Choosing a Spine Surgeon

If you are suffering with back pain and have been to see a doctor who told you you need back surgery, you may be faced with some difficult choices to make.  Back problems can be serious to the point of debilitation, and some conditions get worse if untreated.  However, unless you have complete faith in modern medicine (do some research and you might think otherwise), it would do you good to explore any and all alternatives for treatment, including natural ones.  At the very least, get a second and even third opinion.  If, once you have exhausted the options and still don't find an alternative, then, and only then should you resort to surgery.  If you do, the good news is that the many advances in modern day surgery make certain invasive practices of the past like exploratory surgery unnecessary due to imaging equipment that can let your doctor know what's going on inside your body.  In this article, we will first go over some of the alternatives to surgery so you can get a sense of what's out there, and then we will discuss what to look for in a good spine surgeon.

Alternatives to surgery are good because surgery can be such a trauma for the body, requiring significant time for recuperation as well as involving risks during the operation itself. Some of the common treatments for the back, arranged roughly in order of least and most invasive, are massage therapy, physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic, spinal decompression, electrotherapy, pain management drugs, and epidural injections. The upside of these treatments, at least the ones that don't involve drugs, is that they are less expensive and far less invasive than surgery. However, these treatments generally relieve pain and don't necessarily treat the root condition. Of course, this depends on the severity of your back pain, because many people have reported great results from treatments like massage and acupuncture. Although some will try to tell you that the pain returns after such treatments stop, a knowledgeable practitioner plus your own efforts may very well be enough to treat a condition that some would say requires surgery. You should research your own specific issue and see what other people have to say and see if anybody who has had the same condition as yourself has had success with alternative treatments. You can also ask a massage therapist or acupuncturist directly if they have experience treating the condition successfully, or if they know how to proceed to do so. Exercise caution and use your best judgment in these cases, because it could be that surgery is the best choice.

If, indeed, you are sure that surgery is the best route to go, you will have to choose a good doctor to increase the chances of getting good results from the surgery.  Contrary to what some might think, all doctors are not made equal.  It would be unwise to go to any old orthopedic spine surgeon thinking that they are all the same and provide the same treatment- this is far from true.  Even in terms of education and specialization in spine surgery, different spine surgeons may vary greatly in studies as well as experience in treating the spine.  Choosing to go under the knife does not abolve the patient from taking responsibility for their own health, so put in the work to find a good doctor. 
The doctor should be board certified and should have completed fellowship training in spine, meaning he or she will have spent at least one additional year focusing on spinal surgery, as opposed to just having completed the general surgical residency requirements.
From there, make sure the doctor spends the majority of his/ her time treating spinal conditions.  Here, a majority is over 50%.  This is to ensure that the doctor has a lot of experience carrying out surgical procedures on the spine.  Because such a doctor is very focued on the spine, it also makes it more likely he or she will be  aware of the latest developments and technologies in spine treatment.  You'd think that all doctors have to know what's going on, but oftentimes the only way they can know of new treatments is if they've been keeping up with medical journals, something which they can choose whether or not to do.
Finally, once the credentials are taken care of, you must feel comfortable with the surgeon.  They should show concern for your well being and take the time to answer your questions, as well as be willing to explain things to you.  Avoid doctors who act like you should accept what they say just because of their position.  Doctors should also be fine if you express the desire to seek out a second opinion.  A doctor who is condescending or shows an attitude of superiority when answering your questions is also best avoided. 
The best spine surgeons will have the credentials plus the experience and caring attitude that go with it.  Top spine surgeons will have treated many patients successfully, and you will want to find such excellent orthopedic spine surgeons for your own treatment.