In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Fessler has been engaged in designing and building new tools for minimally invasive spine surgery. His research focuses on the biomechanics of the spine and he uses the laboratory and computer modeling approaches. His work has also led him to become one of the first spine surgeons to perform human embryonic spinal cord transplantation during a trail with patients who suffered thoracic spine injuries.
Dr. Fessler participated in the Illinois panel to protect stem cell research and founded and directed the Institute for Spine Care at Chicago Institute of Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.
Over the past few years, Dr. Fessler has worked with some high-profile patients, including former Indiana Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. He has served as an honored guest of neurosurgical societies in many countries, including Japan, Mexico, Egypt, South Africa, China and Argentina.
Dr. Fessler earned his medical degree at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in neurological surgery. His additional training includes research fellowships in physiatry and neurosurgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
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