Exceptional Care, Extraordinary Skill - Dr. Daniel Refai and the Emory Team…read more On June 30, 2025, Dr. Daniel Refai performed ACDF surgery on my cervical spine, fusing levels C2 through C6 and placing a cage to address significant spinal stenosis. The precision of his work is truly remarkable. My post-operative X-rays clearly demonstrate the meticulous care and technical excellence he brings to his craft--an image truly worth a thousand words. I genuinely believe this type of surgery is both a science and an art, and Dr. Refai is a master of both. Because I am a small person, he thoughtfully designed and fitted a cage specifically for my smaller anatomy. That level of individualized surgical planning speaks volumes about his expertise, attention to detail, and commitment to achieving the best possible outcome for each patient. Equally impressive is Dr. Refai's outstanding bedside manner. He is kind, patient, reassuring, and truly listens. At every stage before and after surgery, he took time to explain, answer questions, and ensure I felt informed and confident. His compassion and calm presence made an enormous difference in my experience. Just as remarkable was the entire Emory care team. The nurses and staff were consistently kind, patient, attentive, and professional. I always felt supported and cared for, and their warmth and responsiveness made a challenging medical journey far more comfortable. It is clear that excellence is a standard throughout this entire team. Most importantly, the chronic pain I lived with for years is now gone. That outcome alone has been life-changing. I am continuing with physical therapy to regain full strength and mobility, and I am making wonderful progress thanks to the quality of the surgery. I would wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Daniel Refai and the Emory medical team to anyone facing cervical spine surgery. Their expertise, compassion, and professionalism are truly exceptional. I am profoundly grateful for the care I received and for the quality of life I have regained.

Amazing pre-op, surgery, and post op care. Very happy with…read moremy hip replacement. The staff and nurses were stellar.

Dr. James is the G.O.A.T. I had surgery 2 weeks ago, and I never had any pain. He explains…read moreeverything so well, and he is so kind and caring. My recovery has been so easy that I got back to running 3 days afterwards. Everyone at the Atlanta Spine Institute is wonderful. Grace, Nikki, Emmeline & Jason are all so awesome. I never thought I would write a 5 star review for spine surgery, but here we are. Dr. James is just that good!

Dr James was recommended to me by another surgeon. From my first visit I could tell this Surgeon…read morecares about his patients. He reviewed my X-rays in the room with me. He explains everything. He sent me for an MRI. My second visit -he hugged me like I was an old friend and not Just a patient. I had multiple problems at the time of my visit. I chose to have my knees replaced before having any back surgery. In the waiting room - several patients remarked how "I Was in the right place. He Is the Best." They also told me that "He gave them their life back". One lady in her 40's or 50's told me that both she and her husband had back surgery - both successful!" I only have one problem- now that I am ready to have surgery- Dr James doesn't take my Insurance.

