James F Zucherman, MD

I saw Dr. Zuckerman in 2007 a year prior to my double micro discectomy. After ten years of back pain, he recommend the usual less invasive methods over the year. They worked temporarily but my nerve pain returned (I’d tried some of them in the past, shots, PT). At one point my nerve synonyms were such that we decided it was time for my operation. Numbness at my butt and loss of full function in both legs (they felt like rubber). I was in surgery the next morning, it was Thanksgiving. I was his only case. I never saw him. He came in, on his holiday, to literally save my butt.
It’s nine years later and I haven’t had any nerve symptoms since.
Thank you Dr. Zucherman and team!!! The office was great, his colleagues were fantastic!

At the outset I want to say, this review is not meant to be hyperbolic or emotional. Simply factual. I was very dissatisfied with Dr. Zucherman and am going to another specialist.
I was referred to Dr. Zucherman for neck issues. A brief breakdown of my experience: Pre-​appointment I spent at least 45 minutes filling out many questionnaires, surveys, etc regarding symptoms. When I arrived at my appoinment, I brought in MRI images previously taken and I was directed to have x-​rays done. While waiting in my exam room, wearing an exam gown, an office lady (not in scrubs) walked in my room. She asked if I would be paying my co-​pay with cash, credit, or debit. I was floored. She said it was Dr. Zucherman’s procedure to get payment before he sees a patient. I have never encountered that and I was very surprised. While in my hospital gown, I found my wallet in my pants folded in the chair and gave the lady my card. It was unprofessional. At that point I felt like I wasn’t a patient, I was a customer.
Skip forward 30 more minutes of waiting, and in walks Dr. Zucherman. Upon entering he did not introduce himself. In fact, he seemed pre-​occupied, grumpy and annoyed. The first thing he said to me was «all you have is an MRI?» I replied, «Hi, no I got an x-​ray done for this appointment less than an hour ago.» He awkwardly walked out of the room. A minute later he came back in and began a 4-​minute lecture on neck anatomy (nothing specific to my symptoms or concerns). When I interrupted with specific questions about my case, he disregarded them and seemed annoyed that I would interrupt his speech. He then awkwardly checked my reflexes and gave me a referral to physical therapy, which I already had from my primary doctor. He didn’t ask me about my pain, he didn’t ask me about any of my responses on the many questionnaires, he didn’t ask me about me at all. He awkwardly walked out of the office, and I was left sitting there wondering if we were through. Literally. After a few minutes went by, I put on my clothes and walked out to find him sitting at a nearby computer. I asked, «are we done?» He blankly stared at his computer screen. I said, «I am not sure the way out of here, can you point me in that direction?» (Typical to doctor’s offices, the halls were somewhat of a maze so I didn’t know my way out.) He pointed the direction out.
As a physician, he’s not just treating a neck problem. He’s treating a human. Dr. Zucherman failed miserably at that. At best, he’s an old ass hole. At worst, he’s indifferent.

For every back problem in need of surgery there are many doctors all with their own opinions on what type of back surgery will solve your problem. Unfortunately, there are seemingly a lot of what I call old school orthopedic docs who sadly haven’t kept up with all the new techniques, many less invasive then the familar solution of fusion, these old school docs generally reccomend.
Dr. Zucherman is far from old school. He will explore all the possibilities with you because he is an expert on all the new less invasive types of back surgery. He even was instrumental in inventing and perfecting the X-​stop implant surgery, which he reccomended for me and it worked terrifically.
He is a straight shooter when discussing your possible solutions. He has no ulterior motives other then your back health and the best possible way for you to gain a healthy and pain free back.
If I could give him 10 stars I would. I haven’t a single reservation in giving him the highest reccomendation of any back specialist in the world. This is not just based on my experience with him, but many other patients I have talked to who have had Dr Zucherman heal their backs, after others have failed them.

Dr. Zucherman is one of the best spine surgeons in the country. Trust me. I researched it. I had 2 problems going on with my back, which made my case very complex. I was advised to keep meeting with spine surgeons until I got a consensus on what to do.
Not only did I ask the best of the best spine surgeons how to treat my back, I asked them who they would go to if they needed to be operated on. Dr. Zucherman was either #1 or #2 of every single spine surgeon, physical therapist, and pain doctor I talked to. Too many health care professionals to count! UCSF, Stanford and CPMC spine surgeons recommended him over their colleagues.
Due to his standing in the medical community, he is given access to the very latest technology. He participates in a lot of studies, and will tell you the truth about their effectiveness. He was affiliated with a company that makes hardware for spines, and he told me he wouldn’t use it if he were me. An honest man!
I’m so glad I went with an experienced doctor because I had complications during the double fusion surgery (due to osteoperosis). I can’t bear the thought of what would have happened if he didn’t possess the confidence to figure out a solution in the OR with my spine exposed. My surgery was a success btw!
Bring a book to your appointments because he may be busy dealing with someone else’s emergency in the hospital. If it were you having the emergency, you would want him to be the kind of doctor who would rush to your bedside even though his waiting room was filling up. Sometimes I wait less than 15 minutes.
Also be prepared to guide the conversation in the exam room yourself. He will answer every question, but he’s not a conversationalist. Very nice man but a bit of an awkward genius.
He’s definitely more Bill Gates than Steve Jobs. What they all have in common is they do their job for the love of it, not for the money. Dr. Zucherman sold one of his inventions for a g’zillion dollars, and he hasn’t changed or slowed down one bit.