10 Best Neck Surgeons For Patients with Neck Pain in 2023
When considering surgery for your neck injury, choosing the right surgeon for your specific injury is critical in achieving pain relief and minimizing complications. It is essential to understand that the surgeon you choose will significantly influence the quality of treatment you will receive.
To help you find the best neck surgeon for you and your procedure, in this article, we’re covering what you should consider when choosing a neck surgeon and 10 of the best neck surgeons in the country.
10 Best Neck Surgeons To Consider
1. Dr. Ara Deukmedjian
Location:
Deuk Spine Institute, Spyglass Hill Rd, Melbourne, FL 32940
Experience: 24 years + experience
About Surgeon:
Dr. Ara Deukmedjian is a renowned neuro-spine surgeon and a true pioneer in minimally invasive, laser, and endoscopic back, neck, and thoracic pain treatment. He has extensive experience, has performed more than 2,000 cervical decompressive discectomies, treated more than 1,000 herniated or degenerated lumbar discs, and performed more than 1,300 laser spine surgeries.
Dr. Deukmedjian is the founder of Deuk Spine Institute, where he developed his revolutionary laser procedure called Deuk Laser Disc Repair.
Deuk Laser Disc Repair is a minimally invasive spinal surgery, a modern alternative to spinal fusion surgery and artificial discs. It has a higher success rate than traditional spinal surgery at 95%, with fewer complications, a quicker recovery period, and does not weaken the spine. This incredible surgery is available to anyone with back, neck, or thoracic pain from a herniated or bulging disc.
Outside of his professional practice, he is a member of the following professional associations. The Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), Brevard County Medical Society (President, Board of Governors), and Surgery Department Chair, Parrish Medical Center, and has also been awarded the ‘Patients Choice Award’ for consecutive years.
Specialty:
- Neurosurgery
- General Neurosurgery
Surgery types:
- Deuk Laser Disc Repair
- Laminectomy / Foraminotomy
- Artificial discs
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal degenerative deformity correction
2. Dr. Brian P. Hasley
Location: Omaha, NE
Experience: 11 - 20 Yrs Experience
About the surgeon: Dr. Hasley is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is connected to several local hospitals, including Nebraska Medicine-Nebraska Medical Center and Children's Hospital and Medical Center.
He is a diplomat of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member of the Scoliosis Research Society and the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America. Dr. Hasley is an associate professor of orthopedic and spine surgery at UNMC College of Medicine.
Specialty:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
3. Dr. Isador Lieberman, MD
Location: Plano, Texas
Experience: 21+ Yrs Experience
About the surgeon: Dr. Isador Lieberman is a fellowship-trained Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgeon board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. In his practice at the Texas Back Institute, he specializes in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders.
His clinical interests include adolescent and adult scoliosis, spinal tumors, trauma, cervical and lumbar degenerative disorders (e.g., herniated discs, spinal stenosis), musculoskeletal manifestations of multiple myeloma, spinal deformity correction, treatment of vertebral compression fractures, and advanced spinal surgery using minimally invasive, robotic and endoscopic surgical techniques and technologies. He is affiliated with multiple hospitals, including Texas Health Center for Diagnostic and Surgery and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano.
Specialty:
- Spinal Deformity
- Tumor / Infection
4. Jason Lowenstein, MD.
Location: Morristown, NJ
Experience: 11 - 20 Yrs Experience
About Surgeon: Dr. Jason E. Lowenstein is a fellowship-trained and board-certified pediatric spine and scoliosis surgeon. He is the Director of Scoliosis and Spinal Deformity at Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, and a partner in the Advanced Spine Center.
Dr. Lowenstein specializes in the treatment of scoliosis, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis, among other spinal disorders. He is a spine surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive procedures.
He has a lot of experience treating cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disc herniations and stenosis. He is interested in complex revision surgery for patients who have previously had spine surgery and have failed back syndrome. Dr. Lowenstein also has vast experience in treating spinal trauma and fractures and tumors and infections of the spine.
He has been named New Jersey Family Magazine's NJ's Favorite Kids Doc Award. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the Scoliosis Research Society, and the North American Spine Society. Dr. Lowenstein is committed to a conservative approach to the treatment of spinal disease and seeks to provide his patients with a well-balanced treatment plan.
Specialty:
- Pediatric Orthopedics
5. Dr. John B. Emans
Location: Boston, MA
Experience: 25+ Yrs Experience
About the Surgeon: Dr. John B. Emans is an orthopedic spine surgeon and the director of Boston Children's Hospital's spinal surgery division. For his medical education and residency, Dr. Emans attended Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Surgery Training Program. He is also an orthopedic surgery professor at Harvard Medical School.
