Essentials of Endoscopic Spine Surgery

Kern Singh, MD, is a Professor and Vice-Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. He is also the Co-Director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute and Founder & President of the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Study Group. Dr. Singh has contributed over 500 articles, 250 book chapters, and has authored over 15 textbooks in spine surgery. His international reputation is well known, and he frequently has visiting surgeons from the US and around the world to learn about the newest advancements in outpatient, minimally invasive, and endoscopic spine surgeries. He has lectured all over the world, sharing his expertise and pioneering techniques globally. Dr. Singh's commitment to education and collaboration has made him an esteemed mentor and speaker at national spine conferences, where his groundbreaking research has earned several awards. Dr. Singh has also developed innovative surgical instruments that are widely adopted by spine surgeons worldwide. Beyond his clinical and academic contributions, Dr. Singh is dedicated to improving patient outcomes and expanding access to state-of-the-art spinal care through research, education, and surgical excellence. Daniel K. Park, MD is a Professor of Orthopedics at Corewell Health-Oakland University School of Medicine. He graduated from Duke University School of Medicine, RUSH University Orthopedic Surgery Residency, and Emory University Spine Fellowship. He currently specializes in minimally invasive surgery and motion preservation. He has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles and has presented numerous abstracts at international meetings. Dr Park's journey into endoscopic spine surgery began in 2018, and he was one of the first surgeons in the United States to perform biportal endoscopic spine surgery. Seeing the benefits of this technique, he has lectured across America as well as internationally, teaching fellow surgeons how to adopt this technique into their practice. He currently works with various industry partners to make advancements in surgical endoscopic tools. He is the co-founder of World UBE Society-America, a society dedicated to the advancement of biportal endoscopic spine surgery. Professor Jin-Sung Kim (a.k.a. Luke SpineWalker) is a board-certified neurosurgeon and is highly active in international spine societies. He specializes in minimally invasive, navigation-guided, and endoscopic spine surgery, and is currently a Professor of Neurosurgery at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, the Catholic University of Korea. Internationally recognized as a pioneer in his field, he serves as the Deputy Editor of Neurospine, the official journal of major Asian spine societies, and the Global Spine Journal, the official journal of AOSpine. Both journals are among the most highly cited in spine surgery. He has served as International Director of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) since 2018. He has also held major positions in North American Spine Society (NASS), serving on the Minimally Invasive Procedures Committee, Governance Committee, and International Strategic Growth Committee (ISGC), as well as on the AOSpine MIS Task Force during the same period. Through these roles, he has made significant contributions to the global advancement of minimally invasive spine surgery (MIS) and endoscopic techniques. These appointments reflect his recognized expertise and leadership in the global spine surgery community.