News

News

  • December 9, 2019.  Dr. Michael Roh and Team Attend Conference on Cervical Spine Surgery.  Dr. Michael Roh and his team recently attended the Cervical Spine Research Society’s 47th Annual Meeting in New York City, where topic highlights included cervical disc replacements and management of asymptomatic spinal cord compression.The society is the premier authority on cutting-edge techniques and research related to the cervical spine (the neck). Dr. Roh and his team, Physician Assistant Matt Schwabero and Nurse Casey Enna, travel to the conference every few years to stay current on the latest cervical techniques and research.Cervical spine care – from diagnosis to treatment – represents a large part of Rockford Spine Center’s practice in addition to care for the lumbar spine (lower back) and thoracic spine (mid-back).

    The conference visit was productive and educational, and it “reaffirmed that we’re providing cutting-edge care here in Rockford and that everything that’s considered the latest and greatest we’ve been implementing here for many years,” Dr. Roh said.

  • October 22, 2019.  Doctors names to America’s Most Honored Professionals List.  Spine Center physicians Michael Roh, M.D. and Christopher Sliva, M.D. were recently named to the America’s Most Honored Professionals 2019 list.Developed by the American Registry, the America’s Most Honored Professionals list recognizes doctors that are performing within the top 10 percent within their area of expertise. Physicians included on this list have achieved outstanding results in their specialty.The American Registry is the official and authorized recognition partner for some of America’s most trusted professional organizations at identifying business excellence. These organizations rigorously gather peer review ratings, customer reviews, and industry analysis to ultimately uncover the best of the best professionals in business.
  • October 4, 2019.  Surgeon Attends Scoliosis Meeting.  Dr. Michael Roh recently attended the 54th Annual Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Annual Meeting & Course in Montreal, Canada that attracted more than 1,500 leading authorities who treat spinal deformities, including scoliosis, kyphosis and trauma. SRS is the premier society for complex spine surgeons across the world, and Dr. Roh has been an active member for many years and has served in their leadership cabinet as a committee chairman.The attendees gathered at the international scoliosis conference to discuss the treatment of scoliosis and complex spinal deformity. Dr. Roh said he was pleased to hear Rockford Spine Center is already doing much of what was recommended and discussed.
  • September 10, 2019.  Spine Center Doctors Receive Castle Connolly Top Doctors Award.  Physicians Michael Roh, M.D. and Christopher Sliva, M.D. were recently recognized with the Castle Connolly Top Doctors award. The doctors have been named to the list for seven years in a row. Only 4%-5% of doctors in America earn this prestigious honor.Castle Connolly Top Doctors are selected by Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. after being nominated by peer physicians in an online nomination process. Nominations are open to all board-certified doctors. Honorees are selected from the nominees by the Castle Connolly physician-led research team based on criteria that includes their medical education, training, hospital appointments and disciplinary histories. Doctors who are among the very best in their specialties and in their communities are selected for inclusion on the Top Doctors list.Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. is a research and information company established to help people find the best health care. It provides health care consumers with an invaluable source of information to identify the top doctors in their own communities. Their guides are the result of a methodical research process requiring a complete credential, licensing and disciplinary review of all doctors nominated for inclusion.
  • August 20, 2019.  Doctors Receive Compassionate Doctor Recognition from Vitals.  Spine Center physicians Michael Roh, M.D. and Christopher Sliva, M.D. were recently recognized by Vitals with the Compassionate Doctor Recognition for 2019. This is the ninth consecutive year the physicians have received this award.Ratings for this prestigious award are determined based on the number of reviews a doctor receives from patients for the calendar year and minimum rating values. The algorithm considers quality metrics that the provider must meet. The Compassionate Doctor certification is granted to physicians who treat their patients with the utmost kindness. The honor is granted based on a physician’s overall and bedside manner scores.
  • July 24, 2019.  Spine Doctors Honored with Patients’ Choice Award.  Michael Roh, MD, and Christopher Sliva, MD were recently recognized by Vitals with the prestigeous Patient’s Choice Award for 2019.  This is the ninth consecutive year the physicians have received this award.Vitals is a health care platform that helps consumers research and find medical care by translating data into actionable information and interactive tools to help patients make health care decisions. Ratings are tallied from patient feedback in several categories including ease of appointment, promptness, courteous staff, bedside manner, office follow-up and others.The Patient’s Choice Award is bestowed to physicians who receive glowing scores from their patients. According to Vitals, the honor “reflects the difference a particular physician has made in the lives of his/her patients.” Honorees are chosen based on millions of patient reviews and ratings gathered by Vitals over the course of the year. Annually, only 5 percent of doctors nationwide are named a Vitals Patients’ Choice winner.
  • April 16, 2019.  Surgeon Speaks on ‘Game-Changer’ Medication.  Dr. michael Roh recently spoke with physicians at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of medicine about his work with a medication that helps patients better manage post-operative pain.Liposomal bupivacaine (trade name Exparel®) is a long-lasting (36 hours) medication that can be injected at the time of surgery so patients experience significantly less pain after a procedure. Dr. Roh called it a “game-changer” and has used the medication for certain surgeries since 2014.In addition to patients being more comfortable after surgery, using liposomal bupivacaine reduces the need for narcotics to help manage pain – a critical step in minimizing opioid use at a time when the country is dealing with an opioid crisis.USC surgeons are interested in incorporating liposomal bupivacaine into their spine surgeries. Dr. Roh has a large body of work and research looking at the medication’s effectiveness and is preparing a scientific manuscript for publication. Research has shown the use of liposomal bupivacaine also saves significant health care dollars because patients don’t need Foley catheters or pain pumps.
  • October 24, 2017.  Dr. michael Roh Learns from Mentor on Complex Spine Surgery. Michael Roh, MD recently traveled to New York City to observe a 12-hour surgery involving a technique called the posterior vertebral column resection (pVCR), which he said is reserved for the most complicated and deformed spines. The surgery was performed by Dr. Lawrence Lenke, a mentor of Roh’s who specializes in complex spinal surgeries. Lenke is a professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University Medical Center and surgeon-in-chief at The Spine Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian/Allen.Roh worked with Lenke during his spine surgery fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. He finished his fellowship in 2002, stayed in touch with Lenke and sees him regularly at meetings, including this year’s Scoliosis Research Society Meeting & Course, where Lenke spoke. Roh sometimes discusses cases with Lenke for his opinion, an opportunity he calls “invaluable.”
  • October 28, 2016.  New Drug Therapy Keeps Patients Confortable Following Spine Surgery.  Surgeons Michael Roh, MD and Christopher Sliva, MD are using a new technique to minimize the pain patients feel when recovering fom spine surgery.  The surgeons began using Exparel, a non-narcotic numbing medication, in 2015 during certain surgical procedures.  Now nearly 18 months later, a study by the OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Pharmacy Department is showing the drug helping patients make a faster recovery with less post-surgical pain.The surgeons inject the medication at the surgical site toward the end of cervical, lumbar or thoracic fusion surgeries and other similar procedures.  As the Exparel wears off, the other pain-reducing medications begin working, further reducing the pain the patient might feel. Less pain means a much shorter hospital stay following the procedure and a more pleasant surgical experience with higher patient satisfaction.  Using the Exparel also has eliminated the need for patients to have a Foley catheter or a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump.