Alexander Ghanayem, MD, is the director of the division of spine surgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., as well as professor and vice chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation. He is also a professor in the department of neurologic surgery.
He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society and both the Lumbar and Cervical Spine Research Societies. He also serves as the Investment Committee Chair of the American Orthopaedic Association, on the board of directors of the Lumbar and Cervical Spine Research Societies, and treasurer of Orthopaedic Medical Education Grants Association.
Dr. Ghanayem has a professional interest in cervical and lumbar disc disorders, neck and low back problems, spinal cord injury and spinal disc disease. He has served as the principal investigator for numerous clinical and biomechanical studies involving spine fusion and various reconstructive techniques. His research has been published widely in publications such as Spine and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
"Since I started medical school, almost 30 years ago, there have been significant advances in spine surgery. These advances help surgeons treat patients more effectively and help patients recover faster. The pressing thing at this point is how we embrace new technology and use it in a way that demonstrates cost-effectiveness," says Dr. Ghanayem. "Doing this is very challenging because it will require all the players to look beyond their balance sheets. Everyone involved needs to look at this globally. The person who can take technology and integrate it into patient care is the physician, but he also needs support to evaluate its cost-effectiveness."
Dr. Ghanayem earned his medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. He has also completed additional fellowship training in spine surgery at University of Wisconsin in Madison.
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