Jacob Birlingmair, MD

Jacob Birlingmair, MD, is a board-certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and is fellowship-trained in the treatment of conditions affecting the neck, mid-back, and lower back. He provides both non-operative and surgical care for a wide range of spinal conditions, with a strong emphasis on helping patients understand their diagnosis and treatment options.

Dr. Birlingmair earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He then earned his medical degree from Rush Medical College in Chicago, Illinois, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.

Following residency, Dr. Birlingmair completed a combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Spine Fellowship at the world-renowned Norton Leatherman Spine Center in Louisville, Kentucky. There, he trained alongside both orthopaedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons, gaining experience in a broad range of spinal conditions and surgical techniques. His training included traditional open surgery as well as minimally invasive techniques, computer-guided navigation, and robotic-assisted spine surgery.

Dr. Birlingmair treats a wide variety of spinal conditions, including neck and back pain, disc herniations, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc disease, spondylolisthesis, spinal fractures, adult spinal deformity, and other conditions affecting the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

When surgery is necessary, Dr. Birlingmair performs a broad range of procedures, including cervical and lumbar fusion, discectomy, laminectomy, minimally invasive spine surgery, motion-preserving procedures such as cervical disc replacement, and robotic-assisted spine surgery.

Dr. Birlingmair understands that dealing with a spinal condition can be stressful and that every patient’s situation is different. He believes one of the most important parts of his role is taking the time to listen to his patients, explain their diagnosis in understandable terms, and discuss all reasonable treatment options. Whenever appropriate, he supports non-operative treatment before considering surgery. If surgery is recommended, he works closely with each patient to make sure they understand the procedure, expected recovery, and goals of treatment.

His goal is to provide thoughtful, individualized care and to help patients make informed decisions that are right for them. He believes a strong physician-patient relationship is an important part of achieving the best possible outcome.

Dr. Birlingmair has authored and contributed to peer-reviewed publications and research abstracts in spine surgery and orthopaedic surgery, and his work has been presented at national meetings across the country.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Birlingmair enjoys spending time with his wife and children, watching sports, traveling, fishing, and playing chess.