Business & Leadership: North Oaks Health System

MEET DR. EDWARD “EJ” BURKHARDT

NEUROSURGEON EDWARD “EJ” BURKHARDT CARES JUST AS MUCH ABOUT YOUR SPINE AS HE DOES YOUR BRAIN.

North Oaks Health System introduced new robotic and imaging technologies to enhance neurosurgical spinal care in August 2024, when Dr. Burkhardt joined the North Oaks Neurosurgery Clinic in Hammond.

Dr. Burkhardt earned his medical degree from the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport. During his residency there, he trained extensively with robotic spine surgery technology, performing more than 100 procedures.

Born in Metairie and raised in Springfield, Dr. Burkhardt is excited to introduce this cutting-edge technology and offer expert neurological care right here at home.

WHAT DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN?

I specialize in general neurosurgery, meaning essentially everything. Anything cranial - trauma, brain tumors, brain bleeds - and spine. This includes degenerative spine issues, meaning normal wear and tear on the cervical or lumbar spine, as well as spine trauma and tumors.

WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF NEUROSURGERY, THEY GENERALLY THINK ABOUT BRAIN SURGERY. WHY IS SPINE SURGERY ALSO CONSIDERED NEUROSURGERY?

Our brain controls our whole body, from motor skills and movement to thoughts and memories. It sends that information down the spinal cord, allowing nerves to carry those signals to the rest of the body. As a neurosurgeon, I take care of essentially everything involving the nervous system, whether that’s the brain or the spine.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON SPINAL CONDITIONS YOU TREAT?

I treat spine conditions like degenerative neck and back issues or chronic neck and back pain. Often, these don’t require surgery. But sometimes, the problem lies within the spine itself and can be addressed surgically.

North Oaks Medical Center is a major trauma center. When it comes to traumatic spinal cord injuries like fractures, dislocations, or other injuries to the spinal cord, those usually require relatively urgent procedures.

WHEN DO YOU USE ROBOTIC SPINAL SURGERY TECHNIQUES? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ROBOTIC SPINAL SURGERY?

This is the next frontier of spinal instrumentation and navigation, where we use robotics to place screws and rods in the spine. Navigation means using a computer system to link a CT scan to a patient’s live anatomy, showing us exactly where we are during surgery.

Surgeries that require instrumentation, meaning screws and rods to stabilize the spine, combine this navigation system with a robotic arm that I guide. It allows me to safely place screws in precise alignment and increases accuracy tremendously compared to more conventional methods. Robotics also let us perform the procedure more efficiently, with less radiation exposure to the surgeon, patient, and operating room staff.

Using robotics, I can also plan screw placement to minimize the incision as much as possible. That makes the surgery less invasive, which usually leads to better outcomes, less postoperative pain, and faster recovery.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT NEUROSURGERY AT NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM, ESPECIALLY ROBOTIC SPINE SURGERY?

It’s the leading technology emerging in spine surgery today - and we have it here at North Oaks. We can do it efficiently and successfully. Our goal is to take care of any neurosurgical issue you might have right here in Hammond, without you having to go anywhere else.

15790 Paul Vega MD Drive • Hammond, LA 70403 • (985) 345-2700 • northoaks.org