Your spine is the backbone of your well-being. When pain disrupts your life, you need care you can trust. At Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, our team is dedicated to restoring your strength so you can go back to doing what you love.
With expert spine care, we deliver advanced interventions using the latest technologies and techniques, tailored to your unique needs. Our progressive approach ensures personalized treatment, optimal recovery, and long-term success for a healthier life.
What is Complex Spine Surgery?
Most spine surgery is not considered complex, even though it’s on the spine. Several individuals will experience neck or back pain throughout their life, but when these episodes are related to other, complicated diagnoses, complex spine surgery can alleviate their pain. Complex spine surgery refers to the difficulty, risks, length of recovery or number of spine levels involved.
Who Needs Complex Spine Surgery?
Examples of complex spine surgery include:
A procedure to correct issues or complications from an earlier spine surgery, such as persistent pain, hardware failure, or incomplete healing.
The treatment of abnormal sideways curvatures of the spine in both children and adults, ranging from observation to surgical intervention.
Surgical or nonsurgical methods used to address abnormal curvatures or misalignments of the spine, such as scoliosis or kyphosis.
Surgical realignment of vertebrae to correct instability or deformities caused by conditions where the bones have shifted or rotated.
A revision surgery to address non-healed spinal fusions or repair/replace broken surgical hardware.
Treatment of fractured vertebrae caused by injuries, often involving stabilization, realignment, or fusion to restore spinal integrity.
Meet Our Surgeon
Griffin Baum M.D., M.Sc. is a fellowship-trained, board-certified spine surgeon and neurosurgeon. Dr. Baum completed his Orthopedic Spine Surgery fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center. Specializing in complex spine surgery, scoliosis, and minimally invasive techniques, he leads the field with cutting-edge technologies like spinal robotics, neuro-navigation, and motion-preserving solutions. Dr. Baum is committed to delivering unparalleled care for patients with spinal deformities and other spine conditions.
Patient Success Story
“I went from laying on the floor crying to walking two to three miles at a time. I'm living my life again."
What We Treat
If surgery is the best option for you, our team will create a personalized treatment plan for your individual needs, including:
A spinal curvature often requiring surgical correction in severe cases
Spinal curvature caused by degeneration of discs and joints, leading to instability and pain.
A continuation or progression of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis into adulthood.
An abnormal curvature or alignment of the spine, often involving multiple degenerative or structural changes.
Misalignment or curvature of the cervical spine, requiring complex surgical intervention for stabilization and correction.
A condition where a defect or fracture in the vertebra is present from birth, potentially leading to instability or deformity.
Severe spinal curvature that begins early in life, sometimes requiring complex surgical interventions during growth.
Persistent or recurring pain and symptoms following prior spinal surgery.
Spinal misalignment resulting from complications or unintended outcomes of a previous spinal fusion.
Abnormal growths or lesions in the spinal cord that may require surgical removal or stabilization.
A treatment for instability, deformity, or degenerative conditions of the spine through stabilization and fusion.
Abnormal clusters of blood vessels in or around the spine that could cause compression or bleeding.
Why Choose TMH 
TMH is the only facility in the region selected by Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) as a Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery. Blue Distinction Centers® are nationally designated healthcare facilities that show a commitment to delivering high-quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditation and quality organizations. Our expertly trained spine and neurosurgeons are focused on providing the highest-quality care for your spinal surgery.
Types of Complex Spine Surgery
Complex spine surgery is highly individualized, as various factors influence each procedure. At TMH, we perform a wide range of complex spine surgeries, some of which are listed below. This list is not exhaustive, as our expertise extends beyond these examples.
A minimally invasive procedure that accesses the lumbar spine from the side to remove a damaged disc and stabilize the spine with implants.
A surgery that accesses the spine through the abdomen to remove a damaged disc and fuse vertebrae, requiring careful navigation around major blood vessels.
A corrective procedure to address complications or failures from previous spine surgeries, often involving scar tissue and altered anatomy.
Removal of one or more cervical vertebral bodies and discs to decompress the spinal cord and stabilize the spine with grafts or implants.
A procedure that reshapes or repositions the cervical lamina to decompress the spinal cord while preserving motion.
Removal of the cervical lamina to relieve spinal cord compression, followed by fusion to stabilize the spine.
A surgery to stabilize the first and second cervical vertebrae, often performed for instability or trauma at the craniovertebral junction.
A fusion procedure that stabilizes the junction between the skull and cervical spine, often for instability or deformity.
Complex surgeries to correct issues from prior cervical procedures, requiring management of scar tissue and altered anatomy.
A procedure using rods and screws to correct scoliosis and stabilize the thoracic spine.
Removal of one or more vertebral bodies in the thoracic spine to treat tumors, trauma, or infection, with reconstruction for spinal stability.
A specialized fusion procedure using radiolucent screws to stabilize the spine and allow imaging for cancer monitoring.
A minimally invasive surgery to access the thoracic spine from the side, decompressing and stabilizing the spine with implants.
Surgery to address complications or failures from previous thoracic procedures, often involving scar tissue and complex anatomy.
A procedure accessing the spine from the back to remove damaged discs and fuse vertebrae with implants and bone grafts.
A surgery approaching the lumbar spine diagonally from the back to remove discs and fuse the spine, minimizing nerve retraction.
A procedure that accesses the lumbar spine through the front or side of the abdomen to remove damaged discs and stabilize the spine.
Removal of one or more lumbar vertebral bodies and discs to decompress nerves or treat disease, followed by spinal reconstruction.
A surgery to stabilize the sacroiliac joint by fusing it with screws and bone grafts, often for pain or instability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not always. While surgery can be a successful solution for chronic pain, it’s not the best option for everyone. If our team determines that another form of pain management is better for you, we’ll guide you to the right treatment.
Yes. At TMH, our goal is to help you live a safe, pain-free life. Our surgeons, including Dr. Baum, specialize in treating failed back surgery syndrome and performing revision surgeries.
Chronic pain after surgery can result from various causes. It might not mean the previous procedure failed but could indicate a different condition or a new problem. During your consultation, your provider will perform a physical exam and review imaging to determine if additional surgery could help. Symptoms of failed back surgery may include chronic pain in the back, neck, or legs, ranging from dull aches to sharp, burning sensations.
At TMH, we tailor care to each patient. Your journey begins with a clinic visit to discuss your pain with a provider. Together, you’ll decide the best approach, which may or may not involve surgery. If surgery is recommended, imaging will help create a custom plan. On the day of surgery, your surgeon will meet with you to review the plan and answer any last-minute questions. After the procedure, your surgeon will check in to ensure you’re on track for recovery.
Following surgery, your surgeon will assess your progress and ensure your needs were met. Your care team may recommend working with our Neuro Rehabilitation team to design a personalized recovery plan, which could include occupational, physical, or speech therapy.
