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Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD

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Specializes in: Spine Surgery and Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery
Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2003)
Professional interests include: herniated disc, scoliosis, spinal cord injury, and more.
3450 Hull Road Room 3341
Gainesville, FL 32607

Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD is a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL specializing in spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2003 and has 23 years of experience. Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD is affiliated with UF Health.

View Doctor's Full Profile (352) 273-7001

Office Locations

3450 Hull Road Room 3341
Gainesville, FL 32607
(352) 273-7001
(352) 273-7388
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Some issues Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD can help you with:

Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury medicine is a branch of medicine that treats damage to the spinal cord from an injury or a nontraumatic myelopathy, which is any disorder that affects the spinal area. The spinal cord is a section of nerve tissue protected by the vertebrae (spinal bones). Trauma to the spinal cord, typically caused by compression or bent vertebrae, prevents the body and brain from communicating. This can result in pain, loss of sensation, and impaired physical function and movement. Acute spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are a leading cause of permanent disability. Spinal cord injuries may develop from accidents or myelopathies, disorders that provoke spinal compression. Traumatic incidents such as falls, sports injuries, vehicle accidents, and bullet or stab wounds can cause an acute spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury medicine seeks to stabilize the spine and to alleviate the symptoms of spine damage. Practitioners of spinal cord injury medicine are called spinal cord injury specialists. Spinal cord injury medicine is an interdisciplinary field, meaning physicians of various specialties may be trained to treat spinal cord injuries.

Damage to the spinal cord may initially be diagnosed through X-ray, MRI, or CT scans. Patients can also undergo spinal exams to evaluate their sensory ability and strength. Injuries to the spinal cord can be complete (no feeling or sensation) or incomplete (some feeling or sensation remains). Conditions spinal cord injury medicine specialists may treat include:

  • Paralysis, such as paraplegia (loss of function in the legs), or quadriplegia (loss of function from the neck down)
  • Spine fracture or trauma, which can lead to impairment and/or significant pain
  • Spinal infections
  • Myelopathies, such as herniated disks, spinal tumors, and rheumatoid arthritis
  • Inflammatory diseases such as ankylosing spondylosis, and degenerative conditions like Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS)

Treatment for spinal cord injuries often involves surgery, either directly after an injury occurs or at a later date. Surgery for spine injuries is intended to ease spinal compression and stabilize the spine. Surgical procedures can involve shifting vertebrae, removing bone, or altering spinal placement with implantable devices. Patients with significant spinal trauma may require urgent surgical intervention.

Surgical treatments can be complemented by rehabilitative physical therapy to improve mobility. Spinal cord injury specialists also treat complications arising from a spinal injury, such as respiratory or bladder conditions. Some patients with spinal cord injuries may require lifelong treatment. Spinal cord injury specialists aim to help these patients successfully adjust and lead an improved quality of life. An emerging treatment for spinal cord injuries is neural prosthetics, which replicate patients' lost nerve function. Neural prostheses may be used as artificial body parts or assistive devices that patients may cognitively control. Other assistive devices include wheelchairs and scooters.

Spinal cord injury specialists may collaborate with physical therapists, radiologists, neurologists, urologists, and orthopedists.

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure to permanently join together two or more vertebrae, the bones in the spine. Certain spinal disorders can lead to instability and pain, and the idea behind spinal fusion is that fusing vertebrae together can both make them stronger and reduce motion, which can sometimes reduce pain.

There are several different types of spinal fusion surgery available, mostly depending on where a patient's pain is located and whether his or her surgeon will perform the procedure through the back, front, or side. In general, a fusion is performed by packing the vertebrae to be fused with grafted bone. This bone may be taken from the patient's hip, may be donated from a cadaver, or it may be a manufactured synthetic material. The bone is placed along the vertebrae, and sometimes, the disc that lies in between the vertebrae is removed and replaced with grafted bone. The bone material will grow and cement the two vertebrae together. After the bone graft is placed, the vertebrae are sometimes held in place with rods, screws, plates, or cages, depending on the weakness of the spine and needs of the graft.

Spinal fusion is a significant surgery and can take three to four hours or more. Recovery is typically two to four days in the hospital. After surgery, it is important to remember that the fusion takes time to grow from the bone graft. So, the actual fusion is not complete for several months. Patients will probably feel somewhat better right away, but it may take a while to feel the full effects of the fusion as the bone grows into place. In the meantime, doctors might have patients wear a brace to protect their spine and keep it properly aligned.

