Advanced spine care in Central Texas

Experienced spine surgeons at Ascension Texas diagnose and treat many types of neck and back injuries and conditions. Your spine surgeon works with a team of specialists and is part of an integrated national network of doctors, sharing best practices, knowledge and research while delivering advanced care close to home. Your care team has the expertise to help find the cause of your symptoms and deliver a treatment plan that helps relieve pain, increase movement and improve your quality of life. And, we connect you with advanced rehabilitation and support after surgery. We can also provide a second opinion from a multidisciplinary team of specialists, for even the most advanced and complex spine care needs.

Advanced spine surgery

Spine surgery may be an option if you have chronic back or neck pain that hasn’t gotten better with other treatment, such as injections, medication or non-invasive therapy. Your doctor works with you to create a personalized care plan. Some spinal conditions that may require surgery include:

• Back pain
• Broken vertebra
• Cervical disk disease
• Herniated disk
• Infection
• Neck pain
• Sciatica (nerve pain in your lower back and down your leg)
• Scoliosis (curved spine) and other spinal deformities
• Spinal instability (spondylolisthesis)
• Spinal stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal
• Spinal tumor
• Spondylosis (age related degeneration of the spine)

CALL – 512-324-BACK (2225) – AUSTIN     CALL – 877-561-BACK (2225) – WACO

Minimally-invasive spine surgery

When spine surgery is recommended as part of your care plan, experienced spine surgeons at Ascension Texas use the latest spine surgery techniques. Whenever possible, minimally invasive procedures are recommended, which use smaller incisions and may lead to less pain and a shorter recovery.

Types of spine surgery include:

• Cervical spine surgery
• Disk replacement
• Lumbar spine surgery
• Minimally invasive spine surgery
• Peripheral nerve surgery
• Removal of spinal tumors
• Robotic spine surgery
• Scoliosis surgery
• Spinal cord stimulation
• Spinal deformity correction surgery
• Spinal radiosurgery

From preparation for surgery through recovery, you are connected with specialists in physical rehabilitation. We focus on rehabilitation therapies to help safely increase your muscular strength and flexibility.

Spine surgeons in North Austin

• Ryan K. Bergeson, MD
• Alex Cruz, MD
• Michael T. Koltz, MD
• Rory R. Mayer, MD
• Mustasim N. Rumi, MD
• Borna (Ethan) Tabibian, MD
• Viet N. Tran, MD

Spine surgeons in Central Austin

• Alex Cruz, MD
• Matthew J. Geck, MD
• Rory R. Mayer, MD
• Juan R. Ortega-Barnett, MD
• John K. Stokes, MD
• Eeric Truumees, MD
• Viet N. Tran, MD
• Vincent Y. Wang, MD

Spine surgeons in South Austin

• Matthew K. Hummel, MD
• Juan R. Ortega-Barnett, MD
• Jason O. Toy, MD
• Vincent Y. Wang, MD

Spine surgeons in Waco

• John B. Dietze, MD

Get a second opinion from experienced spine surgeons

Make sure you feel confident about your spine care plan. And choose the team who can deliver a treatment plan for the most advanced and complex spine care needs. Our goal is to help relieve neck, back and leg pain, increase movement and improve your quality of life with care options that are right for you.

When you request a second opinion at Ascension Texas, you’ll have a multidisciplinary team of doctors, including neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons, who specialize in advanced and minimally invasive spine surgery reviewing your case. So, you will receive the opinion of multiple highly experienced spine specialists, who have collaborated on a recommended care plan customized for you and your needs. We can discuss pain management, therapeutic or surgical treatment plans.

It's easy to get a second opinion at Ascension Texas. Start by filling out the form or by scheduling an appointment to talk with one of our specialists about spine surgery -- call 512-324-BACK (2225) in Austin or 877-561-BACK (2225) in Waco for more information or to schedule a consultation. We will review your medical records and healthcare history to answer your questions and discuss options, based on the recommendation of our team of surgeons who are part of a national network across Ascension sites of care.

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Helping you prepare for spine surgery

Your spine surgeon will talk with you before your surgery to help you prepare for your procedure. You may need to stop taking some medications before the procedure, such as blood thinners and aspirin. If you smoke, you will need to stop smoking before surgery. Talk with your doctor about the right diet and exercise before your surgery to best support your recovery. Your care team will also tell you about any restrictions for eating and drinking before surgery.

Depending on the type of surgery you are having, your surgeon may recommend that you have a pre-surgery evaluation. This appointment may include a physical exam and other tests. Our goal is to help make sure you are prepared to have anesthesia and that you have a pre-surgery plan customized for your health needs.

There are also things you can do at home to prepare for surgery, such as adjusting your bed height, clearing walkways, making sure you have essential items and more. Your care team will help you prepare your home to help make your recovery smoother.

What to expect after spine surgery

After surgery, your physical therapist will evaluate your needs, create a care plan for rehabilitation and make sure you are prepared to go home. Your therapist will also help you with walking devices such as a cane or walker, if needed. Working with you and your care team, your physical therapist can help determine the level of physical therapy you may need to recover.

Financial assistance and support is available

We can connect you with resources and programs that may be able to help you and your family with options for financial assistance. Our financial counseling team is here to listen to your concerns and work with you to help find options that meet your needs.

Insurance coverage for surgery

Talk with your doctor or insurance provider about insurance coverage options for having spine surgery. Surgery may be covered by various insurance plans as well as Medicare. First, you may need to be evaluated by a spine surgeon.

Frequently asked questions