10 Best Spine Surgeons and Spine Hospitals | Top Doctors (2023)

FAQs

Which hospital is best for spine? ›

Eisenhower Medical Center has won: America's 100 Best Spine Surgery™ (2022, 2021, 2020) Patient Safety Excellence Award™ (2022, 2021)

Orthopedic surgeons may be Medical Doctors (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) who have completed a five-year surgical residency focused on the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. Orthopedists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of almost all bone and joint disorders, such as: Spinal disorders.

You might be referred to a doctor who specializes in disorders of the nervous system (neurologist). Depending on how severe your symptoms are, you may also need to see a spinal surgeon (neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon).

Fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons are equally qualified. However, the main difference is in training. A neurosurgeon is trained to treat conditions of the brain and spine, while an orthopaedic spine surgeon specializes in treating the spine.

Professor Arun Ranganathan, world-renowned spinal surgeon.

University of California San Francisco Medical Center led U.S. News & World Report's 2021-22 rankings for best hospitals for neurosurgery and neurology.

While an orthopedic surgeon is a better choice if you need a new hip, knee, shoulder, or have a severely broken bone, anything related to the spine is best treated by a skilled neurosurgeon. If you have a back issue or severe back pain, seek out a neurosurgeon for their evaluation and diagnosis for proper treatment.

Neurosurgeon. (spine surgeon) MD. Neurosurgery is a medical specialty that focuses on diagnosis and both surgical and nonsurgical treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system. Neurosurgeons provide surgical or nonsurgical care for neurological disease or injury.

Neurosurgeons are involved in preventing, diagnosing and treating disorders of the brain, spine and nerves.

Interspinous spacers are a new approach to treating spinal stenosis that work gently and in a targeted way by opening the spinal canal to create room and reduce pressure on crowded nerves. A spinous process is the part of your vertebra that projects backward from your vertebral arch.

How long can you live with spinal stenosis? ›

Hennenhoefer says you can live a normal life with a spinal stenosis diagnosis and can work on improving your mobility and comfort. "Unfortunately, nothing can stop the progression of spinal stenosis, since it is due to daily wear and tear," said Dr.

Risks from surgery for spinal stenosis include damage to the nerves, tissue tears, chronic pain, and trouble passing urine. You may not be able to go back to all of your normal activities for at least several months. There is a chance that surgery might not relieve your symptoms.

Classically neurosurgeons provide treatment for brain problems and orthopaedic surgeons provide treatment for problems associated with the spinal column and the limbs. Orthopaedic surgeons who specialize in spine surgery are usually known as spine surgeons.

Both neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons specializing in spine surgery are skilled in taking care of disc herniations, disc degenerations, spinal stenosis, fractures of the spine, slippage of the spine (spondylolisthesis), scoliosis, bone tumors of the spine, etc.

The most common cause of spinal stenosis is wear-and-tear changes in the spine related to arthritis. People who have severe cases of spinal stenosis may need surgery. Surgery can create more space inside the spine. This can ease the symptoms caused by pressure on the spinal cord or nerves.

One study estimated the success rate for back surgeries to be about 50%. This estimate is conservative, as most success rates depend on a wide variety of factors. Your health, specific surgery, source of pain and any surgery complications influence whether or not your procedure will be effective.

Most individuals who undergo a spinal fusion surgery end up qualifying for SSDI benefits through a residual functional capacity (RFC) assessment. An RFC will document your ability to perform certain tasks, such as lifting and walking.

Depending on the location and extent of your surgery, you may experience some pain and discomfort but the pain can usually be controlled well with medications. After you go home, contact your doctor if you exhibit signs of infection, such as: Redness, tenderness or swelling.

What is the best neurological hospital in the US? ›

Top ranked

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, rank among the Best Hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery in the U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals rankings.

The doctor will often recommend physical therapy, lifestyle changes, and rest. Neurologists also encourage techniques like chiropractic care or biofeedback therapy. If the pain persists, medication, and steroid injections come next. With consistent work, acute back pain can clear up.

Neurosurgeons typically specialize in procedures such as minimally invasive spine surgery and other complex microsurgical procedures for conditions that affect the nerves within the spine.

A physician will refer their patient to a spine surgeon if and when: A patient has acute or chronic pain in the back or neck. An injury that affects the back, neck or parts of the nervous system. A person suffers from a degenerative medical condition that affects the bones, muscles or nerves along the length of the ...

A neurologist, or physician who specializes in the nervous system, is the best person to manage severe sciatica. Your primary doctor may refer you to a specialist in such cases.

Neurologists provide medical, but not surgical, treatment of diseases affecting the brain, spine and nervous system.

Spinal decompression and fusion: It is the most common spine surgery performed in the U.S., and it's performed to take pressure off of “pinched” nerves and/or the spinal cord and to stabilize the spine.

Back surgery can carry higher risks than some other types of surgery because it is done closer to the nervous system. The most serious of these risks include paralysis and infections. Even with a successful surgery, the recovery time can be long.

