One of the ironies of suffering from back pain is that so many who do have to drive two hours each way to see a well-respected surgeon. No one likes traffic, but when you're bumper to bumper while coping with an excruciating compressed disc, life can seem... a little unfair.

One of the highest-trained neurosurgeons in So Cal, Dr. Kapil Moza's premier practice is known far and wide as the best available, with clients often flying in from out of state for consultations and surgery. Lucky for Santa Claritans, though, is that we don't need to board a plane or even get on a freeway for an appointment with the board-certified surgeon.

"Santa Clarita is a special place for many reasons, but especially when it comes to spine surgeons. SCV residents are lucky because they have options. That's one of the reasons I wanted to practice here; this is a community that values choice and expects the best," says the Patients' Choice top-ranked neurosurgeon.

Dr. Moza, who was named a 2014 Vitals Top 10 Doctor Award, which is presented to only 1 percent of all national practitioners, has spent his coveted career building a reputation for surgical success and patient satisfaction. Comprehensive care is his guiding philosophy; he evaluates each patient as a unique individual to ensure that more conservative, non-surgical treatments are attempted prior to surgery. By connecting with his patients and gaining a full understanding of their medical history, Dr. Moza ensures that he can carefully reach a truly-accurate diagnosis, referring to trusted pain management programs or physical therapy when possible. If these treatments prove ineffective, then surgery is discussed. There are exceptions to this, of course, like when a person displays an acute motor function loss. Unfortunately, these patients most often require quick surgical treatments to prevent any additional loss of movement.

"Quick" is the operative word there, of course. When you're in serious pain, you don't want to wait to see a specialist. "Everyone who walks through the office door is treated like family," says Dr. Moza. "Every need is treated like an urgent one." His patients agree. Theresa Murphey wrote on Vitals.com on May 29, 2015: "Dr. Moza was able to see me the day I called his office, which was amazing since the other doctors I had contacted had two to three week waits even though ... my diagnosis was time sensitive. He explained what needed to be done in a clear and concise way and I felt confident that he was the best choice to perform my surgery. The morning of my procedure I was amazed by the support team that was present to make sure I would have a successful outcome. I am so grateful to Dr. Moza for taking such good care of me."

Convenience and compassion are two very good reasons to select a surgeon, but what it really comes down to is the efficacy of the procedure. Dr. Moza's rates of surgical infection are near zero and substantially lower than regional, state and national averages. Also essential: recovery time is much quicker, with the vast majority of patients released from the hospital in 23 hours or less and all of them back to their desired state of movement within a very short period. It all comes down to Dr. Moza's innovations in the field of minimally-invasive surgery. An anonymous reviewer on Vitals.com on
May 17, 2015 summarizes it like this: "I had a great outcome after my minimally-invasive back surgery. I initially saw an orthopedic 'spine' surgeon ... who recommended a three-level back fusion. I was unsure of this so sought a second opinion. Dr. Moza listened to me and went over all my studies and explained why a fusion was not necessary, as the other doctor had recommended. I went ahead with his expert recommendation and underwent a minimally-invasive procedure that avoided fusion and was home the same day with no pain and now have even more mobility after surgery than I did before. I'm so happy I avoided fusion and that I was fortunate enough to have Dr. Moza as my surgeon. He is number one!"

"I'm always happy to provide a second opinion," says the neurosurgeon. "A substantial proportion of my patients are individuals who either desire a second opinion or are hoping to improve upon a previous surgery that did not have the desired results. My ultimate purpose is to help people live a pain-free life."
Dr. Moza's Santa Clarita office is conveniently located in Valencia. 805-497-3622