I highly recommend! Dr. Hugh Team is amazing! I never felt so close of them during all my treatment..they assisted with kind and care since the beginning. I arrived there in a wheelchair with a lot of pain in my cervical for 1 week and promptly we went to the exams in the same place. Cameron, Nancy and Maddy ( assistants and angels) listened all my concerns. Dr. Hugh Bassiwetz is nice person and totally professional. I first impression was confidence and compassion for the patient. He explained all the process and procedures and helped me to take the correct decision quickly. He sent to the pharmacy the medication that I needed and right away marked my surgery in the calendar. I had an hernia in C6-C7 that was causing horrible pain due my nerve compression. My surgery was completely perfect and I came back home in the same day with 100% assistance with his Team 24 hs through a cell phone ( messages or calls) After 2 weeks I came back Dr Bassiwetz still recovering but completely satisfied and free of pain. He and his team was so happy to see me like that! I'm really glad to find them! read more

Went to see him today at desert orthopedic , unfriendly seem to not have enough time for us when we asked question he acted like we were stupid for being there. His statement word for word was. Wow not sure why you are here your spine is better than any spine I'm going to look at today . We told numerous times to the staff the pas the nurses assistance and even to him his neck is a problem also. Our concierge dr Hess had already told us what was on the mri dr bassewitz didn't even address the neck issue said he didn't have time for that today he has other patients to tend to. When we were sent in with a referral to him for his neck and back. I would not recommended this dr.if you want answers or someone to take the time to discuss and evaluate the problem. He gave us an anti inflammatory told my husband to lose weight and PT ( physical therapy and that was it. So I advocate for my husbands health , off to ucla for some real answers and a great physician . Thanks for nothing dr, read more

If I could give 0 STARS I would. I did not have the best experience with Hugh L Bassewitz MD. I am 51 and the way that man talked to me had me in tears. He was rude, annoyed and just flat out unprofessional. He did not see x-rays of my back and he stormed out of the room slammed the door and started talking very rudely about me.. I got up, got dressed mid appointment and told them I would not go further with this appointment with him. My father seen him from 2001 to 2008 and he was nothing like this. I feel when you do not like your job you should go ahead and retire. I cried explaining myself to one of the staff how I felt uncomfortable how he treated me by the reviews you would think he was wonderful, but I had a different story and I'm gonna keep reporting because he was truly rude, hateful, and downright unprofessional!! read more

I have never had a doctor spend so much time explaining my issue and options to fix it. He did not jump straight to surgery. Super nice guy who genuinely seemed concerned about getting you relief from the pain. read more

According to the National Institutes of Health, implicit racial bias towards Blacks and other POC is pervasive throughout every field of medicine and medical treatment. Most Backs are aware of America's racist and discriminatory medical treatment from both a historical standpoint and personal experiences. I believe that Dr. Bassewitz exhibited such bias in his assessment, treatment, and ultimate refusal to treat me further after I made the decision not to go the dangerous and problematic route of pain management. Doctor Bassewitz's racial bias was evident from the very beginning, even though I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. As an ex-body builder, even at age 66, I was quite muscular. Many white doctors' implicit racial biases make them perceive Blacks, even children, as being stronger or able to tolerate more pain than a similar white person. I believe Dr. Bassewitz initially misdiagnosed my spinal stenosis because of his implicit racial bias because I didn't present like other spinal stenosis patients. Consequently, he had me go through physical therapy that had no chance of improving my condition. Moreover, once it became evident that the physical therapy wasn't working, doctor Bassewitz suggested a contraindicated exercise that I believe he never would have suggested to a white person of any age. He suggested that I take 130lbs of barbells on my shoulders and perform squats. This was clearly suggested because of my physical appearance. I doubt that Dr. Bassewitz, who is 10-15 years my junior, could squat 130lbs. After an MRI showed that I had spinal stenosis, Dr. Bassewitz claimed that he could perform an outpatient procedure that would alleviate the pain. However, he later instructed his PA to suggest that I try their pain management clinic instead. I decided against pain management since it only masks your symptoms. When I informed Dr. Bassewitz of my decision, he became arrogantly belligerent and said that he couldn't do anything else for me. I'm actually glad because the last thing a Black person needs is for a white doctor who has demonstrated his racial bias and lack of respect for their agency to mistreat them let alone perform a surgical procedure on them. I do NOT recommend Dr. Bassewitz to any Black or other POC. read more

