Spine Surgery

The Orthopaedic Spine Surgery team at Augusta University Health provides state-of-the-art spine care to patients of all ages to improve their quality of life.

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Spine Surgery

The Orthopaedic Spine Surgery team at Augusta University Health provides state-of-the-art spine care to patients of all ages to improve their quality of life.

Our team treats a complete spectrum of spinal conditions from the degenerative changes of aging and arthritis, to overuse syndromes and trauma care.

Our Specialists

The orthopaedic spine team takes pride in working with you to solve your spine problems using advanced techniques and treatments, including surgery.

Uzondu Agochukwu, MD is the director of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, and co-director of the Augusta University Spine Fellowship. He is an associate professor and board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon.
John DeVine, MD, is the chief of the Spine Surgery at Augusta University Health, and co-director of the Augusta University Spine Fellowship. He is a professor and board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon.

Dr. Agochukwu and Dr. DeVine provide care to patients of all ages, including pediatric patients, who suffer from diseases that affect the spine anywhere from the back of the skull to the pelvis. These include deformities, trauma, tumors, infections, degenerative changes, and herniations. When surgery is indicated, they utilize the most up-to-date techniques, including minimally invasive surgery and navigation, with the goal of optimizing patient outcomes.
Mr. Nathan Boykin and Mr. Charles Wispert are Physician Assistants (PAs) who have a combined 40 years of experience evaluating and treating patients with neck and back pain.
Sara Lepley, RN is our Spine Surgery nurse. She is instrumental in coordinating care for our patients, helping maximize the benefits of both non-operative and operative care.

Conditions We Treat

Our collective goal is to individualize the care required based on the needs of the patient. From the simplest “back sprain” to the most complex scoliosis deformity, our team will provide the care that results in the best possible outcome. The more common conditions referred to us for evaluation and treatment include the following:

Lumbar radiculopathy: Compression or inflammation to a nerve in the low back causing pain, numbness and tingling, or weakness that can extend into the foot.
Herniated disc: Occurs when a portion of a vertebral disc extrudes from the normal disc space causing neck or back pain and irritation to surrounding nerve roots.
Lumbar spinal stenosis: Narrowing of the spinal canal compressing the nerves throughout the low back area resulting in back pain and difficulty walking.
Cervical radiculopathy: Compression or inflammation to a nerve in the cervical region (neck) causing pain, numbness and tingling, or weakness that can extend into the fingers.
Cervical myelopathy: Degenerative condition caused by narrowing of the spinal canal compressing the spinal cord resulting in loss of balance and difficult with fine motor skills (hand writing, buttoning buttons).
Spinal neoplasms: Tumors can be located throughout the spine causing multiple symptoms (pain, burning, fever, neurologic changes) that often require multi-modal therapy (including care from a hematologist oncologist, radiation oncologist, orthopaedic oncologist) all available at Augusta University Health.
Adult deformity: Can be congenital, adolescent, or adult in onset. Associated with loss of normal contours of the spine, loss of normal alignment, and may be associated with neurologic symptoms.
Failed back surgery syndrome: Persistent back and/or extremity pain after already having had previous spine surgery.

Our Providers

Augusta University Medical Center specialists provide care and support throughout your entire healthcare journey.

Agochukwu, Uzondu F., MD

Spine & Reconstructive Surgery/Orthopedics

Boykin, Nathan T, MPAS, PA-C

Physician Assistant

Wispert, Charles Michael, PA-C

Physician Assistant

Paré, Michel C., MD, MSc,

Neurosurgery

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