19 Spine Surgeons Writing Books

Henry E. Aryan, MD (Sierra Pacific Orthopedics, Fresno, Calif.). Dr. Aryan is the author of "Spinal Tumors: A Treatment Guide for Patients and Family." He has a professional interest in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery and performs artificial disc replacement and robot-guided spine surgery. In addition to his clinical practice, he is a founding member of International Neurosurgery Children's Association, a charitable organization to provide free pediatric neurosurgical care. He is also a founding member of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and member of North American Spine Society. Dr. Aryan earned his medical degree at the UC Irvine and completed a neurosurgery residency at UC San Diego. His additional training includes a fellowship at UCSF.

Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, MD (Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City). Dr. Boachie-Adjei authored the book "Pilates for Fragile Backs" along with Andra Fischgrund Stanton and Ruth Hiatt-Coblentz. He is chief of the scoliosis service at Hospital for Special Surgery and a professor of orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. A native of Ghana, he recently participated in efforts to build an orthopedics hospital in his home country and founded the Foundation of Orthopedics and Complex Spine to help underserved populations in West Africa. Dr. Boachie-Adjei has received the Humanitarian Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and been president of the Scoliosis Research Society. Dr. Boachie-Adjei earned his medical degree at Columbia University in New York City and completed his residency at St. Vincent Hospital & Medical Center. His additional training includes a fellowship at Twin Cities Scoliosis Center and Minnesota Spine Center in Minneapolis.

Benjamin Carson, MD (Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore). Dr. Carson is a pediatric neurosurgeon and a prominent research scientist. His research has been printed in more than 120 scientific publications, and he has written 38 books and book chapters. In his best-selling book "Take the Risk", Dr. Carson discusses the need to balance risks and benefits of any activity before undertaking it. He is the chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University Medical School and focuses on traumatic brain injuries, brain and spinal cord tumors, achondroplasia, epilepsy and congenital disorders. He has developed several major surgical innovations for controlling bleeding and infection, as well as ways of incrementally removing parts of the brain in units rather than whole sections. Dr. Carson was a lead surgeon in separating twins joined at the back of the head. He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan and completed both his internship in general surgery and residency in neurological surgery at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Donald Corenman, MD (The Steadman Clinic, Vail, Colo.). Dr. Corenman, a spine surgeon at The Steadman Clinic, published a book for patients with back pain titled, "Everything You Want to Know About the Back." His book addresses common misinformation about back pain, such as the idea that nobody knows what causes back and associated leg pain, and helps readers ask informed questions about effective treatment. In addition to being a spine and neck specialist, he is a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Colorado and an adjunct instructor of chiropractic medicine at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. He received his medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit and completed his orthopedic residency at the Detroit Medical Center. He then completed a fellowship in spinal disorders at the University of Colorado. Dr. Corenman also holds a doctorate in chiropractic from Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. He's a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a charter diplomate of the American Board of Spine Surgery and a diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Orthopaedics.

Stewart G. Eidelson, MD (South Palm Orthospine Institute, Boca Raton, Fla.). Dr. Eidelson is a co-author of "Save Your Aching Back and Neck: A Patient's Guide" along with several spine surgeon colleagues, as well as "Back Pain: A Patient's Guide." He has performed more than 3,000 spine surgeries using advanced techniques and has a strong interest in minimally invasive procedures. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Eidelson founded the Palm Beach Orthopaedic and Spinal Research Foundation and is founder of SpineUniverse. Dr. Eidelson is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and North American Spine Society. He earned his medical degree at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and completed his orthopedic residency at the United States Public Health Service on Staten Island. His additional training includes a spine fellowship at Cleveland Spine and Arthritis Center.

Richard Fessler, MD (Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago). Dr. Fessler is co-author of several publications, including "Save Your Aching Back and Neck: A Patient's Guide." He has a special interest in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery, spinal cord tumors and trauma. He has served as chairman of the joint section on disorders of the spine and peripheral nerves for the American Association of Neurological Surgery and Congress of Neurological Surgery. He has been on the board of directors for the North American Spine Society and a member of the Neurological Devices Panel of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the FDA. Previously, Dr. Fessler was chief of neurological surgery at the University of Chicago and has been a guest at several professional societies across the world. Dr. Fessler earned his medical degree at the University of Chicago School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency.

