Robert
J. Banco, M.D. is currently an associate clinical
professor in the orthopaedic surgery department at Tufts University School
of Medicine.
He received his BA degree from Gettysburg College. His medical degree was earned at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Banco completed his surgical internship, bone biology and metabolism fellowship, and his orthopaedic residency at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. A spine fellowship was completed at the New England Baptist Hospital. Dr. Banco was spine section chief of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery for New England Baptist Hospital from 1997-2007. During his tenure as chief at NEBH, the spine section expanded from six surgeons to fourteen. The spine section produced over 150 publications and presentations and took part in 12 FDA IDE studies. After 10 years as chief, Dr. Banco decided to step down so that he could pursue other academic initiatives.
Dr. Banco keeps current on his
medical knowledge by instructing various courses locally and
nationally. His research interests include the outcome of
lumbar fusions, cervical and lumbar interbody fusion devices,
BMP and bone graft substitutes, prosthetic disc replacement
devices, image guided surgery, and dynamic stabilization. He has received over $1
million in grants for his medical research.
Dr. Banco is licensed and board certified by the ABOS. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the North American Spine Society, the New England Spine Study Group. He is a charter member and also on the Board of Directors of the American Board of Spine Surgeons. Dr. Banco was awarded the 2010 Tufts Orthopedic Residency Teaching Award.
The Better Way Back™ is dedicated to providing hope and support to patients suffering from chronic back or leg pain and inspiring them to live successfully. We are committed to raising awareness of spine disorders and educating patients and clinicians about treatment options. We honor our responsibility to provide fair and balanced information while recognizing the importance of helping patients overcome misconceptions about spine surgery. Our commitment is to establish The Better Way Back as the preeminent resource for information related to chronic back or leg pain and treatment options. Explore the program's various resources, including reading real patient stories, speaking with Patient Ambassadors, and ordering a free copy of The Better Way Back book, by visiting www.TheBetterWayBack.org.
Dr. Banco is a member of the Society of Lateral Access Surgery (SOLAS®), an organization with the intent is to foster research, training initiatives, and peer-to-peer communication that help define and advance the science and art of lateral access surgery and, particularly, the XLIF® approach. SOLAS was created by and is solely supported by funding from NuVasive®, Inc. SOLAS is shaping the future of lateral access spine surgery through collaboration among members, sharing of ideas, and the promotion of less invasive techniques that benefit patient, physician, and hospital. Learn more by visiting www.lateralaccess.org.