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The ability for spine surgeons across North America to share data about patient outcomes took a giant leap forward with the recent creation of the American Spine Registry (ASR). Anthony Asher, MD, FAANS, FACS, a neurosurgeon at Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates is Co-Chairman of the ASR.

In this episode, we meet Dr. Joseph D. Stern and learn about his remarkable journey from neurosurgeon to caregiver and back to neurosurgeon.

Quick response, neurosurgical expertise and the promise from a doctor to a patient helped Dean Otto recover from paralysis. He's now raising money for others with spinal cord injuries and just ran a half marathon with his neurosurgeon.

Six of 11 patients enrolled in the clinical study of the Neuro-Spinal Scaffold have had an AIS upgrade in their spinal cord injury. Neurosurgeon Dom Coric, MD, of our practice is a co-principal investigator for this study.

Most climbers make the arduous six-day trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, to put a check on their bucket list. For neurosurgeon Joseph Stern, MD, of Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, the purpose of his climb was to raise awareness for the treatment and support services that are available to patients with brain tumors.

The results of a 10-year international clinical research study, initiated by two Charlotte physicians, will impact the care of tens of thousands of patients with the most common form of brain cancer. The study demonstrated that the use of whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) had significant negative impacts on the overall quality of life for patients with brain cancer and did not extend survival rates. The evidence from this study should serve as a catalyst to immediately reduce the use of WBRT for treatment of cerebral metastases and accelerate the development of novel, focused therapies for brain cancer patients. 

From playing baseball at the University of Tennessee to flying fighter jets on four continents and having a 27-year career as an airline captain, Steve Wieland has led an incredible life. But by the age of 65, he found himself completely helpless. He was unable to walk and was losing function in his hands to the point that he could not feed himself. It would take timing, technology, surgical expertise and rehabilitation to give Steve a new life.