Duke Spine

Minimally invasive, awake spine surgery can be a gamer changer for some patients!

This 74-year-old patient had severe leg pain from spinal stenosis that made walking difficult. She had tried physical therapy and injections without relief. Then, neurosurgeon Muhammad Abd-El-Barr performed minimally invasive spine surgery using regional anesthesia.

There were no complications, and a year later, she's pain-free and enjoying the activities she loves -- including boxing!

The Spine Divison is growing in faculty numbers and expertise. "The goal is to have any patient with any condition in the U.S. referable to Duke to have outstanding, cutting-edge treatment,” said Duke Spine Chief Chris Shaffrey, MD.

Duke Expands Cutting-Edge Spine Services Duke Spine is growing with the world’s second spinal navigation unit and seven recent hires.

In February 2025, Duke became one of the few hospitals to perform a robot-assisted ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion). The spine procedure is minimally invasive and uses a front approach to treat spondylolisthesis -- a condition where one vertebra slips forward.

Robot-assisted spine surgery is poised for the next thing In February 2025, Duke became one of the few hospitals to perform a robot-assisted ALIF. The spine procedure is minimally and uses a front approach to treat spondylolisthesis -- a condition where one vertebra slips forward.

Welcome!

Today, Match Day, the Duke Department of Neurosurgery is thrilled to welcome our three newest residents:

Grace Futch, MD, from Duke University School of Medicine

Aden Mendoza, MD, from Duke University School of Medicine

Molly Monsour, MD, from University of South Florida

We can’t wait to see them scrub in, step up, and shape the future of neurosurgery.

As we count down to International Women’s Day (March 8), we celebrate the incredible women residents of Duke Neurosurgery who are and shaping the future of medicine. 🧠 💪

Stay tuned as we honor the women who make a difference every day.

Huge congrats to Julia Duvall, MD, Duke Neurosurgery intern and member of the Goodwin Lab, for incredible achievements at this year. 17 accepted abstracts AND the prestigious Sanford Larson Clinical Research Award! 🏆 👏 Your dedication to advancing spine research is inspiring!

Nurse practitioners lead with ❤️. Wishing all of ours a great

Spine surgeon Parastou “Paras” Fatemi, MD, has joined the faculty of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery as assistant professor. Dr. Fatemi treats patients with a wide range of spinal disorders, with a focus on adult degenerative conditions and deformity. She has a dual appointment in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and sees patients in the Duke Spine Center at Duke Clinic and Duke Regional Brain and Spine Surgery.

Duke Health Duke Orthopedics

Welcome, Dr. Jenson!

Amanda Jenson Joins the Faculty Amanda Jenson, MD, has joined the faculty of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery in the Pediatric Neurosurgery Division. Dr. Jenson is a pediatric neurosurgeon whose clinical practice focuses on brain and spinal cord tumors, tethered cord, spinal dysraphism, hydrocephalus, chiari malformation, crani...

Grateful to Duke Neurosurgery spine surgeon Rory Goodwin, MD, PhD, for helping welcome Valerie Foushee to campus yesterday, in support of greater awareness of brain and spine metastasis.

Neurosurgery resident Stephen Bergin said about his experience consulting for Grey's Anatomy:

"We would receive scripts from the ... writers with lines in them that would literally say 'medical, medical, medical'. It was my job to fill in these lines with applicable medical jargon.

"I would also be consulted on what type of injury could bring two characters working in different medical departments together. For example, if they needed a reason for a neurosurgeon and a cardiothoracic specialist to be in a room together, I would come up with the injury that meant they were both needed."

Doctor inspired by Grey's Anatomy becomes show's medical consultant Stephen Bergin, 35, a sixth year resident neurosurgeon's dreams have come true after he was asked to become a medical consultant on the hit TV drama show Grey's Anatomy