NO, not necessarily. The vast majority of patient referrals that we see are treated non-operatively. As one common example, patients with disc herniations only require surgical intervention in about 10 percent of cases. Your referring physician most likely believes that you have a disease or disorder which might require surgery, but usually the decision whether or not to recommend surgery is a complex one best handled by your neurosurgeon.

2. What is the difference between an orthopedic surgeon and a neurosurgeon?

Each of these surgical specialists has their own areas of expertise: for example, neurosurgeons perform brain operations, while orthopedic surgeons perform total joint replacements. These surgical specialties overlap in the area of spinal surgery. Both specialties require 5-7 years of residency training, followed in some cases by additional time in fellowship training. Traditionally, neurosurgeons handled spinal operations dealing with the discs and nerves, while orthopedic surgeons handled operations on the bony spine, such as spinal fusion. More recently, though, both specialties are training their spinal surgeons to perform the whole range of spinal surgery. As neurosurgeons, we still work very closely with our orthopedic colleagues. A surgeon's experience, training, and judgement in spinal surgery are more important than the subspecialty to which he or she belongs.

3. What does F.A.C.S. mean?

F.A.C.S. indicates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. A neurosurgeon must first be board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, a process which requires review of one year of practice data by the board, and successfully passing rigorous written and oral board exams.

In addition to being board certified, the American College of Surgeons requires that its Fellows pass a rigorous evaluation of their education and training, professional qualifications, surgical competence, and ethical conduct. The F.A.C.S. designation indicates that a surgeon maintains the high standards established and demanded by the College.