UC Health, Greater Cincinnati’s academic health system, has become the first health system in southwest Ohio to offer patients the option of awake spinal surgery.
The novel minimally-invasive technique utilizes spinal anesthesia instead of general anesthesia, providing more options to patients who require surgery for degenerative spinal disorders.
UC Health’s awake spinal surgery program was created by Owoicho Adogwa, MD MPH, physician-scientist at the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute; and Jessica Garrett, MD, a UC Health anesthesiologist and assistant professor of anesthesiology at the UC College of Medicine.
“The implementation of an awake spinal surgery protocol, complemented by genotype-guided opioid therapy post-surgery, is a pivotal component of our holistic approach aimed at providing tailored, patient-centric spinal healthcare services within Cincinnati and beyond,” Adogwa said. “This approach is underpinned by the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary team, boasting expertise across a spectrum of disciplines, all dedicated to enhancing the well-being and quality of life of individuals afflicted with back pain and spinal pathologies.”
The first awake spinal surgery conducted by UC Health occurred at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center in late 2023. Melinda, a Cincinnati-area mother of three, had been undergoing non-surgical therapies from Adogwa for almost a year before the operation.