Web Reviews

We had a great experience with Doctor Michael Vitale and his team for my teenager daughter. She had a slight spinal curve and the doctor and team closely monitored its evolution during the months of my daughter’s grow spurt. He recommended for us to see a PT to address the issue via specific postural exercises and keeps seeing her every six months to make sure the curve was not worsening. I appreciated the non-invasive approach. Highly recommend. —Giovanna N.

I can’t sing Dr. Vitale’s praises highly enough. He’s a wizard.

My daughter needed scoliosis correction for an “S” curve in her thoracic spine of 59 degrees and 50 degrees. I spent a lot of time researching surgeons and treatments and ended up deciding Dr. Vitale was the best possible person for the job. This was based on his reputation in the field, memberships, positions, publications, reviews, and just from speaking with him and his staff. (His PA, Amber, is wonderful and attentive as well.)

At our initial visit Dr. Vitale told us to expect a correction of about 80%, meaning each part of her curve would go down to about 12 degrees. He explained everything fully—the procedure (spinal fusion with instrumentation), the recovery (painful but manageable), what flexibility to expect (slightly reduced but luckily a thoracic fusion doesn’t affect flexibility the way cervical or lumbar would), and what limitations to expect (no limitations to future sports or activities). We were scared of the idea of fusion but decided it was the right approach vs. tethering.

Dr. Vitale has an incredible bedside manner. He’s completely patient, answered every one of our questions, never seemed to need to be anywhere else even though I’m certain he had plenty of other patients to attend to. We saw him in-person twice before the day of surgery and several times just before and after, and every time we saw him he was the same calm, professional, soothing presence. He gave us plenty of time to make difficult choices. He was never in a hurry. He just felt present and focused—never rushing us, just there with us as we wrestled with one of the hardest decisions of our lives.

And then…the wizardry. He accomplished a nearly-100% curve correction. Her spine is STRAIGHT. We’re only a month out of surgery, so no long-term results to report on and she’s still in a lot of (to be expected) pain, but we never expected such complete correction.

He also works with a plastic surgeon who closes the incision, and the resulting scar is incredibly thin. I have no doubt it will heal well and be as invisible as one could hope a long scar could be.

We could not be happier with our choice of surgeon and recommend Dr. Vitale and his team without reservation. More than that, we’re immeasurably grateful to them for the care they gave our daughter. Not that we’d ever want this experience again, but we’d absolutely choose Dr. Vitale again if we needed to. —Sean D.

Dr. Vitale is brilliant, truthful, and an excellent Surgeon. He performed spinal fusion on my son at the age of 12. When I wasn’t sure if my son would have some normalcy with his life and activities. There came Dr. Vitale. My son, my family and I are very happy with the outcome. Truly, I wished we had met Dr. Vitale years before. There is so much more to say. So in ending…again, thank you, thank you Dr. Vitale and continue to keep up your excellent work and also thanks to your entire team!!! —Peta G.

Dr. Vitale, John Tunney, and team have been so wonderful throughout our 2 year journey! So knowledgeable, attentive and professional. We are extremely grateful to them and highly HIGHLY recommend! —Julia K.

From the very first consultation to the 6 week post-op visit after my 15 year old daughter’s scoliosis surgery, our experience was phenomenal. Everything was seamless. To the connnect site, preoperative visits, techs, nurses, PTs, every single nurse, doctor and team that interacted with me, my husband and daughter at Morgan Stanley Childrens hospital was spectacular. Dr. Vitale and his team are nothing but friendly, informative, reassuring, kind, patient and professional. Dr. Vitale and his OR team including anestesia, neurology and plastics took excellent care of my daughter before and after the surgery and did an amazing job correcting her curve and monitoring her. Plastics, PT and the pain management teams were also amazing after her surgery getting her up and around, ensuring her pain was minimal and her scar site healed beautifully. The communication was top notch and in fact because of her experience, she may now seek out a future career in physical therapy. She no longer has the pain she endured for the last few years and while she and we were scared, and the first couple weeks after were a little challenging, she says she would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I truly can’t say enough wonderful things and am so grateful for the new painfree life and confidence that has been given to my daughter. Thank you to Dr. Vitale and his entire team along with everyone at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital. This is why we chose to travel 2+hours….for the best all around care! —Markie P.

Dr. Vitale is an amazing Dr. We’ve been seem Dr. Vitale for my son, for so many years and we have a good experience with him and the staff. Dr Vitale, is kind, patient as well as very skilled. Also l want to mention a nice person from he staff Amber, she is so kind like Dr. Vitale. Always we remember them for been the type of professionals they are. —Flora P.

