Dr. Mitchell Reiter, Dr. Heidi Hullinger and Dr. Mark Drzala provide patients with life-changing options at New Jersey Spine Specialists.

Using the most modern, clinically proven treatments available, Dr. Mark Drzala, Dr. Mitchell Reiter and Dr. Heidi Hullinger are elite spinal surgeons who provide patients with life-changing options to effectively treat chronic neck and back disorders.

Board certified in orthopaedic surgery with spine fellowship training, and highly conservative by nature, they each have more than 16 years of surgical experience and offer the gold standard to patients with spinal disorders. Drs. Drzala and Reiter have recently been named to the list of Castle Connolly Medical’s Top Doctors 2019.

A proud addition to the New Jersey Spine Specialists team, Dr. Hullinger completed an orthopaedic residency as well as fellowship training in spinal surgery with special emphasis on the management of complex spinal tumors and deformities.

“Exciting new technology using live X-ray and neurologic monitoring allows for more complete decompression of pinched nerves through much smaller incisions,” said Dr. Drzala, a clinical assistant professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “We use cutting-edge techniques, including disc replacement, that speed recovery and preserve motion in the spine.”

Dr. Drzala graduated cum laude from Rutgers University. He received a medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School, where he also completed a residency in orthopedic surgery and was elected Orthopedic Administrative Chief Resident. Dr. Drzala acquired comprehensive experience with the complete spectrum of spinal disorders during his spine fellowship at St. Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center in San Francisco (presently affiliated with Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, Calif.).

Dr. Reiter’s training consisted of attending the accelerated six-year combined BS/MD Honors Program in medical education at the University of Miami. He then underwent five years of residency training in orthopedic surgery at the University of Miami – Jackson Memorial Hospital, followed by a year of fellowship training in spinal surgery at Emory University in Atlanta. Dr. Reiter has been elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. Dr. Reiter has published numerous journal articles and book chapters in the field of spine surgery. His research interests include studies on techniques to reduce scar tissue formation that occurs following spinal operations, biologic adjuncts to improve spinal fusion, appropriate use of pain medications for spinal disorders and the biomechanics of spinal fixation.

Dr. Hullinger graduated magna cum laude from Duke University and was selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the academic honor society. She then received a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. She went on to complete her residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School, now Rutgers. During her orthopedic spine surgery training in the University of Texas-Houston/Texas Medical Center fellowship, Dr. Hullinger gained experience in a variety of spinal disorders, ranging from complex deformities and malalignment to spinal trauma and tumors, as well as non-operative techniques such as spinal injections.

“We include patients in the decision-making process and consider surgery only as a last resort,” said Dr. Reiter, a clinical assistant professor at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, where he served for 10 years as chief of orthopaedic spine surgery. He recently served as president of the New Jersey Orthopaedic Society, and now serves as vice president of The New Jersey Spine Surgery Society, and is chairman of the Professional Compliance Panel of the North American Spine Society.

The physicians at New Jersey Spine Specialists treat the full spectrum of spine disorders: disc degeneration and herniations, deformities, trauma, tumors and infections. They are affiliated with Overlook Medical Center in Summit and Hackensack Meridian Health – Mountainside Medical Center.

Offices for New Jersey Spine Specialists are located at 33 Upper Overlook Road, Suite 305, in Summit and at Hackensack Meridian Health – Mountainside Medical Center Harries Pavilion, second floor, 1 Bay Ave., in Montclair.

For information, call Dr. Reiter at (908) 608-9620, Dr. Drzala at (908) 608-9610 and Dr. Hullinger at (908) 376-1530.