Spinal fusion is not used for all kinds of back pain. Changing the way the spine moves can lead to strain on the other joints in the back, and fusion is only performed when the benefits outweigh the risks. Some spine disorders that are treated with fusion include:

  • Curvature disorders, such as scoliosis and kyphosis
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Spondylolisthesis, a disorder that causes vertebrae to slip over each other
  • Significant spinal fractures that cause instability
  • Weakened spine due to infection or tumor
  • Some cases of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column
  • Chronic lower back pain (although the use of fusion to treat this is controversial)

Regardless of the diagnosis, there is always a possibility of 'failure' with spinal fusion, or of the surgery not fully solving the pain. This is more likely when fusion is used primarily to treat pain instead of structural problems. Patients can improve their chances of a successful outcome by stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, moving their body every day, and following their doctor's instructions for any physical therapy that they are prescribed.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2012 were hospital care and inpatient care.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 410
hospital care 27
inpatient care 27

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2013 were spinal procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 544
spinal procedures 11

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 156
Female 207
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 325
Black 27
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 140
From 75 to 84 109
85 and over 24
Less than 65 90

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2013

Hypertension 73
High Cholesterol 64
Stroke 3
Ischemic Heart Disease 44
Depression 30
Chronic Kidney Disease 25
Asthma 14
Osteoperosis 15
Atrial Fibrilation 8
Heart Failure 20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 19
Diabetes 34
Dementia 8
Cancer 13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2014 were spinal procedures, hospital care, inpatient care and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) 11
decompression surgery 12
doctor visit 558
hospital care 13
inpatient care 13
minimally invasive procedures 11
nerve procedures 12
spinal procedures 45

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 176
Female 218
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 347
Black 31
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 163
From 75 to 84 107
85 and over 24
Less than 65 100

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2014

Hypertension 72
High Cholesterol 63
Stroke 4
Ischemic Heart Disease 43
Depression 34
Chronic Kidney Disease 25
Asthma 11
Osteoperosis 11
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 19
Diabetes 35
Dementia 8
Cancer 12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2015 were spinal procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 543
spinal procedures 11

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 300
Female 454
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 656
Black 48
Hispanic 22
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 332
From 75 to 84 170
85 and over 40
Less than 65 212

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2015

Hypertension 70
High Cholesterol 62
Stroke 5
Ischemic Heart Disease 41
Depression 33
Chronic Kidney Disease 25
Asthma 14
Osteoperosis 17
Atrial Fibrilation 6
Heart Failure 16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 18
Diabetes 34
Dementia 8
Cancer 12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2016 were minimally invasive procedures, spinal procedures and arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) 11
doctor visit 611
minimally invasive procedures 11
spinal procedures 11

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 182
Female 235
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 364
Black 34
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 175
From 75 to 84 119
85 and over 18
Less than 65 105

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2016

Hypertension 71
High Cholesterol 62
Stroke 4
Ischemic Heart Disease 41
Depression 31
Chronic Kidney Disease 33
Asthma 24
Osteoperosis 16
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 19
Diabetes 34
Dementia 11
Cancer 11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2017 were spinal procedures, X-rays, minimally invasive procedures and arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) 14
doctor visit 648
minimally invasive procedures 14
spinal procedures 44
X-rays 18

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 171
Female 240
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 357
Black 31
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 177
From 75 to 84 115
85 and over 31
Less than 65 88

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2017

Hypertension 73
High Cholesterol 64
Stroke 5
Ischemic Heart Disease 47
Depression 38
Chronic Kidney Disease 35
Asthma 12
Osteoperosis 17
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 20
Diabetes 37
Dementia 12
Cancer 13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2018 were X-rays and spinal procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 533
spinal procedures 32
X-rays 32

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 147
Female 194
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 300
Black 22
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 160
From 75 to 84 109
85 and over 16
Less than 65 56

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2018

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 68
Stroke 7
Ischemic Heart Disease 43
Depression 35
Chronic Kidney Disease 35
Asthma 12
Osteoperosis 11
Atrial Fibrilation 11
Heart Failure 21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 20
Diabetes 33
Dementia 11
Cancer 13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2019 were spinal procedures, X-rays, nerve procedures and decompression surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery 14
doctor visit 618
nerve procedures 14
spinal procedures 53
X-rays 39

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 194
Female 178
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 341
Black 14
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 183
From 75 to 84 126
85 and over 16
Less than 65 47

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2019

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 75
Stroke 5
Ischemic Heart Disease 45
Depression 30
Chronic Kidney Disease 35
Asthma 9
Osteoperosis 13
Atrial Fibrilation 9
Heart Failure 16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 0
Diabetes 32
Dementia 10
Cancer 13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2020 were spinal procedures, X-rays, minimally invasive procedures and arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) 12
doctor visit 475
minimally invasive procedures 12
spinal procedures 55
X-rays 43

