommend him. Overall, I liked the service.

Mahalo Dr. Neustadt we never forgot you after you performed a life saving seven hour spinal surgery on Stephanie Burrell on May 7th, 2007 at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. You saved Steph’s life without you she would not be here so her life is so precious. We cannot ever repay you for doing such a delicate painstaking surgery without you her progressive congenital scoliosis on the right side with only one single right kidney would’ve killed her. Her degree of curvature was 74 degrees so now it’s 20 degrees. Even a well known free Orthopaedic Hospital in Tampa for Children where Steph went for four years didn’t have the right spinal surgeon allowed her curve to grow from 38 degrees to 74 degrees no brace it’s congenital so we then were given Dr. Neustadt’s name. Giving us that name made all the difference in the world so we forgive them. Stephanie has never forgotten you Dr. Neustadt you have performed a true blue miracle. Stephanie enjoyed her Make A Wish trip to Maui such wonderful memories. Now Steph lives in California age 20 with her Matthew her bff age 20 & his family as they wait until get married both having never dated before he reconnected & found her on Facebook after he had his surgery. Dr. Neustadt with his gifted hands such a skilled spinal surgeon has given Stephanie her life back to look forward to a future. If Steph didn’t have this surgery her curve would’ve killed her as it progressed. God has worked miracles through Dr. Neustadt. We are so grateful that we chose this doctor during our nightmarish ordeal when we walked through the valley of death. Having lived in Florida for 33+ years from up north I must say this changed our lives after Steph’s spinal surgery after 13 different doctors then a five hour jaw surgery when she did recover we then moved to Kailua Kona Hawaii for a fresh start in paradise. The nightmare is truly over just when I thought God abandoned us I found faith through Dr. Neustadt which renewed my faith God was here all along. That is best present ever to get a chance to live a normal life. No other doctor except Dr. Neustadt was confident he would be successful it was meant to be. Words cannot ever express our gratitude to find a spinal surgeon like Dr. Neustadt. Every child that walks in to Children’s Orthopaedic & Scoliosis Associates is given a second chance to having a normal life with this doctor’s office. We love Dr. Neustadt! Now Steph wants to finish college in the health field in California after going to HCC (Hawaii Community College) for one year so Aloha!

Aloha Mary Tepley 

There is no room for a child to be scared of getting a cast. These guys made it fun and my daughter laughed the whole time.

Pictured is staff at Children’s Orthopaedic & Scoliosis Surgery Associates, LLP Tampa Office

Thank you to your wonderful staff for getting my daughter fitted with a cast at 5pm on a Friday. I called at 1pm for an appt and was worked in that same day much to my surprise. Henry asked my four year old daughter three times what color she wanted her cast to be and she kept replying “rainbow!”. So Henry gave her a rainbow cast! Pink, blue, and purple stripes. All her friends at school loved it and her big sister was jealous as well. Thanks Henry, Dr. Warnick, and staff!

Dr. Drew Warnick and the nurses at the Tampa office did an amazing job for my daughter Lily. She was born with a clubfoot and my husband and I were so worried. And everybody at the office made us comfortable and relaxed when explaining everything about the clubfoot. If you see her now you would have never known she was a clubfoot baby. I swear I won’t go anywhere else if my daughters have any problems. I only trust these doctors!!!

Dr. Drew Warnick helped make me 110% better. I suffered a long time with hip pain and never new what it was. Dr. John Gross, my family doctor, had great faith in All Children’s Hospitals radiologist Dr. Jeff Clarke for sports medicine who found exactly the issue I had. Believe me we took every conservative measure prior to having surgery. Once I was referred to Dr. Warnick I was already on my way to recovery. I suffered everyday from hip pain. Running was no longer possible for me but it was difficult to get through my school day with the pain from walking all through the campus. I was nervous about the surgery but happy it finally came.

On 4/26/2011 I had the surgery that changed my life. I had to stay on crutches for 6 weeks and that was very hard to keep myself restricted to. However I did. Even when I know longer wanted to be near those horrible things, I embraced them as my next journey to being able to run cross country again. I went to therapy every week and did all home exercises they asked me to do. In order to recover from this surgery it is very important you follow the instructions of your surgeon and your therapies. The right program makes it possible to go back to the activities you enjoy. For me the tear was able to be fixed with bleeding the bone border and placing anchors which is the idea way to fix this type of tear.

Once you are done, you will have amazing pictures to share for the rest of your life. I was very worried I would not be able to run cross country this year. The best thing happened, my coach, and parents (mom and Jeff) did everything they could to be sure I had what was needed to reach each goal set by my physical therapist. This approach definitely kept the plan on track. By mid-October I was given full clearance to run. After this time, I actually began my full training and each week for each race I was improving on my time.

I was happy to end this season on a great note. Dr. Warnick fixed me and gave me two more high school years to improve and become an amazing cross country athlete. I can not thank him enough for what he did. It was my dream come true- to run again. If you find you need this surgery, it is difficult to find any lengthy information on it which includes recovery. What I have been told it is a relatively new surgery and does not have a lot of historical clinical data standing behind it today. However if you are fortunate to have Dr. Warnick, All Children’s Hospital therapies, and many other great team members, you will be on the right track to recovery. The key to success is listening to what you have to do and when you do it – give it 110%. The results will amaze you and will be so worth it. I hope next year and the year after I am able to post updates to my recovery just for Dr. Warnick. I want him to know he is amazing and I can not thank him enough for getting me through all of this. Thank you and believe in the crafted skilled surgeon for this surgery.

With all my respect, Tiffany Kern

Dear Dr Hahn,

A great big “thank you” to you and the entire staff at Children’s Orthopedic. Thanks to you my son’s broken arm didn’t interfere with our vacation plans. The waterproof cast was terrific! We are fortunate to have you in our community and we will continue to come to you with our three boys when needed.

Regards,

Heather Boggini

We have three kids all of who play soccer. My children ages are 18, 15, and 9. We have been coming to Children’s Orthopaedic for years. Our daughter has been treated twice, once for a broken arm and the other for two broken bones in her hand both due to sports injuries. Our son was also treated for a broken arm.

In each case, we were tended to right away and given the best care. The kids were nervous but the staff and Doctors put them at ease. Their injuries healed perfectly and the follow up care was tremendous. We have since gone back with our other son for treatment on his knee due to sports camp.

We are a sports family and there is no other place we would trust our kids to than Children’s Orthopaedic & Scoliosis Surgery Associates! I am glad you are here in Tampa!

Kim Pivacek