Serving The Villages & Ocala · North-Central Florida · Naples Office
North-Central Florida
has more surgical options
than most residents know exist.
The Villages and Ocala sit at the heart of Florida’s most active communities — golf, pickleball, equestrian sport, ranching, outdoor life. When a spine condition starts limiting that life, the question is not whether to act. It is what options exist. Two hours south on I-75, Dr. Katsevman offers TOPS motion-preserving surgery, minimally invasive laminectomy without fusion, disc replacement, and the full spectrum of cervical and lumbar procedures — with same-day surgery and no fusion when possible.
"The Villages and Ocala are full of people who have spent their lives being active — on the golf course, on horseback, on the pickleball court. When a spine condition starts taking that away, the conversation about surgical options should be comprehensive. Two hours south, it is."
Dr. G. Katsevman, MD · Neurosurgeon & Spine Surgeonvia I-75 South
disc replacement, laminectomy
for most procedures
Doctor 2024, 2025, 2026
Two communities · One I-75 corridor · One drive south
Different lifestyles.
The same determination to get back to them.
The Villages and Ocala share a geography and a highway — and a patient profile. Active, engaged, with high expectations for care and even higher expectations for what life should look like after treatment. The surgical options two hours south are the same for both. The reasons for making the drive are distinctly their own.
The Villages, FL · Sumter & Marion Counties
community in America
With over 130,000 residents across 54 square miles, The Villages is not just the largest retirement community in the United States — it is one of the most physically active communities in Florida. The average resident plays golf multiple times per week. Pickleball courts are packed by 7am. The social calendar demands a functional spine, functional hands, and reliable balance.
What brings Villages residents to Naples: Lumbar stenosis that limits walking distance on the course. Spondylolisthesis where the local recommendation is fusion but TOPS may preserve motion and get back on the green faster. Cervical myelopathy causing hand clumsiness that affects the paddle grip. Disc herniations from high-volume athletic activity. SI joint pain mistaken for hip arthritis for years.
- Golf: Lumbar stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and SI joint pain all directly limit the swing and the walk. Same-day laminectomy or TOPS means back on the fairway in 6 weeks.
- Pickleball: Cervical radiculopathy and lumbar disc herniations are endemic in high-volume pickleball players. The 3R Discectomy has them back on the court in weeks, not months.
- Social longevity: Balance loss from cervical myelopathy, hand weakness, and gait instability are not inevitable. They are treatable — the cord cannot recover what it permanently loses, but earlier decompression means more of life preserved.
Ocala, FL · Marion County · Horse Capital of the World
of the United States
Marion County is home to more thoroughbred horses than any county in America. The equestrian community — riders, trainers, breeders, ranch hands, and the broader agricultural workforce that makes Ocala the Horse Capital of the World — places specific and demanding physical loads on the spine. Riding is compressive. Ranch work is repetitive. The patients here are not sedentary. Their spine conditions are real and their tolerance for limitation is low.
What brings Ocala patients to Naples: Lumbar disc herniations from the repetitive compressive load of riding and ranch work. Spondylolisthesis from years of physical demanding activity. Stenosis from decades of hard physical work. Cervical disease from the posture demands of riding. SI joint dysfunction — 15–25% of chronic low back pain — frequently misdiagnosed for years in patients who ride.
- Equestrian riding: The compressive and rotational forces of riding accelerate disc degeneration, spondylolisthesis, and SI joint dysfunction. The 3R Discectomy and TOPS restore function without lengthy recovery.
- Ranch & agricultural work: Lumbar stenosis and disc disease from decades of heavy lifting, bending, and physical labor. Minimally invasive laminectomy — same-day, quarter-inch incision — has ranchers back to work in 6 weeks.
- Ocala Back Pain Specialist: SI joint dysfunction is the most frequently missed diagnosis in physically active patients. Two positive diagnostic injections confirm it. When correctly diagnosed, SI fusion outcomes are among the best in the practice.
What requires specific fellowship training
Advanced options available two hours south
Both The Villages and Ocala have access to routine spine care locally. The procedures below require specific implant certification and fellowship training in minimally invasive techniques not universally available in North-Central Florida — and they make the difference between fusion hardware you carry for life and a same-day procedure with no restrictions at six weeks.
