If you need a spine procedure performed, you don’t want to entrust yourself to just anyone. Spine surgery is a highly specialized field requiring flawless precision, so it is critical to find a surgeon with an excellent track record and years of experience. So how you choose a top Atlanta spine surgeon? Here are some tips to help guide you to the right physician.
These days, most physicians’ professional credentials can be found online, including where they got their education, how long they’ve been practicing, their areas of specialty, and sometimes even how many procedures they’ve performed. When vetting spine surgeons or other physicians, start with a simple Google search of their names. Note where they went to school, and if you like, do some research on the school itself to see if it’s reputable. Make sure the doctor’s level of experience is at a level you’re comfortable with.
A good resource to find a top spine surgeon is to check the rosters of one or more professional associations, like the North American Spine Society, American Board of Spine Surgery or the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. The benefit of this approach is that these associations hold their members to a certain set of standards, which helps improve patient trust that their surgeon has agreed to abide by those standards.
Board certification is another standard that helps ensure you are working with a qualified and trustworthy spine surgeon. Websites like Certification Matters and the American Board of Physician Specialities (ABPS) maintain searchable databases so you can confirm whether your surgeon is board certified.
Of course, as with any other profession, the best referrals are word-of-mouth. The experiences of other patients will offer worlds of information about the physician’s practices, manner and expertise. Healthgrades.com is just one trusted resource that provides overall ratings of doctors and surgeons, including patient reviews. Polaris Spine and Neurosurgery Center has been providing top quality, compassionate and state-of-the-art care to our Atlanta patients for more than 35 years. All our surgeons are board certified and members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and all are committed to providing each patient with the personalized care they’ve come to expect. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call us today at 404.256.2633.
