How to choose a spine surgeon who fits your needs

Define the problem you need help solving

You may need an explanation for persistent symptoms, a second look at an operation already recommended, or care for a complex spinal condition. Those are different starting points. Write down the question you want answered before searching for a surgeon.

If you have a diagnosis, bring the records that support it. If you do not, say that clearly. Your first goal may be an assessment rather than a procedure. A useful consultation should establish what seems to be causing the symptoms, what remains uncertain, and whether a surgical problem is present before you discuss how to operate.

Look for experience relevant to your condition

Ask about training and current experience with the condition and procedure being considered. A surgeon who frequently treats one kind of spinal problem may have a different focus from one who manages another. A short list built around fit is more useful than a broad search for the "best" surgeon without defining the problem.

Mayo Clinic Health System encourages discussion of a surgeon's experience and the limits of surgery. You can ask how often they perform the proposed procedure and how they evaluate results. Ask which outcomes and complications matter for people with a situation similar to yours.

Sources: Mayo Clinic Health System: Nine Questions to Ask Your Spine Surgeon

Evaluate the explanation, not just the confidence

Ask the surgeon to show how the symptoms, examination, and images support the recommendation. Listen for an explanation you could repeat to a family member. Confidence is reassuring when it comes with reasons, alternatives, and an honest account of uncertainty.

Try a specific question: "What makes you think this finding is the source of my leg pain, and what would make you reconsider?" Or ask which symptom the operation is least likely to help. You should not need medical training to understand why a particular plan is being recommended or how it connects to your priorities.

Compare realistic alternatives

Ask about continued nonsurgical care, different operations where appropriate, and the option of another opinion. If an approach is ruled out, ask why. Compare each realistic option using the same measures: likely benefit, important risks, recovery demands, and what happens if it does not help.

A second opinion can be useful when you are unsure about the need for surgery or receive more than one reasonable option. Differences in recommendations deserve an explanation rather than an immediate contest between doctors. Ask whether the difference concerns diagnosis, timing, surgical extent, or personal preference. Those disagreements require different follow-up questions.

Sources: Keck Medicine of USC: When to Seek a Second Opinion for Spine Surgery

Check the care around the operation

Ask who you will see before and after surgery, how questions reach the team, and where urgent concerns are handled. Clarify the surgical facility, anesthesia arrangements, insurance participation, and expected financial responsibilities. Before scheduling, make sure the visits, transport, and help at home are workable for you.

Bring details about work, driving, caregiving, and help at home. Ask how these affect planning and whether another specialist needs to be involved before scheduling. If travel between Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Santa Monica is a concern, clarify the consultation and follow-up locations instead of assuming every visit occurs in the same place.

Meet our spine team

At Commons Clinic, our spine surgeons bring different clinical interests, including disc replacement, decompression, fusion, and deformity care. Dr. Hyun Bae, Dr. Sanjay Khurana, and Dr. Amandeep Bhalla are among the clinicians whose profiles you can explore when building your list.

Patient stories can give you a sense of the conversation and support people experienced. Look for the qualities you value, such as patience with questions or explanations that made a difficult choice easier. Then bring those priorities to your own visit. Ask for time to understand the recommendation and discuss the tradeoffs. The most useful match is a clinician with relevant expertise and a plan that fits your problem, your life, and your goals.

Ask about experience with your particular operation

The American College of Surgeons recommends discussing a surgeon’s qualifications, experience with the proposed operation, complications, and the facility where it will be performed. Make those questions specific to your diagnosis and procedure. Ask how often the surgeon treats comparable problems and how they discuss results that fall short of expectations. If someone quotes a success rate, ask what success means and when it was measured. This gives you more useful information than a reputation, a technology label, or a review score by itself.

Sources: Questions to Ask before Having an Operation

Choose a team that can explain the alternatives

Johns Hopkins describes both nonsurgical care and several surgical approaches within spine treatment. Ask the physician how they decide when rehabilitation, pain care, or another assessment deserves more time, and what would make surgery appropriate. Also discuss who coordinates the pieces around an operation: medical preparation, anesthesia, rehabilitation, and follow-up. A helpful consultation connects the proposed procedure with your main concern and explains the options left open. You should feel able to raise uncertainty and return with questions before making an elective decision.

Sources: Back and Spine Surgery

Sources & further reading

• Mayo Clinic Health System: Nine Questions to Ask Your Spine Surgeon
• Keck Medicine of USC: When to Seek a Second Opinion for Spine Surgery
• Questions to Ask before Having an OperationAmerican College of Surgeons
• Back and Spine SurgeryJohns Hopkins Medicine

We use these medical sources to help explain your options and prepare you for a conversation with our team. Our guides feature our own clinicians; patient reviews describe individual experiences.

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