Spine Surgery
If you answer “yes” to any of the following questions, you should consult a spine specialist, such as Dr. Karahalios:
• Are bladder or bowel problems present?
• Is your back pain accompanied by a fever or does it worsen at night?
• Did the back pain begin after a fall or accident?
• Do you experience numbness or weakness in your legs?
• Is your back pain radiating down your leg?
• Has the pain lasted more than three weeks?
Why select a fellowship-trained spine surgeon?
All neurosurgeons trained in the United States gain experience in the diagnosis and nonsurgical and surgical treatments of spinal disorders during a six- or seven-year residency training program (following medical school). When physicians graduate from an accredited neurosurgery training program, they usually have assisted in many hundreds of spine surgery procedures. Dr. Karahalios, in fact, performed his neurosurgical residency training at the Barrow Neurological Institute of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, one of the largest and busiest neurosurgical programs in the nation. Following his residency, Dr. Karahalios remained at the Barrow for an additional year to focus on spine surgery, through a spine-surgery fellowship.
Dr. Karahalios’ extensive training (over ten years of clinical experience) treating common back and neck pain, as well as some of the most complex spinal conditions, places him among the most well-respected neurosurgeons in the nation focused in spine surgery. Frequently, Dr. Karahalios is asked to lecture to other neurosurgeons or to proctor surgical cases using developing technologies. He frequently writes papers and performs clinical studies that are published in professional neurosurgical literature. He also is sought out by local Chicago media for his perspective on new spine surgery procedures and difficult-to-treat spinal conditions.