Dr. Steven Hughes, MD

Dr. Hughes is very professional and, at the same time, very personable. He explained everything about my condition thoroughly and was so pleasant that I felt at ease in asking questions, which he patiently answered. He never made me feel rushed. I highly recommend him.

My laminectomy was conducted on February 4, 2025 with excellent results resulting in my rapid recover. I highly recommend them and sincerely appreciate his work and his support team.

Probably a good surgeon, but not very customer focused. Very little eye contact, very little compassion, and very little explanations. Does not offer much information or discussion and does not answer many questions. First time I met him in his office he told me he was going to find answers to my problem never happened just told me I did not need surgery and sent me on my way this after numerous MRI's and Xray's. He had sent me to a pain specialist for an injection told me to keep a journal after receiving injection to give to him I copied it sent it via message in Patient Portal I can honestly say he did not read it???

Staff were all top notch and caring, which made Dr. Hughes’ haste, lack of concern and attention stand out all the more. I have never written a negative review of anything in my life, btw.

Dr. Hughes and his PA, Jennifer Leeman, performed a L3-S1 laminectomy and L3-L5 Spinal Fusion at INoVA Fairfax Hospital. They have been awesome. They continuously answer all my questions via MyChart and at two weeks out of surgery, I am back to walking without the pain I had been suffering from the last few years. I can’t recommend them enough. In fact, I am referring my son-in-law to them. Thank you so much to Dr. Hughes and Jennifer (PA). You given me my life back.

Dr. Hughes and his team performed surgery on my spine for my intractable sciatica pain. He was very gentle (great "bedside manner"), clear and thorough in describing what my operation would entail. The actual surgery was carried out at Fairfax Hospital and the entire team was so professional and competent. Dr. Hughes told me that my pain would be gone immediately after the operation, and he was correct- literally no more pain. I was able to return to my regular activities very soon afterwards. If anyone suffers from sciatica that does not respond to Physical Therapy or other similar therapies, I strongly recommend that you contact Dr. Hughes at OrthoVirginia to see if he can help you. You will not regret it.

Probably a great surgeon, but not very customer focused. Very little eye contact, very little compassion, and very little explanations. Does not offer much information or discussion and does not answer many questions. Instead shows a picture of what a completed surgery should looks like and provides a little sheet with a website for the patient to get the information. Must be a good doctor, there are lots of patients coming to see him. He saw me 1 hour after my appointment.

Dr. Hughes was over half an hour late to my scheduled appointment, not because he was running behind or with another patient, but simply because he had not arrived to work yet (office staff were very open about this, to their credit - I was his firs patient of the day). He had to be asked to put a mask on and treated it like a chore, then proceeded to rush through my appointment. He was dismissive of my pain and it was clear he wasn't really listening to me. I had to repeat myself many times throughout the appointment, and I did not appreciate that pain that has been absolutely debilitating to me was dismissed as normal. I was not given any information about my condition and he abruptly left the room without comment at the end. I understand that we all have off days, but this felt like a total lack of respect for my time. I waited several weeks for this appointment and will now have to wait over a month for an appointment elsewhere.

What I saw in the Vivian note is totally different from what he said . Let’s start by he didn’t even examine me. The notes showed I had OA but he never said it , he told me pinched nerve.

Dr Hughes, is very knowledgeable and made me feel confident about the medical decisions I will need to make. I do recommend him and the practice 100%

My first visit to OrthoVirginia was a positive experience. The facility was clean and spacious. The staff were all friendly, courteous and helpful. I appreciated the convenience of having X-rays taken just steps away from the Exam room. Dr. Hughes is personable and easy to talk to. He listened to my concerns and answered questions with clear, concise explanations. The Doctor seemed knowledgeable and confident in his surgical proficiency. I liked his conservative treatment plan and willingness to try other options before surgery. After meeting with Dr. Hughes, I cancelled a previously scheduled appointment with another spine specialist. I feel confident with my decision to work with Dr. Hughes.

He really took time to explain my back pain, prognosis and potential treatment as I get older. Told me I could contact him a questions, which I really appreciated. Great guy.

I am a 67 year old married male. My spinal stenosis had become so severe that I was in constant severe pain and could no longer walk normally. Dr Hughes took my case and performed surgery that gave me back the ability to walk and resolved the severe pain and numbness in my left hip, leg and foot. This successful surgery has vastly improved my life and I am have returned to taking long walks with my wife and dog again. Getting back my ability to walk is a priceless gift and I am extremely grateful to Dr Hughes and Ortho Virginia for having my back and getting me back on my feet! Thank you Dr Hughes!

Made an appointment with Dr. Hughes and waited over two months to see him for a painful neck problem. The day of the appointment I was cancelled so I had to reschedule for five weeks later. That appointment was also cancelled a week before it was scheduled. Now, more than three months have passed and I am back to ground zero. Pass on this doctor.

Dr. Hughes has been my spine doctor since 2006. I went to him after surgery on my lower back by another surgeon did not resolve the problem. Dr. Hughes was a breath of fresh air. He has the best beside manners. He was very personable and and did not rush our appointment. He too was not happy with what the previous surgeon did. He explained in layman's terms what exactly was wrong and what needed to be done. He explained what recovery would be like and he also understood my medical history so knew what needed to be watched out for (which are things not related to his specialty). Everything he shared with me was spot on. I knew what to expect from surgery and recovery. It was an successful and extensive surgery. He is know treating me for cervical stenosis. I am blessed to have him as a doc who looks at your overall health and pays attention to your medical history so he knows the best options for you. I would highly recommend Dr. Hughes. He is definitely one of the best!

Went to see Dr. Hughes for a second opinion on my shoulder. Dr. Hughes was very professional, direct, but also personable (not too common anymore). Was notably impressed with his knowledge, conciseness & clarity.

I had a great experience, very friendly staff, clean office. Dr. Hughes was very respectful, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. I highly recommend Dr. Hughes.

Dr. Hughes clearly read my file before our appointment. He was observant and noticed other issues before I raised them. He is amiable and listened to my issues. I feel confident in his medical expertise.

He is so professional, compassionate, knowledgeable yet very humble. He listens to your concerns rather than brushing you off. He’s also very very honest. Dr. Hughes is definitely the best orthopedic surgeon I’ve ever met.

Dr. Hughes is an excellent surgeon and his team provides thorough and top level care. He discussed my back/spine problem in understandable terms and provided realistic assessment of my options. The surgery was a complete success.