Venu Nemani, M.D., Ph.D.

Venu M. Nemani, M.D., Ph.D., is an orthopedic spine surgeon specializing in spinal deformity surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is dedicated to helping patients with complex spinal problems find solutions through advanced surgical care.  He does this in close collaboration with the patient and with other physicians at Mayo Clinic to provide compassionate, personalized care.

Areas of expertise

Dr. Nemani's surgical practice focuses on treating patients with complex problems of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He offers both open and minimally invasive procedures, tailoring the specific operation to achieve the best outcome for each individual patient. His clinical focus areas include:

Spinal deformity: Surgical treatment of scoliosis, kyphosis, flatback syndrome, and inability to stand upright due to spinal malalignment

Cervical spine surgery: Comprehensive treatment of patients with all problems of the cervical spine including cervical deformity, cervical radiculopathy, and cervical myelopathy

Revision spine surgery: Surgical treatment of spinal problems when prior spine surgery failed to restore proper spinal alignment and function

Dr. Nemani's approach to treating complex spinal problems combines careful preoperative planning with precise execution using advanced technology to optimize surgical outcomes.

Research and professional highlights

Alongside his clinical practice, Dr. Nemani is committed to advancing spine surgery through research, education, and innovation. He has published extensively and is routinely invited to speak and present his research at national and international meetings. He is actively involved in research to improve the outcomes and safety of surgery for adult spinal deformity, with interests in bone health optimization and in using state of the art technology to plan and optimize spinal alignment in both short and long segment spinal fusion procedures. He holds leadership roles within the Scoliosis Research Society and serves on the Spine and Bone Health Task Force of the National Spine Health Foundation.  He is also an active member of the Cervical Spine Research Society and AO Spine.

Dr. Nemani completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University, then earned his M.D. and a Ph.D. in neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, followed by fellowship training in adult and pediatric spine deformity surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia University.