Dr. Gary Ghiselli has maintained an active spine surgery practice in the Denver area for more than 25 years. He completed a fellowship in spine surgery — the highest level of medical education possible — at the University Hospital of Cleveland with Dr. Henry Bohlman. Dr. Bohlman’s spine fellowship program has been regarded over the years as one of the top spine fellowship programs producing some of the best spine doctors in the United States.

Dr. Ghiselli graduated with “Cum Laude honors” from UCLA in Los Angeles, and completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He completed his internship and residency at UCLA where he was chief resident.

As a regional center of excellence for spine surgery, over the past 25 years, Dr. Ghiselli and his spine surgeon partners at Colorado Spine Partners have been referred complex cases of back and neck pain from family practice physicians and chiropractors from across the State of Colorado and nearby states of Kansas, Wyoming, Nebraska and New Mexico. Complex spine surgery cases included failed back surgeries from other surgeons in those states.

Dr. Ghiselli treats a variety of back pain and neck pain patients, including stenosis; degenerative disc disease, spinal tumor and herniated discs. Dr. Ghiselli is proficient in minimally invasive spine surgery that uses a half-inch incision rather than the standard 3-inch long incision. Consequently, many of Dr. Ghiselli’s patients are able to go home the same day of surgery to recover in the comfort of their own home.

Dr. Ghiselli tries emphasize non-surgical options for back pain and neck pain in advance of spine surgery. Non-surgical treatment options for back pain and neck pain can include pain-relieving spinal injections that relieve inflammation around the nerve root. These injections sometimes can relieve symptoms like radiating pain and numbness into an arm or leg. Spinal injections actually serve two purposes: one for symptom relief, and the second as a diagnostic tool. If the patient’s symptoms are resolved with an injection at a specific disc level, then the spine surgeon knows that is the pain generator. If the injection does not relieve symptoms, that can imply there is a different pain generator at a different level. This ensures that any subsequent spine surgery will be successful.

Dr. Ghiselli’s spine team also is proficient in the newest advances like Regenerative Medicine and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP therapy). These techniques use the body’s own natural healing capabilities by harvesting stem cells and concentrated plasma from the person’s body to accelerate healing of injured tissues and joints.

If surgery is necessary, Dr.Ghiselli is proficient in minimally invasive spine surgery and artificial disc replacement in the neck. For motion preservation Dr. Ghiselli is proficient in several FDA-approved artificial discs. Dr. Ghiselli has been a lead investigator and co-investigator in FDA trials involving motion preservation in the lumbar spine, cervical total disc replacement and stem cell treatment options for back pain and neck pain.

His spine team at Colorado Spine Partners prides themselves on spending time with their patients and making sure that they are comfortable and well-informed regarding the care of their spine, a decision that balances the short term and long term outcomes as well, along with the function of the patient.

Dr. Ghiselli has published multiple peer reviewed articles and book chapters throughout his career. He is a board member of the Colorado Orthopedic Society, Guideline Committee Member for the North American Spine Society (NASS), a frequent lecturer and member for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS) and a member of the Colorado Medical Society. Dr. Ghiselli has also been a president of the Colorado Orthopaedic Society.

At Colorado Spine Partners, Dr. Ghiselli provides second opinions for spine surgery and diagnostic evaluations for those people with complex back pain and neck pain symptoms.