39 Best Spinal Cord Injury Doctors Worldwide

Dr. Pongwat Polpong is a neurosurgeon at EDNA Wellness in Bangkok. He performed the first endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery at Bangkok Hospital Chanthaburi. This minimally invasive procedure treats pituitary tumors through the nasal pathway. He trained at the International Neuroscience Institute in Germany and major Thai hospitals.

• Has performed 2,000+ operations throughout his surgical career.
• Leads regenerative medicine programs as Chief Physician at EDNA Wellness.
• Treats brain tumors, spinal disorders, and stroke complications.
• Authored multiple peer-reviewed studies on lumbar discectomy and spinal pathology.

Dr. Nurullah Ermis is an orthopedic surgeon at Central Hospital in Istanbul. He specializes in spine surgery, hip arthroplasty, and orthopedic trauma. Dr. Ermis is a widely published researcher. His studies are indexed in PubMed and Scopus. He presented at the 37th ESRA Congress in Dublin. Dr. Ermis works at a facility equipped with robotic surgical systems.

• Performs total hip and knee replacements alongside arthroscopic procedures.
• Treats complex conditions like Crowe IV dysplastic coxarthrosis and spinal deformities.
• Expert in surgical treatments for scoliosis and kyphosis in children and adults.
• Published studies on anesthesia techniques for better postoperative pain management in hip surgery.

Dr. Pongsathron Liengwattanakol, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon at Mali Interdisciplinary Hospital in Bangkok. He earned his M.D. from Thammasat University (2007–2013). He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Thammasat University (2016–2021). He previously served as a general practitioner and orthopedic officer at Buddhasothorn Hospital. He also worked as an orthopedic surgeon at Asia International Hospital.

Accreditations include board certification in Longevity and Quality of Life Medicine and in Nutritional Wellness. He holds diplomas in Clinical Sexology and Sexual Medicine. He also holds a Sex Therapy certificate. He is certified in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS).

Advanced training includes Recent Advances in Regenerative Medicine (2025). He trained in advanced hyaluronic acid injection. He has experience with mesotherapy, vitamin therapy, and PRP. He completed courses in multidisciplinary botulinum toxin use and regenerative cosmetic dermatology. He trained in FUE hair transplant and non‑invasive intimacy fillers (2024). He also studied pain and insomnia management.

Dr. Alon Friedlander is a leading orthopedic spine surgeon listed among Israel’s Top Doctors by Forbes. He serves as the Director of the Orthopedic Department at Sheba Medical Center. Dr. Friedlander treats complex spinal disorders in both adult and pediatric patients. He uses both minimally invasive and open surgical techniques for precision care.

• Specializes in scoliosis surgery and complex spinal deformity correction.
• Treats primary and metastatic spinal tumors using advanced surgical techniques.
• Completed fellowships in spine surgery in the USA, France, and Hong Kong.
• Consultant for elite Israeli soccer teams and the Spartak Basketball Club.

Dr. Akif Albayrak leads clinical and surgical spine services at Central Hospital in Istanbul. He is a professor specializing in complex spinal disorders for adults and children. Dr. Albayrak completed a fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. He focuses on the diagnosis and surgical treatment of scoliosis and kyphosis.

• Performs minimally invasive surgery, spine reconstruction, and trauma care.
• Treats patients at Central Hospital, which uses AI-powered MRI and CT systems.
• Contributes regularly to international orthopedic literature and academic research.
• Expert in limb lengthening, joint replacements, and therapeutic knee arthroscopy.

Dr. Pongsathron Liengwattanakul is an orthopedic specialist at Mali Interdisciplinary Hospital in Bangkok. He focuses on restoring mobility through both surgical and regenerative treatments. Dr. Liengwattanakul treats complex conditions including scoliosis, degenerative spine disease, and joint osteoarthritis. He works within a facility holding AACI and GHA international medical accreditations.

• Performs knee and hip replacements and therapeutic arthroscopy.
• Uses PRP and stem cell therapy for joint and spine repair.
• Treats various sports injuries, meniscus tears, and bone fractures.
• Offers total knee replacement using the OMNI robotic system.

Dr. Ma Bin, MD, PhD, is a Chief Physician and master's supervisor in Spinal Surgery at a tertiary hospital. He has more than 20 years of experience. His work focuses on degenerative spine disease and minimally invasive surgery. He is skilled in PELD, percutaneous pedicle screw fixation, and tubular retractor-assisted decompression and fusion.

He serves on the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Committee of the Chinese Orthopaedic Association. He is also a standing committee member of the Spine Minimally Invasive Professional Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association. He is a frequent keynote speaker at national conferences. He has led or joined several provincial and ministerial projects. He has published more than 20 papers in core domestic and SCI-indexed journals. His findings are widely cited, and some have been adopted into clinical guidelines.

Dr. Umut Dogu is a neurosurgeon at Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital. He specializes in treating degenerative spine diseases and traumatic spinal injuries. Dr. Dogu earned his medical degree from Hacettepe University. He completed his residency at Diskapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital. His expertise includes managing spinal tumors, infections, and congenital disorders like scoliosis.

• Member of the Turkish Neurosurgical Society and Turkish Medical Association.
• Performs pain-focused interventions like neuromodulation, vertebroplasty, and kyphoplasty.
• Works at JCI-accredited Lokman Hekim Istanbul Hospital, which treats 10,000+ patients annually.
• Treats complex conditions including spinal stenosis, disc herniations, and spondylolisthesis.

