The Spine Institute is an Abbott Northwestern Hospital Center of Excellence dedicated to the comprehensive management of spinal diseases and disorders.

National and international reputation

Annually, the staff in the Spine Institute treats more than 4,000 patients from around the world. Every year, we perform the largest number of spine procedures in the United States. This breadth of experience contributes to our national and international reputation as a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of spine-related disorders.

In 2007, U.S. News and World Report cited Abbott Northwestern as one of the nation's Best Hospitals in neurology, neurosurgery and orthopedics, including spine and spinal surgery. See related news release.

Our partners in care

Working together with these partners, we provide comprehensive care for spine patients:

• Twin Cities Spine Center
• Institute for Low Back and Neck Care
• Minneapolis Neuroscience Institute
• Metropolitan Neurosurgery, P.A.
• Neurosurgical Associates, Ltd.
• Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute
• Virginia Piper Cancer Institute
• Institute for Health and Healing

Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery

Abbott Northwestern Hospital has been designated as a Blue Distinction Center for Spine Surgery. The selection criteria for the Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery was developed with input from expert physicians and medical organizations and include a comprehensive evaluation of structure, process, and outcome measures. Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery demonstrate a commitment to quality care and offer comprehensive inpatient spinal surgical services, including discectomy, fusion, and decompression procedures. To be selected for this designation, Abbott Northwestern Hospital had to demonstrate excellent performance with prevention of post-operative infections, use of evidenced based medical guidelines, post-op pain management, physician credentialing and training, and low rates of re-admission following surgery, to name just a few.

Note: Designation as Blue Distinction Centers® means these facilities' overall experience and aggregate data met objective criteria established in collaboration with expert clinicians' and leading professional organizations' recommendations. Individual outcomes may vary. To learn more about Blue Distinction®, please visit www.bcbs.com or contact Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

To learn more about our program
call 612-775-4191.

Our doctors and nurses have special training in the treatment of spine conditions and offer comprehensive outpatient evaluation and care management. They're known for:

• leading research and education focused on the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine
• ongoing clinical research to explore and substantiate advances in operative and non-operative methods of diagnosis and management of spinal problems
• research affiliations with leading medical technology organizations
• university appointments, lecturing and publishing on issues related to the treatment of spinal diseases and disorders.

Other dedicated professionals with specialized training and expertise in spine conditions also provide care for inpatients. These partners include:

• pain management specialists
• neurophysiology physicians and staff to monitor spinal cord function during spine surgery
• nurses trained to provide specialized spine care
• orthotists who have expertise in fitting patients with braces that are individualized to the patient and their type of spine surgery
• physical therapists
• occupational therapists
• social workers and case managers who provide the best resources to continue rehabilitation
• speech pathologists.

To learn more about our program
call 612-775-4191.

Our staff have special training in the treatment of many complex spine disorders. These include, but are not limited to:

• degenerative disc
• herniated disc ?
• scoliosis ?
• spondylolisthesis
• stenosis ?

Herniated disc

A herniated (slipped) disk occurs when all or part of a spinal disk is forced through a weakened part of the disk.

To learn more about herniated discs click here.

Scoliosis

Scoliosis is a curving of the spine. The spine curves away from the middle or sideways.

To learn more about scoliosis click here.

Stenosis

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of areas in the lumbar (back) or cervical (neck) spine, which causes pressure on the spinal cord or one or more of the spinal nerves.

To learn more about spinal stenosis click here.

Spinal fusion

Spinal fusion is surgery to fuse spine bones (vertebrae) that cause you to have back problems.

To learn more about spinal fusion click here.

Some of the procedures performed in the treatment of these spine disorders are:

• decompression
• spinal fusion ?
• spinal implants
• endoscopy
• thoracoplasty

The seventh and eighth floors of Abbott Northwestern's Heart Hospital are occupied by the Neuroscience/Orthopaedic/Spine Patient Center. Abbott Northwestern's specialized spine unit was designed with input from physicians, nurses, staff, families and patients to create a healing environment around a patient-centered model of care.

The Spine Institute facilities feature:

• state of the art space designated for physical therapies provided by the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute
• rooms are private and are designed to accommodate patients’ specific needs, including ceiling lifts and state-of-the-art beds
• sleeping space in each patient room for one designated guest if needed
• educational space for patients, families and staff
• a spacious, quiet solarium and an atrium for families and patients to relax and enjoy.

Surgical Services

Abbott Northwestern's Surgical Services Department has 33 operating rooms and more than 250 pre- and post-surgical staff. This is one of the largest and most advanced surgical departments in the area. Surgery patients are cared for by teams of highly specialized physicians and nurses. These caregivers have access to the most advanced tools modern technology has to offer.

Visit the Surgical Services Department online to learn more about what you can expect from your surgery experience.