Spine Surgery for Connecticut Patients · Naples & Fort Myers FL · Fellowship-Trained Neurosurgeon
Yale New Haven is exceptional.
TOPS and disc replacement
are not in the program.
Connecticut has outstanding spine care at Yale New Haven, Hartford Hospital, UConn Health, and Stamford Health. What these programs cannot offer is the full technology stack: TOPS motion-preserving surgery, cervical and lumbar disc replacement, Barricaid annular closure, and custom 3D-printed implants. At every Connecticut academic center, residents participate in surgery. In Naples, Florida, Dr. Katsevman performs every case personally. Telemedicine from anywhere in Connecticut. Surgery during your Florida winter stay — or a dedicated trip from Bradley, JFK, or BOS.
"Connecticut patients are often among the most thoroughly evaluated patients I see — Yale New Haven and Hartford Hospital are excellent institutions. The question they ask me is always the same: why did none of my doctors in Connecticut mention TOPS or disc replacement? The answer is structural — certification requirements, not quality of care."
Dr. G. Katsevman, MD · Neurosurgeon & Spine SurgeonThe honest comparison
What Connecticut spine centers offer —
and what they don’t
Yale New Haven, Hartford Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, and UConn Health are strong institutions. The gap is specific — certain technologies require certifications and training that most academic programs haven’t pursued, and the teaching hospital model means residents operate at every one of them. Connecticut patients are also geographically close to New York — and the same gaps that exist at HSS and NYU exist at Yale and Hartford.
Strong standard spine surgeryACDF, lumbar fusion, discectomy, laminectomy performed at solid volume with good outcomes. No dispute about quality.
TOPS not available77% vs. 24% over fusion for spondylolisthesis — not offered at Yale New Haven, Hartford Hospital, or UConn Health. Not because of surgical quality — because of certification.
Disc replacement rarely offeredMost Connecticut spine surgeons recommend fusion by default. Device certification for Simplify®, ProDisc-C®, and ProDisc-L® is not standard in Connecticut academic programs.
Barricaid not standard81% reherniation reduction — not part of standard Connecticut discectomy practice.
Residents participate in surgery at every academic centerYale School of Medicine, UConn, Quinnipiac — all teaching programs where residents perform portions of surgeries under supervision. This is how physicians are trained — not always what patients assume.
TOPS — official surgeon locator, one of few in US77% vs. 24% over fusion. Motion preserved. Grade I spondylolisthesis with stenosis. Same-day discharge.
Disc replacement — certified for all three devicesSimplify®, ProDisc-C®, ProDisc-L®. 5× lower cervical reoperation rate. More than 3× less adjacent degeneration lumbar.
Barricaid on every eligible discectomy81% fewer reherniations. Annular defect closed at surgery — standard of care here.
Dr. Katsevman performs every case personallyNo residents. No fellows. Incision to closure — the surgeon who evaluated you.
Telemedicine from Connecticut — no travel for consultationUpload your MRI from Greenwich, Stamford, Hartford, or New Haven. Dr. Katsevman reviews personally.
Technology
What’s available here
that Yale, Hartford, and UConn don’t offer
77% vs 24% over fusion in FDA RCT. Grade I spondylolisthesis with stenosis. Stabilizes slip. Preserves motion. Same-day discharge. Official TOPS surgeon locator.
77% vs 24% · FDA RCT5× lower cervical reoperation rate vs. ACDF. More than 3× less adjacent degeneration lumbar. Three device certifications — not available at Connecticut academic spine programs.
5× lower reoperation · FDA IDEAnnular closure at time of surgery. 81% fewer reherniations. Sub-quarter-inch incision. Same-day discharge. Not standard at Yale, Hartford, or UConn.
81% fewer reherniationsManufactured from your CT scan. Perfect endplate contact. Patient-specific lordosis. EOS full-spine standing alignment planning. Not available at Connecticut academic centers.
Continuous SSEP, MEP, EMG. Dedicated neurophysiologist in real time. Immediate alert on any signal change. Not universal even at major Connecticut centers.
Platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow aspirate harvested intraoperatively. Applied to disc space, epidural space, or fusion cage. No additional needle sticks. Not standard at Connecticut academic centers.
How it works for Connecticut patients
From Connecticut to Naples —
the practical path
Upload your MRI, X-rays, and any prior specialist reports. Dr. Katsevman reviews all imaging personally. Full evaluation covering diagnosis, all treatment options — including what wasn’t offered locally — and which procedure is right for your anatomy. Telemedicine from Greenwich, Stamford, Hartford, New Haven, or anywhere in Connecticut.
