Emeka Nwodim, MD, of Centers for Advanced Orthopedics, Bay Area Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Glen Burnie, Md., examines his practice goals and where he sees the biggest opportunity for growth in the future.
Question: What are the biggest concerns for your practice today? What keeps you up at night?
Dr. Emeka Nwodim: My goal is to always help patients get better and help them find solutions for their pain and distress. Oftentimes, surgery is not the best solution. One of my biggest concerns is offering options to treat various types of pain. Determining the source of pain in many patients can be a challenge because pain is often complex and multifactorial. My solution is to correlate clinical findings with imaging results to determine the optimal surgical or non-surgical treatment options.
Q: What are you most excited about in terms of technology advancement in the spine space? Where do you see the best opportunity for growth?
EN: I'm most excited about the technological advancements in spine navigation. Being able to decompress and instrument the spine with 3-D computer technology. This not only improves surgical accuracy but also improves time spent in the operating room and minimizes numerous complications and surgical risks. I look forward to further advancements and the incorporation of live 3-D imaging and even virtual or augmented reality into the operating room.
Q: Where do you see your practice growing or evolving in the next five years? What is the next step or evolution in your career?
EN: In the next five years, I see my practice continuing to expand to incorporate all aspects of comprehensive spine care, including further utilization of innovative surgical techniques such as minimally invasive and motion preservation surgery procedures. I plan to remain in the private practice space but will continue to collaborate with universities and teaching hospitals.
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