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Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD

Accepting New Patients

(394 Ratings)

Specializes in: Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery

Emory University School of Medicine (2010)

Professional interests include: ankle fracture, elbow fracture, meniscectomy (meniscus removal), and more.

2331 Franklin Road SW
Roanoke, VA 24014

(540) 510-6200

Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD is an orthopedist in Roanoke, VA specializing in orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 2010 and has 14 years of experience. Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD is affiliated with Carilion Medical Center and Carilion Clinic.

Office Locations

Address:

2331 Franklin Road SW
Roanoke, VA 24014

Some issues Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD can help you with:

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.

spinal procedures	4

**Gender**
Male	13
Female	16

**Age**
From 65 to 74	13
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	45
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	45
Chronic Kidney Disease	0
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	0
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	12
decompression surgery	23
doctor visit	174
minimally invasive procedures	14
nerve procedures	23
spinal procedures	61

**Gender**
Male	85
Female	118

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	182
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	93
From 75 to 84	62
85 and over	16
Less than 65	32

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	62
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	28
Dementia	0
Cancer	9

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	8
decompression surgery	39
doctor visit	439
nerve procedures	39
spinal procedures	66

**Gender**
Male	163
Female	214

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	352
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	180
From 75 to 84	106
85 and over	32
Less than 65	59

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	37
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	31
Dementia	7
Cancer	9

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	20
decompression surgery	77
doctor visit	1069
neck surgery	10
nerve procedures	77
spinal procedures	128

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2018 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD treated as an orthopedist in Roanoke, VA were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, decompression surgery and arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery).

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	15
decompression surgery	47
doctor visit	560
minimally invasive procedures	14
neck surgery	10
nerve procedures	47
spinal procedures	68

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2018 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD.

**Gender**
Male	26
Female	34

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	53
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	16
85 and over	4
Less than 65	9
65 to 74	28

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD From 2018 - 2021

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

Hypertension	21
High Cholesterol	16
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	10
Depression	10
Chronic Kidney Disease	6
Asthma	1
Osteoporosis	2
Heart Failure	3
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	2
Diabetes	5
Atrial Fibrillation	2
Cancer	1
Dementia	0

Education & Training

Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 2010. He completed residency at Board Certifications. He has a state license in Oregon.

Medical School: Emory University School of Medicine (2010)

Residency: Board Certifications

Licensed In: Oregon

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Carilion Medical Center

Carilion Clinic

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 394 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Vivek Natarajan, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Roanoke, VA.

4.8

Overall Rating

(394 Ratings)

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General Payments

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

**Payments by Company**
NUVASIVE, INC.	$3,180 XLIF $2,513	TLIF $621	Reline $36	Pulse $10
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.	$1,232 VIPER $1,232
K2M, Inc.	$832 General K2M Product Discussion $804	MESA $28
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.	$245 SYNAPSE $123	VIPER $85	OMNISPAN $36
OrthoPediatrics Corp.	$100 Orthopediatrics Implants $100
Other	$121 CD HORIZON $50	spinal-stim $37	CD HORIZON SPINAL SYSTEM $19	Myosure $15

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$4,252
Food and Beverage	$1,395
Entertainment	$63

Biography

Dr. Vivek Natarajan's specialty is orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. These areas are among his clinical interests: knee problems, leg fracture, and wrist fracture. The average patient rating for Dr. Natarajan is 5.0 stars (out of 5). Dr. Natarajan is a graduate of Emory University School of Medicine. He is affiliated with Carilion Medical Center. Doctor.com reports that he is accepting new patients at his office in Roanoke, VA.