Aaron G. Filler, MD (Institute for Nerve Medicine, Santa Monica, Calif.). Dr. Filler is a neurosurgeon and expert in the treatment of nerve pain. His book, "Do You Really Need Back Surgery?" prompted medical providers to seek alternatives to spine surgery and put Piriformis Syndrome on the clinical treatment map. He has invented several new nerve pain treatment technologies, including MR Neurography, which enables physicians to use an MRI scanner to examine nerves. He has also developed minimal access surgery methods that allow him to treat complex nerve problems with small outpatient surgeries. Dr. Filler received his medical degree from the University of Chicago and a PhD from Harvard University. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in England. He also completed eight years of neurosurgical training in the U.S., a one year fellowship in neuroimaging at the University of London and a year of training in complex spinal surgery at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Filler has 10 major patents and has been published in more than 20 scientific publications.

Steven Garfin, MD (University of California, San Francisco). Dr. Garfin is the chief of spine surgery at UC San Diego and is a co-author of "Save Your Aching Back and Neck: A Patient's Guide." His clinical interests include biologics for spinal surgery, scoliosis treatment and spinal infections and trauma. He has been president of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and edited around nine books. Dr. Garfin earned his medical degree at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at UC San Diego. His additional training includes a fellowship in spinal disorders from Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia.

Gerard Girasole, MD (The Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center, Trumbull, Conn.). Dr. Girasole co-authored a book called "The 7-Minute Back Pain Solution," along with Cara Hartman, which was published earlier this year. Dr. Girasole has a professional interest in minimally invasive surgical technique and participated in an FDA trial study for treating patients with a total disc replacement procedure. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Girasole teaches several accredited spine courses and is a member of the SpineUniverse Editorial Board. Dr. Girasole earned his medial degree at New York Medical College in Valhalla and completed his orthopedic residency at Catholic Medical Center of Brooklyn & Queens. His additional training includes a spine surgery fellowship at Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City. He is a member of several professional organizations, including North American Spine Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

David Hanscom, MD (Seattle Neuroscience Specialists With Swedish Medical Center). Dr. Hanscom is the author of "Back in Control: A Spine Surgeon's Roadmap Out of Chronic Pain," which looks at the source of chronic pain in the brain and how to calm down the nervous system and create new neural pathways to decrease pain. His book also addresses the role of spine surgery for clearly identifiable structural problems with matching symptoms. Dr. Hanscom is an orthopedic spine surgeon who trained in orthopedic surgery at the University of Hawaii. He served a spine fellowship in adult and pediatric spinal deformity, including scoliosis and kyphosis, at the Twin Cities Scoliosis Center in Minneapolis and an orthopedic trauma fellowship at the University of California Davis. He practices as Swedish Medical Center in Seattle and is a member of Swedish Neuroscience Specialists with eight other surgical partners. Dr. Hanscom devotes a significant portion of his practice to patient who had past failed spine surgeries. He is also the founder of Defined, Organized, Comprehensive, Care, a rehabilitation protocol for spine pain.

Dr. Kenneth K. Hansraj (New York Spine Surgery & Rehabilitation Medicine). Dr. Hansraj has authored five books, including "Keys to an Amazing Life: Secrets of the Cervical Spine," which aims to help people with spinal problems have the tools they need to avoid and control their pain for free. It also focuses on educating people about the spine and presenting a blueprint for a problem-free lifestyle. He's a spinal surgeon who focuses on minimally invasive techniques, bloodless spinal surgery, traditional techniques and scoliosis surgery. He is fellowship trained in minimally invasive spine surgery from The California Center for Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery; in spinal and scoliosis surgery from Hospital for Special Surgery; and in orthopedic biomechanics at Hospital for Special Surgery. Dr. Hansraj has written extensively about the spine and how to eradicate spinal problems, and he has lectured nationally and internationally.

Stephen Hochschuler, MD (Texas Back Institute, Plano). Dr. Hochschuler co-founded Texas Back Institute and is currently chairman of the Texas Back Institute Holdings Corporation. He authored the book "Treat Your Back Without Surgery," along with Bob Reznik. The book discusses non-surgical treatments, exercises and natural healing techniques for back pain. During his career, Dr. Hochschuler was president of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery and participated in developing several new medical device technologies. Dr. Hochschuler earned his medical degree at Harvard Medical School in Boston and completed his internship at Boston City Hospital. His additional training includes a residency in general surgery at Harvard.

