After completing a pair of spinal fellowships in the latest surgical techniques and technologies, Shawn W. Adams, M.D., has joined Norton Leatherman Spine and Norton Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Adams’ fellowships covered complex adult spine, deformity and minimally invasive techniques. “I try to develop a relationship with my patients and partner with them to get the…
Norton Healthcare has been named the first Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence in the country by DNV, a national accrediting body. This designation is given to organizations that demonstrate excellence in diagnostic services, surgical services and therapies related to orthopedic and spine care. To receive the Advanced Orthopedic & Spine Center of Excellence…
Even though I’m a neurosurgeon specializing in spine, I spend a lot of time talking to my patients about issues other than their backs. Rarely do I see back pain in isolation. Before they undergo spinal surgery, patients who are obese or who have osteoporosis or have poorly controlled diabetes all have risks we need…
The patient A 27-year-old female presented with five months of progressive quadriparesis and paresthesias affecting both upper and lower extremities. She initially presented to her primary care provider five months prior, while eight months pregnant, with weakness, numbness and tingling in her right upper extremity. The symptoms initially were thought to be a result of…
The goal of Norton Leatherman Spine Back and Neck Pain Clinics is to see patients referred by primary care physicians, emergency departments or other clinicians in an expedited fashion. We strive to offer appointments within 72 hours of referral and often can see patients the next day. Even patients whose symptoms do not appear urgent…
Norton Leatherman Spine is named for Kenton D. Leatherman, M.D., a pioneering surgeon whose groundbreaking work treating scoliosis brought him worldwide renown. We’re still known as a place where patients can receive innovative surgery from outstanding surgeons. But Norton Leatherman Spine is a lot more than surgeons and surgery. We offer coordinated, multidisciplinary care for…
Spine surgeon Kathryn J. McCarthy, M.D., is a new addition to the Norton Leatherman Spine team. According to Dr. McCarthy, her aim is to bring a balance of current effective treatments and compassion to the bedside. Women in spinal care “There is a significant gender imbalance in spine care providers,” Dr. McCarthy said. “There are…
Using 3D, computer-generated spine navigation systems to position implants has transformed spinal surgery. Not only can we place the spinal implants with greater precision, navigation has allowed us to perform more surgeries using a minimally invasive approach. Minimally invasive surgery means smaller incisions, less muscle dissection, shorter hospital stays, less narcotics use, and a quicker…
In the years after World War II, Kenton D. Leatherman, M.D., pioneered new approaches to treating scoliosis. More than half a century later, we are doing our best to carry forward that legacy of innovative scoliosis care. We are always working to make our surgeries more effective, less invasive and safer for our patients with…
Norton Leatherman Spine and Norton Children’s Orthopedics of Louisville, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, offer a scoliosis exercise program based on the methods first used by German scoliosis patient Katharina Schroth. The method’s namesake had moderate scoliosis herself, and after years of wearing uncomfortable steel braces, she began using breathing techniques, pulley systems…
As surgical technology advances, spine surgery will become more automated, more precise and much more standardized, providing valuable data for benchmarking and informing standard of care guidelines. Ask five surgeons to do an L4-L5 fusion now, and you will get five different approaches. Robotic-assisted surgery has the power to change that. Robotic platforms can do…
Spine and orthopedic specialists at Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s are using low-radiation EOS Imaging to evaluate and monitor spine conditions such as scoliosis and conditions affecting the hips and lower limbs. The EOS system delivers 50% to 85% less dose than digital radiography and 95% less dose than computed tomography (CT). Follow-up spine exams…