Hillsdale Hospital’s neurosurgical team now offering artificial disc replacement for cervical and lumbar spine
Hillsdale Spine Center’s Amritraj Loganathan, MD, FAANS, and team recently completed the first lumbar total disc replacement to be performed at Hillsdale Hospital. The surgical procedure provides an alternative to spinal fusion for disc degeneration, and is known for preserving mobility by replacing the degenerated disc with an artificial implant, rather than fusing the vertebra together.
“Lumbar disc replacement surgery is a great opportunity to treat degenerated and herniated discs in a way that preserves motion in the spine, unlike lumbar fusion surgery,” said Dr. Loganathan. “There are very few hospitals in Michigan that are performing this surgery, and we are the only ones in the surrounding five counties.”
Hillsdale Hospital Surgical Team (Top row, L to R: William Morgan, DO; Amritraj Loganathan, MD, FAANS; Nicole Salloum, PA-C; Emily Mackie, RN; Bottom row, L to R: Jessica Sorrell, certified surgical technologist; Jordan Gonshorowski, certified surgical technologist; Sophie Hodos, certified surgical technologist)
Dr. Loganathan is supported by Hillsdale Hospital’s surgical team for this procedure, including William Morgan, DO, general surgeon; Nicole Salloum, PA-C; and several surgical nurses and technicians.
“The only way we can perform this surgery is with such an excellent OR team,” said Dr. Loganathan. “We hope to continue to grow this service!”
Hillsdale Spine Center was announced in January, 2026 to provide a full continuum of neurosurgical spine care. This came after several years of shared work between Dr. Loganathan and the hospital to build access to spine care in Hillsdale County.
“It’s been an honor to have Dr. Loganathan and the rest of the spine center on our team,” said Jeremiah J. Hodshire, president and chief of Hillsdale Hospital. “Advanced procedures like this are necessary to sustain rural health in our community. We look forward to our future together as Hillsdale Spine Center.”
The patient receiving the lumbar total disc replacement described her experience as an important milestone in her life.
“It was probably the best decision I’ve ever made,” said the patient, Megan Taylor. “I have been having lower back pain for over 15 years and over the last few years, it had only gotten worse.”
After receiving a referral from her primary care provider, Taylor was assessed by Dr. Loganathan, who identified the new lumbar total disc replacement procedure as a viable option for her condition.
“They were amazing…I was really excited about the team that I had,” she said. “They’re very skilled at what they do.”
Since the surgery in late December, Taylor has recovered well and reported a significant improvement in pain level, mobility and capacity for everyday tasks.
“Before, I didn’t want to get out of bed. I couldn’t really feel like I could do much of anything on my own,” she said. “As soon as I woke up, I immediately noticed I didn’t have any back pain at all. I was up walking around probably within a few hours…I’ve had no pain!”
Hillsdale Spine Center is a new service of Hillsdale Hospital, designed to offer a full continuum of advanced neurosurgical care to the Hillsdale area. Back pain is reported as one of the primary reasons for physician office visits by the National Library of Medicine, and Hillsdale Spine Center’s team strives to provide surgical and nonsurgical treatment options for a variety of conditions related to back pain.
Learn more about Hillsdale Spine Center, including locations and office hours, at hillsdalehospital.com/spine, or call (517) 439-5411.