What’s available on the I-75 corridor two hours south
TOPS motion-preserving surgery — FDA Breakthrough Device for Grade I spondylolisthesis with stenosis. 77% vs 24% overall success versus fusion at 2 years. No hardware, no cage, no permanent fusion. Motion preserved. Back on the golf course, on horseback, and on the pickleball court on the same timeline as any other same-day procedure. One of very few surgeons in Florida on the official Premia Spine surgeon locator.
Minimally invasive tubular laminectomy — up to 3 levels through a single quarter-inch incision. Posterior ligaments preserved. Same-day discharge. No fusion required for many patients who have been told they need it. No restrictions at 6 weeks.
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 devices.
SI joint fusion with intraoperative CT confirmation — the most frequently missed diagnosis in active patients. TORQ lateral screw system, same-day discharge. Highly relevant for equestrian and athletic populations where SI joint dysfunction is endemic.
Surgical procedures available to Villages & Ocala patients
The full spectrum —
consultations in Naples or Fort Myers, surgery in Naples
Every procedure below requires specific training. All are accessible via the Naples consultation office (~2 hrs from The Villages or Ocala via I-75 South) or Fort Myers for consultation (~90 min). Telemedicine available to start from home.
FDA Breakthrough Device. 77% vs 24% success vs. fusion at 2 years. No cage, no rods, no permanent fusion. Back to golf & riding on the same timeline. Dr. K on official 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. Back to the course and the saddle.
Learn more → 03 Herniated disc · Sciatica 3R Discectomy™Remove (METRx <¼") · Replace (Barricaid® 81% fewer reherniations) · Regenerate (PRP). Same-day discharge. No restrictions at 6 weeks.
Learn more → 04 Neck pain · Arm pain · Grip weakness Cervical Disc ReplacementSimplify® & ProDisc-C® — surgeon locator listed. Motion preserved. 4× fewer reoperations at 7 years vs. fusion. Same-day discharge. No collar.
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. 30%+ faster return to activity.
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 available.
Learn more → 08 Riders · Athletes · Chronic buttock pain SI Joint FusionTORQ lateral screws. Intraoperative CT confirms placement before waking. Highly relevant for equestrian and athletic patients. 3cm incision. Same-day discharge.
Learn more → 09 Before you commit to surgery Second OpinionRecommended fusion? Not sure about the plan? Find out if the full range of options was part of the conversation. Telemedicine available from The Villages or Ocala.
Learn more →Getting here from The Villages & Ocala
I-75 South — the most direct route from North-Central Florida
From The Villages or Ocala, I-75 South is a clean, uninterrupted highway drive through the Florida interior. No city congestion, no complicated routing. Two hours to Naples. About 90 minutes to Fort Myers. Most patients start with a telemedicine consultation from home, then make one trip south.
Naples Office
Physicians Regional Medical Center, 1st Floor
6101 Pine Ridge Road #101
Naples, FL 34119
~2 hours from The Villages via I-75 South
~1hr 50 min from Ocala via I-75 South
Get Directions →
Surgery location: Surgery is performed at Naples hospital facilities — same address as the Naples consultation office. Robotics and navigation for fusion, intraoperative CT for SI joint fusion, neuromonitoring for all cervical procedures. Most procedures are same-day discharge.
Fort Myers option: The Fort Myers office at 8380 Riverwalk Park Blvd #320 is approximately 90 minutes from The Villages via I-75 South — (239) 437-1121. Good for an initial consultation before the Naples surgical visit.
Driving from The Villages & Ocala
Also serving: Lady Lake, Leesburg, Wildwood, Summerfield, Belleview, and all of Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties. Lakeland patients are served via the same I-75 corridor — see the Lakeland spine surgeon page.
