Areas of practice

Dr. Whitney provides comprehensive care for neurosurgical and spinal conditions.

Spinal conditions vary greatly from patient to patient, with each case presenting unique challenges. These issues often fall into several distinct categories, allowing for a tailored approach to diagnosis and treatment.

Complex Spine Surgery

Complex spine surgery often addresses spinal deformities, such as scoliosis, which commonly require the fusion of multiple spinal levels. In adults, scoliosis can cause a deformity in the lumbar spine that impacts their ability to stand or walk. The goal of surgery is to restore proper spinal alignment, enabling patients to stand more naturally and reducing the symptoms associated with the condition.

For other patients, issues in the cervical spine may be the primary concern. In these cases, surgery can correct spinal alignment in a manner similar to procedures performed in the lumbar spine, helping to alleviate symptoms and improve function.

Spine tumors require meticulous care and surgical expertise for safe removal. Tumors may involve the bony structures of the spine, such as when cancer spreads from other parts of the body, or they may arise within the spinal canal or spinal cord. In some cases, these tumors can be resected without the need for spinal fusion. However, when tumors have caused significant damage to the bony spine, fusion may be necessary to reconstruct and stabilize the affected area.

Degenerative Spine Disease

Degenerative disc disease can affect any part of the spine, though it most commonly impacts the cervical and lumbar regions. In the lumbar spine, conditions like disc herniation and stenosis may cause pinched nerves, leading to symptoms such as radiculopathy or neurogenic claudication. When these symptoms do not respond to non-surgical treatments, surgery can be performed to relieve nerve compression and alleviate discomfort.

In the cervical spine, disc degeneration may lead to spinal cord or nerve compression, a condition that often requires surgical intervention. The goal of surgery is to decompress the spinal cord and nerve roots, enabling patients to maintain or regain optimal functionality. Decompression procedures are often paired with techniques to stabilize the spine, such as fusion surgery or, when appropriate, cervical disc arthroplasty (disc replacement), which helps preserve natural spine movement.

Trauma Neurosurgery

Patients with traumatic head injuries often require urgent surgical intervention to remove blood clots (hematomas) or to relieve pressure caused by a swelling brain. These are critical injuries that demand expert surgical skill and meticulous post-operative care to maximize the patient’s chances of recovery.

Spinal fractures are another common injury. In some cases, these injuries can be managed non-surgically with the use of a brace. However, more severe fractures may require surgery to stabilize the spine or to relieve pressure on the spinal cord if the fracture has caused compression.

Complex spine surgery

  • Adult degenerative scoliosis

  • Juvenile scoliosis that persists into adulthood

  • Revision spine surgery

  • Spine tumors

  • Surgery on the spinal cord and spinal nerves

Degenerative spine disease

  • Decompression surgery including laminectomy

  • Disc herniation surgery including microdiscectomy

  • Motion preservation surgery including cervical disc replacement

  • Spinal cord stimulator placement - requires established separate pain clinic for management

Trauma neurosurgery

  • Spine fractures

  • Surgical treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI)

  • Surgical treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI)

  • Surgical treatment of delayed complications of spine injuries including spinal deformity due to spine injuries and delayed spinal cord injury problems

Do you think you may need spine surgery?

Dr. Whitney specializes in treating a specific range of complex spine conditions. If you are interested in scheduling a consultation, please share our information with your primary care provider (PCP). A referral from your PCP is required to begin the case review process.

Once we receive your referral, our team will carefully review your medical information. If your case is accepted for consultation, we will contact you promptly to discuss the next steps.