About Spine Physicians Institute

Spine Physicians Institute is a freestanding spine center located in North Dallas and features one of the few Mayo Clinic trained spine surgeons in the State of Texas.

Patients come to the Dallas spine center from across Dallas and suburbs of Plano, Richardson, Garland, Mesquite, Irving, Coppell and Lewisville as well as the northern suburbs of Allen, McKinney, Frisco, Greenville and Prosper, Texas.

Spine Physicians Institute cares for a variety of back and neck problems including the following:

  • back strain and neck strain
  • radiating pain into an arm or leg which can imply a disc herniation
  • radicular / radiating pain symptoms
  • numbness in a hand or foot
  • stenosis or narrowing of the spinal canal
  • arthritic issues with the spine
  • spinal fractures from trauma or car accident

Second opinion for spine surgery

If you’ve been told you need spine surgery, it can be a good ideal to get a second opinion for back surgery or neck surgery from another spine surgeon. Spine Physicians Institute receives patients from across Dallas and its suburbs for a spine surgeon second opinion.

We also receive back and neck referrals from primary care physicians and some of the best chiropractors in the Dallas area.

One of the best features about chiropractic care and their nonsurgical emphaisis is that they don’t use pills or surgery in their attempt to relieve back and neck pain symptoms.

Also many times symptoms from simple back or neck strain can resolve on their own over a month with spine physical therapy. The best spine therapy is specialized and geared to make the back stronger, more flexible and resistant to future strain. That helps to prevent a recurrence of back or neck strain.

About our capabilities with various spine problems

The spine patients who come to Spine Physicians Institute can have many different types of back or neck problems, including:

Simple back pain and neck pain:

Some patients may suffer from simple back pain or neck pain originating with muscle and ligament strain that can respond to nonsurgical treatment options like spine therapy and spinal injections that can relieve symptoms of back strain or neck strain.

Disc-related back and neck pain:

While a back strain or neck strain never needs spine surgery, other spine problems can like disc herniations are common where the jelly center of a disc breaks through the wall of the disc to press on nearby nerve roots. If the disc herniation doesn’t respond to non-surgical treatment options like medications, spine therapy and spinal injections that are designed to relieve inflammation, neck surgery or back surgery may be necessary.

Back pain and neck pain as we age:

There are common back and neck problems that can emerge as we get older.

Stenosis is a back problem that can appear as we age into our 50s and 60s. The space that holds the spinal canal can become crimped as bone spurs develop, causing pain symptoms that worsen when the back arches backward, and may be relieved when bending forward. Typically surgery may be necessary to remove these bone spurs, but the surgery is relatively minor and the patient can often go home the same day.

Arthritis can also appear as we get older, especially related to the facet joints in the back or neck. Again surgery may be necessary to relieve symptoms from this arthritis.

Osteoporosis can cause bones to weaken and become prone to fracture. Osteoporosis can cause a vertebra to collapse and press on adjacent nerve roots. A kyphoplasty procedure is designed to inject a substance into the vertebra to restore the height of the bone to relieve pain symptoms.

As we age, the blood supply to the discs in the spine can be diminished causing the disc to become more brittle and prone to a disc rupture (herniation). Not all herniated discs, however, require surgery to relieve symptoms. Spine Physicians Institute is often able to provide non-surgical treatment options for herniated discs.

Failed back surgery patients:

Other complex patients may suffer from degenerative disc disease that causes disc herniations at several levels in the low back or neck. Some people are predisposed and may have a family history of degenerative disc disease which can cause multiple herniations over time. These patients may have had several previous back or neck surgeries and are seeking a return to activity.

Failed back surgery syndrome can involve scarring around a nerve root from previous surgery, nerve damage, spinal instability or recurrent herniated discs. Failed back surgery can lead to a disability spiral, where a person is able to do less and less activity because of their back pain. This in turn can lead to depression, anxiety and chronic pain.

While “failed back surgery” patients are often complex to treat, the spine physicians at Spine Physicians Institute are often able help these patients back to activity and a quality of life. This may also include pain management procedures or spinal cord stimulation to interrupt the pain signal to the brain.

How Spine Physician Institute is different from other spine centers

Sadly, there is tremendous variation among spine surgeons. Sometimes that relates to the fact that some spine doctors went through their medical training 35 years ago, long before new technology emerged that has changed the way spine surgery is performed. For example, many spine surgeons continue to make 3-inch long incisions to access and repair a herniated disc.