Questions from Villages & Ocala patients
What patients ask before making the drive
Why drive 2 hours to Naples when I have spine doctors locally? +
For routine spine care — injections, physical therapy, standard surgery — local options are perfectly reasonable. The reason Villages and Ocala patients make the drive is specific: TOPS motion-preserving surgery for spondylolisthesis, minimally invasive multi-level laminectomy without fusion, and cervical and lumbar disc replacement all require specific fellowship training and implant certification not universally available in North-Central Florida. A telemedicine consultation from home takes 30 minutes and tells you whether any of these apply to your case before you commit to any drive.
I play golf / pickleball daily in The Villages. How quickly can I get back after surgery? +
For most minimally invasive procedures — laminectomy, TOPS, 3R Discectomy — there are no activity restrictions at 6 weeks. Most Villages patients who have TOPS for spondylolisthesis or tubular laminectomy for stenosis are walking 18 holes or back on the pickleball court by week 6-8. Cervical and lumbar disc replacement have similar recovery arcs. Lumbar fusion takes longer — 3 to 6 months for full activity depending on the extent of the surgery. Dr. Katsevman will give you a specific timeline based on your procedure and your activity goals.
I ride horses and work on a ranch near Ocala. My back pain has been diagnosed as a herniated disc. What are my options? +
Equestrian and ranch work creates specific compressive and rotational loads on the lumbar spine that accelerate disc disease, spondylolisthesis, and SI joint dysfunction. For a herniated disc causing leg pain or sciatica, the 3R Discectomy — sub-quarter-inch incision, Barricaid annular closure reducing reherniation risk by 81%, and PRP augmentation — has equestrian patients back in the saddle in 6 weeks with no restrictions. It is worth confirming the diagnosis is truly disc herniation and not SI joint dysfunction, which is endemic in riders and frequently misdiagnosed. A consultation — or telemedicine from Ocala — will clarify the source and the right surgical approach.
I have been told I need spinal fusion for spondylolisthesis. Is TOPS an option for me? +
Possibly — TOPS is indicated for Grade I spondylolisthesis with moderate-to-severe lumbar stenosis in patients aged 35-80 at one level from L3 to L5. In the FDA randomized clinical trial, TOPS achieved 77% overall clinical success versus 24% for fusion at 2 years. For Villages and Ocala patients who have been recommended fusion for a Grade I slip — and want to preserve motion, avoid hardware, and get back to golf or riding on the same recovery timeline as a minimally invasive decompression — a telemedicine consultation with Dr. Katsevman is the right first step.
Can I start with telemedicine from The Villages or Ocala? +
Yes — and this is the recommended starting point. Upload your MRI and any prior reports, schedule a video consultation, and get a genuine assessment of your diagnosis, options, and what Dr. Katsevman would recommend — from home. If the conversation confirms a less invasive option applies to your case, the I-75 drive south is the clear next step. Most patients who start with telemedicine make one in-person trip to Naples or Fort Myers within one to two weeks.
Does Dr. Katsevman accept insurance for Marion and Sumter County patients? +
Yes — most major insurance plans are accepted, including Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, United Healthcare, Cigna, and others. Marion, Sumter, and Lake County patients are welcome at both the Naples and Fort Myers offices. Contact Naples at (239) 649-1662 or Fort Myers at (239) 437-1121 to verify your coverage before scheduling.
Learn more about the practice
"The Villages and Ocala send me some of the most motivated patients I see. They know what they want to get back to — the golf course, the pickleball court, the saddle, the ranch. That clarity about what the goal is makes the surgical conversation more direct and the outcomes better."
Gennadiy (Gene) A. Katsevman, MD
Neurosurgeon & Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeon
Naples office ~2 hrs from The Villages & Ocala via I-75 South · (239) 649-1662
Fort Myers office ~90 min from The Villages · (239) 437-1121
Spine Surgeon for The Villages FL · Ocala Back Pain Specialist
Serving Marion, Sumter, and Lake Counties · Horse Capital of the World
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
The Villages & Ocala, FL
Back to the course.
Back to the saddle.
Two hours south.
Start with telemedicine from The Villages or Ocala — or drive straight to Naples on I-75. Bring your imaging and prior recommendations. Find out whether the full range of minimally invasive options was part of the conversation before you commit to any plan.
6101 Pine Ridge Road #101, Naples, FL 34119
Fort Myers, FL 33919
Upload your MRI & begin