To find relief for my lower back pain, my PCP referred me to Dr. Christopher Edwards at the Atlanta…read moreNeurological and Spine Institute. Dr. Edwards is an orthopedic surgeon who is renowned in his field, having been the first to perform many different types of spinal surgeries in Georgia and having worked with many college and pro athletes. The Spine Institute also has an in-house physical therapy clinic, so I will break this review into two parts. Part 1 - Dr. Edwards, Mr. Adams, PA-C: I had five appointments with the doctor. The first appointment, where I was initially evaluated, was handled by Dr. Edwards' Physician Assistant, David Adams. Mr. Adams surveyed my experience with back pain and performed a series of tests which included testing my range of motion, strength, and reflexes. Mr. Adams, in consultation with Dr. Edwards, ordered an MRI and a follow-up appointment. In the meantime, I was prescribed medicine and physical therapy. The length of time between my first appointment and my follow-up appointment was exactly one week, with my MRI promptly taken in between. The process was fast and efficient. At my follow-up appointment, I saw both Mr. Adams and Dr. Edwards. At this appointment, I learned that I had two ruptured discs. Both Mr. Adams and Dr. Edwards pointed out and explained the problem areas on my MRI. Dr. Edwards had a good discussion with me about what was going on with my discs, what may have caused it, and my treatment options. He also answered all my questions. Treatment-wise, he prescribed various medications and physical therapy at his office. After learning of my disc herniations, Dr. Edwards was very particular about which PT clinic he wanted me to go to. At my third appointment, after 5 weeks of PT and no significant pain relief, I was seen by Mr. Adams again. At this appointment, both he and Dr. Edwards agreed I should proceed with an epidural. Dr. Edwards' office referred me to an anesthesiologist where I had a three sets of injections done. After the epidural injections, I saw Dr. Edwards again. This time, he was accompanied by resident M.D. David Fiedler. Based on my age and symptoms, Dr. Edwards did not recommend surgery. Instead, he recommended I receive IDD (intervertebral differential dynamics) therapy from a neurology group. Based on my visits with Dr. Edwards, I find him to be a very knowledgeable doctor and I like his conservative approach. He is a surgeon at heart, but won't recommend surgery to anyone unless they truly need it. I highly recommend grabbing an 8am appointment (first appointment of the day). I was in and out in just over an hour for my 8am appointment. I had two 9:30am appointments and I was not seen until about 11am (about a 1.5 hour wait) for one of them and nearly 12pm (an over 2 hour wait) for the other! Part 2 - Physical Therapy: I saw Joy, a physical therapist who is specially trained in the Watkins Protocol, a lumbar/trunk stabilization program. Joy received her training directly from Dr. Robert Watkins in California. (Dr. Edwards is the first to introduce the Watkins Protocol to Atlanta.) I saw Joy for 7 weeks. She is pleasant, friendly, and gentle but also assertive. My first appointment with her lasted about two hours because it involved an initial evaluation. Like a doctor, Joy was able to explain a lot of what was going on with my spine and why. She also explained the body mechanics behind the Watkins exercises and why they were beneficial to me. I noticed Joy seemed more knowledgeable and spent more time explaining things to me and answering my questions than physical therapists I've worked with in the past. After the first visit, my appointments lasted about 1.5 hours each. All of the physical therapy exercises are done in a room that overlooks Downtown Atlanta. From left to right, there are views of the Georgia Dome and Pemberton Place (Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke) to Tech Tower and Bobby Dodd Stadium. At 18 stories high, the view is very nice to have to work out to. Joy printed out a packet of exercises for me so I wouldn't forget to do them at home. She is flexible on scheduling and doesn't pressure you to make appointments. She's accommodating in that sense. Her methods and advice are sensible and practical. Other Comments: The rest of the staff - Keosha, Lina, and Sandy - are great. They are good at answering questions, being responsive, and taking care of insurance and appointment scheduling. Teresa, in billing, has also been helpful when it comes to insurance. The Atlanta Neurological and Spine Institute moved from the Atlanta Medical Center on Boulevard to Emory University Hospital Midtown on Peachtree, next to the Bank of America building. It is located on the 18th floor of the hospital. Parking in the parking deck costs up to $6 for one day. I normally paid $5 for each of my visits. The office does not validate parking.

My Husband and I are both patients of Dr. Christoper R. Edwards of the Atlanta Neurological and…read moreSpine Institute. My husband has had two very successful hip replacements. I have had two separate operations on my back: the first was the top of my vertebrae and the second on my spinal column in my lower back. The results: I no longer walk with a cane and no more trouble breathing after four years of pain and suffering. After only three months recovery I am as active as always even though the true recovery period is approximately a year. Both my husband and I had done the research and knew we needed surgery but Dr. Edwards insisted we have second opinions and all proper tests before he agreed. He reviewed our X-ray results with us and the before and after images are amazing. Yes, the wait can sometimes be a bit long for your appointment but that is because he is not on a fifteen minutes and off you go time clock. Dr Edwards cares for the entire person and if you have special needs he will give you the time. The best of Dr. Edwards is that he is truely a man of God. He reminds us he is a "tool" for healing and always prays with his patients right before surgery. This humble man is truely blessed and his patients benefit. Hon. S Dempsey (retired)

Dr. Coffman is amazing! He has the best bedside manner! He spends as much time with his patients as…read morethey need and answers every question thoroughly. We were lucky to find him!

I have seen Dr. Leibowitz for probably 10 years. I am long overdue to leave a review for him. He…read moreis the MOST responsive Dr I have ever had. He doesn't have NP or nurse or anyone else answer his messages. He does. After hours, weekends. He is dedicated. He is straight to the point in a kind & compassionate way. He a problem solver. I never have to wait for his appointments and yet, I never feel rushed while with him. I cannot recommend him enough.

Dr. Leibowitz is, in a word, fantastic. He's approachable, kind, caring, very responsive to…read moremessages and calls, a real doctor's doctor. He was my sleep physician many years ago but I had to change when my insurance changed. Now I'm back in his care and remember why I was so upset when I had to change all those years ago. One of the most decent doctors I've ever known. I recommend Dr. Leibowitz 110%!

