Serving Arcadia & DeSoto County · Fort Myers & Naples Offices
Arcadia is 45 minutes
from advanced spine surgery.
Most patients don’t know that.
DeSoto County is one of the most medically underserved counties in Florida. Arcadia patients with back pain, neck pain, spinal stenosis, and disc disease are routinely sent on long drives to Tampa, Sarasota, or further — when Fort Myers is 45 minutes south and Naples is an hour. The most advanced minimally invasive spine surgical options in Southwest Florida are closer than the referrals suggest.
"DeSoto County patients have been sent on long drives for spine care their entire lives. Fort Myers is 45 minutes south. Naples is an hour. The drive they’ve been making to Tampa and beyond is longer than it needs to be — and the options at the end of it are not always better."
Dr. G. Katsevman, MD · Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeonvia US-17 South
disc replacement, laminectomy
for most procedures
Doctor 2024, 2025, 2026
Closer than the referrals suggest
Advanced spine care —
45 minutes south, not hours away
DeSoto County has essentially no local advanced spine surgical infrastructure. Arcadia patients who need surgery beyond routine local care have historically been referred north to Sarasota, Tampa, or Orlando. The drive is long. The options at the end of it are not always comprehensive. Fort Myers — with a full consultation office — is 45 minutes south on US-17. Naples — where surgery is performed — is an hour. For a county accustomed to driving for specialty care, that is a short trip.
What is available in Fort Myers and Naples goes well beyond routine spine surgery. These are procedures that require specific fellowship training and implant certification — not universally available even in the larger cities Arcadia patients have been sent to.
What’s available 45–60 minutes south
TOPS motion-preserving surgery — FDA Breakthrough Device for Grade I spondylolisthesis with stenosis. 77% vs 24% overall clinical success versus fusion at 2 years. No hardware, no fusion. One of very few surgeons in Florida on the official Premia Spine surgeon locator.
Minimally invasive tubular laminectomy — up to 3 levels through a quarter-inch incision. Posterior ligaments preserved. Same-day discharge. No restrictions at 6 weeks. No fusion required for many patients who have been told they need it.
Cervical and lumbar disc replacement — Simplify®, ProDisc-C®, and ProDisc-L®. Motion preserved. Fewer long-term reoperations versus fusion. Dr. Katsevman is on the official surgeon locator for all three.
Surgery at Naples facilities with robotics and navigation for every fusion case, intraoperative CT for SI joint fusion, and neuromonitoring for every cervical procedure.
Surgical procedures available to DeSoto County patients
The full spectrum —
consultation in Fort Myers, surgery in Naples
Every procedure below requires specific training. All are accessible via the Fort Myers consultation office (~45 min from Arcadia) and Naples surgical facilities (~60 min). Telemedicine available from Arcadia before the drive.
FDA Breakthrough Device. 77% vs 24% success vs. fusion at 2 years. No cage, no rods, no permanent fusion. Dr. K on official Premia Spine surgeon locator.
Learn more → 02 Stenosis · up to 3 levels Minimally Invasive LaminectomyQuarter-inch incision. Up to 3 levels. Posterior ligaments preserved. Same-day discharge. No restrictions at 6 weeks.
Learn more → 03 Herniated disc · Sciatica 3R Discectomy™Remove (METRx <¼") · Replace (Barricaid® 81% fewer reherniations) · Regenerate (PRP). Same-day discharge.
Learn more → 04 Neck pain · Arm pain Cervical Disc ReplacementSimplify® & ProDisc-C® — surgeon locator listed. Motion preserved. 4× fewer reoperations at 7 years vs. fusion.
Learn more → 05 Lower back · DDD Lumbar Disc ReplacementProDisc-L® — 300,000+ implants, 35+ years data. Nearly 4× less adjacent degeneration vs. fusion. Motion preserved.
Learn more → 06 Myelopathy · Radiculopathy ACDF Cervical FusionLipstick-sized incision. No muscles cut. Neuromonitoring every case. Prevertebral steroids. Same-day or next-day discharge.
Learn more → 07 When fusion is truly needed Lumbar FusionEOS EDGE alignment planning. Robotics and navigation every case. BMAC biologic augmentation. aprevo® custom 3D-printed implants.
Learn more → 08 Chronic buttock & pelvic pain SI Joint FusionTORQ lateral screws. Intraoperative CT confirms placement before waking. 3cm incision. Same-day discharge. PRP option.
Learn more → 09 Been referred far away? Second OpinionBefore the long drive north, find out whether a less invasive option exists 45 minutes south. Telemedicine available from Arcadia.
Learn more →Getting here from Arcadia
US-17 South —
the most direct route from DeSoto County
US-17 South from Arcadia runs directly into Fort Myers — one of the most straightforward drives in Southwest Florida. No interstate, no city traffic, no complicated routing. 45 minutes. For many DeSoto County patients this is a shorter drive than the Publix in the next town.
