photo by: LMH Health

Dr. Hemil Maniar is an orthopedic spine surgeon with Lawrence Spine Care.

When Dr. Hemil Maniar joined Lawrence Spine Care in March of 2024, he brought a new perspective to LMH Health. Maniar is an orthopedic spine surgeon with over 20 years of experience, which allows him to specialize in orthopedic trauma and spine surgery.

“There are two types of spine surgeons,” Maniar said. “Your spine surgeon will either have a neurosurgery or orthopedic surgery training background. The training process, techniques and procedures are basically the same. The main difference is that the orthopedic path typically requires fellowship training in spine surgery. It is optional for neurosurgeons, as it is offset by a longer residency training period.”

Maniar completed his orthopedic residency in India before deciding to move to the United States to complete two fellowships, one in orthopedic trauma surgery at the University of Louisville and another in orthopedic spine surgery at Northwestern University.

“I realized that I wanted to learn more about how to help patients with complex fractures and spine issues,” Maniar said. “The orthopedic trauma came naturally to me, as I really enjoy working with my hands and fixing things that are broken. However, what drew me to spine was the knowledge that a lot of people in the community do not know that they can return to routine daily lives with appropriate treatment.”

Maniar’s clinical interests include both nonoperative and operative treatment of conditions such as:

• Cervical and lumbar disc herniation

• Degenerative spinal stenosis

• Myelopathy

• Radiculopathy

• Spinal cord compression

• Spinal deformity

• Spondylolisthesis

He also cares for patients with spinal trauma using conventional and minimally invasive surgery, as well as upper and lower extremity fractures and dislocations.

Since joining Lawrence Spine Care, Maniar has been able to improve patient access to spine care in Lawrence and surrounding areas. He and his team are able to see over 140 new and existing patients a month and have a 15-day average wait time.

“In some of the surrounding spine clinics there is up to a six month wait,” Maniar said. “It is important that patients are able to see a member of the surgical team and be assessed in a timely manner.”

Some patients may not see Maniar on their first visit and instead may see a midlevel provider, such as an APRN. This ensures that he has all the necessary information and imaging. From there, his team is able to streamline and prioritize cases based on urgency. According to Maniar, this system is a large part of what has allowed them to shorten wait times, which leads to better patient outcomes.

“I like the camaraderie we have in clinics and the operating room,” he said. “It is easy to focus because I work with the same team every day. It’s the close-knit environment which allows us to provide our patients with the best quality of care.”

Treatment may look different for every patient and not every patient’s treatment plan includes surgery. Maniar likes to remind patients that his focus is on comprehensive spine care which includes surgical and nonsurgical options.

“Surgery is always the last resort and it is always up to the patient to decide if they want the surgery,” Maniar said. “Sometimes it is about providing a timeline for care and intervention. It is important that my patients know that if they don’t want or change their minds about surgery, we will still be there to support them.”

Maniar works closely with LMH Health Primary Care and OrthoKansas to ensure collaborative and personalized care for every patient.

“My patients and their quality of life is very important to me,” Maniar said. “I enjoy meeting, talking and learning about the changes in their lifestyle that the condition has caused and trying to find a way, surgical or non-surgical, to get them back to what they love doing.”

— Kade Han is the social media and digital communications specialist at LMH Health.