Dr. Michael C. Gerling, MD

Expert Publications

• Dropped head deformity due to cervical myopathy: surgical treatment outcomes and complications spanning twenty years.
• Quality of information concerning cervical disc herniation on the Internet.
• Facet violation with the placement of percutaneous pedicle screws.
• Effectiveness of postoperative wound drains in one- and two-level cervical spine fusions.
• Risk Factors for Reoperation in Patients Treated Surgically for Intervertebral Disc Herniation: A Subanalysis of Eight-Year SPORT Data.

Media Releases

Get to know Orthopedic Spine Surgeon Dr. Michael C. Gerling, who serves patients in New York.

Led by orthopedic spine surgeon, Dr. Gerling, The Gerling Institute provides comprehensive care for spinal disorders from the neck to lower back, utilizing the most current state-of-the-art medical technology available. It applies the least invasive surgical techniques possible to suit the needs of each individual patient, ranging from endoscopic procedures to disc replacement and deformity reconstruction.

The offices are conveniently located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, New York, as well as Clifton and Jersey City, New Jersey. Operative procedures are performed in the NYU Medical System Facilities in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

“Our ultimate goal is restoration of function, quality of life and pain relief. When spine surgery is needed there are a variety of options using the newest technology to minimize your surgical risks and recovery time. Minimally invasive procedures are our specialty. We work together as a team to formulate an optimal treatment plan specific to your needs” as stated on their website.

With his background as an orthopedic neurological surgeon, Dr. Gerling’s practice marries modern technique with tradition to optimize care of spinal disorders. Comprehensive spine care provided by the group includes thorough diagnostic testing and examination before treatment commences. The full spectrum of care from conservative methods to surgery are carried out using a foundation of scientific merit, though alternative modalities are considered when necessary. Any combination of spinal disorders, from the cervical region in the neck to the lumbar region in the lower back are managed, including care of spine trauma, disk degeneration, spinal deformity, spine tumors and disk disorders with or without neurologic symptoms such as numbness, weakness or sciatica.  

A native of Canada, Dr. Gerling was trained by the true godfather of spinal surgery, Henry Bohlman at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, where numerous spinal surgeries were innovated and refined. Fellowship training included complex degenerative disorders, including adult deformity, and traumatic disorders. He worked in the first spinal cord injury center and the busiest trauma center in North America, and Dr. Gerling has also trained with numerous plastic surgeons for cosmetic closures of surgical wounds.

He was one of the first surgeons in America to perform fully endoscopic spinal decompression procedures, discectomies and awake endoscopic fusions. He has years of experience perfecting this revolutionary technique and performs hundreds of endoscopic spinal surgeries annually. Exceptionally low complication rates, plastic surgery closures, and rapid recoveries from surgery are the hallmark of his success along with a truly engaged relationship with patients.

Specializing in treatment of spinal disorders using advanced surgical techniques, Dr. Gerling is also the Chief of Spine Surgery at NYU Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn and an Assistant Professor at NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases in Manhattan.

His commitment to academics, education, and research includes extensive involvement in international surgical societies, publications, and the creation of the Gerling Institute, a center for musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. 

An authority in cervical spine surgery and minimally invasive spinal procedures, Dr. Gerling is an educator of educators. He is President of the Federation of Spine Associations, past President of the Brooklyn Orthopedic Society, Chairman of Education and Board member of the Cervical Spine Research Society, as well as a member of numerous academic committees for the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Cervical Spine Research Society, and the Lumbar Spine Research Society.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, he is board-certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS). The ABOS is an organization with the goal of establishing educational and professional standards for orthopedic residents and surgeons as well as evaluating the qualifications and competence of orthopedic surgeons.

Orthopedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.

On a more personal note, Dr. Gerling speaks English, French, and Spanish.

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