Dr. Rachid Assina, MD, RPh, FAANS, specializes in Complex and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery with a special interest in the treatment of spinal tumors and scoliosis. Dr. Assina’s NJ/NY practice centers on a comprehensive integrated approach to the development and implementation of a plan of care for the full range of spine conditions. He provides state-of-the-art treatment, restoring back health and enabling patients to lead full lives.
As a neurosurgeon and an orthopedic fellowship-trained spine surgeon, Dr. Assina performs the most innovative surgical techniques, including minimally invasive endoscopic surgery, artificial disc replacement, computer assisted scoliosis correction, Robotic spine surgery, and laser-assisted tumor surgery to achieve the best results for his patients.
Dr. Assina spent five and half years as an Assistant Professor at the Rutgers Neurosurgery Department teaching residents and has performed more than 1500 spinal and cranial neurosurgical procedures. Dr. Assina completed his neurosurgical residency at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School where he performed more than 2000 procedures as a resident. He completed a fellowship in Orthopedic Complex and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s Spine Institute of New York and Beth Israel Medical Center performing more than 350 spine surgeries.
Prior to his medical training, Dr. Assina received his Bachelors in Pharmacy from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and was a practicing Pharmacist before he left to pursue a neurosurgical career. He has been actively involved in research and has 18 academic manuscripts, four book chapters and dozens of abstracts to his credit. He is a founder of a Nonprofit organization that performs scoliosis surgery in the underserved areas of Africa.
Dr. Assina is fluent in Arabic and French and is committed to providing outstanding, expedient, compassionate and technologically sophisticated care and expertise to his patients.
Prime Neuro Spine is Outstanding, Personalized Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Care from one of NJ's most Highly Trained and Experienced Neurosurgeons
SPECIALIZATION
As a dually trained Orthopedic and Neurosurgeon, Dr. Assina specializes in complex surgical cases of both the Spine and the Brain.
Disc Problems
Disc Problems
The shock-absorbing discs that separate the bones in the spine are probably the most common reason for spine surgery. The disc is much like a jelly doughnut, in that there is an outside wall to the disc and a soft center. The “jelly” is the inner spongy portion of the disc, called the nucleus pulposus. Encircling the jelly nucleus are hard bands of fibrous tissue called the annulus fibrosis, or disc wall.
Disc Problems
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Spinal deformities become serious when they progress and threaten to cause severe pain and/or permanent disability. In other cases, some people with spinal deformities may not even know they have it. Treatment of these conditions aims at minimizing progression of the disease and preventing further growth.
Minimally Invasive
Spine Surgery
Spinal Deformaties
Spinal Deformities
Skeletal irregularities place strain on the vertebrae and supporting muscles, tendons, ligaments and tissues supported by spinal column. These irregularities include scoliosis, a curving of the spine to the side; kyphosis, in which the normal curve of the upper back is severely rounded; lordosis, an abnormally accentuated arch in the lower back; back extension, a bending backward of the spine; and back flexion, in which the spine bends forward.