Austin Brain & Spine PA

I recently told Dr. Hummell that he is my #2 hero, right after my husband. He performed a miracle on me, and my husband and I will always be grateful.
Here’s my story: I had a pinched nerve in my cervical (neck) spine. It had given me trouble over a few years, but suddenly one day in July it became excruciating and wouldn’t stop. The major pain was in my arm, and it was so bad within a few days that I couldn’t be in any position other than flat on my back for more than a few minutes. Otherwise, I would be in tears. After undergoing multiple weeks of chiropractics and physical therapy, I got an MRI.
The MRI indicated that I needed surgery. Spine surgery is not something to be entered into lightly, so I talked to seven surgeons, including «the best of the best» in Houston. One surgeon recommended a double fusion of my vertebra, and the others recommended a single fusion. I really wasn’t excited about any kind of fusion, as I love to waterski, surf, and snowboard, and I wasn’t sure if I could still do those things with a fused spine.
The seventh surgeon I talked to was Dr. Hummell. He was the ONLY surgeon to actually sit down in front of a large screen and explain my MRI to me in detail. Then he gave me his recommendation, without asking what the other surgeons recommended. (I had a few surgeons ask me what recommendation (s) I had received before they gave me theirs, which I thought to be somewhat unprofessional and lacking in confidence.)
Dr. Hummell also made a recommendation that no other surgeon had made. He thought that because of the location of my herniated disc (to the side) that he could enter through the back of my neck and simply remove it, without the need for any fusion. He couldn’t guarantee with 100% certainty that it would be successful (I don’t think any surgeon in that position could), but he felt very good about it, and I felt very confident in him. If it didn’t work, he would do another surgery with a frontal approach and do a fusion, like all of the other surgeons wanted to do.
I told him I was willing to go for it, as I really didn’t want a fusion. He then warned me that entering the spine from the back involves cutting through a lot of muscle, and the recovery was going to be extremely painful. He really emphasized this point. (By contrast, cervical fusions are generally done from the front, and because they don’t cut much muscle, I understand that the recovery really isn’t that bad.) Again, I wanted to avoid a fusion, so I said OK to the painful recovery.
He did the surgery from the back (a partial discectomy of the C6-​C7 disk, with no fusion), and OH MY GOSH, I have now experienced an 11 on the 1 – 10 pain scale. I didn’t realize that I needed to wake myself in the middle of the night to take my pain medication. There were 2 or 3 times when I didn’t take them at the exact right time, and the pain felt like I was being eaten by a wild animal. So TAKE YOUR MEDS precisely, including setting an alarm in the middle of the night to take them. And then get off the meds as quickly as possible, as they really mess with your mind.
After the major pain subsided, I still had some lingering pain and a couple of setbacks. (Ten days after surgery, I fell as a result of major vertigo.) So I really didn’t know for several weeks if the surgery was «successful» or not. There were a few weeks when I thought I was going to live with mild to moderate arm pain for the rest of my life. But I am thrilled to say that I am now 3 months post-​op, and I have ZERO pain (and have for several weeks). Dr. Hummell saved me!
I will forever be indebted to Dr. Hummell. He took a position that no one else took, presented it with the confidence that only comes from years of experience, and he performed perfectly. On top of that, he is very kind and compassionate. We cannot recommend him enough!

My wife tried to set up an appointment with Dr. Stokes in advance of her Tarlov cyst surgery next month. Dr. Stokes instructed one of his nurses to call my wife and tell her that there was no surgery for Tarlov cysts and they could not be treated. Clearly Dr. Stokes is not keeping up with the latest scholarly research nor does he realize that the world’s leading expert on Tarlov cysts is three hours up I-​35 in Dallas. Information on Tarlov cysts could be easily obtained with a simple Google search. Avoid this man at all costs.

Amazing place. I was referred to Dr. Kemper. He explained all the options extensively, and asked what I wanted to do. What am I comfortable with. I feel like I’m in good hands here. The office staff is AMAZING! Shout out to Barbara who is an absolute angel. Absolutely no complaints here. I love you guys!

My husband and I both go to Dr. Madera. We love her and have had a very good experience with her! She is an expert and has excellent bedside manner! I would recommend her specifically to anyone.
The office we see her at is clean and easy to find. It has lots of seating for while you wait which I appreciate.

So I broke my back almost 25 years ago. As much as you can break it and still walk away limping. 4 surgeries in the Air Force by military surgeons kept me walking, but did not relieve the pain I was in at all. After retiring from the military, I sought out Dr. Matthew Hummel in 1998 and had my first fusion to reduce the pain and lack of mobility. From 1998 to 2012, I had a full life of Mountain biking, climbing, swimming, backpacking and worldwide adventure. Then in 2012 I had an accident on my bike which resulted in Spinal Stenosis and caused my legs to weaken to the point of being unable to walk any distance at all without doubling over in awful pain. And I do mean awful pain. After much internal debate (surgery number SIX did not sound like a fun thing), I sought out Dr. Hummel again and elected for a second fusion at L4L5. Surgery was long at 5 and one half hours, and I did not respond right away as I did in 1998. Chalk that up to age. Anyway, I was walking the day after surgery and have improved enough over the course of one month that I have began to recover my ability to walk and flex without any of the previously felt pain from the stenosis. In fact, I’m feeling well enough to start Long Distance swimming again in Lake Travis, and feel well enough to get back to biking and hiking in the near future. The best part of this is the lack of pain. It is amazing what pain can do to your life and the lives of those close to you. So, Dr. Hummel, I am forever in your debt, and hope to send you photos from another mountain peak somewhere in the world. I couldn’t ask for more! Thanks again.

