Every patient needs to get involved with their medical care and choose the perfect healthcare professionals to cater to their unique needs. While some care programs leave you little to no room for options, it’s essential to know what surgeons you’ll need and how to find a good one.
If you need a spine specialist, there are typically two best options to help reduce or eliminate your spinal problems and return to your normal healthy life. The question that always is whether you’ll go for a well-trained neurosurgeon or orthopedic surgeon to do the treatment.
Understanding the differences and similarities of these specialists will help you weigh your options and decide for the best. If you’re still uncertain, look for a top-rated and recommended spine surgeon, like Dr Timothy Steel, who can help guide you through your options so that you choose the best treatment for you. With comprehensive spinal care, diagnosis, treatments, and surgery, you know you’re in great hands and able to return entirely to your routine, better than ever.
Which Surgeon Specializes With Spine Care And Treatment
Years ago, when someone experienced back pain and other spinal issues, your first and only choice is to book an appointment with neurosurgeons. They specialize in spine care, treatments, or surgeries. Neurosurgeons are the sole responsibility for taking care of all back or spine-related issues.
After 25 years, spine care has evolved and opened the door for new specialists to cater to your spinal problems—orthopedic surgeons can treat almost any back issues and spine functionalities. With orthopedic and neurosurgeons to help you ease the pain, the question that lies ahead is which one is the best fit for your needs.
These two surgeons are well-trained to do treatments to help you get back to your healthy life by reducing to no discomfort and pain. In most cases, these healthcare professionals can both subspecialize specific procedures of areas like lumbar spine, cervical spine, pediatrics, wrist and hand surgery, aesthetic surgery, and more.
Neurosurgeons
Neurosurgeons can be Doctors of Osteopathic medicine or medical doctors that completed five to six dedicated years that focused on surgical treatments for neurological conditions. They are a well-trained specialist that diagnoses and treats illnesses involving:
- Nerves
- Brain
- Spine or spinal cord
- Intracranial or intraspinal vasculature
Some neurosurgeons exclusively specialize in spine surgery, brain surgery, or in some cases can practice both between these two surgeries.
Orthopedic Surgeons
On the other hand, orthopedic surgeons can be either doctors of Osteopathic Medicines or Medical Doctors that have completed their five-year surgical residency that focuses on musculoskeletal treatments and conditions. They specialize with diagnosis or treatment of the following disorders such as:
- Spinal disorders
- Total joint replacement
- Bone tumor
- Hand deformities and injuries
- Trauma
- Arthritis
- Sports injuries
Most orthopedics exclusively focuses on spine surgery. At the same time, some specialists target a variety of joints such those in the shoulders, knees, or hips. Other orthopedics split their specialities among these two or even more extensive areas.
Both orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons can complete their specialities by fellowship training in doing most spinal surgeries. However, there are a few types of spinal issues that can only be done by a well-qualified and trained surgeon in that particular area.
For example, neurosurgeons are more qualified to perform the surgery inside your dura found in the spinal cord (intradural operation) like thecal sac tumors.
On the other hand, orthopedics tend to do better treatment associated with a spinal deformity such as scoliosis and more. Nowadays, neurosurgeons are also trained to perform surgeries for spinal deformity.
How To Choose A Good Spine Surgeon
Choosing a specialized spine surgeon is essential to help you eliminate pain or if you wanted to improve the quality of your life. Here are crucial factors that you have to consider:
- Choose the spine surgeon that has devoted at least half of his practice to treating spinal conditions.
- Ensure that your chosen spine surgeon is board-eligible or board-certified and has fellowship residency in spine surgery.
- Inquire about the physician’s experience with the latest technologies and techniques associated with spine surgery.
- Ensure that you are comfortable and trust the physician you have chosen to go under surgery with.
Conclusion
With today’s medical advancements, innovations, techniques, and technology, choosing a spine specialist to help you eliminate discomfort and return to your healthy life are essential. Whether you go for an orthopedic surgeon or a neurosurgeon, as long as it’s a well-experienced one that has an excellent reputation, you’ll quickly settle and feel secure.
