Duke Spine

Spine surgeon Parastou “Paras” Fatemi, MD, has joined the faculty of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery as assistant professor. Dr. Fatemi treats patients with a wide range of spinal disorders, with a focus on adult degenerative conditions and deformity. She has a dual appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and sees patients in the Duke Spine Center at Duke Clinic and Duke Regional Brain and Spine Surgery.

Duke Health Duke Orthopedics

Welcome, Dr. Jenson!

Amanda Jenson Joins the Faculty Amanda Jenson, MD, has joined the faculty of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery in the Pediatric Neurosurgery Division. Dr. Jenson is a pediatric neurosurgeon whose clinical practice focuses on brain and spinal cord tumors, tethered cord, spinal dysraphism, hydrocephalus, chiari malformation, crani...

Grateful to Duke Neurosurgery spine surgeon Rory Goodwin, MD, PhD, for helping welcome Valerie Foushee to campus yesterday, in support of greater awareness of brain and spine metastasis.

Neurosurgery resident Stephen Bergin said about his experience consulting for Grey's Anatomy:

"We would receive scripts from the ... writers with lines in them that would literally say 'medical, medical, medical'. It was my job to fill in these lines with applicable medical jargon.

"I would also be consulted on what type of injury could bring two characters working in different medical departments together. For example, if they needed a reason for a neurosurgeon and a cardiothoracic specialist to be in a room together, I would come up with the injury that meant they were both needed."

Doctor inspired by Grey's Anatomy becomes show's medical consultant Stephen Bergin, 35, a sixth year resident neurosurgeon's dreams have come true after he was asked to become a medical consultant on the hit TV drama show Grey's Anatomy

Learn about treatments for neck pain caused by cervical radiculopathy in this new article by Duke Neurosurgery spine specialist Khoi Than, MD.

Cervical Radiculopathy: Treatment for Radiating Neck Pain Cervical radiculopathy treatments include nonsurgical therapies such as anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy and epidural steroid injections. Spine surgery may be recommended if conservative treatments do not manage radiating neck pain symptoms.

As people are surviving longer with cancer, many of them come to see their cancer metastasize (spread) to the brain or spine.

People whose cancer has metastasized to the brain or spine have more options and more HOPE than ever before.

This is why Brain and Spine Metastasis Awareness Month was born. Before this month comes to a close, please help us spread the awareness:
1. Visit brainspinemetastasis.org, and find ready-made content to share
2. Use the hashtag
3. Like, comment, share!

American Brain Tumor Association Keck Medicine of USC Duke Cancer Institute Duke Health Duke University School of Medicine

Two amazing neurosurgeons have just joined the Spine Division:
Kristen Jones, MD, who specializes in spinal deformity, and David Huie, MD, who specializes in minimally invasive, endoscopic spine surgery. Welcome!

Drs. Jones, Huie Join the Duke Neurosurgery Faculty On July 1, 2024, Duke Neurosurgery welcomes two new faculty members and spine surgeons. Kristen Jones, MD, FAANS, an internationally recognized spinal deformity neurosurgeon, has been named associate professor in the departments of Neurosurgery and Orthopedic Surgery at Duke University. She speciali...

It’s time to celebrate the MVPs of patient care — our neuroscience nurses.

Happy Neuroscience Nurses Week to those who bring their A-game day after day, caring for our patients with unmatched skills, knowledge, and compassion.

We appreciate you!

Christopher Shaffrey, MD, chief of Duke Spine, has been awarded the Harvey Cushing Medal by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at their annual meeting in Chicago.

The award is the highest that the AANS can bestow on a member. It recognizes distinguished service and accomplishments in neurosurgery as well as extraordinary efforts to advance the field. The award's namesake, Harvey Cushing, is considered "the father of modern neurological surgery." Duke Health

Shaffrey Is Cushing Medalist Christopher Shaffrey, MD, chief of Duke Spine, has been awarded the Harvey Cushing Medal by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at their annual meeting in Chicago, May 3-5, 2024.

We're rolling out the blue carpet for these amazing three as they prepare to join us as our new class of interns! !!💫 🎉
Tyrone DeSpenza, Yale Med
Julia Duvall, Harvard Med
Benjamin Succop, UNC Med

For 12 consecutive grading periods, Duke University Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and Duke Regional Hospital have received top scores for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group.

Duke Hospitals Continue to Earn ‘A’ Grades on Leapfrog Safety Assessments DURHAM, N.C. -- For 12 consecutive grading periods, Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital and Duke Raleigh Hospital received top scores for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group. The “A” scores for Leapfrog’s spring 2024 survey are part of the group’s Hospital Safety Grades Asses...

If conservative treatment isn’t effective, spine surgery is an option for constant chronic pain. Duke Spine performs thousands of procedures each year, including a wide range of minimally invasive procedures. Our expertise in pain management, physical therapy, and other nonsurgical approaches mean our patients experience less pain and a faster recovery. If you need surgery, this series of videos will help you prepare so you have a safe, optimal experience.

Welcome | Duke Spine Center | Duke Health Running, walking, bending over, dancing… your healthy spine makes all of these daily tasks possible. Constant, chronic pain can impact your activities and ca...

