Connecting Patients with
Top Doctors in ADR and Arthroplasty

Jason M. Cuéllar, M.D., Ph.D. is a fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon dedicated to providing compassionate surgical and non-surgical treatments for patients living with spinal disorders. In addition to artificial disk replacement and minimally invasive spine surgery, Dr. Cuéllar provides non-operative treatment of various pain disorders, involving injections of a novel biologic therapy for mild and moderate osteoarthritis. He is affiliated with the Cedars-Sinai Spine and is partner to Dr. Todd H. Lanman of Lanman Spinal Neurosurgery, as well as Beverly Hills Surgery Center.

Dr. Cuéllar treats various disorders of the spine, including cervical disk herniation, cervical radiculopathy, cervical myelopathy, neck pain, cervical stenosis, cervical disk degeneration, lumbar disk herniation, lumbar radiculopathy, lumbar stenosis, lumbar degenerative disk disease and low back pain.

Prior to medical school, Dr. Cuéllar completed an undergraduate degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior at U.C. Davis, followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, where he researched the mechanisms of pain and pain pathophysiology within the spinal cord, undertaking scientific research to determine how a disc herniation causes pain at the molecular level. After completing his Ph.D., Dr. Cuéllar attended world-class medical education at Stanford University Medical School. Throughout his medical school training Dr. Cuéllar continued to work in a pain research laboratory, completing post-doctoral research and a year as a medical scholars research fellow.

Dr. Cuéllar completed his training in orthopaedic surgery at the prestigious New York University-Hospital for Joint Diseases (NYU-HJD). During this 6-year training period he treated patients at the two busiest level-1 trauma centers in New York state. He received training in spinal surgery from several world-renowned spine surgeons, before completing his final year of training at Cedars-Sinai Spine, in the spinal disorders fellowship.

Dr. Cuéllar has been involved in clinical scientific research investigating the mechanisms of pain for patients with osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal pain since 2000. His work has led to the development of a new, injectable anti-inflammatory treatment for musculoskeletal pain in the hip, spine, shoulder, knee and Achilles tendonitis, as well as for tennis elbow and other disorders.

Dr. Cuéllar is a member of ISASS – The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.

As a spine surgery patient himself, Dr. Cuéllar knows how it feels first hand to suffer from lumbar spine issues. His only regret is that it didn’t happen sooner! It’s this firsthand experience that feeds into his empathetic approach to treating his patients. Dr. Cuéllar prides himself on ensuring every patient receives significant face time, ensuring all questions are answered and any concerns are addressed, rather than being passed on to assistants.

Dr. Cuéllar firmly believes in patient responsibility and ownership when it comes to making informed treatment decisions. He is committed to working closely with his patients from diagnosis through to treatment options and aftercare throughout the healing process, whether or not surgery is undertaken.

Carl Lauryssen, MD, is a leading spinal neurosurgeon and ADR Top Doctor in Arthroplasty, who recently completed his tenure as director of neurosurgery at St. David's Round Rock Medical Center, and is certified by both the American and Canadian Boards of Neurological Surgery.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Dr. Lauryssen received his medical school training at the University of Cape Town. He completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and his spinal neurosurgical surgery fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

Dr. Lauryssen was on the Washington University School of Medicine faculty in St. Louis for seven years. While there, he directed the advanced neurosurgical spine program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. He was then recruited to lead research and education at Cedars-Sinai Institute for Spinal Disorders, where he served until 2005.

As a leading spinal neurosurgeon, he was the co-director of spine research and development at Olympia Medical Center. His research and surgical interests have focused on minimally invasive surgery, motion preservation, and sports-related spinal injuries. He was previously the team neurosurgeon for the NFL's St. Louis Rams.

Dr. Lauryssen has also specialized in patients whose previous spinal surgeries have failed. He has twice been awarded the Young Investigator Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons for his work on cervical disorders and stem cell research. Dr. Lauryssen was the first neurosurgeon to inject stem cells into a human spinal cord as part of an FDA trial.

Invited by the president of Botswana, Dr. Lauryssen and his Austin-based team performed the first spinal neurosurgery procedures at the country’s esteemed Sir Ketumile Masire Teaching Hospital earlier this year.

Dr. Lauryssen sees patients at Central Texas Brain and Spine’s five locations: Austin (main), Hutto, Leander, Fredericksburg, and Round Rock. In addition to his medical practice, he shares his expertise and vision by writing medical publications, giving presentations, and developing surgical devices to improve surgical outcomes. He holds several patents and inventions that are used in spinal surgery throughout the world. Dr. Lauryssen has served on the boards of several companies, including a company researching a new unique material to be used in sports helmets to reduce the impact of brain injuries in sports-related concussions.

In his personal life, Dr. Lauryssen always makes family a priority and has a heart for helping others. He started and led a much-needed neurosurgery program in Kenya. In his free time, Dr. Lauryssen enjoys sailing.

Dr. Schuler is named among America’s Top 50 Spine Surgeons and serves as the Chairman of the National Spine Health Foundation’s Medical and Scientific Board.

Dr. Schuler’s passion for his patients’ recovery is fueled by his experience as a patient. Watch Dr. Schuler’s journey as he went from debilitating neck and arm symptoms back to an active life and physically demanding career thanks to the modern marvels of hybrid spine surgery.

One of Dr. Schuler’s greatest passions is improving lives! In 1992 he founded VSI (Virginia Spine Institute) to create a center of exceptional healthcare. This was necessary since the field of spine surgery was in its infancy. Today, his powerful vision has resulted in an internationally renowned institute. Through his leadership and medical innovations, Dr. Schuler and his interdisciplinary team have revolutionized spinal healthcare, thus transforming the lives of millions worldwide.

Dr. Schuler is double-board certified and trained in neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery of the spine. He is a recognized international leader in the treatment of neck and lower back conditions. Dr. Schuler is noted among the 100 best spine surgeons and specialists in America. US News and World Report named him among the top 1% of physicians in his specialty nationwide. He serves as President of the National Spine Health Foundation, and Chairman of its Medical and Scientific Board. His work with this national non-profit organization enables him to collaborate with his peers, the top spinal surgeons in the nation, to educate the world as to the most effective treatments in modern spinal healthcare.

Not only is he a world-class surgeon, but Dr. Schuler has also been on the receiving end of spinal surgery. He suffered from severe neck pain, three-disc herniations, and nerve compression which resulted in him undergoing a cervical hybrid surgery. Interestingly, Dr. Schuler performed the first hybrid multilevel cervical artificial disc replacement and spinal fusion in the Nation only a few months prior to his own surgery. His recovery further instilled in him greater empathy for his patients’ emotional and physical needs.