Pre-operative requirements coordinated — most completable in Connecticut. Full transparent cash-pay pricing provided before any commitment. Surgery scheduled when it works for you — during your Florida winter stay or a dedicated trip south.
Bradley (BDL) and Tweed New Haven (HVN) connect to RSW via Charlotte or Tampa — total under 4 hours. Many Connecticut patients drive to JFK (90 minutes) for direct service to RSW. RSW is 30 minutes from both the Naples and Fort Myers offices. In-person pre-op with Dr. Katsevman the day before or morning of surgery. Most procedures: same-day discharge.
Post-operative follow-up by telemedicine from Connecticut. Your Connecticut physician receives a full operative report. Connecticut has one of the highest densities of Florida snowbird residents — if you have a Florida winter address, recovery is on Gulf time, not in a Connecticut winter.
Questions from Connecticut patients
What Connecticut patients ask
before making the trip
Yale New Haven recommended fusion for my spondylolisthesis. Is TOPS an option? +
For Grade I spondylolisthesis with stenosis — the diagnosis that generates almost every spondylolisthesis fusion recommendation — TOPS is a genuine alternative with significantly better outcomes. The FDA RCT showed 77% overall clinical success with TOPS versus 24% for fusion at 2 years. Yale New Haven is an excellent institution — TOPS is not offered there because the certification has not been pursued, not because the technology is experimental. A telemedicine second opinion determines whether your specific anatomy is a TOPS candidate before you commit to a fusion that permanently removes motion at that level.
Hartford Hospital recommended ACDF. Should I consider disc replacement? +
If you have single or two-level cervical disc disease without significant instability, disc replacement is often the superior long-term option — and the evidence is strong. The ProDisc-C FDA IDE trial showed a 5-fold lower reoperation rate at 5 years vs. ACDF (2.9% vs. 14.5%). Hartford Hospital surgeons are not certified for Simplify® or ProDisc-C®. A second opinion from a surgeon who performs both — and will recommend whichever is better for your anatomy — is the right step before committing to ACDF.
Does my Connecticut insurance cover surgery in Florida? +
Most Connecticut insurance plans — Anthem BCBS of CT, Aetna (headquartered in Hartford), Cigna (headquartered in Bloomfield), UnitedHealthcare — cover out-of-state care for services not available locally. TOPS and disc replacement may qualify as not locally available. Full documentation provided for claims. Cash-pay pricing is available with full transparency before any commitment. Connecticut patients with Aetna or Cigna — both headquartered in the state — may find these plans particularly cooperative on out-of-state coverage for technology-specific procedures.
I spend winters in Naples or Fort Myers. Can I plan surgery during my Florida stay? +
Yes — Connecticut has one of the highest proportions of Florida snowbird residents in the Northeast, particularly in Greenwich, Fairfield County, and the shoreline towns. Start with a telemedicine consultation from Connecticut before you travel south. If surgery is appropriate, it is scheduled during your Florida stay. Most procedures are same-day or next-day discharge. Recovery at your Florida winter address. Telemedicine follow-up after returning to Connecticut. For Connecticut patients already making the Florida trip, folding surgery and recovery into the winter stay makes this a practical rather than burdensome decision.
"Connecticut patients are often driving 90 minutes to see HSS or Columbia in New York and getting the same answer they got in Hartford — fusion. The technology gap doesn’t change when you cross state lines into Manhattan. It changes when you call a surgeon who is actually certified for the devices that produce better outcomes."
Gennadiy (Gene) A. Katsevman, MD
Neurosurgeon & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon · Naples & Fort Myers FL
Official surgeon locator: TOPS™, Simplify®, ProDisc-C®, ProDisc-L®
Barricaid® every eligible discectomy · aprevo® 3D-printed custom cages
EOS imaging · Robotic navigation · Intraoperative CT · Neuromonitoring every fusion
No residents · Dr. Katsevman performs every case personally
Fellowship — Barrow Neurological Institute · 30+ publications
Naples Top Doctor 2024, 2025, 2026
Naples: 6101 Pine Ridge Road #101 · (239) 649-1662
Fort Myers: 8380 Riverwalk Park Blvd #320 · (239) 437-1121
Connecticut Patients · Telemedicine Available · Surgery in Naples & Fort Myers FL
Before you commit to fusion
in Connecticut — hear all the options.
Upload your MRI before the telemedicine appointment. Dr. Katsevman reviews everything personally. You will know whether TOPS, disc replacement, or minimally invasive decompression is right for your anatomy — and whether the trip south is worth making. For most Connecticut patients who qualify, it is.
6101 Pine Ridge Road #101, Naples, FL 34119
Fort Myers, FL 33919
Upload imaging before your appointment