Take a look at the highlights in trauma care from the past year, including:

Dr. Gerald Grant's work to build a comprehensive center for neurorestoration following traumatic brain injury (TBI), and

The latest research to develop new treatments for traumatic spinal cord injury.
https://neurosurgery.duke.edu/report-trauma

More updates from the past year! Here's the chapter on chronic pain, which includes briefs about:
Phantom pain from an injury, and
Spinal cord stimulation for painful diabetic neuropathy.

https://neurosurgery.duke.edu/report-chronic-pain

Illuminating the way, one vertebra at a time. 🌟💙 Discover the latest advancements in spine research and care from the past year, in the Duke Neurosurgery Annual Report.
https://neurosurgery.duke.edu/report-spine-disorders

A tingling sensation, then trouble walking, sends a Charlotte, NC, woman to Duke University Hospital, but the diagnosis is nothing she expected In November 2022, Mary McQueen started feeling like some of the toes on her right foot were asleep. The tingling sensation moved to her left toes, then her entire right foot. McQueen, 70, thought she might be experiencing peripheral neuropathy based on concerns with her weight and prediabetes. An X-...

Anthony Rivera, MD, has been named assistant professor in the Duke Department of Neurosurgery, Spine Division

A physiatrist, Rivera specializes in treating back pain non-surgically.

“Some of the advanced techniques that I utilize include spine injections, image guided procedures and Botox for pain relief,” he says. “Pain is very variable and affects people in different ways. I like to get to know my patients well – so I can make sure they are receiving the treatment that’s best for them.”

Rivera Joins Spine Division Faculty Anthony Rivera, MD, has been named assistant professor in the Duke Department of Neurosurgery, Spine Division, effective May 15, 2023. A physiatrist, Rivera specializes in treating back pain non-surgically.

For some patients, staying awake during spine surgery can be a great option. With advantages that include a shorter hospital stay and an easier recovery, awake spine surgery means more people can get the spine surgery they need. Hear Duke Neurosurgery's Dr. Abd-El-Barr discuss the procedure that puts your spine "to sleep," but not the rest of your body.

Awake Spine Surgery Opens Doors to More Patients | Duke Health Awake spine surgery is an option for people who can’t tolerate or don’t want general anesthesia. A special type of anesthesia that numbs your spine and its p...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIsJetrTGJQ&lc=UgwwQA4cobHT_AG_n_14AaABAg

Awake spine surgery at Duke Neurosurgery Awake spine fusion surgery benefits patients who are at risk for adverse reaction or long recovery from general anesthesia. The first awake spine fusion surg...

This week we celebrate the best nurses in the world -- Duke neuroscience nurses. You are the ones that our patients remember fondly, who mean so much to families, and who help ensure the very best outcome.

Our sincerest thanks to to all our neuroscience nurses in our hospitals and clinics. Thank you not only for your commitment to patients, but also for all the sometimes thankless tasks you do every day to make the patient experience so special.

We hope that you always remember how important you are to our patients and families and all of us in Neurosurgery.

Duke neurosurgeon Oren Gottfried was consulted for this article in Forbes on sciatica.

Pain occurring in the middle of the back is more likely to be back pain, says Dr. Gottfried. “But if it gets into the hamstring, hip or thigh, that’s where we get into sciatic or radicular pain,” he adds.

What Is Sciatica? Symptoms, Causes And Treatment What Is Sciatica? Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

Duke neurosurgeon picks up role on NBC show 'Chicago Med' A Duke neurosurgeon now splits his time between a real hospital and one on TV.

Duke spine surgeon Muhammad Abd-El-Barr, MD, PhD, has been selected for 2023 Duke Clinical Leadership Program.

The Duke Clinical Leadership Program was founded by the Chancellor for Health Affairs in 2010 to help expand leadership capacity within Duke Health. The program provides faculty with an opportunity to deepen their awareness of health care operations and to develop relevant leadership skills.

The program is run by the School of Medicine Office for Faculty. Program fellows are introduced to leaders from the Health System, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Fuqua School of Business.

Faculty in this program were competitively selected to participate.

Did you catch spine surgeon National Spine Health Foundation board member Dr. Gottfried on WRAL TV this morning, sharing tips to keep your spine healthy over the holidays? If not, here's a summary from the Spine Health Foundation!
https://spinehealth.org/5-holiday-safety-tips/

"A teacher of teachers ... who has changed how spine surgery is practiced."

Congratulations to Chris Shaffrey, MD, chief of the Duke Spine Division, who today received the Cushing Award for Technical Excellence and Innovation in Neurosurgery.

Celebrating the very best on

Duke neurosurgeon Dr, Muhammad Abd-El-Barr is one of only a handful of surgeons in the country offering patients the option of awake spine surgery. An attractive benefit of awake surgery is a quicker recovery.

10 surgeons performing awake spine surgery Ten surgeons performing awake spine surgery:

We are pleased to announce that Gerald Grant, MD, an internationally known surgeon-scientist, has been named the new chair of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery, effective April 1, 2022.
Grant returns to Duke from Stanford University, where he is currently an endowed professor and chief of pediatric neurosurgery.
More: https://neurosurgery.duke.edu/blog/gerald-grant-md-returns-duke-chair-neurosurgery