Complex spine, early-onset spinal deformity, congenital spine, idiopathic scoliosis, kyphosis, Scheuermann's kyphosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, spinal deformity, and spinal trauma are some of Dr. Emans' specializations.
Specialty:
- General Orthopedic Surgery
- Congenital Scoliosis
- Idiopathic Scoliosis
- Kyphosis in Children
- Scoliosis
6. Stephen Banco, MD.
Location: Wyomissing, PA
Experience: 25 Yrs Experience
About the Surgeon: Dr. Banco is a Board-certified abs fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Spinal Surgeon. He obtained his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and completed his residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Rothman Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia. He also completed a residency in spine surgery at New England Baptist Hospital in Boston.
Dr. Banco is a clinical Spine Surgery Editorial Review board member and has contributed two chapters to The Spine textbook. He has published original research articles in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Current Opinions in Orthopaedics, and Spine, among other journals. Dr. Banco founded Keystone Spine & Pain Management Center and is a founding partner of The Surgical Institute of Reading.
Specialty:
- Orthopedic Surgery of Spine
7. Dr. Richard A. Berger
Location: Chicago, IL
Experience: 20 Yrs Experience
About the Surgeon: Dr. Berger is a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon and a pioneer in soft tissue joint replacement surgery.
As part of his pioneering role in minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Berger has developed specialized instruments, techniques for surgery, and knee and hip implants. His advancements allow most of his patients to walk independently and leave the hospital the very same day of their surgery.
Specialty:
- Orthopedics
8. Dr. Alvin H. Crawford
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Experience: 25+ Yrs Experience
About the surgeon: Dr. Alvin H. Crawford is a renowned pediatric orthopedic surgeon globally and the founder of the Crawford Spine Center. He served as the director of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Dr. Crawford has won numerous awards recognizing his commitment and dedication to orthopedic surgery. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has awarded him the Diversity Award, which commemorated his dedication to mentoring over 50 diverse scholars after getting his doctorate.
He has also written over 200 articles, authored 67 chapters, and published 7 books over the course of his career.
Specialty:
- Spinal Disorders
- Pediatric Orthopedics
9. Dr. Lawrence Borges
Location: Boston, MA
Experience: 21+ Yrs Experience
About the surgeon: Dr. Lawrence F. Borges received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University. He is a neurosurgeon in Boston, Massachusetts. He has affiliations with the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he has been in practice for over 20 years.
His focus is on spinal tumors and he has numerous articles published in professional and peer-reviewed medical publications.
Clinical Interest:
- Spinal Cord Tumors
- Spine surgery
10. Maahir Haque, M.D.
Location: Mallory, FL
Experience: 6 - 10 Yrs Experience
About surgeon: Dr. Maahir Haque is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spine surgery. He also specializes in the treatment of neck and back pain.
Dr. Haque is an active member of the spine surgery community on both national and international levels. He has published several peer-reviewed articles in spine surgical journals, including the prestigious journal Spine.
Surgery performed:
- Microdiscectomy
- Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
What to Consider When Choosing a Surgeon
When choosing a surgeon for your neck injury, take into account the following factors:
Emphasis on non-surgical treatment options first
Before choosing a surgeon for your neck injury, make sure the surgeon has examined non-surgical therapy options. The best Spine & Orthopedic surgeons take a conservative approach to neck pain treatment, generally reserving surgery as a last option.
Neck discomfort can be treated without surgery in a variety of ways. Some of which include:
- Physical therapy
- Neck exercises which strengthen the muscles and ligaments in the neck, more flexibility, and resistance to future strain.
- Cervical injections for the neck and back are available. They are Epidural injection, Facet block injections, and Transforaminal Injections.
- Consideration of other alternative medicine options like acupuncture, oral medications, and stretching.
Are They Board-Certified?
Another thing to consider when choosing a surgeon is whether or not they are board-certified. Board certification separates specialists from less experienced surgeons by requiring them to meet specific qualifications, testing, and training criteria. Ultimately, board certification signifies that a doctor has received further training in their specialty area, has demonstrated a high degree of knowledge in that field, and is thus more suited to practice that specialty than a non-certified doctor.
Several boards provide certification, such as the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Board of Neurological Surgery. The American Board of Otolaryngology also serves the public by assuring that doctors meet training, knowledge, and professionalism standards through initial and continuing certification.
