About Dr. Stephen T. Enguidanos, MD | Spine Surgeon

THE ORIGIN

"Before the operating room,
there was Fire Station 11."

Originally from California, Dr. Enguidanos earned his Bachelor of Science from UCLA, where he also conducted research at the Jerry Lewis Neuromuscular Research Center. But before medical school, he made an unusual choice.

He became a paramedic with the Los Angeles City Fire Department at Fire Station 11 — documented at the time as the busiest fire station in the country. Running the highest volume of emergency calls in Los Angeles, responding to trauma, cardiac events, and the full spectrum of human medical crisis before he ever set foot in an operating room.

That experience shaped everything that followed. A career defined not by the easy cases, but by a deliberate choice to walk toward complexity. He has been making that same choice for thirty years.

Dr. Stephen Enguidanos MD fellowship trained spine surgeon University of Colorado SRS fellowship Niceville Florida

30+ Years in spine surgery

5,000+ Procedures performed

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

A foundation built
on depth.

Four institutions. Each chosen for what it demanded.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

University of California, Los Angeles

Bachelor of Science

Dr. Enguidanos studied at UCLA and conducted extensive research at the Jerry Lewis Neuromuscular Research Center — an early immersion in the science of human movement and neurological function that would inform his surgical career.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA

Creighton University School of Medicine

Medical Degree

Medical training at Creighton, one of the country's respected Jesuit medical schools, grounded Dr. Enguidanos in a patient-centered philosophy that has remained central to his practice for three decades.

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

SUNY Health Science Center

Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

Residency at SUNY Brooklyn encompassed five Level 1 trauma centers — one of the most demanding surgical training environments in the country. High volume, high complexity, and every category of musculoskeletal injury. The kind of training that builds the instincts that textbooks cannot teach.

DENVER, COLORADO

University of Colorado Orthopaedic and Spine Center

Advanced Fellowship in Spine Surgery

Dr. Enguidanos completed his fellowship under Dr. Thomas Lowe, the former president of the Scoliosis Research Society, and his colleague Dr. Michael O'Brien. This is where his specialization in scoliosis and complex spinal deformity was forged — under the guidance of one of the most respected spine surgeons of his generation.

AREAS OF FOCUS

The cases that
require more.

Dr. Enguidanos has spent thirty years building a practice around the cases that most surgeons find difficult. Not because the complex cases are the only cases he sees — but because the complex cases are the ones that matter most to the patients who have run out of options.

When a patient has been told that nothing more can be done, or that their curve is too severe, or that their prior surgery cannot be corrected — that is when Dr. Enguidanos sees them for the first time. His practice was built for exactly this patient.

Scoliosis and Spinal Deformity

Juvenile and adult scoliosis, congenital spinal malformation, kyphosis correction, and multilevel deformity reconstruction. Fellowship trained under the former SRS president, Dr. Thomas Lowe at the University of Colorado.

Revision Spine Surgery

When prior spine surgery has not delivered the promised result, Dr. Enguidanos evaluates what went wrong and what can still be done. He receives referrals from surgeons throughout Florida and the Gulf Coast for exactly this reason.

Minimally Invasive and Regenerative

For patients who are appropriate candidates, Dr. Enguidanos pursues the least invasive path first. Laminectomy, discectomy, decompression, stem cell therapy, and PRP are all part of the care continuum before surgery is considered.

RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

A surgeon who stays
at the leading edge.

Dr. Enguidanos is not only a clinician. He is an active contributor to the body of knowledge that advances spine surgery. His patients benefit from a surgeon who is constantly learning, publishing, and teaching.

He frequently hosts other physicians in his operating room to observe new techniques. He mentors medical and nursing students. He presents at national and international conferences. He gives educational presentations to community groups in the Niceville area.

The research does not stay in journals. It comes back to the patient on the table.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Numerous published articles and research papers in medical journals covering advanced spinal techniques and outcomes.

International Conference Presentations

Frequently invited to present advanced spinal techniques at national and international surgical conferences.

Mentorship and Teaching

Hosts physicians in the OR to observe new techniques. Mentors medical and nursing students throughout his career.

HOSPITAL AFFILIATIONS

Where Dr. Enguidanos
operates.

Dr. Enguidanos operates at two facilities serving the Niceville and greater Emerald Coast area, bringing the same standard of care to every surgical environment.

PRIMARY SURGICAL FACILITY

HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital

Dr. Enguidanos's primary surgical home for complex spine procedures, deformity reconstruction, and revision surgery. A full-service hospital with the resources required for the most demanding spinal cases.

SURGICAL CENTER

Emerald Coast Surgical Center

For appropriate outpatient and minimally invasive procedures, Dr. Enguidanos operates at Emerald Coast Surgical Center — offering patients a streamlined surgical experience with efficient recovery.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

NASS | SRS | AAOS

Member of the North American Spine Society, the Scoliosis Research Society, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons — the three organizations that define the standard of spine care in North America.

CURRENT ROLE

Vice Chief of Staff

PAST ROLE

Chief of Surgery

PAST ROLE

Board Chairman

All three leadership roles held at HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital. An extraordinary level of institutional commitment from a practicing surgeon at the peak of his clinical career.

I have spent thirty years learning that the most important thing I can do is listen. Not to confirm a diagnosis I have already made — but to understand what this particular patient, with this particular spine, in this particular moment of their life, actually needs. The diagnosis is in the history. The plan is in the patient.

DR. STEPHEN T. ENGUIDANOS, MD | NICEVILLE, FLORIDA

REQUEST A CONSULTATION (850) 729-1444

Thirty years.Every case.

A foundation builton depth.