| Today spine surgery can be performed by | | | | and certainly in academic (university-based) |
| either a neurosurgeon or an orthopedic | | | | neurosurgery departments, there are some |
| surgeon. There is an emerging field of | | | | neurosurgeons that specialize in brain |
| "spine surgery" that incorporates both | | | | surgery and do very little spine surgery. In |
| specialties. Although not currently the case, | | | | these settings, they will have a colleague |
| in the future, there may be a well-defined | | | | who specializes in spine surgery. |
| medical specialty of "spine specialists" | | | | |
| defined by its own board certification. | | | | Orthopaedic Surgeon Training |
| Neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons get | | | | |
| their board certification from two different | | | | All orthopedic surgeons are also exposed to |
| places. A neurosurgeon will seek | | | | spine surgery during their four or five year |
| certification from The American Board of | | | | training program. Some orthopedic residencies |
| Neurological Surgery and an orthopedic | | | | are at institutions where there are one or |
| surgeon will seek their certification from | | | | more orthopedic surgeons who specialize in |
| The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. | | | | spine surgery. At these institutions, |
| Currently there is no certification process | | | | orthopedic residents in-training may be |
| that recognizes The American Board of Medical | | | | exposed to a volume of spine surgeries |
| Specialties. One of the most important | | | | comparable to many neurosurgery programs. In |
| things that a patient can do is make sure | | | | some orthopedic training programs, the |
| that their doctor is certified by the proper | | | | emphasis is on trauma or joint surgery or on |
| board to make sure that their doctor has met | | | | sports medicine. As in neurosurgery, some |
| the highest standards set by his or her | | | | orthopedic surgeons who wish to specialize in |
| peers. | | | | spine surgery and gain further training may |
| | | | pursue a post-graduate (after residency) |
| Neurosurgeon Training | | | | fellowship in spine surgery. |
| | | | |
| All neurosurgeons trained in the United | | | | Both Can Specialize in Spine Surgery |
| States (and many places abroad) gain | | | | |
| experience in the diagnosis and nonsurgical | | | | Many years ago your choices were limited but |
| and surgical treatment of spinal disorders | | | | today there is a large number of orthopedic |
| during a six or seven year residency training | | | | surgeons and neurosurgeons who specialize in |
| program (after medical school). When | | | | spine surgery. More and more, we are |
| physicians graduate from an accredited | | | | referring to each other as "spine surgeons" |
| neurosurgery training program, they usually | | | | as the distinction between us is becoming |
| have assisted in many hundreds of spinal | | | | nonexistent. Both neurosurgeons and |
| procedures. If they wish to gain even more | | | | orthopedic surgeons specializing in spine |
| advanced training, they may elect to do a | | | | surgery are skilled in taking care of disc |
| post-graduate fellowship in spine surgery. | | | | herniations, disc degenerations, spinal |
| This intensive, focused training is typically | | | | stenosis, fractures of the spine, slippage of |
| one or two years after residency training. | | | | the spine (spondylolisthesis), scoliosis, |
| Though most patients think of neurosurgeons | | | | bone tumors of the spine, etc. For younger |
| as "brain surgeons", it may be interesting to | | | | patients, there is a subset of spine |
| know that the majority of operations | | | | specialists that is devoted to the pediatric |
| performed by neurosurgeons across the country | | | | patient (usually defined by patients below |
| are spine surgeries. In large group practices | | | | age 15 or so). |