Have been to, at least, 6 Ortho for spine issues. Dr. Habblewitz is by far the most thorough of all. From the moment he walked into the room with a smile, took time to explain my options until finally sending me to another Doctor with whom he thought my condition was better suited for. Even took time to speak of mutual experiences unrelated to my medical office visit. Highly, highly recommend him. Mike read more

Was seeing Dr Bassewitz for a work related injury. When he could not get a lumbar surgical procedure approved, he discharged me. When workers comp referred me back to Dr Bassewitz for lumbar and included cervical treatment, he refused to see me. He would not come out of his office to explain the reason for the denial. An office staffer came in and said I needed to leave and told me that Dr Bassewitz did not want to see me because the lumbar surgery was refused and he did not want to waste time seeing me for my cervical injury. I was referred to another spine surgeon who immediately certified me as beingTotally Temporarily Disabled and could not understand how Dr Bassewitz could make his recommendation for a laminectomy based on the reviewed images. How unprofessional and contrary to his Hippocratic Oath of a physician. SHAME SHAME on you Dr Bassewitz. read more

I've been struggling with back issues for the last 10 or so years. I finally bit the bullet and got an MRI and discovered that I not only have a herniated disc but I also have three other pretty aggressively degenerating discs. Awesome. I'm 35 with the spine of a 50 year old. Dr. Bassewitz was recommended by several folks at my gym so I went to see him after my back started acting up again. I was able to get in to see him rather quickly and he was super friendly during our appointment. He's the doctor who is the expert. He wasn't condescending but very clear and honest. I appreciated how forthright he was about my back and it's issues. He was the same with a treatment plan. He's not one of those doctors who is going to rush you to the table. Although I could have surgery, he wants me to be able to live the active lifestyle I currently enjoy. He referred me an aggressive physical therapy plan and then I'm following up in four weeks. Surgery will always be there as an option and I like that I trust the person who might the one holding the knife. read more

Coming from Chicago which has 5 major medical centers, I have found the medical facilities and doctors in this town to be sorely lacking. It appears that rude and unprofessional behavior is the norm, not the exception. Well, Desert Orthopedics is the exception. I am so impressed with these offices. I have called 3 times in the past week, and each time staff was so refreshing and helpful. Kind and considerate staff are in abundance here. I was so taken aback with the quality of this office ( on Warm Spings) that I am hoping this review helps and assists any future patients who do not know where to go and who to see. Dr. Hugh Bassewitz is a gem..probably a diamond, lol, in my estimation. He was friendly, accommodating, and imparted his "wisdom"..lol..excellent opinion and diagnosis. He took his time with us and answered any and all questions. He made it a point to tell us to call him with any questions or concerns. Showing us our xrays, he explained, quite succinctly, everything that was going on in layman's terms which we could comprehend and understand. He has a great bedside manner and made us feel relaxed as soon as he entered the room. I WOULD NOT HESITATE to recommend this office. Dr Bassewitz..many thanks for the excellent service! read more

Malingering!!? Symptom magnification!!?? because you don't as a doctor don't understand my symptoms and probably never seen them as most of the so called good doctors. I question that. No matter what happens bassewitz, my Truth remains the same and it was never about money with my case and the hell I have to live each day, I pray hard for you , harper and selim, or your family not to ever live it!! God said vengeance is his!!! It Shall Definitely Be! read more

As a diagnostician, he is very capable. Unfortunately as a person, he's rather unlikeable, borderline rude, and appears unconcerned with what the patient has to say. Overall: meh. read more

I would say that Dr. Bassewitz is the best cervical spine surgeon in the country. I say this from a unique background. I am a retired Medical Malpractice Attorney who needed major cervical spine surgery. I tend to be obsessive in finding the best of the best. I went to Mayo Clinic and to several other clinics. But after meeting Dr Bassewitz i ws convinced he ws the Dr. I wanted to perform the surgery. It turned out I was correct. It all went without any problems and was a complete success. If you need cerical spine surgery, you canot do any better then him. read more

