When patients are considering having spine surgery, one of the most common questions they have is, “Which is better, a neurosurgeon or an orthopaedic spine surgeon?” The quick answer is that for most types of spine surgery, both specially trained orthopaedic surgeons and neurosurgeons could be considered. This article will help one figure out the similarities and differences between the two specialties, and provide you with additional advice on how to select a spine surgeon.

But, before that let us know the exact meaning of a neurosurgeon and what do they deal in? Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Neurology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the central and peripheral nervous system; including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effect or tissue, such as muscle. They basically specialise in:

• Brain
• Spine and spinal cord
• Nerves
• Intracranial and intraspinal vasculature

Some neurosurgeons specialize exclusively on brain surgery, some on spine surgery, and some split their practice between the two.

Orthopaedic surgeons may be Medical Doctors (MD) or Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) who have completed a five-year surgical residency focused on the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. The best orthopedic spine surgeons in India specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of almost all bone and joint disorders, such as:

• Spinal disorders
• Arthritis
• Sports injuries
• Trauma
• Bone tumours
• Hand injuries and deformities
• Total joint replacement

In the previous years, neurosurgeons were primarily responsible for spine surgery, but in the past 2 to 3 decades spine surgery has evolved so that both neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons specialize in spine surgery, and for most of the typical spine operations both types of surgeons are equally well qualified.

Now how could one possible pick the best spine doctors in India with all this chaos? So let us make things a little simpler so that it s easy to comprehend. We shall start with our basic need- the spine specialist.

A spine specialist is a health professional who focuses mainly on treating spine conditions. Common specialists include chiropractors, physiatrists, physical therapists, orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, pain management physicians, anesthesiologists, and many rheumatologists and neurologists. Selection of the most appropriate type of health professional—or team of professionals—largely depends on the nature, severity, and duration of a patient’s symptoms.

So, I think it would be safe to say, whether to choose a neurosurgeon or an orthopaedic spin specialist depends on the nature and severity of the spinal problems faced by the patent. But, the purpose can be solved by both. I hope this article solves the debate over neurosurgeon vs. orthopaedic surgeon. For most types of spine surgery, careful selection of the individual surgeon is far more important than whether the surgeon is a neurosurgeon or orthopaedic surgeon. Selecting an appropriately experienced and skilled surgeon gives patients an improved chance of having the right type of surgery and a favourable outcome and helping the patient return to their normal life activity.