Orthopaedics
Paul Rubery, MD
Paul Rubery, MD, has a special place in his heart for his patients with scoliosis. His normal reserve drops away as he speaks of the young people he's seen through the major milestones of their lives.
Dr. Rubery's interest in medicine grew out of misfortune. As a third grader, he spent months in the hospital with multiple broken ribs and internal injuries as a result of a sledding accident. The whole episode left a strong impression. Today, he loves taking care of kids – no doubt because he vividly remembers how it felt to be in their shoes.
While scoliosis can initially appear in adulthood, it most frequently presents in children between ages 9 and 12. It tends to get worse as a child grows and can negatively impact his or her health, body image and even personality. Dr. Rubery remembers a young woman for whom surgery was life altering. He recalls, "She went from being a shy, retiring kid to a genuinely outgoing kid." Dr. Rubery gets to follow his scoliosis patients for many years and enjoys the bonds he develops with them. He says that one of his greatest pleasures in life is to watch kids with this potentially crippling disorder grow up and become the adults they were meant to be.
Of course, Dr. Rubery's practice isn't limited to scoliosis. He treats all problems of the growing spine and also a wide range of adult problems including disc herniations, spinal stenosis, sciatica, tumors, fractures and infections of the spine.
When asked what drives him, Dr. Rubery says he likes the challenges that medicine provides. He enjoys doing something that's difficult to do and has set the bar very high for himself by doing some technically demanding procedures that many spine surgeons don't do. Because he's frequently invited to teach courses to other surgeons, he's become one of the most recognized and respected names in spine surgery in the country.
Surprisingly, Dr. Rubery spends a great deal of his time talking people out of surgery. "Surgery is the option of last resort and should be considered only after medical management fails," he says. "I take the time to really educate patients and explain the statistics. They shouldn't be considering surgery unless there's a clear and substantial chance of a good outcome."
When asked about the greatest frustration of his specialty, he comments on how difficult it is to see people with unrelieved back pain who can't be helped. He says, "Despite what medicine can do, there is so much it can't do, especially when it comes to spine surgery. There are patients for whom there is no answer, and that's very difficult to accept." Thankfully, there have been many, many patients he's been able to help. Some in dramatic fashion.
Dr. Paul Rubery is Chief of the Division of Spinal Surgery and Associate Chair of Orthopaedics for Clinical Affairs. He heads the University of Rochester Spine Center. In addition to his surgical practice, Dr. Rubery has been active in research focusing on applications of gene therapy in Orthopaedics. In his spare time, he's an avid skier and tennis player.