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 142
Female 155
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 272
Black 13
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 145
From 75 to 84 106
85 and over 12
Less than 65 34

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2020

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 75
Stroke 5
Ischemic Heart Disease 42
Depression 32
Chronic Kidney Disease 35
Asthma 10
Osteoperosis 15
Atrial Fibrilation 10
Heart Failure 16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 17
Diabetes 26
Dementia 6
Cancer 14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2021 were spinal procedures, X-rays, minimally invasive procedures and arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) 11
doctor visit 623
minimally invasive procedures 11
spinal procedures 89
X-rays 78

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 188
Female 193
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 346
Black 18
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 183
From 75 to 84 138
85 and over 18
Less than 65 42

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2021

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 75
Stroke 7
Ischemic Heart Disease 47
Depression 34
Chronic Kidney Disease 36
Asthma 8
Osteoperosis 16
Atrial Fibrilation 13
Heart Failure 16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 15
Diabetes 27
Dementia 10
Cancer 11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2022 were X-rays and spinal procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

doctor visit 600
spinal procedures 18
X-rays 18

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 199
Female 185
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 351
Black 17
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 178
From 75 to 84 152
85 and over 19
Less than 65 35

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2022

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 75
Stroke 8
Ischemic Heart Disease 38
Depression 32
Chronic Kidney Disease 28
Asthma 10
Osteoperosis 20
Atrial Fibrilation 21
Heart Failure 16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 19
Diabetes 31
Dementia 8
Cancer 18

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2023 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL during 2023 were nerve procedures, decompression surgery and spinal procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

decompression surgery 11
doctor visit 563
nerve procedures 11
spinal procedures 11

2023 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 170
Female 204
Ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White 340
Black 15
Hispanic 0
Asian 0
Other 0
Native American 0
Age
From 65 to 74 167
From 75 to 84 146
85 and over 29
Less than 65 32

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD in 2023

Hypertension 75
High Cholesterol 75
Stroke 9
Ischemic Heart Disease 34
Depression 33
Chronic Kidney Disease 30
Asthma 13
Osteoperosis 25
Atrial Fibrilation 18
Heart Failure 17
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 18
Diabetes 26
Dementia 7
Cancer 17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2023

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Gainesville, FL were X-rays, spinal procedures, hospital care and inpatient care.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) 11
decompression surgery 12
doctor visit 560
hospital care 20
inpatient care 20
minimally invasive procedures 11
nerve procedures 12
spinal procedures 34
X-rays 38

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2023

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD.

Gender
Male 168
Female 205
Ethnicity
Black / African American 22
Asian / Pacific Islander 0
Non-Hispanic White 333
Hispanic 1
Native American / Alaskan Native 0
Other 0
Age
75 to 84 116
85 and over 20
Less than 65 70
65 to 74 166

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD From 2012 - 2023

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and depression.

Hypertension 67
High Cholesterol 63
Stroke 5
Ischemic Heart Disease 38
Depression 30
Chronic Kidney Disease 28
Asthma 11
Osteoporosis 14
Heart Failure 16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 15
Diabetes 29
Atrial Fibrillation 10
Cancer 12
Dementia 8

Education & Training

Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 2003. He completed residency at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals. He has a state license in Georgia.

Medical School: Mount Sinai School of Medicine (2003)

Residency: Emory University Affiliated Hospitals (2008)

Licensed In: Georgia

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

UF Health

Ratings & Reviews

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Robert Courtney Decker, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

Payments by Company
Supreme Orthopedic Systems, LLC $4,238
$4,238
NUVASIVE, INC. $1,386 Thoracolumbar
$1,386
Medtronic Sofamor Danek USA, Inc. $1,267 Thoracolumbar - TL Therapies
$1,235 		Cervical /Trauma Therapies
$32
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc. $125 MIS
$125
Stryker Corporation $71 TRIATHLON
$71
Other $21 Lapiplasty System
$21
Types of Payments
Education $4,228
Travel and Lodging $2,429
Food and Beverage $416
Gift $33

Biography

Dr. Robert Decker practices spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery in Gainesville, FL. His areas of expertise include laminectomy, sciatica (sciatic nerve pain), and scoliosis. He is affiliated with UF Health. Dr. Decker is a graduate of Mount Sinai School of Medicine. His residency was performed at a hospital affiliated with Emory University.

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