Choosing the right spinal deformity surgeon is a major decision for you and your family but it’s not an easy task, whether you have a more straight-forward and common deformity, a severe/complex deformity, or a previously treated deformity that needs a revision. To help you make a wise decision, we recommend using the 5 steps below to evaluate each surgeon you’re considering to help recognize Dr. Lenke’s preeminence in this field:

Experience: Are they experienced with spinal deformity surgery?
Reputation: Do they have a good reputation with other surgeons?
Research: What research have they published? How has it improved surgical care for patients?
Teaching: Do they teach and train other spinal deformity surgeons?
Integrity: Do you feel you can trust them? What do other patients say about them?

If a surgeon scores highly when evaluated against these questions, you’re heading in the right direction.

Many surgeons worldwide view Dr. Lenke as one of the top, (if not the top), spinal deformity surgeons in the world. However, don’t take our word for it! We’ve answered the questions listed above so you can decide if Dr. Lenke is the right surgeon for you.

Why Choose Dr. Lenke?

Choosing The Right Surgeon For You

How experienced is Dr. Lenke with spinal deformity surgeries?

Dr. Lenke has spent 28 years specializing in spinal deformity surgery, with the past 20 years dedicated to only spinal deformity cases many of the most severe and complex ever seen. This experience and focus is part of the reason that surgeons from around the world refer Dr. Lenke patients they are unable to treat themselves.
Two of the most powerful and challenging surgical techniques in spinal deformity surgery are PSOs (Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomies) and VCRs (Vertebral Column Resections). Dr. Lenke is currently recognized as the world’s leading authority on these techniques, having performed more of these procedures (over 500) than any other surgeon in the last 20 years.

Does Dr. Lenke have a good reputation with other surgeons?

Dr. Lenke’s reputation is outstanding!

More than 700 spine surgeons from the United States and 60 other countries around the globe have visited Dr. Lenke to observe his surgical practice to learn from him.
In the last 28 years, Dr. Lenke has trained more than 100 clinical fellows (young surgeons who are dedicating their careers to spinal deformity surgery). In fact, there’s a very good chance that some of the other surgeons you might be considering were trained by Dr. Lenke!
In 2010, Dr. Lenke became one of the youngest surgeons ever to be elected President of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS). The SRS is the oldest and most prestigious society for spine surgeons in the world

Has Dr. Lenke published any research publications?

Dr. Lenke is the most widely published spinal deformity surgeon ever. He has published nearly 500 peer-reviewed research manuscripts, over 80 Invited manuscripts, over 900 society podium presentations, 140 book chapters, and edited 5 textbooks on spinal deformity surgery. He has also been invited to be a Visiting Professor at over 100 Institutions/Universities around the world to speak on Spinal Deformity Surgical topics.

What is an H-index? Where does Dr. Lenke rank among his peers?

The h-index is an individualized indicator that attempts to measure both the productivity (how many publications produced) and the overall impact of the publications (how many times an article is cited).

Dr. Lenke has one of the highest H-indices of any spine surgeon in the world at 82. Over the course of Dr. Lenke’s career, he has a total of 488 publications and is an avid promoter on the importance of research in Spine Surgery.

Through his research he has become one of the foremost spinal deformity experts by standardizing classifications used world-wide to guide treatment options, instituting preoperative optimization to mitigate intraoperative and postoperative complications, and developing new surgical techniques that enhance patient safety - just to name a few!

Dr. Lenke has a plethora of current and future research initiatives he is diligently working on that will continue to provide improvement and innovation in the field of spinal deformity.

Does Dr. Lenke teach and trains other surgeons?

Dr. Lenke has taught spinal deformity surgeons in 42 countries on 6 continents. Remarkably, he has chaired over 110 spinal surgery conferences, been on faculty for more than 250 spine conferences, and served as invited Visiting Professor at more than 100 prestigious institutions around the world.

Can you trust Dr. Lenke? What do his patients have to say?

Choosing a spine surgeon isn’t just about their skills and research work. One of the most important issues is trust between the surgeon and patient. Does (s)he care about his/her patients? Is (s)he a person of integrity? The following examples provide a good insight into Dr. Lenke’s character:

Dr. Lenke has committed a significant amount of time to performing surgeries and training surgeons in 2nd and 3rd world countries. He does this free of charge and at his own expense, for one reason, he cares about patients with spinal deformities and knows that he has a surgical gift that can change their lives.
Dr. Lenke recognizes the immense trust that a patient and their family must invest when they choose him to perform their surgery. In respect of this trust, Dr. Lenke invests great time and effort into improving safety in spine surgery procedures. It’s a passion that leads him to work tirelessly to perform spinal deformity surgery as safely and effectively as possible.

Of course, you may still have questions as to whether or not Dr. Lenke is the surgeon for you to see. We encourage you to take a look around this website, especially at some of the Patient Stories , to help you make your choice. Whatever you decide, we hope that you have a safe and successful outcome to your spinal deformity surgery!