Direct care from a surgeon who sees every patient himself.
Spine care here is never delegated. Every patient receives direct attention from Dr. Merola himself at every appointment, without physician extenders or residents.
Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, with more than 30 years of clinical practice and over 20,000 patients treated, Dr. Merola combines deep expertise with a personal commitment to understanding each patient's situation and goals.
Conservative treatment comes first. Surgery is recommended only when necessary, and every option is discussed transparently before moving forward.
Castle Connolly Top Doctors
Conditions Treated
Most spine problems respond to the right conservative care. Every evaluation starts with understanding what is actually causing your symptoms.
Herniated Disc
Back and leg pain that travels. Most herniated discs improve without surgery.
Learn more →Sciatica
Radiating leg pain has a cause. Finding it is the first step.
Learn more →Spinal Stenosis
When the spinal canal narrows, the goal is to give the nerves room.
Learn more →Lumbar Strain & Sprain
Most lower-back injuries heal. The point is to be sure, and to heal well.
Learn more →Cervical Myelopathy
Compression of the spinal cord in the neck. Early diagnosis protects function.
Learn more →Spondylolisthesis
A slipped vertebra is often stable and treatable without surgery.
Learn more →Common Procedures
When surgery is appropriate, the operation is matched to the diagnosis, anatomy, stability, and patient goals, and performed by Dr. Merola himself.
Microdiscectomy
Minimally invasive decompression for selected patients with herniated-disc nerve pain.
Learn more →Lumbar Laminectomy
Decompresses lumbar nerves crowded by spinal stenosis to improve leg symptoms and walking tolerance.
Learn more →ACDF
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for nerve or cord compression in the neck.
Learn more →Cervical Disc Replacement
Replaces a damaged neck disc while preserving motion at the treated level.
Learn more →Minimally Invasive Lumbar Fusion
Stabilizes selected lumbar levels through smaller working corridors when that approach can meet the full surgical goal.
Learn more →Scoliosis Surgery
Treats selected spinal curves and imbalance when progression, pain, function, or neurologic compromise warrants correction.
Learn more →Spine Care for Union Members and Injured Workers
Dr. Merola welcomes union members, tradespeople, public-service workers, drivers, health-care workers, and others whose livelihoods depend on physical function. He is an authorized New York Workers' Compensation Board provider (authorization 189354-4). Every patient is evaluated individually, with work status and activity restrictions based on the clinical findings and the actual demands of the job. No union affiliation or coverage is implied.
Explore Injured-Worker Care What a Visit Looks LikeYour First Visit, Step by Step
A first appointment with Dr. Merola is not a hallway conversation with a prescription at the end of it. It runs long because the questions run long: where the pain started, what your work asks of your body, what you have already tried, and what you are actually afraid of.
The examination comes next. Reflexes, strength, sensation, walking. A few minutes of hands-on testing tells an experienced spine surgeon a remarkable amount about which nerve is involved.
Then the imaging, read with you in the room. Dr. Merola pulls your MRI up on the screen himself, points to the level in question, and explains in plain language whether the picture matches your symptoms. When it does not match, surgery is usually the wrong answer, and he will say so.
You leave with a written plan and a straight answer. Patients from all five boroughs come to the West 28th Street and Park Slope offices for exactly that. Call or email to set it up.
Insurance, Workers' Compensation, and the Practical Questions
Workers' compensation. Dr. Merola is authorized by the New York Workers' Compensation Board (authorization 189354-4). Injured workers are welcome at both offices, and the staff handles the claim paperwork as part of the visit rather than an afterthought. Say the injury is work-related when you call, and everything gets set up correctly from the start.
Second opinions. If another surgeon has recommended an operation and you want it pressure-tested, bring the actual imaging, not just the report. Second opinions are routine here, and cancelling an unnecessary surgery counts as a win.
Insurance. Coverage questions depend on your plan. The office can tell you what your plan requires before you come in, referral or none. Call (718) 783-5542 and ask.
Languages. Care is delivered in English, Spanish, and Italian. Patients should not have to bring a relative to translate their own spine surgery.
Questions of any kind: the contact page reaches the office directly.
The Direct Care Difference
Three commitments shape every case, from the first visit through recovery.
One Surgeon
You see Dr. Merola at every appointment. He reads your imaging himself and stays involved through recovery.
Conservative First
Physical therapy, activity guidance, and targeted injections are explored fully before surgery enters the conversation.
Academic Rigor
Faculty appointments at Weill Cornell Medicine and attending roles at NewYork-Presbyterian keep the practice at the front of the field.