10 Female Spine Surgeons to Know

Spine

Here are 10 women practicing spine surgery, listed in alphabetical order. Carmina F. Angeles, MD, PhD (The NeuroSpine Institute, Eugene, Ore.). Dr. Angeles has a professional interest in minimally invasive procedures for treating common spinal conditions, including degenerative diseases and stenosis. She is also trained to perform cervical disc arthroplasty and treats patients with more complex pathology, such as scoliosis. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Angeles is a member of North American Spine Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. She earned her medical degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., and completed her residency in neurological surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Her additional training includes time working in spine neuro-oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and a fellowship in spine and periphera nerve surgery at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

Erica F. Bisson, MD (University of Utah Health Care, Salt Lake City).
Dr. Bisson has a professional interest in spine surgery, neurosurgery, occipitocervical disease and spinal fusion. She treats patients with a variety of conditions, including degenerative spinal disorders, spinal tumors, spondylolisthesis and trauma. Within her practice, Dr. Bisson performs image-guided spine surgery. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Bisson is also focused on research and has published articles in professional journals. Previously, she served on senior staff in the department of neurosurgery at Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Mass. She earned her medical degree at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and completed her residency in neurosurgery at the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington. Her additional training includes a fellowship in spine surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Evalina Burger, MD (University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora).
This year, Dr. Burger was named to Cambridge's Who's Who list for her leadership and dedication to spine care. She is first female spine surgeon selected for the South African Orthopaedic Society's ABC fellowship in 2000. She has a professional interest in adult deformity reconstruction and experience with spinal trauma and oncology. Dr. Burger earned her medical degree at the University of Pretoria and completed her residency at a military hospital, both in South Africa. Dr. Burger currently serves as an associate professor of orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and vice chair at The Spine Center of University of Colorado Hospital. In addition to her clinical practice, she is affiliated with the Scoliosis Research Society, North American Spine Society and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Serena Hu, MD (University of California, San Francisco). Dr. Hu is a professor of orthopedics at the University of California, San Francisco, and has a professional interest in treating adult scoliosis. Her research interests include the prediction and prevention of metastatic spinal fractures that could lead to paralysis and disc degeneration. Her research has resulted in several publications in journals such as Spine and presentations across the country. Dr. Hu earned her medical degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. Her additional training includes a fellowship in spine and scoliosis surgery at Rancho Los Amigos in Downey, Calif. Dr. Hu is a member of several professional societies, including the Scoliosis Research Society, American Spinal Injury Association, AOSpine North America and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Youjeong Kim, MD (Orthopaedic Consultants of North Texas, Dallas).
During her career, Dr. Kim has volunteered with Orthopaedics Overseas and has spent time treating patients in South Africa and China. She has also authored several book chapters and articles in professional journals about orthopedics and spine surgery. Her professional interests include treating patients with degenerative conditions of the spine and cervical spine disease. She is able to employ minimally invasive surgical technique when possible. Dr. Kim is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and member of the North American Spine Society. Dr. Kim earned her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center School of Medicine in Houston and completed her residency at the University of California, San Francisco. Her additional training includes a fellowship in spine surgery at Emory Spine Center in Atlanta.

Rebecca Kuo, MD (Meridian Medical Associates, Joliet, Ill.). Dr. Kuo has a professional interest in surgical and non-surgical treatment of adult and pediatric spinal disorders and conditions. When possible, she uses minimally invasive surgical techniques with her patients. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Kuo is a member of North American Spine Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. She is also currently the vice president of the North American Taiwanese Medical Association. Dr. Kuo earned her medical degree at Rush Medical College in Chicago and completed her residency at Rush University. Her additional training includes a fellowship in spine surgery at the University of Texas in Houston.

Joan O'Shea, MD (The Spine Institute of Southern New Jersey, Marlton). Dr. O'Shea is trained in both neurosurgery and orthopedic spine surgery. During her career, she has been involved in cutting-edge surgical treatment for patients with cancer of the spine and complex spinal disorders. She has published several papers on her research in this area and has spoken at professional meetings across the country. She is a member of the North American Spine Society, Women in Neurosurgery, Medical Society of New Jersey and American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. O'Shea earned her medical degree at State University of New York Upstate Health Center in Syracuse and completed her neurosurgical residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Her additional training includes an orthopedic spine surgery fellowship at the Hospital for Joint Disease and the Spine Institute of Beth Israel Medical Center, both in New York City.

Jessica Shellock, MD (Texas Back Institute, Plano). Dr. Shellock joined Texas Back Institute in 2009 after completing her fellowship training at the practice. She earned her medical degree at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill and completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at University of Florida in Gainesville. She is a member of several professional organizations, including North American Spine Society and the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Shellock has participated in research about lumbar disc arthroplasty and spinal sports injuries. She has also given presentations nationally and internationally on subjects such as the failure of metal-on-metal artificial discs.

Alexis M. Waguespack, MD (SpineCare Medical Group, New Orleans). Dr. Waguespack has a professional interest in treating patients with cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine disorders and trauma, including adult scoliosis and osteoporotic fractures. She is able to perform minimally invasive spine surgery for her patients. In addition to her clinical work, she is a member of North American Spine Society, Cervical Spine Research Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Waguespack earned her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans, where she also completed her residency in orthopedic surgery. Her additional training includes a spine fellowship at San Francisco Spine Institute.

Cathleen S. Van Buskirk, MD (Alpine Spine, Boulder, Colo.).
Dr. Van Buskirk practices at Alpine Spine and is on staff at the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute Outpatient Spine Surgery Center in Lafayette, Colo. During her career, Dr. Van Buskirk has published multiple teaching books, such as Surgical Approaches to Spine and Contemporary Management of Spinal Cord Injury, in addition to various articles on spine surgery. Her goal is to stay on the cutting edge of new techniques to advance the field of spine surgery through research and continuing education. She is a member of the North American Spine Society, Scoliosis Research Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Van Buskirk earned her medical degree at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of New Mexico. Her additional training includes a fellowship in spine surgery at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia and in pediatric orthopedic spine surgery at Vincent De Paul Hospital in Paris.

Becker's Orthopedic & Spine Review is currently developing a list of female orthopedic and spine surgeon leaders. If you would like to recommend a female surgeon for the list, please contact Laura at laura@beckersasc.com.

Related Articles on Spine Surgeons:

10 Spine and Neurosurgeon Inventors

10 Spine Surgeon Directors of Fellowship Programs

10 Spine Surgeons Performing Cervical and Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacements



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