Stokes, John, Md - Austin Brain & Spine

My problems started with back pain and severe leg pain. I saw another surgeon who recommended urgent surgery. The surgery was performed and I had some improvement then the symptoms returned. The surgeon told me that the new problem was beyond his clinical expertise and that nothing else could be done. I found Dr. Stokes on the internet and scheduled an appointment. He talked to me extensively, examined me throughly and reviewed my MRI's and Xrays. He recommended revision surgery which was performed flawlessly. He followed me for the next 6 months. His new office is highly responsive and has handled my post operative in a highly responsive manner. For the first time in the past 5 years I am pain free. I would highly recommend Seton Spine and Scoliosis to anyone with a spinal problem.

this office is about making money (duh!). there is not een an effort made to show concern abt the patient. i did not like the doc, esp after being cancelled 2X due to an emergency. that's fine once, maybe twice. now, i'm in pain for the first time since surgery, several months ago. he orders all these very expensive imagine tests - i had them done, the guy hasn't called back. he tells me in his office i prob have a couple of herniating disc's close to where he did the fusion. today, i clld ARA directly and will get my own results. i clld the patient advocate at seton and left a msg. when i gtet the results, i'm going to walk into seton ER and ask for help bcs dr stokes refused to return my phone calls. i lose a much greater percentage of my income when i miss work then he ever will. i struggle to pay my rent when i'm too distracted by pain to work. that center is too busy making $ off surgeries to take care of the people who just HAD surgery. i wish all patients were their o... Read more

If you are desperate for a diagnosis, like I was, I suppose it's a good place. If you want attention and competence, go somewhere else. Everything from the start of my visit, to now (waiting on a phone call back from the doctor's assistant) was messed up. While I was waiting to be seen by the doctor (almost half an hour to be called back, about an hour to see the actual doctor), two people came in with wrong appointments that somehow the staff had messed up. Nobody returns phone calls, unless it's the billing people wanting to know how you are going to pay. The doctor spent very, very little time with me, although he did diagnose me. I had to fill out 11 pages of new patient forms, which the doctor obviously didn't take any time to read, because I had to blurt out as much as I could during the "consultation." It seems very much like a machine, and one that wasn't working properly on the day I was there. Maybe it's just the general state of medical care today, but I wasn't impressed... Read more

Thinking about back surgery can be a scary process. Dr. Tumu, after careful evaluation, gave me many options to explore before having surgery. After going through pain management we finally decided on L5-S1 fusion surgery. Knowing that he had done a great job on my father's back surgery I felt confident in follow his advice. I couldn't be happier with the results. He was very honest and forth right in his consultations and the results are great. I would hightly recommend him for any type of spine surgery. I am back to my old self, pain free and playing golf every week. Thanks Dr. Tumu

December 19, 2006 I was diagnosed with a brain abscess located in the motor strip for my right side at the point that controls right foot function, in the left center of my brain. The edema that resulted from the abscess caused me to lose motor function on my right side, including my arm and hand. Dr. Tumu explained my options to me, and the risks involved in performing a craniotomy to remove the abscess. He performed the operation at Seton Medical Center on January 2nd, and I was transferred to St. David's Rehabilitation Center five days later. Things were much worse at first after surgery due to the trauma of brain surgery (something Dr. Tumu warned me of), but within two months I was driving and back to work full-time. I saw Dr. Tumu twice post-surgery. In every encounter with Dr. Tumu from December 19th on, he was confident, professional, friendly and caring. I highly recommend Dr. Tumu.

October 2006, I began experiencing intermittent tingling in my right hand. Additionally, I had varying pain in my right shoulder and at base of neck. Things got progressively worse over the next 30 days. My entire right arm tingled constantly from fingertips to shoulder. The top area of my right forearm went numb. Furthermore, neck and shoulder pain were continuous and debilitating. I?d only get short-term pain relief by raising my right arm above my head. MRI revealed damage to the C5-C6 area of my cervical spine (neck). My neighbor?s coworker, Sid, had very similar symptoms a year earlier and highly recommended neurosurgeon, Dr. Hari Tumu. I met with Dr.Tumu twice before surgery. He was very approachable, empathetic, calm, kind, a good listener, and patiently answered every question from my wife and me. Furthermore, I was very relieved to learn that Dr.Tumu uses a high-tech nerve monitoring device during surgery. On the 9th of January 2007, Dr. Tumu performed my surgical ... Read more

A traffic accident placed me in the ER with two fractures in my neck. I was at risk of paralysis. Dr. Tumu was quick to explain the nature of my injuries and made the appropriate recommendations for corrective surgery. I was admitted to Brackenridge hospital. I was deeply concerned about the care that I would receive and my ability to recover to regain my active lifestyle. This would be the first time that I had to undergo any surgical procedures. Dr. Tumu with his professionalism and personal attention made this impossible situation bearable. Dr. Tumu and the support staff performed the required surgical procedures and provided me with the hope of a complete and full recovery from my spinal injuries. I can't imagine how I could have made it without the service of Dr. Hari Tumu.

I had an unusual accident...fell off the roof of my house in the Bahamas and spent a week recovering from broken ribs and bruised lungs in a Nassau hospital. On my return to Austin, I had a checkup by a lung specialist who noticed that i was holding my head strangely...he immediately ordered a CT scan which showed a cervical fracture at he base of my neck. Within an hour, Dr.Tumu contacted me and arranged for immediate admission to Brackenridge Hospital . Dr. Tumu met with me, went over the scan and discussed the required surgery. He was very communicative and explained everything in a very professional and confident manner. I also had a respected Doctor friend of mine inquire about the Surgeons at Austin Brain and Spine, and found that they are regarded as the best. I must admit I did not fully appreciate the skill required for this type of surgery until afterwards -seeing the extensive amount of hardware that was installed in my neck (around my spinal cord)...I almost passed ou... Read more