William D. Tobler, MD, is the department director of neurosurgery at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, chairman of the board of managers at The Christ Hospital Spine Surgery Center and a professor in the University of Cincinnati's department of neurosurgery. Additionally, he is the co-founder and co-director of The Winter Clinics in Snowmass, Colo., and he provides care at The Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati.
Dr. Tobler is a founding member of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery as well as a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Association of Presacral Spine Surgeons and North American Spine Society.
Dr. Tobler has a professional interest in spinal instrumentation and serves on several medical advisory boards. He also serves as a consultant for Zimmer Spine. He has also served as the principal investigator or co-investigator for numerous clinical trials.
Dr. Tobler's clinical interests include minimally invasive spine surgery, discectomy, spinal fusion, decompression, artificial disc replacement and outpatient minimally invasive lumbar spine fusion. He also has expertise in minimally invasive deformity correction and treating tumors of the brain and spine. He is a reviewer for The Spine Journal.
"The coming year will be one of continued development and improvement of minimally invasive spine technologies," says Dr. Tobler. "The introduction of smaller implant devices will allow surgeons to perform interbody fusions through even smaller tubes. Endoscopic approaches in certain circumstances are being refined by the introduction of effective drills and punches through 8 mm endoscopes with crystal clear optics. Although reimbursement continues to be a roadblock for these newer technologies, I am hopeful that experience and evidence will persuade payers to cover these interventions, enabling surgeons to provide these treatments to more patients. The movement to increase outpatient surgeries with these technologies will continue."
Dr. Tobler earned his medical degree at University of Cincinnati and completed his residency at UC Medical Center and Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati.
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