The Spine Surgery Service in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta
University is committed to providing state of the art spine care to our patients.
Whether your spine issues are caused by 1) degenerative changes from aging and arthritis,
2) overuse syndromes from repetitive movements, or 3) trauma from an injury – we want
to help patients of any age overcome their discomfort and improve their quality of
life.
The spine team takes pride in working with you to solve your spine and orthopaedic
problems using the most up to date and advanced treatment modalities, up to and including
surgery. We have a complete spine team capable of taking care of the complete spectrum
of spinal needs. Our team members include:
Uzondu Agochukwu, MD, is an Associate Professor, is a board-certified, Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon, Director
of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, and Co-Director of the Augusta University Spine
Fellowship.
John DeVine, MD, is a Professor, is board-certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon, Chief of the Spine
Surgery Service at Augusta University Health, and Co-Director of the Augusta University
Spine Fellowship.
Mr. Nathan Boykin and Mr. Charles Wispert are Physician Assistants (PAs) who have a combined 40 years of experience evaluating
and treating patients with neck and back pain.
Sara Lepley RN is our Spine Surgery Service nurse. She is instrumental in coordinating
care for our patients, helping maximize the benefits of both non-operative and operative
care.
Dr. Agochukwu and Dr. DeVine offer care for pathologies affecting the spine from the occiput to the pelvis including
deformity, trauma, tumors, infection, degenerative changes, and herniations. When
surgery is indicated, they utilize the most up to date techniques to include minimally
invasive surgery and navigation, with the goal of optimizing patient outcomes. They
offer those treatments to patients of all ages, including pediatric patients.
Our collective goal is to individualize the care required based on the needs of the
patient. From the simplest “back sprain” to the most complex scoliosis deformity,
our team will provide the care that results in the best possible outcome. The more
common conditions referred to us for evaluation and treatment include the following:
Lumbar radiculopathy – compression or inflammation to a nerve in the low back causing
pain, numbness and tingling, or weakness that can extend into the foot
Herniated disc – occurs when a portion of a vertebral disc extrudes from the normal
disc space causing neck or back pain and irritation to surrounding nerve roots
Lumbar spinal stenosis – narrowing of the spinal canal compressing the nerves throughout
the low back area resulting in back pain and difficulty walking.
Cervical radiculopathy – compression or inflammation to a nerve in the cervical region
(neck) causing pain, numbness and tingling, or weakness that can extend into the fingers
Cervical myelopathy – degenerative condition caused by narrowing of the spinal canal
compressing the spinal cord resulting in loss of balance and difficult with fine motor
skills (hand writing, buttoning buttons)
Spinal neoplasms – tumors can be located throughout the spine causing multiple symptoms
(pain, burning, fever, neurologic changes) that often require multi-modal therapy
(including care from a hematologist oncologist, radiation oncologist, orthopaedic
oncologist) all available at Augusta University Health
Adult deformity – can be congenital, adolescent, or adult in onset. Associated with
loss of normal contours of the spine, loss of normal alignment, and may be associated
with neurologic symptoms.
Failed back surgery syndrome – persistent back and/or extremity pain after already
having had previous spine surgery.