Kenneth Jarolem, MD (Orthopaedic Center of South Florida, F. Lauderdale, Fla.). Dr. Jarolem is a board-certified spine surgeon and author of "Spinal Surgery Written Simply by a Spinal Surgeon." His book was written to provide a basis for understanding spinal problems and their surgical solutions and to allow patients to have informed discussions with their surgeons. As a surgeon, Dr. Jarolem performs minimally invasive spinal surgery and treats patients with cervical diseases, spinal deformities and degenerative conditions of the spine. He has authored several publications and medical journals and has presented medical research at meetings of the North American Spine Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery. He received his medical degree from the University of South Florida and completed a general surgery internship at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. Dr. Jarolem completed his orthopedic surgery training at the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York. He completed fellowships in spinal surgery at both the Texas Back Institute in Dallas and the Queens Medical Center in Nottingham, England.  

Jeffrey Lobosky, MD (University of California San Francisco). Dr. Lobosky is the author of "It's Enough to Make you Sick: The Failure of American Health Care and a Prescription for the Cure." It details the evolutionary history of the U.S. healthcare system and how varied special interests have conspired to create a system that is costly and often mediocre. Dr. Lobosky is an associate clinical professor in the department of neurological surgery at the University of California San Francisco and is the co-director of the neurotrauma intensive care unit at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, Calif. He has served on the board of directors for the Joint Section on Trauma and Critical Care for the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He was also appointed one of organization's neurosurgery representatives to the American College of Surgeon's Committee on Trauma, which advises policy makers on healthcare issues. Dr. Lobosky has served as the chairman of the board of the Think First National Injury Prevention Foundation and has received both national and international acclaim for his work on injury prevention.

Mary C. Neal, MD (Orthopaedic Associates of Jackson Hole, Jackson, Wyo.). Dr. Neal is an orthopedic surgeon who drowned in a kayak accident in 1999. She wrote the book, "To Heaven and Back," about her spiritual journey, and it details her death after the accident and her return to life. She discusses her feeling about heaven, angels and modern-day miracles. Dr. Neal received her medical degree from the University of California Los Angeles and completed a general surgery internship at UCLA hospital and clinics. She completed her orthopedic surgery residency at UCLA School of Medicine. She served a spinal surgery fellowship at Gothenberg University in Sweden and a spinal surgery and rehabilitation fellowship at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center in California. She's affiliated with many professional organizations, including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society, American Society of Spine Radiology, Wyoming Medical Society and Association of Ethical Spine Surgeons.

T. Glenn Pait, MD (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock). Dr. Pait co-authored the book "Golf Forever: The Spine and More — A Health Guide to Playing The Game" along with Jackson T. Stephens. He is a professor in the department of neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences. Dr. Pait has a professional interest in treating spinal tumors, degenerative disorders and other complex issues. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American Association of Neurological Surgery. Dr. Pait earned his medical degree at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where he also completed his residency.

John Regan, MD (DISC Sport & Spine Center, Beverly Hills, Calif.). Dr. Regan has authored several publications including "The Home Remedy Book." He previously practiced at Texas Back Institute and Cedars Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders. He has a professional interest in minimally invasive spine surgery and has developed several new approaches designed to reduce patient recovery time. For spine surgeons, he is the author of "The Atlas of Endoscopic Spinal Surgery" and "The Atlas of Minimally Access Spine Surgery" in collaboration with others in the field. Dr. Regan earned his medical degree from New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of North Carolina. His additional training includes a fellowship in spinal trauma at AO International Hospital in Switzerland and a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore.

Gerald Rodts Jr., MD (Emory Healthcare, Atlanta). Dr. Rodts is a professor in the department of neurosurgery at Emory Healthcare and co-author of "Save Your Aching Back and Neck: A Patient's Guide." He is former chief of neurosurgery at Emory University Hospital Midtown and Grady Memorial Hospital. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Rodts is on the editorial boards for several professional journals and has been president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He has been a guest lecturer to the Japanese Congress of Neurological Surgeons. His clinical interests include spinal trauma, tumors and pain. He earned his medical degree at Columbia University in New York City and completed his residency at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine. His additional training includes a fellowship in neurosurgery and spine surgery at Emory University.

Nathan L. Tindel, MD (New York Center for Spinal Disorders, New York City). Dr. Tindel is the author of the best-selling book about back problems, "I've Got Your Back: The Truth About Spinal Surgery, Straight From a Surgeon." Dr. Tindel is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spine and scoliosis. He is also an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at The Albert Einstein College of Medicine and chief of spinal surgery at Jacobi Medical Center. Dr. Tindel received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and completed his internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He then completed a spine and scoliosis fellowship at the University of Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital. He's affiliated with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Spinal Injury Association, Eastern Orthopaedic Association, Cervical Spine Research Society and North American Spine Society.

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