I had been suffering with a trapped nerve in my back for 18 months which meant I could only stand for about an hour and I couldn’t sit in a chair. I was spending 70% of my day lying down. I had been off work all this time on universal credit (£80 a week). Four different doctors and two consultants said it was a muscle problem. NHS finally agreed to give me an MRI which clearly showed my L5/S1 disc was badly worn, the L5 vertebrae was arthritic and the vertebrae were rubbing together but still they told me it was a muscle problem. One consultant told me I was imagining my leg pain and said to buy a tennis ball and massage my muscle with it by pushing it into my back! I then went to a private hospital in Aberdeen, the consultant there was very arrogant and told me fusing vertebrae and replacing discs didn’t work. He said my problem would go away after a couple of years! This is when I found Mr Akmal! I did an internet search and while I was reading about The London Spine Clinic one of Mr Akmal’s team asked me via web chat if they could help. I briefly explained my back problem and arranged an appointment over the phone for the next day. I uploaded my MRI and Mr Akmal phoned me with his diagnosis. He gave me a fair and honest opinion and said I could take his diagnosis and get treatment elsewhere as I live 700 miles away. Mr Akmal said there was nothing left of my disc and needed an operation. After more fobbing off by the NHS I decided to get the surgery done by Mr Akmal. I flew from Orkney to London on my own on the Sunday, had the operation on the Monday. I went back to my accommodation 2.5 hours after the operation in a taxi. I went back for a check up by Mr Akmal on the Tuesday and flew home to Orkney on the Wednesday. The operation was for: Posterior Lumbar Decompression + Instrumented Fusion. I am so glad I chose Mr Akmal and The London Spine Clinic for this procedure. My whole experience from start to finish was amazing. All the staff were really friendly and helpful. Mr Akmal’s skill, experience and passion for helping people really shines through. The follow up appointments have been excellent. The whole experience was so laid back it doesn’t feel like I had major back surgery 18 days ago. My pain has completely gone. I walked 3 miles for the first time in 2 years the other day. I cannot put into words how this has changed my life! If you have back pain I cannot recommend Mr Akmal highly enough, he will give you an honest opinion and offer the best solution for your problem.

I have had back problems for years after an injury at work when I was in my early 20s. I have seen multiple doctors, osteopaths, chiropractors and even other surgeons but for 8 years I struggled on with no improvement, if anything the condition got worse. At times I would often have to stay in bed for a week or take a lot of pain killers to get through a working day when things would flare up. Dr Akmal and his team were patient and really listened to my history and condition. He was quick to see the problem from an MRI and suggested different options for my recovery starting with the least invasive with the hope this would work. Sadly we tried a few things which didnt work but I am glad we went through the process of ruling out lesser procedures first and also physiotherapy. In the end we made the decision that I should have a L4/L5 lumbar spinal fusion as a day case. I was very nervous about this as I really wanted to avoid surgery however Dr Akmal and the team talked me through everything and reassured me that the benefits could really be amazing and I have to say they were really right. It took a few weeks to let everything heal but within 2 months I could already feel the benefits and now after 5 months from the surgery I feel like a new person, I have my full mobility back, can still comfortably, lift things and move and exercise in a way that I haven’t been able to in years and all without the fear of further hurting myself. I really cant praise Dr Akmal and the team enough. He is patient, kind and understanding and really put me at ease and answered any questions and concerns I had. I would recommend anyone with back issues to consult with him as it really could change your life and I am so grateful.

My wife had been in severe back and leg pain for almost 3 months, we had tried going to A&E a few times to get help but all they did was keep giving her stronger pain killers and requested a scan which took 2 months to come through and was dated for a further month she was crying in pain and I had to literally carry her to the toilet and had to bath her I was left with limited choices I took her to Dubai for a quicker privately funded a MRI scan which showed her disc impairment and was advised laser back therapy treatment which did not help we came back to the uk, by this time she was in a wheelchair and completely reliant on myself which caused a lot of emotional stress along with having to see her cry all the time we then had some treatment in Sheffield which again did not help at this point I was sure she needed back surgery and the NHS wasn’t willing to help until they said she reached the peak of this problem and was told to dial 999 if her water works had stopped which I found even more worrying and pathetic I didn’t want to see my wife struggle or cry anymore so I searched up the best back specialists in uk and Mr Mo Akmal from Harley Street Hospital (HSH) came up he was available for an appointment the next day when we attended he reassured us by looking at her MRI scan report that she needed an operation but of course there was other cheaper treatments available to us to try before so I made it clear to DR Mo Akmal that money was no issue and we need the best treatment which was going to be having back surgery we was called back to HSH for an operation 2 days later DR Mo Akmal was amazing and provided the best reassurance and said “ she’s in a wheelchair but she will walk back out of here” I was jumping for joy my wife went in on a wheelchair and Alhamdulillah walked back out on her own 2 feet I just can’t thank DR MO AKMAL and his team at Harley Street Hospital the best place for treatment and the best care from the moment you enter their front door till you walk out 10/10

