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