Advanced Spine Care Close to Home

Medically Reviewed by Board Certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon Dean C. Perfetti, MD, MPH

Quick Answer

If you live in the Hudson Valley, Westchester, or Western Connecticut, you may think advanced spine care means a long trip to New York City or Albany. It does not have to. Good spine care depends on the surgeon, not the city.

At Somers Orthopaedics, Dr. Dean Perfetti a board-certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeon, offers the same advanced treatments found at large city hospitals, including total disc replacement and endoscopic spine surgery. You can see him in Newburgh, Mount Kisco, Carmel, or Danbury/a>,without the long drive.

At a Glance

• You can get advanced spine care between New York City and Albany, without a long trip.
• Dr. Perfetti is board certified and completed a spine surgery fellowship at the Texas Back Institute.
• He offers total disc replacement, endoscopic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and fusion.
• Spine surgery often comes with several follow-up visits, so a nearby office means shorter trips during recovery.
• Somers Orthopaedics has offices in Mount Kisco, Carmel, and Newburgh, New York, and Danbury, Connecticut.

Why Travel Can Make Spine Care Harder

When your back or neck hurts, sitting in a car or on a train for hours can be hard. And spine care is rarely one trip. There is often a first visit, imaging, sometimes a second opinion, surgery, and several checkups after.

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If your surgeon is two or three hours away, each of those visits takes up a whole day. After surgery, a long drive can add stress at a time when you want to focus on recovery.

It Is About the Surgeon, Not the City

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Large hospitals in New York City and Albany are well known. Dr. Dean Perfetti of Somers Orthopaedics offers that same innovative care, performing cutting-edge procedures such as endoscopic spine surgery and total disc replacement at Somers locations in New York and Connecticut. When choosing a spine surgeon, what matters is their training, how often they do the procedure you need, and whether they offer more than one option.

Advanced spine care can include total disc replacement, which swaps a damaged disc for an artificial one so your neck (cervical) or low back (lumbar) can still move; endoscopic surgery, which uses a tiny camera through a small tube; minimally invasive surgery, which uses smaller cuts; and fusion, which joins bones to stop painful motion. Many people start with physical therapy, medicine, or injections first.

No single procedure is right for everyone. A surgeon who offers all of these options can choose based on your problem, not on the one surgery they do most.

When to See a Spine Surgeon

It may be time to see a spine surgeon if pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your neck, back, arms, or legs keeps going after therapy, medicine, or injections.

These symptoms often come from a herniated (bulging) disc, a bone spur, or a narrow spinal canal pressing on a nerve. Sciatica, pain that runs down the leg, is one common example.

You can also see a spine surgeon for a second opinion. If you were told you need a big surgery, it is fair to ask whether a smaller option could work for you.

When to Get Emergency Care

Go to the emergency room right away if you suddenly lose control of your bladder or bowels, have weakness that is getting worse, have spine pain with a fever, or have symptoms after a bad fall or accident.

What to Ask When Comparing Spine Surgeons

Whether you look in New York City, Albany, or closer to home, ask these questions. Here is how Dr. Perfetti answers them.

Board-Certified Spine Surgeon Between New York City and Albany

Somers Orthopaedics sits right between New York City and Albany, with offices in Mount Kisco, Carmel, and Newburgh, New York, and Danbury, Connecticut. Dr. Dean C. Perfetti, MD, MPH, is a board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon who completed his fellowship at the Texas Back Institute. He treats the neck, mid back, and low back.

Dr. Perfetti offers the same advanced procedures found at large city hospitals, including total disc replacement, endoscopic surgery, and microdiscectomy. He performed the first fully endoscopic microdiscectomy at Northwell Health's Northern Westchester Hospital. That means you can get this level of spine care in a less busy setting.

Key Takeaways

• Strong spine care depends on the surgeon, not the city.
• Look for board certification, fellowship training, and more than one surgical option.
• Dr. Perfetti offers total disc replacement and endoscopic surgery between New York City and Albany.
• Loss of bowel or bladder control, severe weakness, or fever with spine pain needs emergency care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to go to New York City or Albany for advanced spine care?

No. Dr. Dean Perfetti, a board-certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeon, offers endoscopic surgery, disc replacement, minimally invasive surgery, and fusion at Somers Orthopaedics.

When should I see a spine surgeon?

See a spine surgeon if neck or back pain spreads into your arm or leg, or causes numbness, tingling, or weakness, and does not get better with time or treatment.

What is endoscopic spine surgery?

It is surgery done through a small tube with a tiny camera, often through a cut under an inch long. It is often used for a disc pressing on a nerve. It does not fit every problem, so your surgeon will look at your symptoms and imaging first.

Where can I get total disc replacement in New York?

Dr. Dean Perfetti offers total disc replacement at Somers Orthopaedics, with offices in Newburgh, Mount Kisco, and Carmel, New York, and Danbury, Connecticut. Patients from White Plains, the Hudson Valley, and Long Island can see him without a trip into Manhattan.

What is the difference between cervical and lumbar disc replacement?

Cervical disc replacement is done in the neck. Lumbar disc replacement is done in the low back. In both, the surgeon removes a worn or damaged disc and puts in an artificial one that lets that part of the spine keep moving.

What should I bring to a spine evaluation?

Bring your MRI or X-ray images and reports, records of past therapy or shots, a list of your medicines, and notes from other doctors.

Get Advanced Spine Care Close to Home

You do not have to travel far for advanced spine care. Call Somers Orthopaedics at 845-278-8400 or request an appointment to see Dr. Dean Perfetti in Mount Kisco, Carmel, Newburgh, or Danbury.

*This article is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Talk with a qualified healthcare provider about your specific symptoms and treatment options.