I was seen by Mr Akmal for a L4/L5 discectomy. One of the biggest hurdles with any medical treatment is being comfortable and surrendering to the process. Mr Akmal and his team are consummate professionals with a very human bed side manner and give you the reassurance you need. I initially reached out to Mr Akmal via email and within a few hours he responded and an initial consultation was booked. The team is welcoming from front desk through to admin, theatre staff and all support doctors. This is a reflection of Mr Akmal himself. Everyone had plenty of time and no question was too trivial. I never felt rushed in my pre operation appointments when Mr Akmal discussed all options and we jointly agreed on my discectomy. Given my pain level surgery was planned and I was booked within days of my initial consultation. I very quickly came to realise that I was not just a number as in no time everyone knew my name. The day of the procedure I had a full briefing by the theatre staff who kept me updated on the time that I would be taken to theatre, with a pre op visit by Mr Akmal. The patient pods were very comfortable and clean. I walked to theatre and again the staff alleviated any anxiety I felt. Mr Akmal was already in theatre. Post op the recovery team were wonderful ensuring that I was comfortable and provided a light refreshment. Mr Akmal came to see me two hours post op and I walked with him - pain free! The discharge was seamless and for the first few days the team called to check on me. Mr Akmal reviewed me in clinic two weeks post op and again had plenty of time for all my questions. I am now 5 weeks post op and healing well. The London Spine Unit delivered on all my expectations. A very seamless team and service. A big thanks to Mr Akmal, Dr Lok, Rola and the whole team for looking after me.

I was checking for recommendations on the best spine clinics in London, and the London Spine Unit came up. Without a doubt it is one of the best or I would say the best Spine Unit in London or even in the UK. I had the luck to be in the care of Dr Mo Akmal, which tried to find the best solution for my back issues and he did, I had surgery 2 weeks ago and it totally fixed my spine issue. I am pain free now and I can finally have a normal life with no pain at all, of course the care of the nurses and staff of the clinic very professional and very warm. Thank you for everything, I can't thank you enough for all the help given by the whole personal in the clinic.

Before treatment from Mo Akmal my quality of life was severely impacted by a herniated disc. Normally very active, I was bent double and could not walk, sit or stand for more than 15 minutes without chronic pain. I tried physiotherapy, a chiropractor and injections. The surgery Mr Akmal performed was miraculous. I walked out of theatre upright for the first time in 6 months and have not had any problems since. It has felt unbelievably good to finally have my life back. A simple walk down the street has become such a joy. This surgery was worth every single penny.

Mr. Akmal performed lumbar decrompression/discectomy surgery on my back on the 24th September 2020. I am very pleased with the results as prior to the surgery I was experiencing an agonizing pain in my lower back going down my hips and left leg which no amount of anti-inflammatory pills would relieve and also, my mobility was being restricted. I am now on the road to recovery and I only have a slight pain /stiffness in my back once in a while. Very glad I took Mr. Akmal's advice and went ahead with the surgery.

I have had severe lower back pain for a period of about 18 months which has very much restricted by ability to walk anything other than short distances. As a previously very active person this has been a major restriction on my lifestyle. Over this period prior to seeing Mr Akmal i had seen or received treatment from 3 other orthopedic surgeons. I of whom said nothing could be done and another who recommended major open surgery which included replacing the disc and locking two discs together. In my view and the view of the other consultants whilst the open surgery suggested might help the problem very short term, it would most probably put more strain on the other discs causing greater damage long term. In addition i was keen to avoid further major surgery at my age (76). Happily I found Mo Akmal, who takes a very cautious approach wishing to avoid major surgery, with all his treatments done in day care and generally under sedation rather than general anaesthetic. Initially he recommended targeted steroid injections, with the objectives of both diagnosis and of permanent benefit. Whilst i have had steroid injections in the past the relief if any has been temporary only. In this case the benefit was immediate and lasting as I was able to walk much further than before the procedure without pain. Mo Akmal then recommended a further procedure, Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression which is designed to dry up and shrink the disc reducing the impingement on the nerve, This took place together with further steroid injection in late September and i am very happy to say that the improvement has been remarkable. Whilst it is still early days, I am now able to walk 35 miles or so a week at least without any pain at the time or after. All nerve pain has disappeared and I have been able to stop completely all NSAIDs ( I was taking probably around 8 -10 a week previously). Mo has a delightful manner and at the same time is honest and straight forward. He and his team are highly professional and friendly. The whole procedure took about half an hour and I was out of the building half an hour later.

I recently had a Discectomy at the London Spine Unit in Harley street... the procedure was undertaken by Mr Mo Akmal and his team... I was suffering severe back pain and Sciatic nerve pain before the procedure and after just a few hours I left the unit without either problems.. the service and professionalism I received from Mr Akmal and his team was exceptional.

I had been suffering severe pain, discomfort and restricted movement for the best part of ten years (spinal stenosis) when I went to see Mr Mo Akmal for the first time. I had previously seen other specialists who described to me procedures that seemed rather primitive, with a long recovery period which I could not consider as I am self-employed and would have lost all my business given the time scales they were describing. The procedure described by Mr Akmal by contrast was fast, minimally invasive and with an expectation I would be back on my feet within a couple of hours, leaving the Hospital shortly afterwards. This is indeed what transpired and I was back home before I knew it. The key it seems is relaxing the right muscles during the procedure and crucially not administering a general anaesthetic, so that the body is still functioning normally of its own volition, although the patient is not aware of anything until it is over. I had the procedure on Monday the 26th of October and by Thursday I was able to walk 2.8 kilometres without pain and without stopping, this simple feat had been well out of reach for many years. I am now continuing to build my fitness and to enjoy a way of life that had seemed closed to me. I still pinch myself every day as this is nothing short of a miracle in my life and I am so very grateful to Mr Akmal and his very efficient and charming colleagues for this wonderful gift.