He will always be my angel. I had brain hemorrhage for over 10 years & all the doctors kept telling me it was too deep to operate & the risk was too high. But my neurologist recommended Dr Tumu. He saw me right away & gave me all the details & showed me how HE COULD do it. I was reluctant. He didn’t push. But I ended up in ER a week later & had to have the surgery. He did an AMAZING job. It was a major brain surgery, but he cut my scalp in way that I have no hair gaps from scars, and the affect of surgery is very minimal comparing to what all the OTHER doctors predicted & I no longer have brain hemorrhages. He was always very calm & kind, wonderful bedside manners, took his time with my on every visit, and even though he performed surgeries at Brackenridge hospital, every night he made sure to come to see me at Seton Hospital for 2 weeks, even though he probably didn’t need to. If you ever need surgery, he is THE BEST.

I saw Dr. Kemper for over 1 year. The problem? He seemed to always be in a rush, faltered when I explained concerns and later on, after I transferred to another Neurosurgeon, I learned that not only had my spine lost all disc space, 2 vertebrae were on top of one another, I now have secondary scoliosis, Lordosis, and, the C-​Spine that I had discussed with him became a very big issue. He had told me we could «wait on that. Do you want to pay 2K out-​of-​pocket for a Myelogram that your insurance doesn’t cover?» I listened to this doctor believing in him. First, I needed an anterior/​posterior lumbar fusion at 2 levels. NOW, I need a C-​Spine fusion… for the issues I was having over a year ago when I spoke with him– headaches, tingling, loss of function in my fingers, etc. The new Neurosurgeon did a Neurological test immediately and the results of the CT scan were that I have 3 levels in the C-​Spine that now, must also be fused. Very disappointed as I trusted this doctor.
When you go to a physician, particularly one who has so much experience about such a complex area of the body and that being: the spine, you believe what they tell you. I began to get a niggling in my person and thought, «It is time to go elsewhere.» I did and am so happy I did. I will NEVER get back the nerves lost in my right leg and must now wear an AFO brace. This is because he waited too long. I have done my research now– so much research that doctors see me coming with my notebook and they run scared! But, READ, RESEARCH. Write down terminology that you may not be familiar with and once home, look it up.
I hate to write a negative review of anyone. This though, this was dangerous and is a complete life change. I had hoped to recover some of the nerve damage after my fusion. It is not going to happen as the nerves were damaged for too long a period of time. Do not allow this to happen to you. Push for answers, do your own reading and research and present it to them, hold them accountable.
I hope this helps someone else. Two stars for the office staff. They are always so warm and inviting and ARE ALWAYS on their game. Bear in mine, if you call after 4 and leave a message, they will often get back to you AFTER that 4:00 mark. I have had that happen to me. Just leave a message. You may also write an email via their website and they do respond. Finally, for nearly all offices, it takes up to 24 hours to get back to a patient. THIS is a very busy office and the4 staff is on their game. They filed all of my disability paperwork and did it so well, the disability office commented on it! Thanks to the office staff!

I haven’t even gotten the chance to step foot in the office and I can already tell they are not worth using. First off, I was transferred from the VA straight over to seton ER with sever back pain and they conducted an MRI to find my discs were herniated as well as a few other problems. So before leaving I didn’t even get to see the neurologist Dr. Madera… They sent a nurse practitioner who didn’t even know if they had talked to me yet or not. She had my notes written down in a piece of notebook paper along with everyone else’s information that she had see that day. Apparently the neurologist wasn’t worried about my back, but a chiari malformation that I’ve been aware of since I was a child and was not the reason I was laying in an ER bed. Than I contact her office after my back pain turned into nerve damage and I lost complete feeling of my leg… I kept getting sent to a new patient clerk by the name of Eva who is never at her desk apparently and I also left a message for her boss who doesn’t get there until 10. When I finally did get in touch with Eva, she basically said «well I called you back» in a snarky tone and than places me in hold after asking me three questions. If the neurologist isn’t willing to talk to you while in the ER and her staff isn’t willing to insure decent customer service than I wouldn’t even recommend this office as a vet clinic. I’d rather drive all the way to temple…

Dr. Matthew hummell is an amazing doctor. I had chiari decompression surgery and this procedure literally changed my life. As well as my husband and my kids! I am able to do so many things now that I couldn’t before. Dr. Hummell made me feel so comfortable and assured me that this was not a big deal. He gave me the info I needed and was very informative and answered all my questions. I would recommend him) and have many times already) to anyone who needs to see neurologist. Thanks dr. For giving me my life back!