You should also check if your surgeon is board-certified or a member of one of the major professional societies.
Are they fellowship-trained?
When looking for a surgeon to treat your neck pain, it is usually best to choose one specializing in the specific type of treatment you need. This is where fellowship training comes in.
A fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon is a doctor who has concluded a certain level of education and an additional year of specialty training in a specific field of orthopedic surgery. It allows the surgeons to gain subspecialty training, and improve their skills in their chosen surgical field. The extra year of training enables a new surgeon to work with nationally known medical field experts, allowing them to obtain a specialty skill set not available during conventional medical school training.
In that case, you should seek a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon because the additional hands-on training offers you comfort knowing that the surgeon is among those who have gone above and beyond to achieve excellence in their field.
Verify your surgeon’s credentials: How experienced and qualified are they?
Neck surgery is a complex procedure that demands substantial training and experience. Whether your primary care physician recommends your surgeon or you choose one yourself, it is critical not to take your surgeon's qualifications for granted. Doing this ensures confidence in the healthcare provider who will be doing your surgery.
Before choosing a surgeon, research their education and training to learn their credentials. The more experienced they are in performing the procedure you plan, the better. Specifically, evaluate how experienced the surgeon is at treating patients with your condition. Your surgeon should have undergone an orthopedic or neurosurgery residency, preferably with a fellowship in spinal surgery.
While not every qualified surgeon will have 20+ years of experience, it's essential to find a surgeon with a strong history of performing the type of surgery you require.
Do They Specialize In Your Specific Neck Surgery?
A variety of factors causes neck pain, and not all of them necessitate surgery. However, in some cases, surgery may be the best option.
There are several different surgical procedures involving the neck, but your diagnosis will determine which one is appropriate for you. For the best outcome, it is essential to find an experienced and top-notch surgeon who has performed your procedure and specializes in your specific surgery, among other qualifications.
Here are some of the most common types of neck surgeries: Deuk Laser Disk Repair, Cervical spinal fusion, anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), Laminectomy, Laminoplasty, Artificial disc replacement (ADR).
Get a Consultation Before Making a Decision
There are risks and benefits to having surgery. Before deciding whether or not the surgery is right for you, It's essential to understand the processes involved. You should never feel rushed or compelled to consent to a specific surgery.
The consultation is a time for you to have a thorough talk with your surgeon so that you are entirely informed about the procedure before giving your agreement. Having enough information can help you feel safer. Knowing what other treatments are available and how they compare with the planned procedure may also be helpful.
Before you consent to surgery, make sure you consult with the surgeon doing the procedure. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Well experienced and excellent surgeons will be happy to discuss everything with you. Allow yourself as much time as you require to make your decision. We strongly suggest you think things over for at least two weeks after meeting with the operating surgeon before undergoing surgery.
Finally, be wary of surgeons and hospitals who refuse to disclose operation information with you. In addition, every patient has the right to seek a second opinion from a different doctor – that is, to seek counsel from them and maybe get re-examined.
Getting a Second Opinion
Getting a second opinion from another surgeon is crucial in ensuring the surgery is right for you. A second opinion can assist you in making an informed decision regarding the best treatment for your neck pain and weighing the risks and advantages of surgery with viable alternatives.
Obtaining a second opinion on certain non-emergency operations is now required by several insurance plans, and they will pay for it. Medicare may also cover the cost of a second opinion for patients. Even if your plan does not provide for it, you can still get a second opinion.
When it comes to emergency surgeries, keep in mind that the procedure should be completed as soon as possible. There will most likely be no time to seek a second opinion. The necessity of getting a second opinion should always be weighed against the severity and urgency of the medical condition.
Look For Independent Reviews and Patient Reviews.
Another fantastic way to learn about a surgeon's track record and patient success stories is to read online reviews, testimonials, and maybe even success story videos. Looking at independent reviews from other patients and websites can help you make an informed decision.
Ask questions such as:
- What were their experiences like?
- What are their long-term results?
- Would they recommend that particular surgeon to other patients like you?
To acquire a well-rounded picture of what to expect, you'll need to look into a range of independent sources and websites. Medical review websites like HealthGrades, Vitals, and CareDash allow you to look up provider ratings and learn more about patient experiences. Typically, the only sites free of bias are those affiliated with the American Medical Association's specialty boards, such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) or the American Academy of Surgeons (AANS). The Board certification groups often give an unbiased list of board-certified physicians in your area.