He is a wonderful Doctor! He did my spine fusion in 2003. I have nerve pain from scar tissue but the fusion has held up beautifully all these years. read more

The short version is if you need an Orthopedic Surgeon you cannot find anyone better then Dr. Bassewitz. My qualifications for coming to that conclusion. I was a medical malpractice attorney for over 30 years in the midwest. I represented both Drs and Patients. So when I found out I needed cervical spine surgery I did my home work. I even went to Mayo Clinic to get their opinion but in the end decided on Dr Bassewitz. It was a complicated 3 hour surgery and it went without a hitch. I am now 45 days post surgery and could not be any happier with the outcome. The professionalism and competence Dr Bassewitz and his team displayed from start to finish was exceptional. Its almost impossible to find a good Dr. as it is to find a good attorney. To know you need spine surgery is no pleasant news so its imperative you go to someone that really knows what they are doing. So I hope this will give you head start in your research. read more

Where to begin. My husband has had back pain on and off for quite sometime now. Back in November it got to the point that he could barely walk. We went and saw our primary doctor (Tom Peters) who was great. Took lots of time with us to answer questions and note history. We left there feeling better like we were finally going to get some answers. He had my husband go for an MRI and got us in immediately after to go over. He found a few things that were of concern to him and suggested we go to a specialist. He recommended Dr. Bassewitz. I had actually heard some great things about him from other people so we were happy about that. That brings us to today. My husband got to the appointment (9:50am) and they did an X-Ray on his back. Then they put him in a room for 2 hours!!!!! No one comes in to check or anything. The doctor finally arrives with some story about Govt mandate. Sorry we have had an appointment for weeks, perhaps that appointment could have been the one to wait for 2 hours???? So after all that, he must have been ready for lunch as he only spent all about 5 minutes to say, "sorry nothing there, you have a normal back for your age" and dismissed him!!!! How disappointing!!! Is it normal to have constant pain????????? I would NEVER recommend this doctor to anyone. My next call will be back to Dr. Peters to also share the experience with them so they don't think this is the place to send their patients. It was a complete waste of time and just horrible that a Dr. can make someone feel like they just don't care. You make your patient wait 2 hours and you cannot even afford 20 minutes to sit with them????????? HORRIBLE read more

I found him to be a great doctor. He ended up having to fuse me. He fought me on the fusion for a long time. At the end there was nothing he could do to stop the pain. The surgery was a success and I have no pain now. It was life changing. You might have to wait to see him, but think about what you are waiting for. He is the best in the city and I think he is a personable guy. read more

I've waited to write this review because I wanted to address the lasting effects of my surgery. Like others, I was referred to Dr. Bassewitz by my primary care doctor. I had had lower back and leg pain for about 3 years. I had tried epidural injections (good for a few weeks to a year in my experience) and physical therapy. I was looking for a long term solution. After consulting with Dr. Bassewitz, surgery was the recommended course of action. I had that surgery in February, 2012. The results are amazing!. My back and leg pain is gone. I've been able to do things that I hadn't done for several years. As to the waiting complaints, I found the wait no different than that in other doctor's offices. Regarding the comments about Dr. Bassewitz' personality, I found him straight-forward and open. I wasn't looking for a buddy, I was looking for a top-notch surgeon who could help me with my medical issues...and Dr. Bassewitz is exactly what I was looking for!. read more

Dr. Hugh L. Bassewitz, MD is extremely professional. He addressed all my concerns and fears when after conservative therapies would not help me. He was compassionate in my situation and I would recommend him to anyone who suffers from low back pain. I recently underwent an L5-S1 Laminectomy and Fusion because of radiating pain down my right leg and consistent issues with low back pain. My right leg pain is gone and I am only a little over one week post op. His wait time may be be a little long (but who isn't anymore?),however he is worth the wait! read more

Doctor seemed to be very intelligent and knew what he was talking about. His bedside manner; completely rude, uninterested, condinsending, superior/belittling attitude. Overall, I wouldnt recommend him to anyone who wants to feel like they were being helped. However if you wish to feel like a crumpled piece of garbage... hes your man. read more

