Visiting Physicians Program

Sonoran Spine Center offers the opportunity for visiting spine surgeons to observe surgery. Surgeons can choose from the ongoing case load which cases they would like to observe and which techniques they would like to see. For surgeons interested in observing surgery, please contact Jan Revella through the Sonoran Spine Research and Education Foundation. Examples of commonly performed surgeries include:

• Scoliosis correction in children and adults
• Kyphosis correction in children and adults
• Interbody fusion and instrumentation techniques for degenerative disease
• Spinal osteotomies and realignment procedures for spinal imbalance
• Revision surgery for prior failed spine fusions
• Low stress deformity reduction techniques utilizing direct vertebral translation

Medical Students and Residents

The Sonoran Spine Center provides opportunity for visiting medical students and orthopedic surgery or neurosurgery residents to participate in clinical observation, observation in surgery, and participation in clinical research on diseases of the spine. For those interested, please contact Jan Revella through the Sonoran Spine Research and Education Foundation for interviews and scheduling of clinic, surgery or research observation and or participation.

Fellowship Program

Sonoran Spine Center participates in the spine surgery fellowship match, offering the opportunity for tertiary spinal deformity and spinal reconstructive surgery training for physicians who have completed a full residency in either orthopedic surgery or neuro surgery. The fellows will function as an integral part of the spine surgery team with responsibilities for work up, decision making, participation in surgery, follow up care after surgery, and spinal research.

The clinical material the fellow would be exposed to heavily weighted toward adult spinal deformity with extensive experience in reconstructive surgery for deformity, degenerative conditions, congenital problems, infection, tumor and trauma effecting the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.

With the primary focus of this fellowship being adult spinal deformity, extensive time will be spent learning the latest techniques in the care and treatment of patient's with spinal deformity under the close supervision and mentorship of Dennis Crandall, MD, Michael Chang, MD and other faculty members at Sonoran Spine Center.

Clinical Fellowships

• 1 – 2 per year, August 1 - July 31
• 12 month fellowship
• Orthopedic and Neurosurgeons can apply (completed residency, able to obtain Arizona license)
• Unique expertise and emphasis on adult spinal deformity (extensive exposure to operative care for degenerative disease, pediatric deformity, minimally invasive techniques, spinal osteotomies, cervical reconstruction, some exposure to total disc replacement in cervical and lumbar, less exposure to tumor and level-one trauma)
• Occiput to sacral experience; anterior/posterior/lateral approaches
• Heavy operative experience with 4 fellowship-trained spinal surgeons (SSC does 800 - 1000 surgical cases per year)
• Pre and post-op patient evaluation, decision making, creative thinking emphasized
• Opportunity to learn to do selective nerve root blocks and other pain injection techniques if desired (SSC Physiatrist, K. Mosallaie)
• Clinical research
• Participate in San Francisco Fellowship Match (SF Match)

Spine Research Fellowships

• 3 month fellowship (option to extend to additional 3 months if desired)
• Orthopedic and Neurosurgeons can apply (completed residency)
• Must be fluent in writing and speaking English
• Observe in OR (unscrubbed)
• Participate in clinical research as principal investigator or as a contributing co-author

Interested applicants should contact Susan Dylo through the Sonoran Spine Research and Education Foundation to find out more, and to receive information regarding application.