I do not write reviews lightly, but this experience warrants a detailed and honest account for…read moreanyone considering care here.
My interaction with Precision Spine Institute was, overall, deeply concerning from both an administrative and clinical standpoint. While I want to acknowledge that Dr. Apazidis is a competent and capable surgeon, the broader system surrounding him reflects significant breakdowns in coordination, patient care standards, and operational oversight.
From the outset, the administrative process was inefficient and disorganized. Staff members were consistently unable to provide clear answers, frequently deferring even basic questions to supervisors. This created unnecessary delays and conveyed a lack of accountability and communication.
The surgical experience raised significant concerns.
The procedure took place at a hospital in East Orange, NJ, where the overall infrastructure and environment were substandard. There was a single shared elevator for patients, staff, housekeeping, and food services. The air conditioning was inadequate, and the facility appeared poorly maintained.
Although my surgery was scheduled for 10:30 AM, I was not taken in until approximately 1:30 PM, with little communication explaining the delay. Extended pre-operative waiting periods like this increase both patient stress and potential risk.
Inside the operating room, the conditions were troubling. Visible rusting on ceiling structures and improperly stored equipment--stacked in a closet that would not fully close--raised legitimate concerns about facility maintenance and adherence to appropriate standards for a surgical environment. Regardless of outcome, these conditions erode confidence in patient safety.
Post-operative care is where the most serious failures occurred.
Upon waking, I experienced severe nausea, which is highly unusual for me despite multiple prior surgeries. Nursing staff later confirmed that the anesthesiology protocol did not include antiemetic (anti-nausea) medication alongside opioid administration (morphine and fentanyl). This omission reflects a lapse in standard perioperative care and had a direct impact on my recovery.
I also woke in significant pain following a double cervical fusion without being provided a proper cervical brace. For a spine-focused institute, failure to supply appropriate post-operative immobilization is difficult to justify. The hospital staff had to rummage to locate a temporary soft brace, which does not provide adequate stabilization. I was then forced to endure a 90-minute taxi ride home without proper support, before having to purchase the correct brace myself.
The most alarming issue, however, was the complete breakdown in post-operative pain management.
I was discharged without any pain medication available. I had provided my pharmacy--Walgreens in Princeton--in advance. However, when my wife attempted to pick up the prescription, she was told that no prescription had been submitted. It appears that prescriptions are routed through a third-party pharmacy in New York, rather than allowing patients to use their local pharmacy.
The result: after major spinal surgery, I was left to spend the entire night in severe, unmanaged pain, unable to sleep or properly recover.
For a surgical provider--particularly one performing spinal procedures--this is not a minor oversight. It represents a critical failure in discharge planning and continuity of care.
Taken together, these issues point to a pattern: capable surgical care overshadowed by systemic operational failures, poor communication, and lapses in basic standards of patient care.
Patients undergoing spinal surgery place a high level of trust in both the surgeon and the institution. That trust requires not only clinical skill, but also a reliable, safe, and patient-focused system before, during, and after the procedure.
My advice: conduct thorough due diligence, ask detailed questions about post-operative care and medication handling, and ensure you are fully comfortable with every aspect of your treatment plan before proceeding.