Dr. Ditsworth is the Chief Neurosurgeon and Founder of Non-Traumatic Technique for disc removal.

He has treated many thousands of patients over the past 20 years. The Non-traumatic technique has an extremely high success rate!

• Accelerated, combined program University of Utah School of Medicine, Honors Surgery Program

• Internship: University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital

• Fellowship: Yale University School of Medicine, Neurosurgery

• Residency: University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Neurosurgery

• HOSPITALS: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Attending Neurosurgeon since 1983. (Dr. Ditsworth has been commended for "years of service to Cedars-Sinai".)

• Medical Director, Back Care Program, Los Angeles Metropolitan Hospital, 1997-1998

• Chief of Neurosurgery, Beverly Hills Medical Center, 1984-1991

• Chief of Neurosurgery, Westside Hospital, 1991-1994

• Chief of Neurosurgery, and director of the Back Institute, Washington Medical Center, 1994 to 1997.

• Chief of Neurosurgery, Hawthorne Hospital, 1996.

• Member and Lecturer, Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine (Congress of Neurological Surgery and The American Association of Neurological Surgeons)

• Member, Faculty, and lecturer, International Intradiscal Therapy Society

• Member and lecturer, Congress of Neurological Surgeons

• Lecturer, American Association of Neurological Surgeons

• Lecturer, North American Spine Society

• Member and lecturer, International College of Surgeons

CERTIFICATION :

• Board Certified in Neurosurgery, 1983

• Diplomate, American Board of Neurosurgery

• Certification in Percutaneous Discectomy, 1988

• Certification in Laser Percutaneous Discectomy 1991

• Certification in Endoscopic Laser Percutaneous Discectomy 1991

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS : (All articles have been peer reviewed. Abstracts were reviewed by the indicated organization and accepted for publication.)

In the list below clicking on the blue text will take you to the official web site (source material).

• Double Approach Non-traumatic Lumbar Spine Surgery in Central and Paracentral Lumbar Disc Herniations: No Access Surgical Trauma, Better Results and No Failed Back Surgery Syndrome. IITS 2009, Phoenix

• Treatment of central and paracentral lumbar disc herniations with a transforaminal double access non-traumatic discectomy: safe and with better results. WCMISST June 2008

• 7 cases with previous surgeries and free fragments: 100% success with average of 16 weeks follow-up. IITS 2007 France

• "Lumbar Fusion Candidates" Avoid Fusion (Long Term Follow-up). Minimally Invasive Surgery of the Spine 2007, San Diego

• Book Chapter - Decision Making in Spinal Care - Chapter 63; Copyright 2007 by Thieme

• Non-traumatic Transforaminal Endoscopic Approach to the Lumbar Spinal Canal for Removal of Migrated Free Fragments. IITS 2006, Phoenix

• Outpatient Small Non Traumatic Discectomy In L4/5 Lateral Recess Lumbar Disc Herniations: Successful And Surgically Conservative. 2005 March

• Enhanced Discography (Pre-Operative Mapping) A Prelude to Small Guided Non Traumatic Discectomy. IITS 2005, San Diego

• Double Approach Small Non Traumatic Discectomy in L4/L5 and L5/S1 True Central Disc Herniations: No Access Surgical Trauma, Better Results. CNS 2004 San Francisco

• Paramedian Small Endoscopic L5-S1 Discectomy. CNS 2002 Philadelphia

• Preparative Analysis for Precision Lumbar Endoscopic Disc Surgery. CNS 2001 San Diego, California

• Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: Small, Soft Scope Technique. Spine & Peripheral Nerves Section 2001

• IDET and PED: Benefits of Combination Treatment Los Angeles Metropolitan Hospital. Spine & Peripheral Nerves Section 2000

• Paramedian Percutaneous Non Traumatic Discectomy: New Surgical Technique and Initial Clinical Results. CNS 1998 Seattle, Washington

• "Contrast Disc Analysis and Mapping as a Prelude to Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy." The 14th Annual International Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. Phoenix, Arizona. May23-27, 2001.

• IDET and PED: Benefits of Combination Treatment (Joint Section meeting Feb. 2000).

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons abstract compilation. aans and cns abstract search

• "Endoscopic Transforaminal Lumbar Discectomy and Reconfiguration: A Postero-lateral Approach Into The Spinal Canal" Surgical Neurology. Volume 49, Number 6. pp.588-598 June 1998.