Fort Myers Office
8380 Riverwalk Park Blvd #320
Fort Myers, FL 33919
~45 minutes from Arcadia
via US-17 South — direct route
Get Directions →
Surgery location: Surgery is performed at hospital facilities in Naples — approximately 60 minutes from Arcadia via US-17 South to US-41 South. Robotics and navigation for fusion, intraoperative CT for SI joint fusion, neuromonitoring for all cervical procedures. Most procedures are same-day discharge.
Naples office also available: 6101 Pine Ridge Road #101 — (239) 649-1662. Some Arcadia patients prefer to start their consultation in Naples where surgery also takes place.
Driving from Arcadia
Nearby communities: Nocatee, Brownville, and all of DeSoto County follow the same US-17 South route. Port Charlotte patients are also served — see the Port Charlotte spine surgeon page.
Questions from Arcadia & DeSoto County patients
What patients ask before making the drive
I have always been referred north for spine care. Why go south? +
Referral patterns are often based on geography of habit rather than geography of actual proximity or quality. Fort Myers is 45 minutes south of Arcadia on US-17 — closer than Charlotte Regional, closer than most Sarasota practices, and significantly closer than Tampa. What is available in Fort Myers and Naples includes TOPS motion-preserving surgery for spondylolisthesis, minimally invasive multi-level laminectomy without fusion, and cervical and lumbar disc replacement — procedures not universally available at the centers DeSoto County patients have historically been sent to. A telemedicine consultation takes 30 minutes and tells you whether any of these apply before you commit to any drive.
I have been told I need spinal fusion. Are there alternatives? +
Possibly — depending on your specific anatomy and imaging. For Grade I spondylolisthesis, TOPS is an FDA-proven alternative with 77% vs 24% overall success versus fusion at 2 years. For stable Grade I spondylolisthesis not actively moving, minimally invasive laminectomy without fusion can relieve nerve compression without hardware. For disc disease at one or two levels, lumbar disc replacement may preserve motion rather than fusing. Start with a telemedicine consultation from Arcadia — bring your MRI and prior recommendations — and find out which applies to your case.
Can I start with telemedicine from Arcadia? +
Yes — this is the right starting point for most DeSoto County patients. Upload your MRI and any prior reports, schedule a video consultation, and get a genuine assessment of your diagnosis and full range of options from home. If the conversation confirms a better option exists 45 minutes south, making the drive to Fort Myers or Naples is a straightforward next step. Most patients who start with telemedicine make one in-person trip within one to two weeks.
Where is surgery performed? +
Surgery is performed at hospital facilities in Naples — approximately 60 minutes from Arcadia via US-17 South. These facilities are equipped with robotics and navigation for fusion cases, intraoperative CT for SI joint fusion, and neuromonitoring for all cervical procedures. Most procedures are same-day discharge. Arcadia patients typically arrive in the morning, have surgery, recover for a few hours, and return home the same day.
Does Dr. Katsevman accept insurance for DeSoto County patients? +
Yes — most major insurance plans are accepted, including Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, and others. DeSoto County patients are welcome at both the Fort Myers and Naples offices. Contact Fort Myers at (239) 437-1121 or Naples at (239) 649-1662 to confirm your coverage before scheduling.
Learn more about the practice
"Arcadia patients have been driving past us for years on their way to Tampa or Sarasota. Fort Myers is 45 minutes from their front door. For a county that has always had to travel for specialty care, that is not a long drive at all."
Gennadiy (Gene) A. Katsevman, MD
Neurosurgeon & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon
Fort Myers office ~45 min from Arcadia via US-17 South · (239) 437-1121
Naples office ~60 min from Arcadia · (239) 649-1662
Also serving Nocatee, Brownville, and all of DeSoto County
Surgery at Naples hospital facilities — robotics & navigation, intraoperative CT, neuromonitoring
Fellowship-trained at Barrow Neurological Institute under Dr. Juan Uribe
TOPS · Simplify® · ProDisc-C® & ProDisc-L® — official surgeon locator listings
30+ peer-reviewed publications · Naples Top Doctor 2024, 2025, 2026
5-star Google · Healthgrades Choice · WebMD Preferred · U.S. News Patients’ Top Choice
Full background, training & publications → floridaspinesurgeon.org/about
Arcadia & DeSoto County
45 minutes south.
Closer than the long drive north.
Start with telemedicine from Arcadia — or drive directly to Fort Myers. Bring your MRI and prior referrals. Find out what is available before committing to a longer drive in the other direction.
Fort Myers, FL 33919
6101 Pine Ridge Road #101, Naples, FL 34119
Upload your MRI & begin