Angela Chowayou went to see Artem Y. Vaynman, M.D., F.A.A.N.S., with terrible pain and hardly able to stand. “Due to my arthritis, my spine kept twisting. It got so bad that I couldn’t even stand up for a minute or even walk for 30 seconds,” says Angela.

As a board certified neurosurgeon specializing in complex and minimally invasive spinal surgery, Dr. Vaynman treats many conditions including degenerative scoliosis, compression fractures, spinal cord injuries, herniated discs, and many other causes of back pain. He is the co-chief of spine surgery at Mercy Medical Center, and patients can make an appointment with him at NSPC.

In 2013, Angela’s successful scoliosis surgery with Dr. Vaynman straightened her spine and eliminated her pain. Angela describes her recovery: “The amazing thing about this whole surgery, because I suffered from pain for so long, since I had the surgery, I have no pain.” Neither the incision nor the physical therapy left her in pain, she says.

Angela is very happy with the staff at NSPC. “All the staff is wonderful, I cannot complain, especially Liz. She was always there for me,” she says.

Angela shares her advice for back pain sufferers considering an appointment with a back surgeon: “When people hear going to a neurosurgeon, they think surgery. It’s not only surgery, but go and see what he can do for you. He’s not only an excellent surgeon, but he is a nice person himself.”