Dr. Vitale has treated my daughter for over 20 years first for tibial pseudarthrosis, then scoliosis. He is an amazing physician, surgeon and person. Dr. Vitale genuinely cares about his patients. He sees a whole person when treating your child and not just an injury/ ailment. He takes time to listen, answer questions and explains things in detail so both child and parent understand. He also is realistic and considerate of quality of like concerns with treatment and recovery. He works with a fabulous PA Amber, who is just as top notch in Ortho and is a wonderful person who also cares about their patients and families. Together they make an incredible team! I could go on and on about how much they did to get my daughter to where she is today and how much we appreciate Amber and Dr. Vitale. You will make the right choice for your child’s care by seeing Dr. Vitale! —Michele

Dr. Vitale is simply the best. There is no better surgeon in the northeast than him. Him and his staff are extremely accommodating and make the process before surgery very smooth. Would recommend him to anyone without hesitation. —Meredith U.

Dr. Vitale is an amazing doctor. When my daughters scoliosis started getting bad, we went through many options of doctors to go with for a spinal fusion. When we walked into Dr. Vitale’s office, we immediately felt comfortable. He took the time to sit down with us and answer all of our questions and gave us the best option. The staff and recovery team were amazing and we truly got the best surgeon and care that we could hope for. Amazing results. —Svitlana Z.

We’ve been using Dr Vitale for both our sons for many years and we have had all good experiences with the doctor and the staff. If you’re in need of an orthopedic specialist, especially with the spine, we highly recommend Dr Vitale. He is kind, patient as well as very skilled. —Maria B.

Dr. Vitale and his entire team are amazing! My 13 year old daughter had spinal fusion surgery (T-4 to L-3) on Jan 8, 2020 to correct her scoliosis and her pain. She has no pain right now and her posture is terrific. I would recommend him to anyone! —Laurie G.

Just had our one-year post op visit for a large lumbar fusion, T2-L4 for our 14-year-old daughter. Everything is great. Dr. Vitale, Dr. I, Amber and the entire staff at Columbia Morgan Stanley are second to none. Highly recommend. This is the place to be for scoliosis treatment, hands down. —Tommy D.

My son had severe scoliosis for years. Three years ago, Dylan had surgery with Doctor Michael G. Vitale. Dylan had a fast recovery without any problems. Doctor Vitale did an excellent job helping my son improve his quality of life. Doctor Vitale is very knowledgeable, caring and professional. —Leonardo M.

Dr. Vitale is the best pediatric orthopedist. My daughter had a severe scoliosis. I did an extensive research and found out that Dr. Vitale was the leader in scoliosis surgery. We made an appointment to see him and I noticed right away that Dr. Vitale is very knowledgeable and very kind and sincere. He performed a successful surgery on my daughter Brianna in March of 2018 and we are forever grateful to him. He’s not only the greatest pediatric orthopedic surgeon, he is a wonderful person too. He is so caring and compassionate. Kids love him. My daughter can’t wait for her follow-up appointments. We highly recommend Dr. Vitale to everyone. —Lyudmila M.

Dr. Vitale and his entire team are amazing! My 13-year-old daughter had spinal fusion surgery (T-4 to L-3) on Jan 8, 2020 to correct her scoliosis and her pain. She has no pain right now and her posture is terrific. I would recommend him to anyone! —Laurie G.

Dr. Vitale is an outstanding and experienced surgeon who puts the child and parents at ease. My 15-year-old son had scoliosis, and Dr. Vitale didn’t rush to surgery. He monitored my son for a year, until it was unavoidable to have surgery. He was patient (even when we weren’t), and caring. What I love about Dr. Vitale is the fact that he specializes in pediatric patients, understands their nuances, he speaks directly to them and LISTENS! They are treated as the most important person in the room, and he doesn’t discard their anxiety and feedback.

I know Dr. Vitale, from a clinical perspective, is the best at what he does. I am not a physician, but I know that spinal surgery of any kind is a delicate and complicated procedure. The care that my son received was exceptional. The protocol that Dr. Vitale and his team has in place, takes you on a journey of answering all your questions. They have taken into account the WHATS, THE WHERES and THE HOWS. All of your questions will be answered before and after the procedure. Their team is outstanding, Amber is his right-hand person, and she knows her stuff. I cannot say enough about Dr. Vitale’s surgical and nursing team. They were so attentive to my son, and when he left the hospital they armed us with everything we needed to transition to home care. They called, we called when we had questions and we were never left alone.