That long incision disrupts muscles and ligaments which makes the post surgery rehabilitation and recovery much longer and more painful. Secondly, a longer incision can create more blood loss, requiring the use of outside blood from a blood bank, with the risks associated with outside blood.

By contrast, using new tubular retractors the width of a ball point pen, the spine surgeon at Spine Physician Institute can access and repair a disc herniation through a half-inch long incision.

The tubular retractor has a camera and cutting device in the tip. Using a video screen, the trained spine surgeon can repair the disc herniation through the tiny incision and have the patient home the same day to recover in the comfort of their own home.

Minimally invasive spine surgery and artificial disc replacement requires extensive training for the spine surgeon to become proficient. This takes an investment of time for the spine surgeon, but the benefits to the patient are significant.

Mission and Vision

Since its founding, Spine Physicians Institute has continued to grow and keep our commitment to our patients by staying up to date on the latest advancements in spine surgery. We value our patients’ trust, and we know how important it is to feel comfortable with not only your provider, but with the treatment plan as well. Further, we believe in empowering our patients with knowledge, so they have a more thorough understanding of their health. Our highest priorities are compassion, respect, and patient satisfaction.

Spine Physicians Institute is focused on treating both routine and complex spinal issues that result in a higher quality of life for both the patient and their family. Not all problems need to be solved with surgical methods. We search all avenues of non-invasive forms of treatment before bringing surgery into consideration. Although we are a surgical practice, we only recommend surgery as a last resort.

A distinguishing feature of Spine Physicians Institute is the hawk-like focus its providers have on their specialty. Not only we have an orthopedic specialty, but our focus is on the spine. This sub-specialization, combined with using evidence-based practices, allows our physicians to truly become experts in their fields, and hone their skills so they can provide the best possible outcome for our patients.

While our providers are trained orthopedic surgeons, their specialty is on spine.

Values & Standards

Spine Physicians Institute is committed to providing the safest and highest quality healthcare services possible to its patients. We have set a high bar for ourselves, as we know our patients deserve it. We ensure continuous education and development of our providers and other employees. These high standards are set not for only our services, but our ethics as well. We believe in being honest and transparent by explaining all options available to the patient. We discuss the pros and cons of every path keeping the patient involved in the decision making process. We do our best to advise every patient on the best possible solution for their individual problem according to our expertise, but never pressure the patient to proceed with any treatment until they are comfortable with their decision.

We continue to make steady improvements in our methodology by listening to our patients and heeding the feedback we receive. Our success rate is higher than average for United States. Strict adherence to these standards is what has allowed us to maintain this excellence. At, Spine Physicians Institute, we define optimal quality care through following standards:

  • Superior healthcare and outcome of treatments
  • Exceptional patient safety measures
  • Treatment, consultation, and care delivered in a timely manner
  • Fair and unbiased treatments
  • Taking responsibility for our actions
  • Continued education for our providers and staff

Spine Physicians Institute works to inspire hope in those who are suffering from debilitating back pain, injury, or illness. We want our patients to be heard, and we do our best to contribute to our patients’ well-being by being open and understanding to the patient and their symptoms. We strive to have the patient involved with their health and treatment by fully explaining every aspect of the visit from the imaging to the treatment. We are happy to spend time explaining our recommendations and answering questions so every patient can make an informed decision about their health. We believe knowledge is power, and we want to empower our patients.

Our values have guided us, and defined our mission since the day Spine Physicians Institute was first established.

At Spine Physicians Institute, the patient’s interest is our highest priority.

  • We insist on treating every individual in our diverse community with respect as every patient deserves to be acknowledged and treated with dignity.
  • Our physicians adhere to highest standards of professionalism and ethics. They never shirk away from personal responsibility. They work hard to prove themselves worthy of a patient’s trust.
  • We provide healthcare with sensitivity, empathy, and compassion.
  • Spine Physicians Institute works to inspire hope and nurture the well-being of patients. We respect a patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
  • We value the contribution of all our team members. We believe by working together, we can become greater than the sum of our individual parts. We endeavor to deliver the best outcomes with the highest quality service which results from the dedication and effort of every team member.

Spine Physicians Institute treats back pain, neck pain, herniated discs, stenosis and other spine problems. Patients come to the spine center from across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Dr. Sethuraman is one of few Mayo Clinic fellowship-trained spine surgeons in the North Texas area. A fellowship is the highest level of medical education in the U.S.

Appointments & Referrals

972-741-7189
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