Spine Surgery

Spine Surgery Expert Witness

Lumbar spine surgical anatomySPINE SURGERY is a unique specialty covering the surgical treatment of spine injury and disease. Spine Surgeons may enter the field from either Orthopedic Surgery or Neurosurgery. Orthopedic Surgeons first complete a 5-year residency in Orthopedics followed by a 1-year fellowship in Spine Surgery. Neurosurgeons must complete at least 7 years of Neurosurgery residency followed by a 1-year Spine Surgery fellowship. After completion of fellowship training, most Orthopedic Surgeons focus only on spine-related issues, while Neurosurgeons often operate on the brain and spinal cord as well. Regardless of their background training (Orthopedics or Neurosurgery), Spine Surgeons treat problems of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine. Such problems may include neck and low back pain, disc herniation, spinal trauma (fractures), spinal tumors (spine and spinal cord), and scoliosis. Given the critically sensitive anatomy of the spine, spinal cord, and nerve roots, many Spine Surgeons rely upon sophisticated real-time imaging and computerized surgical navigation techniques to perform minimally invasive spinal surgery. Such techniques have revolutionized patient outcomes with shorter healing times and fewer complications.

Spine Surgery expert witnesses serve a valuable role in complex litigation when analyzing standard of care and evaluating harm and causation. For Spine Surgery experts addressing standard of care, some states require “same specialty” (Orthopedics or Neurosurgery) while others do not. For issues of harm and causation, the specialties are generally interchangeable. In terms of harm and causation, a top-tier Spine Surgery expert is an invaluable asset for educating the trier of fact on the existence, etiology, relevance, permanency, treatment, and prognosis of various spinal problems. These questions are common in spine trauma cases where injuries are often alleged to result in long-term complications, disability, and economic damages. Overall negligence claims against spine specialists (especially for lumbar surgery) are increasing in frequency, paralleling the increasing number of spine procedures that are performed on a yearly basis. Common claims include “wrong-level surgery,” cauda equina syndrome, dural tear / dural leak, vascular injuries, and new neurological deficits. Elite Medical Experts thrives on tough situations and has an extensive record of success in complex litigation involving Spine Surgery experts from the fields of Orthopedic Spine Surgery and Neurosurgical Spine Surgery.

Spine Surgery Case Matter

Elite is experienced in all aspects of Spine Surgery litigation and consulting, including:

  • Spinal Trauma: Fractures of the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral spine
  • Spinal Cord Tumors: Ependymoma, schwannoma, meningioma, chordoma
  • Spinal Cord Injury: Paraplegia, quadriplegia, paresis
  • Spine Infections: Epidural abscess, vertebral osteomyelitis
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Epidural Hematoma
  • Cauda Equina Syndrome
  • Pediatric Spine Surgery
  • Minimally Invasive (Endoscopic) Spine Surgery
  • Laser Spine Surgery
  • Discectomy and Microdiscectomy
  • Laminectomy
  • Foraminotomy and Foraminectomy
  • Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy (IDET)
  • Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty
  • Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
  • Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
  • Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF)
  • Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)

Given the complex issues involved in Spine Surgery, a top-tier Spine Surgery expert from a leading university medical center is an invaluable asset for challenging assignments. To secure a hand-selected SPINE SURGERY EXPERT WITNESS who is ready to work with you, please contact Elite Medical Experts and speak with a physician or nurse on Elite’s experienced Case Strategy Team today.

Head Shot of Dr. Burton Bentley II

Author Profile

Dr. Burton Bentley II, the CEO of Elite Medical Experts, is a nationally renowned authority on medical liability, informed consent, and complex issues at the intersections of medicine, law, and business. As a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician and entrepreneur, Dr. Bentley founded Elite Medical Experts in 2010 while overseeing nearly a decade of year-over-year growth. Dr. Bentley also developed and patented a commercial medical device and co-founded Consent Spectrum, a state-of-the-art digital platform for informed consent in aesthetic medical procedures.  Outside of Elite, Dr. Bentley can be found spending time with his family and riding horses in Tucson’s riverbeds and deserts.

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