Dr Bassewitz did back surgery on my son. He did a wonderful job.. No complications. Very good bedside manner. Listened to my son. His assistant was also great. Could not have asked for more. Would recommend him to anyone. read more

Herniated a disc in lower back end of March. Got into Bassewitz within a week or so, and without going into details, he scheduled me for a discectomy a week later at Desert Springs Hosp, promising me that when I wake up after surgery, all the pain I had been having in my left hip/leg would be gone. (It turned out her was right) Good so far.... On the personality side, I would lean towards Travis B's assessment. Staff was very friendly, and gave me paperwork, guidelines, etc that contained language very similar to "We're here for you" "You're a valued patient" and "Don't hesitate to call us if you need us. Bwahahahahahahaha! Yeah, right. Some of the guidelines included DO NOT bend over, lift or twist!!!!! This Dr convinced me that I had to be EXTREMELY careful, lest I burst this disc again, and be back where I started. He really scared the crap out of me about this. So, I tried following his results to the letter, walking very slowly and being very careful at all times However, after about 3 weeks into my 6 week recovery window, a couple things happened: I woke up all twisted up (I toss and turn in my sleep), and while I was walking along the sidewalk later that day, I heard a loud noise behind me, and by pure reaction, I twisted and turned around to see what had caused the noise. I was already somewhat sore after waking up, and THIS little gem hurt, but not bad enough to sideline me. My main concern was: Did I do damage? Well, remembering the old "Call us if you need us, and we're here for you", I did just that. Of course the Dr is unavailable. (I expected this, but he's got PLENTY of people on his staff that can take my info and get back to me). This is when I got my first taste of what I like to refer to as: "We've been paid. We have ours, and your're just yesterday's trash." I couldn't get a response from anyone. Eventually, I obtained the email address of his assistant, and I explained in detail what had happened, and wanted to know if what had happened to me could have caused further permanent damage, and/or would compromise my upcoming travel plans. This was early in the week, and I closed by telling the assistant that I would be leaving town that Thur night, and wouldn't have phone or email access until I returned. I asked her to get back to me before I left town. She told me she would get back to me on Fri. (1 day too late) And.... I never did hear from her. All good though, as I felt good, and eventually showed up for my 6 week appointment and got a clean bill of health from his physicians assistant, who pronounced me healed. A week later, I was on vacation out of state when I suddenly came down with worse pain than ever, in essentially the same area. "worse pain" quickly turned to excruciating, so out of desperation, my wife called them and called them and called them. Well, you can forget that "Call us if you need us" and "We're there for you!" propaganda and baloney. The staff was clearly unhappy that she kept bugging them, and made clear that SOMEONE would be giving her a call. And guess what? THREE *^&%$ing days LATER, they did. They agreed to call in a steroid and ... valium? prescription to the local Walgreens. That was the extent of their help and advice. I've never heard from them since. Weird, since I was such a "valued patient". Well, a few days later, I was back in LV with the worst pain I've ever suffered in my life. I was hospitalized for 10 days, during which I was diagnosed with a staph infection in my spine and left hip. Oh, and a second spine surgeon went into where Bassewitz had initially operated and cleaned out some bone fragments*, some further disc leakage and of course, infected tissue. *In describing the surgery he would perform on me, Bassewitz told me that after the incision, he would use a small grinder and grind off a point on one of the vertebrae (I didn't need it anyway), and that would help him work in the area he needed to work in. It's now a month and a half later, and I'm still taking intravenious antibiotics, and am looking at a third surgery. "Call us if you need us!" We're there for you!" "You're a valued patient!" Yeah, sure. read more

He is simply amazing. So happy I found him. I was living in chronic pain due to a herniated disk in my lower back. The disk was putting pressure on my sciatic nerve to the point that i couldn't stand straight without pain shooting down my leg to my ankle. For 9 months i tried diet and exercise and lost weight, but that didn't help. I tried therapy, bed rest and that helped for literally 1 day before the pain came back. Finally I found Dr bassewitz. He was the 1st doctor that didn't instantly suggest surgery, and the only complaint anyone had about him was he's not as nice as grandma lol. I could care less if he's nice, i wasn't looking for a baby sitter. But he was nice enough to me, while being blunt and direct that i decided to go for surgery. This was 3 years ago now, and I'm still pain free. He did amazing for me. I wanted to wait a while before writing a review, incase my back went out again. But it didn't. Thank you so much Dr bassewitz. read more

