Dr. Roger Härtl
Roger Härtl, M.D.
Hansen-MacDonald Professor of Neurological Surgery
Director of Neurosurgery Spine, Weill Cornell Medicine
Neurosurgical Director, Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery
- Spinal Microsurgery
- Spinal Tumors
- Microdiscectomy
- Spondylolisthesis
- Minimally Invasive Spinal Fusion
- Cervical Laminoplasty
- Motion Preserving Spine Surgery
- Disc Arthroplasty
- Spine Injuries in the Athlete
- Sports Trauma
- Augmented Reality
- 3D Navigation
- Minimally Invasive Decompression of Spinal Stenosis
Mission
It is my mission to bring together all the disciplines required to provide comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, and care for back and neck disorders in one location. Surgical intervention is just a small part of what we do – but when surgery is required, I will always strive for the least invasive, most effective option to get my patients back to enjoying their lives.
Pledge to My Patients:
- Interdisciplinary approach to identify the source of your pain and any other symptoms you may be experiencing.
- My treatment approach always begins with the least invasive option depending on the severity of your symptoms.
- If surgery is recommended, I will always offer the least invasive surgical option that is safe, effective, and has excellent long-term outcomes.
- I will be with you throughout this journey, from diagnosis to treatment to recovery and beyond.
Biography
- Hansen-MacDonald Professor of Neurological Surgery
- Director of Neurosurgery Spine at Weill Cornell Medicine and Co-director of NewYork-Presbyterian Och Spine
- Founder and Co-Director of the Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Comprehensive Spine Care
- Neurosurgeon for the New York Giants Football Team
- Pioneer and leader in minimally invasive spinal surgery and computer-assisted spinal navigation surgery
- Expert in biological approaches for disc repair and regeneration
- Patients come from all over the globe, including physicians, surgeons, and even other neurological and spine surgeons
- Repeatedly named to the lists of New York Super Doctors, America's Top Surgeons, and America's Best Doctors, and included on the list of New York's Best Doctors in New York magazine
- Authored over 300 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals and three books on minimally invasive spinal surgery and biological disc repair and regeneration
Training
- M.D. from the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany
- Neurosurgery residency at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- Fellowship in complex spine surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix under Dr. Volker Sonntag
America's Best Spine Surgeons 2024
Dr. Härtl has been recognized as one of the best spine surgeons in the United States by Newsweek magazine. Newsweek partnered with Statista to evaluate physician performance data, certifications, and professional reputation for American spine surgeons in 2024, resulting in the list of the top 150 in the country. Dr. Härtl is the Hansen-MacDonald Professor of Neurological Surgery and director of spinal surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine as well as co-director of Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is one of four spine surgeons at Och Spine at NewYork-Presbyterian named to the list.
Read moreTopping the List of Top Doctors Once Again in 2024
Dr. Roger Härtl has once again been named to the prestigious list of New York's Top Doctors for 2024, in recognition of his excellence in spine neurosurgery. He continues to lead innovative treatments and patient care at the Weill Cornell Medicine Brain and Spine Center.
Read more
Spine News International AANS Humanitarian of the Year Award Feature
Dr. Härtl has been honored with the AANS Humanitarian of the Year Award, recognizing his dedication to advancing spine care. At the 2022 annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Philadelphia, Dr. Härtl was honored as the AANS Humanitarian of the Year. Dr. Härtl was lauded for his life-saving work in Tanzania and for his commitment to global neurosurgical education through CME courses and European training classes. The award is one of the highest honors bestowed by the AANS, which recognized Dr. Härtl for his years of dedication to these projects.
Read moreSurgeon's Reviews
See what top surgeon have to say about Dr. Härtl
I visited and observed Dr Härtl at Weill Cornell. He showed me the “step-by-step” procedures in Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery in the OR. It was a tremendous experience to observe him and learn about how he uses navigation systems and microsurgery. Also, I attended research meetings about the latest technologies and innovation. In the clinic, it was a very great experience to see him examining patients to find out about their spine pathologies. The motivation for my visit with Dr Roger Härtl was to learn and develop new technologies that I can introduce in my country over the next years. Thanks to Dr Härtl and his team for kindly accepting at the Hospital..
Marcelo Valacco MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon/Spine Surgeon
Buenos Aires. Argentina
Becoming part of Dr. Roger ́s Härtl Fellows in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery was such a privilege and an enriching experience; it helped me to understand better and apply all the knowledge of MISS with my patients. Dr. Roger Härtl is such a very experienced spine surgeon and such a caring and gentle human being. I appreciate the opportunity I had to learn with him and his amazing team, I will always be thankful for such experience and knowledge and for the fact that I ́m now able to offer my patients different surgery options for their spine conditions. Currently, I ́m a Spine Surgeon at the Hospital Galenia Cancun and a Spine Surgeon of the Spine Clinic at the Neurological Center of the “Hospital Galenia Cancun”.
ANABEL EUÁN GUTIÉRREZ
Orthopaedic Surgeon/Spine Surgeon
Cancun, Mexico
After finishing neurosurgical training and board-certification in Germany, my wish was to gain additional experience in complex and advanced spinal neurosurgery. The Observational and Research Spine Surgery Fellowship provided by Prof. Härtl and his team at Weill Cornell/Och Spine was warmly recommended by my mentors. I had the opportunity to stay with Prof. Härtl and his amazing team for a couple of weeks and was impressed by his concept of total navigation and minimal-invasive spinal surgery. I had a very warm welcome at Weill Cornell/Och Spine and I really enjoyed the scientific input I got from Prof. Härtl and his team. After a subsequent specialized clinical spine training in London, UK, I returned back to Germany and I am very happy to integrate the impressions I have made at my stay with Prof. Härtl and his team in New York in my practice
PD Dr. med. Sebastian Siller, MHBA, FEBNS
Consultant spine and brain surgeon.