• "The Development of Percutaneous Lumbar Endoscopic Microdiscectomy (This Author's Twelve Year Experience)" The Eleventh Annual International Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. San Antonio, Texas. May 1998

• "Endoscopic Transforaminal Percutaneous Discectomy for Recurrent Lumbar Disc Herniation," The Tenth Annual International Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. Naples, Florida. May 28-31, 1997.

• "True Transforaminal Endoscopic Percutaneous Lumbar Discectomy," The Tenth Annual International Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. Naples, Florida. May 28-31, 1997.

• "Non Traumatic Discectomy," Faculty, International Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. Amsterdam, the Netherlands. May 9, 1996.

• "Endoscopic Spinal Surgery," Invited Faculty (taught seminar), The American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 30, 1996. Commended for presenting "the surgery of the future".

• "Endoscopic Transforaminal Disc Removal and Reconfiguration," The 12th Annual Meeting of the Joint Section of Congress of Neurological Surgeons and American Association of Neurological Surgeons on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves. Lake Buena Vista, Florida. February 28 - March 2, 1996.

• "Endoscopic Transforaminal Disc Removal and Reconfiguration," Selected by Joint Section of American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons as best paper for publication.

• "Percutaneous Transforaminal Non Traumatic Discectomy," North American Spine Society. Washington, D.C. October 18-21, 1995.

• "A New Superior Technique for Removal of Herniated Lumbar Discs," The Canadian Journal of Neurological Science. Volume 22, Number 2. May 1995.

• "A Safer, Effective Alternative to Laminectomy," Presentation at International College of Surgeons. San Diego, California. April 1, 1995

• "Comprehensive Percutaneous Endoscopic Spinal Surgery," Presentation, The American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Orlando, Florida. April, 1995.

• "2.8 mm Endoscopic Comprehensive Percutaneous Lumbar Disc Surgery," Presentation at International Intradiscal Therapy Society. La Jolla, California. March, 1995. Taught Discectomy Workshop - Faculty - UCSD OrthoMed Facility.

• "A New and Superior Technique for Removal of Herniated Disc: Endoscope and Nucleotome Combination," Presentation to the Joint Section of The American Association of Neurological Surgeons and The Congress of Neurosurgeons. Phoenix, Arizona. February, 1995.

• "A New Technique for Intra and Extra Discal Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Surgery," Presentation, Annual Symposium and Call for Papers: Techniques in Spinal Surgery. New York City, New York. December, 1994.

• "Percutaneous Discectomy in the Older Patient (Improved Results with Nucleotome/Laser Enhancement)," Presentation, Seventh Annual Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. Aberdeen, Scotland. May, 1994.

• "New Comprehensive Percutaneous Discectomy Using a Working Channel Scope and Nucleotome," Presentation, Seventh Annual Intradiscal Therapy Society Meeting. Aberdeen, Scotland. May, 1994.

• "Percutaneous Discectomy Over Age Sixty (Nucleotome With Laser Enhancement)" Presentation, Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (A Joint Section of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons). Tenth Annual Meeting. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. February, 1994.

• "Percutaneous Discectomy in the Older Patient," Presentation, Second Annual Symposium, Techniques in Spinal Surgery. New York, New York. December, 1993.

• "Percutaneous Discectomy- Lasers and Fiberoptics," Continuing Medical Education Lecture, National Scientific Conference, (Westside Hospital). Hawaii. July, 1993.

• "Percutaneous Discectomy- Recent Advances," Continuing Medical Education Lecture, National Scientific Conference, (Westside Hospital). Hawaii. July, 1992.

• Back Pain and Alternatives to Back Surgery: Percutaneous Discectomy, Lecture Series, Beverly Hills Medical Center, 1989.

• Back Pain and Alternatives to Back Surgery: Percutaneous Discectomy, Lecture Series, Beverly Hills Medical Center, December 1988.

• Arachnoiditis, Presentation, Congress of Neurological Surgeons' Annual Meeting, October 1980, Houston, Texas.

• Benign Brain Tumor, National Critical Care Inst. Journal, Vol 5, Number 11, Nov. 1978.

• Subdural Hematoma, Chronic, National Critical Care Institute Journal, Volume 5, Number 9, September 1978.