Back Surgery (Laminectomy, Laminotomy, Discectomy) - Additional Level

Craig Forsthoefel, MD, is a fellowship-trained, board-eligible orthopedic spine surgeon specializing in complex adult and pediatric spinal conditions.  

Before pursuing his medical education, he served in the United States Marine Corps and deployed twice overseas as an infantryman. He then attended Colorado State University where he double majored in chemistry and biomedical sciences. He returned to his home state of Illinois and completed both medical school and orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Illinois. After residency, he received fellowship training at Johns Hopkins University in complex spinal deformity. During his residency and fellowship, he completed multiple research projects that contributed to the field of spine surgery. 

Dr. Forsthoefel enjoys the complexity of the spine and understanding the conditions that cause patients pain and disability. He appreciates the challenge of determining the correct diagnosis and finds satisfaction in patients experiencing improvement in their pain, function, and appearance. Through a collaborative and holistic approach with his patients, he can provide individualized care that satisfies the patient’s goals. He believes in taking a conservative approach and that many conditions can be successfully treated without surgery. When pursuing surgical options, he uses the least invasive, safest, and most effective surgery to meet the patient’s needs.

He employs multiple advanced spine surgical techniques, including endoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, robotic-assisted spine surgery, complex osteotomies, and deformity corrections. He has a specialized interest in reducing surgical-related pain to enable patients to return home on the same day of surgery.    

In his spare time, Dr. Forsthoefel enjoys weightlifting, cycling, and spending time with his wife and rescue dog, Holmes.