What is the latest treatment for spinal stenosis 2022? ›

The Vertiflex procedure for spinal stenosis (also called the Superion® implant) is a new way to increase the space between the vertebrae — space that may collapse as spinal stenosis progresses. This new procedure uses a small spacer inserted between the spinous processes (those bumps you can feel on your back).

Managing Spinal Stenosis Without Surgery

Pinched spinal nerves may cause pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness in the back and extremities. Though nonsurgical treatments won't change the structural component of spinal stenosis or remove the “pinch” on your nerves, they may help improve your symptoms.

Having good posture and practicing proper body mechanics are some of the best ways to prevent stenosis from progressing and to ensure the health of your back. Good posture and body mechanics should be practiced all the time—whether you're sitting, standing, lifting a heavy object, or even sleeping.

Corticosteroid Injections

The medication used is a combination of corticosteroids and a local anesthetic, which together reduce inflammation in the spinal canal and relieve pain. At NYU Langone, pain management experts use live video X-rays to guide the needle and precisely target the area of stenosis.

You'll be encouraged to walk and move around the day after surgery and it's likely you'll be discharged 1 to 4 days afterwards.

Sciatica is a nerve-related condition, making a neurologist a go-to specialist to visit when getting to the root of sciatica symptoms.

Results: Between 2012 and 2017, the total number of spine surgeons in the United States increased by 9.6% from 3,861 to 4,241 total surgeons. The South experienced the largest percentage increase in spine surgeons from 1,584 surgeons in 2012 to 1,769 in 2017 (11.7%).

What will a neurosurgeon do on first visit? ›

During your visit, the neurologist will examine your brain and nerve functioning. This may include checking your cognitive ability, speech, vision, strength, coordination, reflexes and physical sensations. We may also order or conduct imaging tests and other screenings during your first visit.

Eisenhower Medical Center has won: America's 100 Best Spine Surgery™ (2022, 2021, 2020) Patient Safety Excellence Award™ (2022, 2021)

Orthopedic surgeons may be Medical Doctors (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) who have completed a five-year surgical residency focused on the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. Orthopedists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of almost all bone and joint disorders, such as: Spinal disorders.

When spinal stenosis progresses to the severe stage, that means there has been substantial narrowing of the spinal canal. This can occur due to several different factors, but is most commonly caused by degeneration of the discs, vertebrae and spinal ligaments.

The two diagnostic imaging tests that are commonly used to diagnose lumbar spinal stenosis are computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Both will show the narrowing of the spinal canal.

A pinched L5 nerve root usually results in radiating pain in the foot. This pain can come in the form of numbness, tingling, weakness and shooting and is commonly felt in the big toe, inside of the foot, top of the foot and ankle. Radiculopathy of the L5 nerve may also cause loss of coordination in the foot and toes.

Depending on the condition the surgery is treating, spinal fusion has a 70 to 90% success rate.

Risks of lumbar decompression surgery

infection at the site of the operation, or in rare cases an infection elsewhere. a blood clot developing in one of your leg veins, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT); in rare cases, the clot can dislodge and travel to the lungs, causing a serious problem called a pulmonary ...

How much is a spinal fusion operation? ›

For patients not covered by health insurance, a spinal fusion, typically used to treat conditions such as a slipped vertebrae or other spinal instability, typically costs between $80,000 to $150,000 and sometimes even higher!

The North East and Yorkshire is the best NHS region for healthcare, with 16 locations ranking in the top 20.

There was an overall 80% fusion rate for all patients who underwent anterior lumbar fusion at L5-S1. Average age was 34 years, with average length of disability from low-back pain of 11 months.

As with all types of surgery, there's a risk of dying during or after lumbar decompression surgery, although this is rare. A blood clot, a bad reaction to the anaesthetic and blood loss can all be life-threatening.

Incorrect Procedure or Diagnosis

An incorrect diagnosis is one of the most common causes of a failed back surgery. For example, arthritis of the spine may be diagnosed as lumbar disc disease. Surgeons have different ways to determine the cause of your back pain. Some may order several imaging tests.

A syndrome in L5-S1 disc herniation with sexual and sphincter dysfunction without pain and muscle weakness was noted. We think that it is crucial for neurosurgeons to early realise that paralysis of the sphincter and sexual dysfunction are possible in patients with lumbar L5-S1 disc disease.

A wide-reaching innovation, endoscopic spine surgery has the promise to transform the lives of patients with spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, and disc herniations. Endoscopic spine surgery has unleashed the new potential for faster, safer, and more effective surgical recoveries.

damage to a spinal nerve, which can cause weakness, pain, and bowel or bladder problems. additional stress on the bones adjacent to the fused vertebrae. persistent pain at the bone graft site.

How long is recovery after spinal fusion? ›

You may have trouble sitting or standing in one position for very long and may need pain medicine in the weeks after your surgery. It may take 4 to 6 weeks to get back to doing simple activities, such as light housework. It may take 6 months to a year for your back to get better completely.

The Problem

Although more than 50% of primary spinal surgeries are successful, no more than 30%, 15%, and 5% of the patients experience a successful outcome after the second, third, and fourth surgeries, respectively [¹²].