One Doctor’s Quest


Charles Goodnough, P.A.-C; Dr. Robert Masson, Wayne Gardner, P.A.-C


If there’s anyone who understands the joy of an active lifestyle, it’s Dr. Robert Masson. A lifelong athlete, the spinal surgeon’s list of hobbies runs the gamut of physical endurance. And his passion is assisting his patients to restore and maintain their physical lifestyles.

“ I love to golf,” he says. “I scuba. I sail. I wakeboard. I’m a pilot. My parents were active and my four sons are all active.”


When Dr. Masson has a bit of down time, he’s on the baseball field as a volunteer coach or helping to organize other children’s athletic events. Dr. Masson is also in the process of developing the Neu-roSpine Institute Foundation, a foundation in which he can combine all of his phil-anthropic energies into one. The founda-tion defines Dr. Masson’s passion for helping others. Whether it’s striving to raise funds for the area’s arts, disabled veterans, the Special Olympics, or Give Kids the World, he gives every endeavor 110 percent.


Dr. Masson’s passion for maintaining an athletic lifestyle fits well with his area of medical expertise—minimally invasive spinal surgery. As an internationally renowned neurosurgeon, his specialties are microendoscopic surgery, computer-assisted neuronavigation, and fluoroscopic surgery.


Dr. Masson’s original aspiration, however, was to become an astronaut. As a football player at the University of Florida, Dr. Masson reasoned that studying biomedicine could put him one step closer to the space shuttle. But, after finishing medical school in 1988, Dr. Masson re-evaluated his dream. After researching neurological surgery, Dr. Masson realized he had found his calling in spinal cord transplantation and research.


“I like the technological aspect, the extreme aspect,” he says. “There was a future for a lot of improvement in the field.” And, over the past decade, Dr. Masson has helped facilitate that improvement.


2010 has been quite a year so far for Dr. Masson and his team. They were recently named as a clinical practice affiliate with the University of Florida Department of Neurosurgery. In addition, Dr. Masson was appointed by Synthes Spine to host surgeons from across the United States, educating and certifying them in Cervical Arthroplasty Diagnosis, treatment, and technique. If that’s not enough, the Discovery Channel aired a special highlighting Dr. Masson’s role in saving the life of a cheerleader moments away from death. Add in the NeuroSpine Institute Foundation, and this has indeed been a remarkable year for the Institute.



But if you asked Dr. Masson what he felt was his greatest achievement was this year, his answer would be quick. “My boys.”


Already a supporter of the Windermere Little League, Dr. Masson helped form a travel team for 12-year-olds, when his eldest son, Kyle, wanted to play at a higher level.


Organized within the USSSA League, members of the Windermere Diamond Jacks are hand-selected all-stars from the Windermere and Dr. Phillips Little Leagues. Through his personal involvement, Dr. Masson has taught these young men the biomechanics and conditioning needed to prevent injury.


“This is vital in any sport from baseball to gymnastics to golf, explains Dr. Masson. “The more we equip our youth with the proper fundamentals, the less likely they are to experience problems as they get older.”


Although there really is no “typical” week for Dr. Masson and the team at the NeuroSpine Institute, the majority of his patients will tell you that the return to sport, work, and life theme of the Institute is apparent everywhere. From patients that are going through minimally invasive spinal surgery to a three-level fusion, Dr. Masson’s approach is minimal trauma with minimal down time.


Although patients are through referral, they come from as far away as Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York for treatment, and have included professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, MLB, and PGA/LPGA tours.


Dr. Masson’s involvement and membership with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the North American Spine Society, as a board member/advisor for Golf Fitness Magazine and Florida Doctor, and as a member of the Florida Neurosurgical Association speaks highly of his credentials as well as his reputation. His practice, the NeuroSpine Institute, was opened in 2000 and is conveniently located in Orlando, the heart of Central Florida.


For Dr. Masson and his NeuroSpine team—Wayne Gardner, P.A.-C, and Charles Goodnough, P.A.-C, —their combined love of sports, returning patients to the lifestyle they once knew and loved, and giving back to the community is just simply part of their overall success and company philosophy—one they all give 110 percent to.


NeuroSpine Institute
2706 Rew Circle, Orlando
(407) 649-8585
Neurospineinstitute.org


Satellite office:
400 Celebration Place, Ste A240, Celebration


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