I strongly recommend Dr.Vitale! He is amazing or else I won’t leave such a long and detailed review. You will be in gifted hands! —Karen B.

I honestly cannot believe what an unbelievable group this is to work with… They tell you exactly what to expect and help in any possible way they can. —Victor Lascari

Performed a spinal fusion on me and changed my life.

He is bar none the best in his field. Knowledgeable and professional. And his experience is unmatched.

Dr. Vitale has treated my daughter for over 20 years first for tibial pseudarthrosis, then scoliosis. He is an amazing physician and person. My daughter has a difficult disease, but he never once gave up on getting her leg to heal, while maintaining her quality of life. Dr. Vitale genuinely cares about his patients. He sees a whole person when treating your child and not just an injury / ailment. He takes time to listen, answer questions and explains things in detail so both child and parent understand. He also is realistic and considerate of quality of like concerns with treatment and recovery. He works with a fabulous PA Amber, who is just as top notch in Ortho and is a wonderful person who also cares about their patients and families. Together they make an incredible team! I could go on and on about how much they did to get my daughter to where she is today and how much we appreciate Amber and Dr. Vitale. You will make the right choice for your child’s care by seeing Dr. Vitale!

Dr. Vitale and his team have provided amazing care for my 6-year-old son Craig, who was diagnosed with scoliosis several years ago. He is currently out of a brace and his spine continues to improve. My son actually looks forward to his visits with Dr. V (what he affectionately calls him at home) and his team. They are compassionate, patient, informative and knowledgeable. My wife and I could not be more happy with the care my son has received from the initial scary time of his diagnosis to his recent visits that have revealed unbelievably good news . I highly recommend Dr. Vitale.—Mark E.

Handled my son’s broken arm with care and ease. I highly recommend him!

Dr. Vitale is the best! My daughter has scoliosis, and we were coming from Philadelphia for about 5 or so years. Before that we had a very negative experience at CHOP. We are happy to have met Dr. Vitale! —Lisa

My daughter had her back surgery done by Dr. Vitale and his team, it was very successful . He made my family feel good and confident in the surgery. He answered all our questions and cleared the fear we had about what could go wrong with the surgery. My daughter gained her confidence back after her first consultation with Dr. Vitale who therapeutically explained everything in a very simple forms to my 10 year old daughter. His workers are all nice always ready and happy to answer questions, or direct you to who will answer your questions . I will recommend him any time, any day. —N.K.

The team is awesome so profundity to be NYP’s Number One Patient for Eleven Years!!! —Eleni

Dr Vitale and his entire staff are wonderful, caring and extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommend seeing Dr. Vitale for any orthopedic needs. He is an amazing Dr. and wonderful person. —Beth L.

Dr. Vitale has been caring for my daughter for nearly six years. He is the best there is and I wouldn’t dream of having my daughter treated by anyone else. —Danielle Z.

Dr. Vitale is thorough and puts our minds at ease. He is great with my daughter and is patient to answer all of our questions! —Dana C.

My daughter is back to playing varsity sports after a lumbar spinal fusion with Dr. Vitale. Thank you for getting her back to doing the things she loves to do!

Dr. Vitale is the best pediatric orthopedist! He is super professional, extremely knowledgeable and also a very caring person. I will definitely recommend Dr. Vitale to anyone looking for a fantastic orthopedist! —Elena E.

Dr. Vitale performed a spinal fusion on my 17 year old daughter. His expertise and encouraging demeanor inspired us with confidence. The operation went very smoothly. My daughter no longer suffers from pain and she feels that it was the right decision to have surgery. We are so grateful for Dr. Vitale and his team.

Dr. Vitale and his team are amazing! My 13-year-old daughter just had spinal fusion surgery (T-4- L-3) on January 8, 2020 to correct her scoliosis and her pain. She is feeling great and has no pain. Her posture is terrific! I would recommend him to anyone!! —Laurie

Dr. Vitale has a fantastic bedside manner, is very knowledgeable and corrected my daughter’s painful scoliosis. His staff is exceptionally kind as well.

Dr. Vitale performed spinal surgery to correct my 15 year old son’s scoliosis in July, 2019. The surgery was a success and my son is already playing basketball! It’s incredible. Dr. Vitale is an outstanding and talented surgeon, who is caring, patient and thorough. His excellent bedside manner relieves all the stress and anxiety for both his pediatric patients and their parents. I highly recommend him and outstanding staff. They don’t leave any stone unturned. Dr. Vitale is a first class surgeon and man. As a patient researching many doctors for such a delicate surgery, you have many choices, but stop your search with Dr. Vitale. You will not regret your decision. —Karen B.

