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