Dr. Matthew E. Cunningham, MD, PhD

Dr Cunningham took his time to speak to my husband and I, regarding my past surgery. He explained my options, ways to reduce my back pain, and a plan for strengthening my back muscles. He was professional and kind. His knowledge and patient care skills were incredible. I would highly recommend Dr. Cunningham.

I am an adult patient with a 50 degree curve (thankfully minimal pain)- doctor smirked and made light of my curve- then told me to put off surgery as long as I could Bc there’s a good chance I won’t be able to “wipe my own a**” after a fusion. HE’S THE SPINAL SURGEON. And I will likely be a candidate in the next 10 yrs. Are you kidding me?! Maybe he’s a good surgeon but he’s rude and insensitive. Disgusted.

One surgeon who is straight forward and truly cares about the outcome of his patient. After performing a 11 hour surgery on me, Dr Cunningham took the time to sit down with my husband & explain every aspect of my surgery in layman’s terms; complete with hand-drawn illustrations. It was comforting that during my stay at HSS, Dr Cunningham was the first person I saw each morning as he checked in on me. It is rare to find a very bright, competent & caring surgeon who also has a great bedside manner. Initially, I found it difficult to get an appointment for consultation; but definitely worth the wait.

I went to see Dr Cunningham because I needed an opinion for my daughters scoliosis . I was very impressed , his staff was professional and very friendly and very informative . Dr Cunningham and his physicians assistant were wonderful . They took the time to explain in detail all the information I needed to hear . I went there very nervous thinking that he was gonna push surgery on my daughter. Because that’s what most surgeons would probably do . He was very honest and didn’t feel my daughter should go through this type of surgery unless it really was urgent ... He spent so much time with us . I was so impressed ... Great office great staff and wonderful Dr !

I had a similar experience as another reviewer below: Waited in the examine room for ~ 45 minutes until I was seen by the Physician’s Assistant. The PA told me she reviewed my MRI, The PA gave me what I thought was an excellent examination. The PA me my diagnosis, the PA gave me the treatment/surgery plan, the possible complications and recovery details of the surgery. I was told that Dr .Cunningham would be in shortly to see me. I waited an additional ~ 45 minutes more before Dr. Cunningham came into the examination room, BUT HE NEVER EXAMINED ME! He reiterated to me exactly what the PA said. BTW, the PA said she had two years’ experience working in orthopedics. Not exactly what I expected from a world class Hospital, with world class doctors that HSS touts itself to be.

My son had back surgery with dr Cunningham. I can’t thank him enough. He is walking and has no pain. I highly recommend this doctor. He is very compassionate and he truly cares about his patients. Thank you so much .

Comment My recent experience in Dr. Cunningham’s office and with HSS in particular, showed a complete lack of respect for me as a patient. Dr.. Cunningham never appeared for my scheduled appointment. I was kept waiting in a hospital gown, in a cold examining room for 3 and 1/2 hours. His PA said he was a little backed up, but would be in to see me. I waited but Dr. C. never came. I tried to find his PA, to no avail. After 4 hours I decided to leave. I finally encountered the PA on my way out. She was bewilded when I said the doctor never came. She didn’t know where he was. She mumbled, “he must have forgotten.” No apology or explanation was offered. I wrote to Mr. Shapiro, the CEO of HSS to express my concerns about my experience in Dr. Cunningham’s office. They never addressed the fact that the doctor failed to appear. What’s more, they chose to twist the facts and said I opted to leave because I got tired or waiting. That’s not what happened. It’s shameful that Dr. Cunningham and HSS failed to take responsibility for their ineptitude. No apology or explanation was given.

I had spinal surgery and I'm so thankful I went to Dr. Cunningham and Hospital for Special Surgery. They took such good care of me and my back is great. I have no pain!

Dr. Cunningham is extremely impressive. He has a warm, open manner. He takes the needed time with a patient and answers questions thoroughly, thoughtfully, and clearly using lay terms and minimizing or explaining "medicalese." The office staff – Physician's Assistant, Office Manager, and Scheduler – are also extremely helpful and supportive. Dr. Cunningham takes a minimalist approach – do what is really needed yet not more. We quickly found that we trusted his judgment and insight. The surgery went very well and the after-care is top notch. He is supported by the Hospital for Special Surgery which along with Dr Cunningham focuses on patient-centric care. I recommend Dr. Cunningham with complete confidence.

Dr. Cunningham is the epitome of what a doctor is supposed to be. His surgical expertise,compassion and bedside manner is beyond compare. We were so fortunate to find Dr. Cunningham and I recommend him to anyone who is looking for the best orthopedic surgeon, he enabled my husband to walk again!

Dr Cunningham is the best doctor ever I have met. He is really professional and with great manner and sense of humor. English is not my fist language and there are a lot of medical terms that I can not understand and he explained them to me very clearly. I had very severe pain on my leg before and barely can walk. I did try various treatments and spent much money on it, but it became more and more painful. Right now after microdiscectomy from him,I am very satisfy with the result. Strongly recommend him for people who have lumber spine herniated disc.

My experience with Dr. Cunningham was remarkable. He was my surgeon for 2 microdiscectomys. I have never had a doctor who spent so much time with me to fully discuss all of the options and the implications of any decisions we made. His bedside manner is warm and personable. His office manager, Tina, is incredible and was on top of any scheduling and insurance issues. It is now 3 months after my second surgery. Three months ago I was in constant, excruciating pain and could barely walk 10 feet with the assistance of a cane. I am now back to all of my regular physical activities. I am swimming, canoeing, and playing frisbee with my kids! Thank you Dr. Cunningham!

Dr. Cunningham is great! He is definitely a specialist and the best in his field. He was very thorough and explained in detail to me my problem. He is the best!

Dr Cunningham spent an incredible amount of time with me during a consult for a microdiscectomy. He explained the MRI and how it correlated to my symptoms in detail, discussed the surgical option and how that would go, and answered all my questions and then some. most importantly, he let me know the decision for surgery was mine at this point - that I would be reasonable to do it or to wait depending on my comfort level. His staff is great as well - Tina definitely cares about Dr Cunningham's patients as much as he does. If I get the surgery, I'll post again after....

Dr. Cunningham is extremely caring! I would definitely recommend him. His office staff is great and also very caring and understanding!

Went there for a third opinion to decide for surgery or not. He explained everything thoroughly (spending one full hour with us) and ultimately recommended against surgery. I think it is the best experience I have ever had with any doctor visit. I would highly recommend him to anyone!

Dr.Cunningham helped accurately diagnose my chronic back problem and surgically treated me so that today, less than a year later, I am able to return to work In residential construction and resume my sports activities without pain. He was exceptional on his thoroughness and compassion and I would highly recommend him as a highly qualified doctor for problems with the spine.

Dr. Cunningham is awesome. He is one of the best doctors I have visited in a long time. If you need a spine surgeon, he is the doctor for you.

I appreciated Dr. Cunningham's attempts at finding non-surgical ways to treat my symptoms. I understand that he is a surgeon, and I have had other surgeons see me that were "quick to cut". Dr. Cunningham outlined treatment strategies, and so far my pain is completely resolved. He spent over an hour with me, and I appreciated the detailed and skilled diagnosis. I highly recommend Dr. Cunningham to my friends. He is the best!!!

i just recently had my initial visit with Dr. Cunningham, even though we waited 45 minutes, it was well worth the wait! I have been recently diagnosed with a severe case of scoliosis and have met with several Dr's that specialize in this area. Dr. Cunningham by far exceeded our expectations. He is an expert in this field with excellent bed side manners that explains everything in detail. He has a courteous staff.