Best Spine Surgeons

Unfortunately the process of finding a spine surgeonAmerican Association of Physician Specialists.
is still fairly archaic. Because there is no real data baseA Native of Niagara, Wisconsin, Dr. James St. Louis
on who is a good spine surgeon or who isn’t,received his bachelor of science with Sigma Zeta
you are going to have to trust that your physician ishonors from The University of Wisconsin La Crosse.
referring you to the best spine surgeon possible.This was followed by a Masters of Science degree.
Seeing as medicine is a business just like anythingHe was then named Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation
else, a lot of the referrals are based on businessand Research Coordinator. Dr. St. Louis was involved
tie-ins. A lot of professionals in the medical businesswith the National Lopressor Intervention Trial at
don’t really have any way of telling who is aBrooke Army Medical Center. His many
good surgeon or not. Most times they refer to theaccomplishments include the publication of an article
people that are inside their system without having aentitled ‘Exercise Prescription for Cardiac
lot of data to go off of.there are some goodPatients’.
questions you can ask them at the time of theIn 1983, Dr. St. Louis started medical school at the
interview. These questions are taken directly from anUniversity of Health Sciences in Kansas City, Mo.,
interview that I read on spine-health’s website.during which time he received the Student Doctor
What their experience is in spine surgery, the numberAward for his publication entitled ‘Exercise
of cases they do, does it make up a large part ofPrescription for Cardiac Patients’. Medical school
their practice or just a small part of their practice andwas followed by the completion of internship and
they do a lot of general orthopedic or other types ofresidency. During this training he presented papers on
cases. Another important thing, especially if you aremetastatic tumors of the spine and published
considering a fusion, is fellowship training. Fusion‘Orthopaedic Manifestation of Hyperlipidemia.
surgery is difficult enough and it seems that peopleHe then began a distinguished career as an
who do fellowships in it have lower complicationOrthopaedic Surgeon, developing and owning the
rates. Paul McAfee out of Baltimore wrote a goodPensacola Clinic, Bone and Joint Center and the
article a number of years ago about especially withAlabama clinic, Bone and Joint Center. At that time,
inter-body fusions a fellowship-trained spine surgeonDr. St. Louis was also appointed as Medical Director of
had four times less complications than aHealth South and was Chief of Surgery at Woodlawn
non-fellowship-trained surgeon.Medical Center in Cullman, Alabama.
Let’s take a look at a few spine surgeons IAfter completing further work on the development
have read good things about.of minimally invasive spine surgery, Dr St. Louis
Dr. James St. Louisstarted the spine surgery department at the Laser
• 2007 Distinguished physician, Florida MedicalSpine Institute in Tampa, Florida.
AssociationPeter F. Ullrich, Jr., MD
• Board Certified in Orthopaedic SurgeryInstitution: NeuroSpine Center of Wisconsin
• Diplomat American Academy of Neurologic andSpecialty: Orthopedic Surgeon
Orthopaedic SurgeonsInformation: Fellowship trained spine surgeon whose
• Fellow International College of Surgeonspractice is limited to the care of patients with spinal
• Fellow American Academy of Neurological anddisorders. Care is delivered within the framework of a
Orthopaedic Surgeonscomprehensive, integrated spine center.
2005 Physician of the Year for Orthopaedic Surgery