1. Seek a Board Certified Spine Surgeon- Spine surgeons specialize in spine surgeries, so are intimately familiar with all the conditions of the spine and the various spinal procedures. Orthopedic surgeons and pain management physicians do not have the same level of familiarity. If something significant related to the spine goes wrong during a procedure, the patient care will need to be turned over to a certified spine surgeon - why not start with the right surgeon!?

2. Ask for the physician's qualifications. Look for surgeons with fellowship training in endoscopic spine surgery, board certification for spine surgery and medical credentials from highly respected medical degree programs.

3. Find a specialist. Look for experienced spine surgeons who perform endoscopic surgery as their primary focus rather than as an occasional procedure. For orthopedic surgeons and pain management physicians, an endoscopic spine procedure is likely the most complex procedure they do, whereas it is the least complex procedure generally handled by a certified spine surgeon.

4. Experience counts! Look for surgical centers that have surgeons who have personally performed more than 300 endoscopic spine procedures. When procedures are performed by a less experienced surgeon, make sure the procedure is being overseen by a board certified spine surgeon who has performed more than 300 endoscopic spine surgeries.

5. Check surgical success rates. Generally a success is considered a 70% reduction in pain that allows resumption of normal activity within a set period of time after a procedure is performed. However, many calculate success differently so it pays to ask. There are differing industry success rates for different spine procedures: Discectomy has a 75-90% success rate, Foraminotomy 45-96% and laser facet rhizotomy generally has a greater than 70% success rate. Stay away from those with success rates below norms, those unwilling to share their success rate or those unwilling to share how they define success.