David M Spiro, DO

David Spiro, D.O. is a board certified Neurosurgeon who performs adult Neurological surgery. He is a practicing member of the Spine Institute of Connecticut.

Dr. Spiro graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Penn State University with a minor in the arts. He earned his medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine. Thereafter, he completed his Neurosurgical training at The Cushing Neuroscience Institute at the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in New York. He worked in private practice in New Britain, CT from 2009-2011 before joining the medical staff of Trinity Health Of New England Medical Group at Saint Francis Hospital.

Dr. Spiro treats many conditions of the brain, cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He utilizes exceptional microsurgical skills for cranial procedures such as brain tumor resection, chiari malformation decompression, endoscopic pituitary surgery and ventriculo-peritoneal shunt placement. Dr. Spiro also performs complex spinal reconstruction for degenerative spine conditions, tumor, trauma and revision surgery. His special interests include advanced minimally invasive spine surgery. This includes extensive experience with percutaneous and minimally invasive discectomy, decompressions and fusions, as well as image-guided spine surgery.

Dr. Spiro is one of only a small number of surgeons in Connecticut performing true minimally invasive spine surgery. Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery was developed to treat disorders of the spine with less disruption of the muscles and other structural elements. This can result in quicker recovery, decreased operative blood loss, lower infection rate and quicker return to normal function. Dr. Spiro recommends minimally invasive spine surgery as the optimal choice, provided you are a candidate. Surgery is proposed only after fully exhausting all conservative modalities for the issue at hand. He is dedicated to helping patients return to the level of health they expect.

Dr. Spiro actively participates in the development of new technologies for neurosurgical application. At Saint Francis Hospital, Dr. Spiro acts as the Neurosurgical representative for the monthly trauma committee and is in charge of surgical quality evaluations for the Spine Institute of Connecticut.

What is an Osteopathic Physician? Are they REAL doctors?
Dr. Spiro is one of only 125 Osteopathic Neurosurgeons practicing in the US. An Osteopathic physician is a fully licensed physician, authorized to prescribe medication and perform surgery. They attend their own Osteopathic medical schools and are responsible for the same academic discipline as their MD colleagues, plus receiving an additional 300 to 500 hours in the study of the body’s musculoskeletal system and training in osteopathic philosophy.

The hallmark of Osteopathic care is the focus on health and wellness as opposed to the conventional disease-based approach. A.T. Still, M.D., D.O., founder of Osteopathy, said, “The object of the physician is to find health, anyone can find disease.” Osteopathic physicians are trained to look at each patient as an individual and focus their care on the entire person, rather than merely a diseased body system. Most graduates from osteopathic medical school go on to osteopathic (DO) or allopathic (MD) residencies to pursue any medical and surgical specialty, including neurosurgery. D.O.s undergo the same rigorous residency training as M.D.s, and practice alongside them in offices and hospitals across the country.

Dr. Spiro offers experience, state-of-the-art medical care, personal contact from consultation to recovery and peace of mind for patients and their families at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford. Dr. Spiro believes in a patient-centered approach with patient education and understanding as key components to the medical decision-making process. His patients can expect the highest degree of satisfaction from all facets of care, both surgical and other.