That last review was horrible. I don't know what happened to her...but she was obvioulsy sick and…read morefeeling horrible. Dr. Gorokhov is from Russia. Us Southern patients are usually rubbed the wrong way....they don't pacify you. If you want a Doctor that will help you, make last minute appointments, prescribe what you need, doesn't candy coat the fact that you are overweight and need to lose it to live......well - I suggest going to a HMO where you will be shuffled around and become a nobody in a well of angry underpaid customer service reps. We have always had great service. Excellent health advice... Don't judge this doctor by the horrible 1 star feedback. Go see him for yourself. Thanks for reading this post. B. Johannaber

Although it was some time ago that I had the misfortune to visit the medical practice of Dr…read more Gorokhov, I have realized that I really need to warn people--especially other women--about this physician. I noticed something odd when I first arrived at his practice. It had been listed on the Blue Cross website as being the office for him and his wife Tatyana, also a doctor. But her name had obviously been recently removed from the exterior sign and all the interior signage. I didn't think much about that at the time, but on reflection, it may have been a warning of what was to come. Maybe it wasn't the staff's fault that the tiny waiting room was filled with screaming children hitting each other with no parental supervision in sight. The office staff seemed to feel that the waiting room was not under their control and whatever happened there was none of their business. Wait at your own risk! When I was seen by Dr. Gorokhov, I was struck by his melancholic attitude. This worsened as I tried to explain my medical situation to him. Still, I was amazed when, before I had finished, he shouted, "You're lying, aren't you?" I explained that I was not but he continued to assert throughout the interview that I was lying and that his guesses at my medical situation were more accurate than my own decades of experience with it. In retrospect, I should have left then. His abrasive attitude continued as he asked me if I knew what an allergy to gluten was (although I have never had any symptoms of gluten allergy, he claimed that was what was really the matter with everyone). I said, "Yes, it's an allergy to wheat." "No!" he bellowed. "How can you be so ignorant? Don't you know you can look it up on the internet?" So how was I so wrong? It was, he informed me, an allergy to wheat *and* bulgar. I suppose I should have been more specific! So the office visit was a waste of time and money. He put me through several expensive tests even though I told him that they had been done within the past few months by my previous doctor in South Georgia and that all he had to do was request the results from her. (But then he couldn't have made any money from them, could he?) However, my biggest shock was when I received the results (yes, he sent them by mail) of the blood test. When he decided to do the blood test rather than get the results from the one my previous doctor in Statesboro had done only a couple of months before, he asked if I had eaten recently. I told him I had just eaten lunch. "Well," he said, "That won't matter." Was I surprised when I got the results! He sent the normal results for a fasting blood sugar test--for which the patient is not to have eaten or drunk anything but water for ten hours previously--and compared them to my results right after lunch so he could claim I had a new "serious medical condition" for which, of course, I would need to have extensive expensive treatment by him with a side order of abuse. My only medical training is working as a medical transcriptionist for some years, but even I know that you need to be fasting for the results of a fasting blood sugar test to be valid! Could he really not know this? After I found a much better doctor, I realized that his accusatory and malicious attitude, at least, might have been caused by a recent acrimonious separation or divorce from his wife Tatyana. He seemed determined to take it out on all middle-aged women. Perhaps he would be more polite to a man, but really, do you need a doctor who doesn't know the difference between fasting blood sugar and feasting blood sugar? Save your health, save your self-respect, and avoid this one at all (his very high) costs!

I had a great experience with Dr. Kirlew! My regular doctor at Piedmont Physicians couldn't fit me…read morein and I needed to get a blood draw for my work biometric screening so I got an appointment with Dr. Kirlew. The other review is incorrect about the insurance. I used my health insurance and did not have to pay out of pocket at all for my preventive care visit. She was very professional, listened to all my concerns and even took an extra step to personally email me the biometric form in needed to turn in for my employer wellness program. I really appreciated her doing that!

Dr. Kirlew is very personable and compassionate. She was extremely thorough during my visit and…read moreidentified areas I hadnt considered in my diagnosis. She also responds very promptly in MyChart. I am new to the city and was concerned that I wouldnt find a PCP that would meet my needs. I am very happy!

I'm not sure why people don't take the time to write out reviews when you get outstanding service,…read morebut I want to be the first to report - Dr. Iams is an OUTSTANDING surgeon specializing in Hip and knee surgery. My mom had to make the tough decision to get elective surgery for a hip replacement and Dr. Iams bedside manners are unmatched! Him, along with his PA provided such a level of care that you felt as if they were your family and you were in great hands. From his scheduler, to him being prompt and on time for every appointment, his level of detail was just astonishing. He made her tension about the surgery go with ease. With him being a part of the piedmont network, it made life so much easier. We receive alerts for when she went back to the operating room, when she was in procedure, and when she finished in real time! I couldn't be more grateful for such a caring staff, and in addition to see her walking on both legs after day 2 makes me so happy! If you are needing a reason to choose this doctor and his team for your procedure, pls know you'll be in good hands!

Dr. Miller and his team were amazing! I tried a couple other doctors and he fixed my problem right…read moreaway. So grateful for them!