AAMC Spine Center Surgeons

Roy E. Bands, Jr., M.D.

Dr. Roy Bands is a board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon, and is double-fellowship trained, having completed both an arthroplasty and spine fellowship. His interests include minimally invasive spine surgery and complex spinal reconstruction. Dr. Bands has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications. He is a clinical instructor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Maryland.

 

Timothy G. Burke, M.D.
Dr. Timothy Burke maintains a special interest in minimally invasive surgical techniques, many of which allow patients to walk out of the hospital only hours after the completion of their procedures. Dr. Burke also has undergone extensive training for the treatment of complex brain tumors of the cranial base and pituitary gland. He works with the team at the DeCesaris Cancer Institute at AAMC to use stereotactic radiosurgery (Novalis) to non-invasively treat tumors.

 

Gary Dix, M.D.
Dr. Gary Dix is the medical director of the AAMC Spine Center. He has extensive experience with complex spine and brain disorders, incorporating the use of the latest minimally invasive procedures, as well as stereotactic radiosurgery to non-invasively treat conditions of the brain and spine. He is also involved in research and teaching, and serves as a consultant for several biotechnology companies.

 

Dr. Thomas B. Ducker, M.D., F.A.C.S.
An internationally known neurosurgeon specializing in the spine, Dr. Thomas Ducker has contributed notable written contributions in the area of cervical spine disorders, peripheral nerve surgery, spinal cord injury, and the emergency aspects of cerebrovascular disease. He has been consistently voted a “Top Doc” by community physicians in both Baltimore Magazine and What’s Up Annapolis.

 

Stephen E. Faust, M.D.
Dr. Stephen Faust is co-director of the Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center where he specializes in spine care and total joint replacements. He has extensively experience in the complete spectrum of spinal disorders, and routinely performs complex spinal reconstructive procedures for adult deformity and neurological compromise. Dr. Faust performed the first total knee replacement and the first spinal pedicle screw fixation procedures at Anne Arundel Medical Center.

 

Alex C. Speciale, M.D.
Dr. Alex Speciale strives to remain on the cutting edge of the rapidly developing field of spine surgery. He has a special interest in spinal deformity surgery and has trained with some of the foremost spine surgeons in the world. In addition to traditional spine surgery techniques, he performs minimally invasive spine surgery, balloon kyphoplasty, disc replacement surgery and dynamic stabilization. He is currently involved in various research projects and teaching endeavors.

 

Brian Sullivan, M.D., F.A.C.S.
In addition to general neurosurgery, Dr. Brian Sullivan has been trained in the sub-specialized field of skull base neurosurgery (including pituitary tumors) and has extensive experience in the use of neuronavigational instrumentation such as the Vector Vision system. Dr. Sullivan has been chosen to conduct FDA trials for the Bryan Disc Prosthesis, a surgical alternative to cervical spine surgery. Dr. Sullivan has spoken extensively on new techniques for spine surgery and has lectured on head injuries in sports and return to play guidelines.

 

William “Chris” Urban, M.D.
Dr. Chris Urban is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon whose clinical expertise includes the treatment of a wide variety of adult and pediatric spinal disorders. He enjoys caring for patients with cervical or lumbar disc herniations, degenerative spinal conditions, and traumatic injuries of the lower back and neck, as well as treating complex deformity such as scoliosis, kyphosis and spondylolesthesis. He also maintains an interest in minimally invasive spine surgery and microdiscectomy.

 

Venu Vemuri, D.O.

Dr. Venu Vemuri is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon and has advanced training and interest in minimally invasive and motion sparing surgery of the spine. Dr. Vemuri’s practice includes general orthopedics as well as treatment of all surgical and non-surgical conditions of the neck and spine, including degenerative arthritic conditions, disk herniations, stenosis, spondylolithesis, fractures, deformities, tumors and infection.