Dr. Charles Reitman and patient

Spine Surgery

If you require surgery, you can feel confident with our skilled and experienced surgeons. Our team treats a wide range of spine and back issues, from the most basic to the most complex. Our goal is to return you to a healthy, active, and pain-free lifestyle as soon as possible.

Request an Appointment

To request information about our spine surgery services or make an appointment, please call 843-792-5000. You can also learn more about our Spine Center, including the conditions we treat, the members of our team and our locations.

Spine Surgery at MUSC: Why Choose Us?

When you come to the MUSC Spine Center, we tailor treatment recommendations to your specific needs and challenges. We always consider the least invasive option first, starting with non-surgical spine treatments.

Should you need surgery, you can trust our care. Medical centers from the tri-state area and beyond send our team complicated cases because of our expertise. We offer:

  • Internationally recognized experts: Our orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons have pioneered techniques and devices used worldwide. By doing so, they have made complicated surgeries safer and better. They’ve also helped train the next generation of surgeons. Our surgeons have completed additional training (fellowships) and passed rigorous exams (board certification) testing their skills and knowledge.
  • Wide range of options: Our team performs all types of spine surgery, including minimally invasive procedures and open surgeries. We have years of experience treating every back and spine issue, from herniated discs and spinal stenosis to severe spinal deformities, spinal infections, and spine tumors.
  • Quality care: Becker’s Hospital Review has named MUSC Health one of the top 100 Hospitals with a Great Neurosurgery and Spine Program. Blue Cross Blue Shield has also recognized our spine center as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery. This designation means that we provide the highest-quality specialty care for spine conditions.

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) Expertise

Our surgeons can perform many back and spine surgeries either as a minimally invasive procedure with smaller incisions or as an open surgery. We take a personalized, patient-focused approach, always recommending the option best suited for you. While we perform minimally invasive surgery whenever appropriate, we are highly skilled at both approaches.

Back & Spine Surgery Treatment Options

The best treatment option is the one that’s the safest and most effective. Years of training and experience enable our surgeons to recommend and perform the best type of surgery for your needs.

Some of our surgical options include:

  • Endoscopic discectomy: When the cushion (disc) between two vertebrae deteriorates, it can slip out of place or bulge, pressuring a nerve. Our surgeons specialize in endoscopic discectomies, minimally invasive procedures that relieve the pressure and pain by removing part of the disc.
  • Spinal fusion: Our surgeons can join problematic vertebrae together. This fusion can relieve pain caused by conditions such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and scoliosis. Our years of experience allow us to perform this procedure from a variety of entry points to the spine.
  • Disc replacement surgery: We can help relieve back and neck pain by replacing deteriorating discs causing the problem. We replace the discs with manufactured versions allowing for natural and pain-free movement.
  • Spinal cord stimulation: Surgeons can implant a small device under the skin of your abdomen or buttocks to block nerve impulses. These spinal cord simulators may be able to provide long-term relief if other surgeries have failed to produce results, or if you suffer from chronic, debilitating back pain.
  • Spinal fracture repair: We repair all types of painful spinal fractures. We offer two minimally invasive procedures, vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty, that feature special cement injected into the fractured vertebra to stabilize it. We also perform open spinal reconstruction surgeries when appropriate.
  • Scoliosis and kyphosis surgery: Scoliosis is a curved spine, while kyphosis is a rounded or humpbacked spine. Our surgeons have special expertise correcting spinal deformities through minimally invasive procedures or open surgery.
  • Sacroiliac joint surgery: In addition to the spine, pain can also develop where the sacroiliac joint meets the tailbone. If other treatments do not succeed, our surgeons can perform a minimally invasive fusion procedure to correct the problem.

Treating Spine Tumors

Sometimes, cancer can spread (metastasize) to the spine from elsewhere in the body. Tumors can also originate in the spine, though they are much less common.

Either way, we can provide the care you need. In collaboration with Hollings Cancer Center, we partner with MUSC Health’s Brain & Spine Tumor Program to offer comprehensive treatment targeted to the particular type of tumor. Treatments include medical oncology, radiation and radiosurgery, and spine surgery.

MUSC Health is one of only two programs in South Carolina offering Gamma Knife therapy. When appropriate, this radiation therapy precisely targets tumors at the top of the spine while sparing healthy tissue. We offer other radiotherapy treatments for tumors elsewhere in the spine.