My teenage son had spinal fusion from T2-L3 in 2017 and is doing great! Dr. Vitale did an amazing job—his posture is beautiful now, he has no activity restrictions, and he is pain-free. We would highly recommend Dr. Vitale and his staff!

I found Dr. Vitale to be amazing! My daughter’s Spinal Fusion surgery went wonderfully, and her curvature has been corrected to almost perfect. He is knowledgeable and experienced and we have recommended him to at least two other patients. —Rosemary B.

Dr. Vitale is an amazing human being and an incredibly talented surgeon. He really cares about his patients, their feelings and apprehensions. My daughter, Zara, is one of his patients. She was very against the surgery that she desperately needed for scoliosis. After meeting with Dr. Vitale she felt at ease and said to me on the way out of his office, “Dad, is it weird that I am looking forward to having this surgery?” The surgery was a great success and she has no limitations at all. Amazing! —Peter F.

Amazing doctor, great staff. Worth the wait to see them. From the first visit with our daughter I knew we were in the best hands. Wouldn’t recommend anyone else. —Mastroeni

Dr. Vitale is an incredible Doctor and surgeon! The surgery he performed on my daughter’s back was incredibly successful! She is perfect and JUMPING HORSES thanks to Dr. Vitale! —Jessica

We have been patients of Dr. Vitale for the past 8 yrs. Our experience in the office, whether it be to schedule appointments, checking in with Isabelle, meeting with Anne for our initial office check and notes, conferring with Amber about our current situation and for follow-ups, scheduling surgeries with Aida or consulting with Dr. Vitale, has been nothing but stellar. Dr. Vitale is an expert in his field yet remains conservative with treatment. He spends as much time as needed with us each visit. —from patient in New Jersey

Dr. Vitale and his team are caring and thorough. His team works to ensure my son’s comfort and ease during each appointment. I have not experienced the same level of care with any other doctor. —Mike

Dr. Vitale has treated my daughter for over 20 years first for tibial pseudarthrosis, then scoliosis. He is an amazing physician and person. My daughter has a difficult disease, but he never once gave up on getting her leg to heal, while maintaining her quality of life. Dr. Vitale genuinely cares about his patients. He sees a whole person when treating your child and not just an injury/ailment. He takes time to listen, answer questions and explains things in detail so both child and parent understand. He also is realistic and considerate of quality of like concerns with treatment and recovery. He work with a fabulous PA Amber, who is just as top notch in Ortho and is a wonderful person who also cares about their patients and families. Together they make an incredible team! I could go on and on about how much they did to get my daughter to where she is today and how much we appreciate Amber and Dr. Vitale. You will make the right choice for your child’s care by seeing Dr. Vitale!

I saw Dr. Vitale after having 3 spinal fusions that were all failed fusions. Dr. Vitale knew exactly what the problem was and what needed to be done. He worked with Dr. Lehman, and they did my surgery together, and it was successful! He checked in on me and actually spoke to me on the phone many times (since I do not live locally). Very kind and knowledgeable! —Self-verified patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale 

After seeing the Doctor and his staff, and how many patients they treat, and how WELL they treat all of them—I’d wait three hours if it was necessary. Unbelievable staff. Never been involved in a medical practice that runs this smoothly and has so many truly kind and knowledgeable people who actually do what they say they are going to do. Thank You!!! —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

Dr. Vitale has been an excellent doctor to both my boys. My boys have a skeletal disorder and bowing of the long bones of the arms and legs. I saw many orthopedic doctors but none wanted to help. When I met Dr. Vitale, he was very informative and confident. Both my boys have been operated on by Dr. Vitale, and the procedures have been very successful. I cannot thank Dr. Vitale enough for giving my boys the chance to be independent and helping them to lead a normal life. I would definitely recommend Dr. Vitale. —Self-verified Patients of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

Dr. Vitale has treated my daughter for over 13 years. Without his dedication and progressive approach to treatment, she would have lost her right leg. Dr. Vitale genuinely cares for his patients’ well being and quality of life. He has excellent bedside manner and is very patient with children of all ages. He takes the time to explain things to children, on a level they can understand. Even when topics such as surgery have come up, he has always been able to talk to my daughter in a manner that made it less frightening. On surgery days, my daughter and our family have always felt a level of comfort knowing she is in the best hands. Dr. Vitale is always on top of the newest and best treatment modalities even for the most rare conditions. He also always takes the time to answer all of our questions. my daughter would not have the productive, active life she has without Dr Vitale. I cannot say enough positive things about him, his PA, Amber, and the entire office and hospital staff. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