University Hospital Regensburg, Germany.
It was a great honor for me to spend sometime with Dr. Roger Härtl at Weil Cornell Medical Center in 2022. Though I was part of the first and busiest Spine Surgery center in my country Pakistan but working with Dr. Härtl made my vision broader giving me an idea of complex spine surgery emphasizing less invasive approaches to enhance recovery times and outcomes for patients suffering from spinal disorders. This has helped me to be of use to my own people in a better way
Dr. Ammar Dogar FCPS (Orth), FACS, FICS
Assistant Professor.
Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital Lahore Pakistan.
Patient Testimonials
Discover firsthand accounts from patients who have experienced transformative care under Dr. Härtl. Their stories illuminate the profound impact of his expertise on their lives and well-being.
From Healthgrades
"The Best! Very professional yet friendly. Explains well. Has patience. Great surgeon."
"There is no doubt that I would recommend Dr Härtl. He is thoughtful, on the leading edge in his field..."
"Dr Härtl is a genius and angel in equal measure!"
"He’s one of the most skilled and knowledgeable surgeons for spine. His attention to his patients is unparalleled and his staff is the best. You know you are good hands with a Dr that really cares."
"Dr. Härtl comprehensively performed an extensive physical exams and with me reviewed every aspect of an MRI of my entire spine. He explained all was very patient and caring."
"I came into the emergency room with a headache, soon after I was receiving emergency brain surgery under the guide of Dr. Härtl. Forever grateful for a second chance at life. Thank you Dr. Härtl"
From Vitals
"Went in for a 2 level ACDF. Discharged the next day without a brace and feeling great. All that worrying for nothing. A month later and I'm feeling great"
"Amazing doctor, I am grateful that I was referred to Dr. Härtl, he was able to pin point my fathers back pain and recommended the appropriate surgery. He then right away connected us to the surgical team to start scheduling everything. Very smooth and easy process."
"Dr. Härtl and his staff were terrific. He performed a laminectomy to L5/S1. No post-op pain, didn't need to fill the RX for pain meds! I was up and about the next day."
"Dr. Härtl helped my husband walk again. He was always there at the hospital to check on my husband. We would definitely recommend him since he is an excellent doctor."
"Dr. Härtl is a world class surgeon. I was in pain for over a year and a day after surgery, pain free. My recovery was rapid with no complications. He was recommended to me by 2 different sources and I will not hesitate to recommend him to others."
"Dr. Härtl is extremely smart and patient. I had neck surgery and was so scared. I am not only pleased with the results but also the scar after two weeks you can hardly see. He also sat with me and answered all my questions without me feeling rushed. I highly recommend Dr. Härtl."
From Google
"Dr Härtl explained the situation with my back very well. He also described the alternatives and the reason why he was proposing the specific surgery. Dr. Härtl and his care team were great. He gave me confidence to move forward and have the much needed surgery. I am almost four weeks post surgery and continuing to progress well. I would highly recommend Dr. Härtl."
"Dr Härtl was brilliant I had really bad stenosis and I’m ready to dance out of the recovery room. He is the best and the king of minimally invasive spine surgery - 10 Stars!"
"Dr Härtl was highly recommended by my Urologist. I was diagnosed with severe cervical stenosis but my symptoms were improving over time. There’s an old saying that when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. It’s clear that Dr Härtl had more than a hammer in his tool belt. I found him to be intelligent, concise, and very patient focused (which are not traits you always find in a surgeon). He advised against surgery, and gave me some thoughtful advice about how I should proceed."
"Dr. Härtl explained all options and answered all of my questions in detail. I greatly appreciated all the time he spent the fact that I never felt rushed. It’s obvious after a single an appointment why he is so highly regarded . I definitely recommend!"
"Dr Härtl is exceptional from the moment you walk in until the moment you leave.His manner in evaluating your issues and going through the various alternatives as well as honesty regarding the breadth of outcomes is truly unique. His knowledge and ability to clearly communicate the sophisticated nature of spine surgery was extremely reassuring."
"Dr. Härtl is a thorough professional who takes time to explain the process he’s about to perform clearly to his patients.He is quite self-assured and I feel comfortable putting my trust in his hands."
Explore Honors, News & Podcasts
Discover the latest recognitions, media features, and podcast episodes featuring Dr. Roger Härtl's work in neurosurgery.
Patient Information
Explore Our Key Resources
Pre-Operative Information
Prepare for your surgery with our comprehensive guides and resources.
Post-Operative Information
Ensure a smooth recovery with our post-op instructions and support.
Referrals
Access trusted referrals for physical therapy, imaging, and more.
Healthy Spine
Learn tips and exercises to maintain a healthy and strong spine.
Patient Education Videos
Watch insightful videos from Dr. Härtl and his patients.
Upload Imaging
Easily upload and manage your medical imaging for consultations.
Reach Out to Dr. Roger Härtl
We’re here to help you on your journey to spinal health. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or ask any questions you may have.