Dr. Mehmet Aydogan is an orthopedic and spine surgeon at Memorial Şişli Hospital. He specializes in scoliosis treatment, degenerative spine disease, and complex joint reconstruction. Dr. Aydogan completed a research fellowship at the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center. He previously served as the head of a spine surgery center in Istanbul.

• Member of the North American Spine Society and Scoliosis Research Society.
• Maintains a portfolio of 50 journal articles and 37 scientific presentations.
• Performs robotic-assisted MAKOplasty for hip and knee replacements.
• Practices at JCI-accredited Memorial Şişli, the first Turkish hospital to earn this status.

Prof. Zhang En Da is Chief Physician in spinal cord injury rehabilitation with over 30 years of clinical experience. He completed advanced training at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital and at the Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University.

He focuses on SCI rehabilitation from all causes. He manages tetraplegia and paraplegia, incomplete paralysis, sensory problems, and neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction, including urinary retention, incontinence, overactive bladder, constipation, and fecal incontinence. He also treats movement deficits after pulmonary infections and after stroke. His methods include structured bladder and bowel care, botulinum toxin A for limb spasticity, pelvic floor biofeedback, pelvic magnetic stimulation, and tibial nerve electrical stimulation. He serves on the Standing Committee and the Standardization Working Committee of the Chinese Association of Rehabilitation Medicine. He is also a Work Injury Rehabilitation Expert in Xiamen.

Dr. Pradab Pradasuk is an orthopedic surgeon at Navamin 9 Hospital in Bangkok. He specializes in arthroscopy, knee reconstruction, and complex spine surgery. Dr. Pradasuk performs endoscopic discectomy and spinal fusion with instrumentation. He works at a JCI-accredited facility that treats 30,000 patients annually.

• Performs ACL surgery, meniscectomy, and total knee arthroplastic.
• Treats shoulder rotator cuff tears and performs ankle joint replacements.
• Manages fractures of the pelvis, spine, and forearm.
• Provides specialized rehabilitation using the Re-Step system.

Dr. Pablo De La Cuadra is an orthopedic surgeon at Hospital Ruber Internacional in Madrid. He heads a specialized traumatology team and leads the sports injuries unit. Dr. De La Cuadra specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive techniques for complex shoulder disorders. He holds a PhD in Medicine from the Autonomous University of Madrid.

• Expert in treating rotator cuff injuries and chronic shoulder instability.
• Serves as Associate Professor of Health Sciences at the Autonomous University of Madrid.
• Performs ligament reconstructions and minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures.
• Works at Hospital Ruber Internacional, a JCI-accredited facility ranked among Spain's top hospitals.

Dr. Suwit Tangcharoenwathanakul is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine disorders. He has subspecialty training in spine surgery.

Doctor of Medicine (MD), Faculty of Medicine, Naresuan University (2010). Diploma in Orthopedic Surgery, Hatyai Hospital (2015). Fellowship in Spine Surgery, Orthopedic Center of Excellence, Lerdsin Hospital (2020).

OA Dr. med. Peter Guglia is a specialist in orthopaedics and orthopaedic surgery at JUVENIS. He is also a senior physician at the Spine Centre, Orthopaedic Hospital Speising, Austria’s leading orthopaedic hospital. He has over 30 years of experience. His work focuses on non-surgical diagnosis, pain therapy, and movement and posture assessment.

MD 1991. General medicine training 1994–1997. Specialist diploma in orthopaedics and orthopaedic surgery 1997–2003. This dual training enables a whole‑patient assessment.

Career: Resident, University Department of Orthopaedics, AKH Vienna (2002–2003). Senior physician and deputy head, SKA Zicksee (2003–2012). Senior physician, Speising Spine Centre (2012–present). JUVENIS (2012–present). Clinical focus includes conservative orthopaedics, classical and complementary pain medicine, movement and posture analysis, preventive exams, and insurance medicine, including independent assessments. He also provides independent second opinions on the need for spine surgery.

Op. Dr. Tansu Gürsoy is a brain and nerve surgery specialist at Çerkezköy Private Optimed Hospital. He completed his training at Ankara Training and Research Hospital. His practice focuses on spine surgery. Key areas include degenerative scoliosis, herniated discs, spinal stenosis, trauma, and tumors.

In 2019, he won third place from the Turkish Neurosurgery Association for a paper on prebending rods and sagittal parameters in lumbar degenerative scoliosis. He co-authored Chapter 75 (Lenke-Silva Classification & Adult Degenerative Scoliosis) in The Aging Spine. His thesis analyzed screw malposition in 415 thoracolumbar pedicle fixation cases.

He is a member of the Turkish Neurosurgery Association (Spinal & Peripheral Nerve Surgery Group), the Turkish Spine Association, and the Turkish Medical Association. He completed the Advanced Spinal Surgery Course and the Hands-on Microvascular Anastomosis & Microsurgery training. He holds a Category A Certificate for Experimental Animals. He also attends major spine congresses.

Dr. Sevki Erdem is an orthopedics specialist at Central Hospital in Istanbul. The Turkish Ministry of Health named him Doctor of the Year in 2013. He has treated thousands of patients for complex spinal conditions and deformities. Dr. Erdem specializes in scoliosis surgery and deformity correction.

• Performs scoliosis, kyphosis, and spondylolisthesis corrections.
• Treats spinal tumors, fractures, and spinal stenosis.
• Conducts joint replacements and unilateral knee arthroplasty procedures.
• Practices at Central Hospital, which uses AI-powered MRI and CT imaging.