[Photo: X-rays showing the spine of Littleton Regional Healthcare’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Nutter, following his 2020 spine surgery performed by Neurosurgeon Dr. Anthony Salerni]
LITTLETON, NH – Littleton Regional Healthcare has always been a backbone for this region, whether it be in terms of being the largest employer in northern Grafton County or from a medical services perspective, providing primary and specialty healthcare services that are greatly depended on by surrounding communities. Unlike most designated Critical Access Hospitals, Littleton Regional Healthcare offers a vast array of medical specialties that are commonly only found in larger healthcare settings. One of those specialties is spine surgery. First introduced in 2018 when Neurosurgeon Dr. Anthony Salerni joined the hospital, the spine center at LRH specializes in minimally invasive neurospine procedures for the treatment of spinal disorders, disc disorders, spinal fractures, and spinal stenosis.
Dr. Anthony Salerni is board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Neurosurgery, or neurological surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders that affect any portion of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system. Littleton Regional Healthcare’s Dr. Salerni primarily focuses on treating disorders of the spine.
Most disorders of the spine do not require surgery. The practitioners at LRH often take a more holistic approach for those who have had little success with conservative methods by utilizing non-surgical techniques, such as injections in conjunction with other various therapies. LRH’s spine center works closely with its orthopedic and interventional pain management counterparts to provide a multi-faceted, more effective approach to care.
Sometimes, surgery is the best course of action. Minimally invasive spine surgery utilizes modern technology, advanced imaging techniques, and special medical equipment to reduce tissue trauma, bleeding, radiation exposure, hospital stays, and recovery time by minimizing the size of the incision and underlying tissue. On October 9th, 2023, Dr. Salerni stepped into the operating room to perform his 500th spine surgery while at LRH. Actually, he proceeded to do seven cases that week alone. That many life-changing spine surgeries done right here at our hospital in five years is especially impressive given most hospitals of LRH’s size do not even offer the specialty. That is 500 times Dr. Salerni has provided significant pain relief and, just as important, functional improvement allowing individuals to get back to doing the things they need to have their lives back, all while keeping those patients close to home. The spine program at Littleton Regional Healthcare will only continue to grow with the recent addition of Neurosurgeon Dr. Kristen Yoo earlier this year.
LRH President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Nutter, is one of those 500 cases. “I have worked in healthcare a long time and had the privilege of being part of some of the most advanced healthcare systems in New England,” noted Nutter. “Given this experience, I confidently entrusted Dr. Salerni to perform my spine surgery in 2020. Being able to perform these procedures, and many other advanced treatments, speaks volumes about the caliber of our staff. I want this community to have access to the level of care I would expect for my own family,” he added.
To learn more about the primary and specialty medical services available at Littleton Regional Healthcare, please visit www.LittletonHealthcare.org.
