Primary care physicians are often the first to treat symptoms of back pain. However, it is important to be evaluated at an advanced spine center as soon as possible, since early and expert intervention can keep some conditions, like compression fractures, spinal stenosis, and herniated discs from getting worse.
The experts of Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian at the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care — world-class spine surgeons along with their team of physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and pain management specialists — provide comprehensive, integrated care for patients with pain associated with conditions of the spine. Patients receive a complete continuum of care from diagnosis to treatment and recovery.
We generally begin with nonsurgical, noninvasive treatment options. For patients who do need surgery, we offer the latest in minimally invasive surgical techniques, using state-of-the-art equipment. Patients recover faster, have less pain, and get back to their normal daily activities sooner than they could with older surgical methods.
Our neurosurgical faculty includes some of the very best world-renowned specialists.
At the Midtown East Spine Center:
Kai-Ming Fu, MD, PhD, is the director of the Spinal Deformity Surgery Program at Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and chief of neurosurgery at our Lower Manhattan location. He obtained his undergraduate degrees from Stanford University and his medical and graduate training in the M.D./Ph.D. program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Fu specializes in minimal access surgery as well as having advanced training in reconstructive, deformity, and oncological spine surgery. (Read more about Dr. Fu.)
Michael Virk, MD, PhD, is a widely published neurosurgeon with specialty training in minimally invasive and complex surgery for a wide variety of spine conditions. In addition to basilar invagination, his specialties include scoliosis, kyphosis, spinal tumors, trauma, degenerative disease, radiculopathy, herniated discs, and spinal stenosis. Dr. Virk uses state-of-the-art minimally invasive techniques with intraoperative, computer-assisted navigation as well as spinal endoscopy. He also uses fundamental, open surgical strategies in patients who will benefit most from these. (Read more about Dr. Virk)
Roger Härtl, MD, named as one of the top 50 spine surgeons in the United States, the Hansen-MacDonald Professor of Neurological Surgery as well as Neurosurgical Director of Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is the founder and director of Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian at the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care. He’s also the official neurosurgeon for the New York Giants. Dr. Härtl's clinical and research expertise is in simple and complex spine surgery, neurotrauma, and neurocritical care medicine. Dr. Härtl believes that surgery for any spine condition should be a part of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, and he works very closely with other specialists in a team effort to achieve the best outcome for his patients. (Read more about Dr. Härtl.)
At our Queens location:
Srikanth Boddu, MD, MSc, is an interventional neuroradiologist who specializes in minimally invasive treatments for cerebrovascular and spinal disorders. In addition to back pain, Dr. Boddu’s specialties include aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, compression fractures, tumors, stroke, pseudotumor cerebri, and tinnitus. Dr. Boddu sees patients and performs surgery at Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian Queens and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center on the upper east side of Manhattan. (Read more about Dr. Boddu.)
At our Lower Manhattan location:
Dr. Fu also sees patient in lower Manhattan at 156 William Street.
