Description of Clinical Expertise

My practice includes all types of degenerative spine diseases, spine trauma, spine tumors, and spine infections. I further specialize in complex adult deformity spine surgery. This includes scoliosis surgery, thoracic kyphosis surgery, and flat back surgery (hunched forward posture). These are inherently complex cases with previous multiple failed back surgeries that left the patient with malalignment and inability to stand up straight in general. Patients with these conditions usually complain of severe back pain and severe extremity pain, weakness, and numbness. These patients usually also have problem with horizontal gaze as they are fixed spine malalignment forces them to look down to the ground. Trying to stand up straight requires spending enormous amount of muscular effort which results in severe fatigue back pain.
Correcting such deformity usually involves 360° approach the spine including anterior spine surgery through the abdomen, lateral spine surgery through the flanks, and posterior spine surgery. The anterior and lateral parts usually involve using the disc space to insert corrective spacers to restore the alignment of the spine through soft tissue release and distraction of the collapsed disc spaces. The posterior part usually entails insertion of instrumentation such as screws and rods as well as performing controlled breakage of the posterior spine bones (what is called osteotomies). The end result is restoration of the normal upright alignment of the spine and allowing the patient to stand up straight which results in significant improvement of the back pain, extremity pain, and a better quality of life.
These types of spine deformity correction can be performed in the lumbar spine, thoracic spine, or cervical spine. It can even sometimes span the entire spine with all 3 regions.

The interesting thing about adult deformity surgery that it can be tailored to every individual patient. Some patients benefit from minimally invasive correction via intervertebral body spacers from anterior, and/or lateral approaches with minimally invasive posterior screw placements through many incisions in the back. This technique restores the spine alignment and at the same time preserve bones, muscles, and ligaments of the spine allowing for better short and long-term recovery, as well as decreasing the chances of needing more surgery in the future. Other patients necessitate a conventional open approach to correct previously failed spine surgeries and restore the alignment and quality of life.