Here are 10 spine surgeons to know:
Editor's note: This is not a list of top surgeons, but a list highlighting professional accomplishments. Becker's does not endorse any surgeons featured on this list. To nominate a surgeon for future lists, please contact Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com.
Rahul Basho, MD. Midwest Orthopedic Specialists (Hannibal, Mo.). Dr. Basho is an abstract reviewer for the Northern American Spine Society. In August, he began offering a monthly clinic at Memorial Medical Building in Carthage, Ill.
Christopher Bergin, MD. Illinois Bone and Joint Institute (Des Plaines). Dr. Bergin has been a practicing surgeon since 1999 and is active in Global Spine Outreach, which provides spine treatment for children in Colombia. He joined IBJI in January.
Donald deGrange, MD. Mercy Hospital (St. Louis). Dr. deGrange served in the Marine Corps and was a major in the Army Reserve. He treats conditions including disc herniation, spinal stenosis, fractures and spondylolisthesis.
Melanie Kinchen, MD. 360 Back and Spine Center (Fort Worth, Texas). Dr. Kinchen moved to Texas and established her private practice in 2010 after working as the medical director of a spine center in Los Angeles. She earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School in Boston and completed her residency at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.
Sebastian Koga, MD. Koga Neurosurgery (Covington, La.). Dr. Koga moved to the New Orleans northshore area in 2014 and built the region's first neurosurgery program. He debuted Aurora Spine's Apollo cervical plate.
Shekar Kurpad, MD, PhD. Froedtert Hospital (Wauwatosa, Wis.). Dr. Kurpad received the prestigious Van Wagenen fellowship from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and did cellular transplantation research for spinal cord injury at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. He was named the founding director of a Milwaukee-based neuroscience institute.
James Odor, MD. Spine Surgery Associates (Oklahoma City). Dr. Odor began practicing medicine in 1989. He treats complex spine conditions.
Terrence Piper, MD. Signature Orthopedics (St. Peters, Mo.). Dr. Piper founded two spine practices: St. Peters Bone & Joint Surgery and Piper Spine Care. He joined Signature Orthopedics in 2021.
Neil Shah, MD. Texas Spine Associates (Flower Mound). Dr. Shah has worked in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2012 and has performed more than 3,000 surgeries. He completed both undergraduate and medical school in six years.
Robert Watkins IV, MD. Watkins Spine (Marina del Rey, Calif.). Dr. Watkins is co-director of the Marina Spine Center and created the Back Doctor App for spine patients. He's operated on celebrities including actress Katherine Heigl and Milwaukee Bucks player Brook Lopez.