Post op for third surgery. Worse pain and difficulty walking than ever before. Now refers me to pain specialist. Followed procedures for pain management but when ended up in ER, at their on call PAs suggestion last night, I am suddenly Dr shopping. Wash my hands of this organization. And will continue with Pain Dr Who actually cares
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Not sure why all of the negative reviews. After my surgery, I had several follow-​up calls to office staff and they were quick to reply. Dr. Peterson performed bilateral foraminotomy surgery to address stenosis in my lower back. The radiating pain down both legs was gone same day of surgery. I have arthritis that has caused some degeneration so there is still some lower back pain that is controlled with over the counter medication. Good to be off the «pain management» drugs and able to do some physical activity without the pain.

When choosing a doctor’s office, the only thing that *really* matters is the competency of the doctor, especially if your condition is serious or difficult to diagnose.
To the best of my knowledge, Dr. Peterson was a fine choice as a doctor. On medical grounds alone, I recommend him, and our neurologist and family doctor recommended him too. He has a ‘no frills’ bedside manner, which is okay. Pick your doctor’s office based on your doctor.
Besides medical expertise, Dr. Peterson spent very little time with us, sometimes ending the appointment unexpectedly without answering all our questions (typical for a specialist). This made dealing with a difficult chronic illness even more difficult.
That said, be prepared to be continually frustrated by the rest of the staff here. Because it’s a specialists office (neurosurgeons don’t grow on trees), the staff literally doesn’t care whether they provide good service or not. Dealing with them is a pain, and I’ve almost never had a single good experience with the staff. Be prepared to call them over and over to get anything done. It’s not you– it’s them.
— For example, they stop answering the phone at 4, although the office is open until 5. When I questioned this, the staffer argued back to me.
— We’ve been told they would call us back with referral information, and then never received a call back. I left two voicemails.
— When we required a doctor’s note to refund a plane ticket, the staffer was rude and unhelpful with an attitude.
It just blows my mind how such an elite team of doctors can have such an inadequate staff. So, focus on what is important — the doctors and their expertise, and keep your expectations low for everything else.

I was referred to Seton Brain and Spine by an acquaintance of one of the doctors; I have called the office 6 times and have been transferred to the new patient coordinator voice-​mail (Diane) each time. It took three weeks for her to return my call.
Its the 6^th week and I still don’t have an appointment. I have moved on to Dr. Loftus who is with the Austin Neurological Institute.
Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. If this is the way they treat perspective clients I hate to see how they treat you once you’re snagged.
I’ll be canceling my referral and taking my 30k elsewhere.
Tricare patients beware that your not being referred to an out of network provider. If you get caught using the office tax ID # you could be on the hook for the cost accrued.
Jim Craft

Dr. Madera got very defensive when I just wanted feedback. She said she didn’t have all of the documentation from my referring Dr. so she could not recommend a solution, yet in the office prior with her a few days before, she was fairly sure she had a solution. In addition to having more then one existing condition, she stated since one condition didn’t start before the other, there was nothing she could do to help. Sadly, both conditions had been happening I just hadn’t come to find that until recently the other existed. That seemed to be enough to rule out any help even though my condition still gets worse each day. 2 stars because the waiting area was nice.

Matthew Hummell is a wonderful human as well as great neurosurgeon. He operated on my mother’s spine in Mid-​September, and it’s still Mid-​September, and she’s doing almost everything that she could before. Dr. Hummell is so friendly, will answer any questions that he can, and genuinely wants the patient to get the best result they possibly can. I found myself arranging my day so I could go with my mom to her appointments, and my mother and I are both so grateful to Dr. Hummell as well as his staff for her excellent care.

Sadly I am the duke of here. 2 back surgeries 29 days apart and all the follow up and pre visits = I have gotten to know the staff pretty well.
The only issue I have had is getting the right person on the phone for questions or follow ups has been difficult as the people that answer the phone just send you to a person’s voice mail rather than actually get you to someone that can help. (one star off)
Once you reach someone, they are pleasant, knowledgeable, and caring.
Dr Peterson was great and his assistants Jenn and McCall are fantastic ladies, and have made my ups and downs at least tolerable.
Hopefully you NEVER have to see these folks, but if you do need a neurosurgeon ATX B&S are it!

I am so very blessed to have met Dr. Daniel Peterson and all the amazing staff at Austin Brain and Spine. I have had a remarkable recovery after surgery and I am able to do things once told I would not by other Dr.‘s– so yes always get a second opinion because that is how I met Dr. Peterson and his staff. The staff at Austin Brain and Spine are very attentive, sweet, caring, and I am better (literally) for having met them!

Austin Brain and Spine is the home of John Stokes MD, see my review of John. Every appointment I have had there, they were on time, followed up with me and generally took care of business. They even filed my insurance correctly!