A Spine Surgeon Who Refuses to Quit: A Battle for Better Spine Care, Evalina Burger, MD

The Spine Pod

Ep. 11 A Spine Surgeon Who Refuses to Quit: A Battle for Better Spine Care, Evalina Burger, MD

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Evalina Burger, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the UCHealth Spine Center - Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Burger recounts her transformative journey from South Africa to the United States, where she has established herself as a leader and innovator at the forefront of spine care. She goes on to share about her own spinal cord injury and how that has changed her perspective and approach to spine surgery. Dr. Burger specializes in complex spine surgery, deformity and scoliosis, and has also been an outspoken advocate and pioneer for motion-preserving spine implants. She has been an investigator in multiple FDA clinical trials, including the TOPS facet replacement from Premia Spine, showing her commitment to research and improving patient care. With her background and incredible personal journey, Dr. Burger has prioritized patient quality of life and is constantly searching for new ways to improve long-term outcomes for her patients.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• The importance of new perspectives in order to innovate on currently held treatment methods.
• How quality of life (QoL) is becoming the new outcome metric that providers are beginning to evaluate their surgical outcomes.
• Where motion preserving spine surgeries fit into the care continuum and how we can begin to give patients longer lasting results.
• How spinal fusion has been utilized by surgeons for many decades and how that approach as a primary treatment method is beginning to shift.
• The importance of resilience on growth and overcoming hurdles in life; how to create great outcomes from challenging situations.
• How the treatment for leg and/or back pain is beginning to change and what new options are becoming available to patients seeking spine care.

As someone who dreamed about being a surgeon as a child, Dr. Burger has accomplished that and much more throughout her years in surgery. Currently holding the title of Department Chair of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, she has established herself as a leader and role model within the spine community. Dr. Burger has also contributed more than 95 peer-reviewed journal articles, proving her lasting commitment to research and patient outcomes.

Whether you’re a patient, industry professional, or provider, this episode provides a breadth of experience and knowledge that you won’t want to miss.

Learn more about Dr. Burger and UCHealth Spine Center - Anschutz Medical Campus:

• Website: https://www.uchealth.org/provider/evalina-burger-van-der-walt-md/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evalina-burger-145a7835/

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