Everything you want to know before your first appointment. If your question is not answered here, call us at (850) 729-1444.
Dr. Enguidanos and his team hear the same questions from patients before nearly every appointment. These answers reflect his philosophy: honest, direct, and always putting the patient first.
No referral is required. Dr. Enguidanos welcomes self-referrals and second opinion requests directly. Call our office at (850) 729-1444 or submit a request through our contact page and our team will be in touch within one business day.
Dr. Enguidanos accepts most major insurance plans including Tricare, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Medicare, and VA. Workers compensation cases are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Please contact our office to verify your specific coverage before your appointment.
Yes. Dr. Enguidanos sees patients from throughout Florida, the Gulf Coast, and the Southeast. Patients travel from Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City, Tallahassee, and beyond for complex deformity and revision spine surgery. Out-of-state consultations can often begin with a telehealth visit and imaging review.
Most patients who see Dr. Enguidanos do not end up having surgery. He evaluates every patient individually and always considers conservative options first — physical therapy, injections, medications, and regenerative medicine. Surgery is recommended only when conservative treatment has been appropriately tried and failed, or when there is a clear surgical indication such as progressive neurological deficit or severe deformity.
Yes. Revision spine surgery — surgery to correct or improve a prior spinal operation — is one of Dr. Enguidanos's primary areas of focus. He receives referrals from spine surgeons throughout Florida and the Gulf Coast specifically for complex revision cases. He will review your prior operative reports and imaging and give you an honest assessment of what options exist.
Please bring all available imaging — MRI, CT, and X-ray films or discs — along with any prior operative reports if you have had previous spine surgery. A list of your current medications and a summary of treatments you have already tried will also help Dr. Enguidanos give you the most useful evaluation possible.
Recovery depends entirely on the procedure. Minimally invasive procedures like microdiscectomy and laminectomy are frequently same-day surgeries with return to light activity within one to two weeks. Complex deformity corrections and multilevel fusions require longer recovery — typically three to six months for functional recovery and up to twelve months for full fusion maturation. Dr. Enguidanos will give you a realistic timeline specific to your planned procedure.
Dr. Enguidanos performs surgery at HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville, Florida and at Emerald Coast Surgical Center. Both facilities are equipped for complex spine surgery including deformity correction and revision procedures.
You should see a spine surgeon if you have neurological symptoms — arm or leg weakness, numbness, or bowel and bladder changes — that are not improving, if your pain is severe and not responding to several weeks of conservative treatment, if imaging shows a structural problem that may require surgical correction, or if you simply want an expert opinion on what your options are. A consultation does not commit you to surgery.
Absolutely. Second opinion consultations are welcomed and encouraged. Please bring your imaging, prior operative reports if applicable, and the surgical recommendation you have received. Dr. Enguidanos will review everything and give you his honest independent assessment.
Dr. Enguidanos completed a dedicated spinal deformity fellowship at the University of Colorado Spine Center under Dr. Thomas Lowe — the former president of the Scoliosis Research Society. He has thirty years of surgical experience treating the full spectrum of spine conditions from minimally invasive decompressions to the most complex multilevel deformity corrections. He is the regional surgeon that other spine surgeons refer their most difficult cases to.
Yes. The office at 1110 Juniper Avenue in Niceville has ample free parking directly adjacent to the building. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.