Well what can I say about Dr. Bassewitz and Dr. Edmund.....This was probably the most stressful operation I have had. I have had back, face, shoulder and hand surgeries before having my neck issue. I went to 4 different surgeons and all came back with different plans on how to fix my neck. I read every review of each surgeon and when I chose to go see Dr. Bassewitz I was figuring he was to approach me with a similar attitude of " I do this everyday no big deal". However it was a big deal to me but Dr. Bassewitz didn't do that he answered everyone of my questions as well as my wife's and explained the procedure in detail and let me decide without pressure which doctor to choose. I went home and reviewed more information watched more videos of the procedures than I should have. In the end I chose Dr. Bassewitz over the other specialist risks were the same for the most part except one very important detail. All the other doctors want to cut into the right side to address the disk replacement but Dr. Bassewitz went in through the left side removing the risk for the most part of the vocal cord nerve that can easily be damaged cutting on the right side as it is very hard to see until it is to late. Dr. Edmund explained everything to us in our Pre-op meeting in great detail and relieved any remaining stress I had about the surgery. Additionally I procedure he preformed did NOT involve cutting the muscles in the neck thus extending the recovery and adding PT to my treatment. Since they spread the muscles apart and went from the left side I was speaking at normal tone in less than 1 day and out of my brace in 7 days with about 65% range...no pain in the neck just stiffness from holding my head up and lack of sleep ....I am 14 day past surgery and am back at work, driving and feeling better and better each day...My recovery time has amazed both myself and my wife....Yes I push the limits but I know not to go to far to fast as I do not want to go backwards in my recovery. I plan to follow the Dr.'s rules for recovery and look forward to addressing my lower back issue once recovered and would recommend Dr. Bassewitz and Dr. Edmund to anyone needing help in deciding where and who for surgery.... read more

I don't know if there are enough words to say how great Dr. Bassewitz and his staff are. My wife had l4/l5 fusion and from start to finish we were always left feeling confident. Between the doctor and his staff, every imaginable question we had was answered. My wife's recovery has been amazing. Post 90 days, she is walking 3.5 - 4 miles a day and has now just started back in the gym on the bike / eliptical. From the beginning the doctor and his staff reinforced how important it was for my wife to get active immediately - she followed their directions and she will be walking in her first 5k later in November. From professionalism to bedside manner, I don't think you can get better than this. read more

I actually couldn't believe what I was experiencing. This doctor is extremely rude, condescending and arrogant. I actually felt raped of human value when I left the exam. I wouldn't trust him to operate on me with someone else's hands. He seemed to actually enjoy being rude and condescending, as though he received some kind of thrill by it. I've never written a review on a doctor before, but I just had to write this. I think he should be evaluated on a psychological level. Really! read more

last update unless something goes wrong. 5 weeks out. pain free and cleared to resume normal activities. my particular surgeries have all been related to lumbar herniations. read more

I recently (12/1/2015) had lumbar fusion done by Dr. Bassewitz at Sunrise Hospital. I had a previous surgery (in Irvine, Ca) the year before and re herniated the disc. Dr. Bassewitz came highly recommended by my previous Doctor. I recently moved to Las Vegas and it wasn't practical to go back to California for another surgery. I was very stressed out about having to meet a new Dr. and going through the whole process of establishing myself with them. I was pleasantly surprised. He and his PA Edmund (and his nurse who's name escapes me at the moment ) were extremely compassionate and made me feel welcomed through out the appointment. They took the time to listen to my issue and then explained everything in a way that made sense. I never felt pressured to have surgery or not to have surgery. But once I did decide I felt they were behind me 100 percent, Dr. Bassewitz and PA Edmund have a wonderful bedside manner and I couldn't be more pleased with them. Should you ever find yourself in need of a spine surgeon, and I hope you never do, I would highly recommend him. He has the experience, knowledge, skill and a compassionate disposition I wish all medical providers had. read more