We love Dr. Vitale. He is the best at what he does, very progressive in his approach, and is wonderful with our daughter as well. We are so thankful that we are under his care. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale 

We were very happy with the care my daughter received from Dr. Vitale and his staff. We were not expecting to have to undergo scoliosis surgery, but when we realized that it was necessary, we moved ahead with confidence. Members of his staff scheduled the necessary pre-op tests, bloodwork, etc. for us; and since we were coming in from Long Island, they made sure our appointments were all in the same day and well spaced apart. The surgery itself went very well. Dr. Vitale personally came out afterward to assure us that our daughter was fine and that the surgery was a success. During our hospital stay, we were well attended by the doctor, his residents, a pain management team, the anesthesiologists, and physical therapists.

We were given clear instructions when we were sent home, and any questions that arose were answered through the patient portal within a day or so via email. The 10 day and 5 week followup appointments were conducted with the same efficiency and caring as was our first. The prospect of surgery is very daunting, but Dr. Vitale and his staff made the experience go so smoothly. We are very happy to recommend his expertise to anyone. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

Dr. Vitale took such excellent care of my daughter. He was very patient with me and wonderful to my daughter. I am truly happy that we found Dr. Vitale and extremely grateful for his genuine compassionate care and concern. I have recommended him over and over again within our support group! Also, I rave about him to our pediatrician so that he knows that Dr. Vitale is the right choice for his orthopedic referrals. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

My daughter has been a scoliosis patient of Dr. Vitale for five years. We had seen three other orthopedic surgeons for opinions, but we chose Dr. Vitale because—besides being a leader in his field—he is always so kind and patient. I have recommended him to numerous families, who are just as happy him. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

Dr. Vitale is a leader in his field and dedicated to helping children. He is approachable, kind, amazing with kids. In addition to being an excellent surgeon, he is often asked to travel all over the world to share his ground breaking research/perspectives with other leading orthopedics. We wouldn’t go to anyone else or recommend anyone else. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

My daughter had 2 surgeries with him, and he is excellent. Would recommend him for peds—great bedside manner with kids. —Self-verified Patient of Dr. Michael G. Vitale

My daughter just had her one year post op visit for a fusion of a large lumbar curve T2-L4. She is doing great, cannot say enough good things about the entire hospital, the post op experience, Dr. Vitale and Amber. This is is the place to be for scoliosis and treatment. —Carmen N.

Great pediatric orthopedic surgeon and a nice guy! —Jane L.

Dr. Vitals makes you feel very comfortable. He explains everything and makes things clear. I am 6 months post-op and I have never felt better. A friend of mine recommended me Dr. Vitale and seeing how great he was doing made me without hesitation make an appointment. This is my friend and I enjoying our CTEC graduation. We are happy to share a great doctor! —Nahomy T.

Dr. Vitale is the best pediatric orthopedic surgeon. He operated on my daughter who had a severe scoliosis. Her back looks nice and straight now. Dr. Vitale’s surgical skills are superior. We will be forever grateful to him. We highly recommend Dr. Vitale to everyone. Thank you so much Dr. Vitale! You are a great surgeon and an amazing person!  —Lyudmila M.

Dr. Vitale operated on my 15-year-old daughter in October. From the very first visit my husband, daughter and I were very comfortable talking to Dr. Vitale. One of the things that impressed me about Dr. Vitale was that he talked to my daughter directly about the surgery and treated her with respect. He discussed with her any concerns she had about the operation and took his time answering her questions. As a result, on the day of the operation my daughter was not anxious or fearful. His office staff were a great help arranging the surgery, which made the admission process seemless. My daughter’s operation was a success, and her recovery went extremely well. I believe that Dr. Vitale is a compassionate doctor and really cares about his patients. —Donna F.

Dr. Vitale has treated my daughter for 18 years. His expertise and compassion are like nothing I have seen before. Dr. Vitale treats the whole person and not just a disease or injury. He utilizes the best treatment options, while taking into account his patients’ quality of life. Without a doubt, Dr. Vitale genuinely cares about his patients. My daughter would not be the active, strong person she is today without Dr. Vitale. —Michele D.