Dr. Scott Patrick Wachhorst, MD

Short Version: Dr. Wachhorst is incredible at what he does; his skill entirely resolved my debilitating back pain stemming from a herniated L5-S1. I highly recommend him and his team. Long Version: I came to Dr. Wachhorst for a surgical consult in early 2021. I was 29 at the time and had been experiencing debilitating back pain since late 2019. I was an active person and found myself reduced from trail half marathons to ginger walks around the block. I was in a bad place. From the day I met him, Dr. Wachhorst instilled a sense of optimism and hope. He clearly and kindly walked me through my options, giving me his (very logical) perspective but never once pushing me towards one decision or another. I met with three other surgeons but felt most comfortable and confident with him to carry out my microdiscectomy. I would make this decision again a thousand times over. Dr. Wachhorst and his staff are highly competent and made me feel like I was in the best hands. After waking up from my surgery, my pain had entirely vanished. I was even able to go for a mile-long walk the day after. The delicate procedure left me with a 1" scar, which has healed beautifully and is barely detectable. I am now sitting here a little over a year after my procedure, still completely pain-free, writing this long overdue review. Thank you, Dr. Wachhorst, for giving me my life back. I have my first half-marathon in 4 years scheduled thanks to you, and I am just so grateful to be able to run, jump, and play again. You are very, very appreciated.

Dr Wachhorst, I will like to Thank you so much for the out standing surgery and very friendly team. The surgery went a lot better than I expected. Now I believed Dr Perkash said you are the best surgeon. Thanks Edwin Chan

I am so fortunate to be a patient of Dr Wachhorst. I had an acutely ruptured herniated lumbar disc. Dr Wachhorst squeezed me in for a consultation, despite a full schedule. His team at PAMF clinic as well as OR at ECH were also very helpful; none of them made me feel as if i was putting them out. I had urgent lumbar laminotomy with decompression of the nerve. Surgery was at 1030am, I was walking at 4pm and out of hospital at 7pm. Two weeks postop, my leg and foot symptoms are already improving; muscle strength is coming back, numbness is improved. i am so relieved and grateful!

just sharing my experience. He didn't spend time explaining my situation. He was very late in responding to emails.

THE best doctor ever

Removal of bone spurs between C4 - C5 cervical

I have had 2 surgeries with Dr Wachhorst. He was recommended to me by my Orthopedic Surgeon. When he came in for my recent neck surgery he was very chipper and it looked like he was looking forward to it. That was very comforting to me as he was going to be working on me for 6 hours and I wanted someone that enjoyed his work not someone that was just in it for the money. He did not push me to have the surgery and when I told him that I had had gotten a second opinion he told me that was an excellent idea. I have heard from others in the health care industry in the area that he is considered the best neurosurgeon in the area. His people skills may be somewhat lacking but he is an excellent surgeon which is what counts. I would recommend him to anyone that asks.

Dr. Wachhorst performed emergency surgery on me when I began exhibiting signs of drop foot after several rounds of epidural injections over a 3 year period. He jumped through hoops to get me into surgery quickly and when I woke up I could feel my foot for the first time in six months as well as a dramatic reduction in my other symptoms. He has always been very conservative about recommended procedures, potential outcomes and my options. I highly recommend Dr. Wachhorst.

First of all, I can't imagine who treated these patients, because it wasn't my surgeon. When I first came to Dr. Wachhorst, I was in such agonizing pain, I was non-functional. I could barely move and was not even able to eat or sleep. He did minimally invasive surgery on a severely herniated disc, and it was like a miracle had occurred (and I don't believe in them).Dr. Wachhorst got me in for an urgent appointment once he saw my MRI. He stayed later than usual that day (a Tuesday) even though it was his anniversary. He told me he'd do surgery on me that coming weekend (a Sunday). He and his former nurse, Shirley, then got me in on Thursday instead. So, life-changing surgery within 2 days of meeting the guy. And, he was so thoughtful, he even removed a splinter from my finger in addition to the actual procedure.I did reherniate my disc in the same location and had to have a second surgery a couple of years later. This was due to my overdoing things at work. I'd never trust anybody else to do back surgery on me.He couldn't be any more kind and pleasant, and he even gave me input on choosing another surgeon (for a totally different issue) when I requested it.True, the wait can be long, but I don't mind waiting for the best. I know he came through when I desperately needed help, so I'll cut him some slack in the waiting room.Also, he is a specialist, and his range doesn't tend to extend much beyond that. In other words, the focus will be on the reason you came to see him, and he'll send you back to your internist for any more general followup.He came highly recommended, and I can't count the number of success stories I've heard from other patients who also swear by him. Right after my first surgery, the nurse asked if it hurt too much to walk down the hall of the hospital. I looked at her like she was insane. "Are you kidding?! Not anymore. I haven't felt this great in months."

Dr. Wachhorst is absolutely the best there is. He may not be loaded with personality, but if I want a buddy, I'll call one of my friends. His technical skill and abilities are top notch, and I know what I'm talking about, since I am a health care professional with over 30 years of experience. Dr. Wachhorst has performed two surgeries on members of my family and both have had excellent results. He's the doctor's doctor, as many of the docs in the area self-refer to him.

He was an arrogant,aloof person. He may be the best in his field but really sucks at listening to and understanding the patients needs. He is a "Stiff" arrogant guy and when you mention something to him with normal everyday english language, he looks at you like your crazy and says... I'm not following you??? When he said that to me, I said you have to kidding me... My take is he wants you to be "clinical" when you speak to him. He would hardly describe the surgical procedure he would do. He is very condescending and can really care less about you as a person or a patient. He is there for the $$$$$$$$$$'s only. All I can say is good luck to the Doctor with the rest of his many years left to practice. Good thing he is with (PAMF)(SCMG)they will keep him in patients. Keeping that attitude will push patients away. Bad experiences usually travel very quickly by word of mouth. Stay away from this guy!

Post surgery I immediately realized there was nerve damage done during operation; complete numbness of 50% of front of leg, frequent electric shocks down leg into foot. None of these symptoms ever left - since 2005. Cannot hardly walk. Tried swimming, yoga... cannot do anything. I do not recommend this surgeon under any circumstances. He denied my condition over and over again in post-op appts, pinching my leg hard to show I at least have SOME feeling. Awful experience. He even forgot my name.