Peter B. Derman, MD

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Peter B. Derman, MD

Timely, high-quality, minimally invasive, compassionate spine care.

05/27/2026

Forget conference halls… my most meaningful presentation of the year involved tiny chairs, juice boxes, and a room of five-year-olds for 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆. 🩺🧸

I’ve lectured to rooms packed with hundreds of surgeons, but nothing prepared me for hard-hitting questions like, “Do you fix dinosaur spines?” and “Look how far I can bend my thumb!” 🦖

Jokes aside, inspiring our youth and sparking early curiosity is some of the most vital work we can do for our future.

Huge congratulations to my youngest on finishing kindergarten this week! 🎉 I’m incredibly proud to be the dad of two amazing guys. Next stop: first and third grade! 🚀

(Swipe for career day highlights — faces obscured to protect the privacy of tomorrow’s future doctors! 📸)

05/20/2026

🎥 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀… 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺!

In this video, I break down my 4-step framework for assessing the completeness of an endoscopic discectomy. Setting yourself up for success means being meticulous with every detail from start to finish. This translates to safer surgery, faster recovery, and happy patients!

For the surgeons out there: Think of me next time you see the “Derman Shadow!” 😜

05/13/2026

“𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆?” 🤸‍♂️

I hear this question often. My answer: 𝗢𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁!

Take Valencia, for example. She was suffering from severe sciatica due to spinal stenosis (nerve compression) in the setting of two-level mobile spondylolisthesis — where the spinal bones slide back and forth. After non-surgical options didn’t provide relief, we performed a minimally invasive L2-4 fusion.

“What… You did a fusion, Derman?!” 😳

While my bias is strongly toward 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (last month, only 1 out of my 27 surgeries was a fusion), it’s important not to be dogmatic. When the anatomy needs to be stabilized to address the root cause and fix the pain, a thoughtful, focused fusion can be the right tool for the job.

𝗜𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀:
“What differentiated Dr. Derman was he explained all the options... it felt like he partnered with me. Now I can sleep, exercise, and bend without pain or fear of pain.”

Today? She is back at Pilates, living a pain-free, active lifestyle. ✨

𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀; 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁? 👇

05/11/2026

I’m excited to serve as Co-Chair for the 4th Endoscopic Spine Surgery Symposium this July 17-18 at the Seattle Science Foundation.

This isn’t just another lecture series — it is a deep dive into the future of our field. We’ve brought together a powerhouse faculty of national leaders to lead two days of hands-on cadaveric training and engaging didactic sessions.

This is the place to be for current and aspiring endoscopists. Come join us in Seattle, and let’s push the boundaries of endoscopic spine surgery together!

Grab your spot here:
https://www.seattlesciencefoundation.org/courses/4th-endo-spine-symposium

05/06/2026

My wife jokes that my “unflappable ego” is what makes me a confident public speaker. 😂

In reality, the key is being passionate about the topic at hand. That excitement makes preparation a pleasure rather than a chore. And ex*****on becomes a matter of sharing that knowledge and enthusiasm with others.

Can anyone guess my favorite topic on which to lecture?
Hint: It involves cameras, tiny incisions, and big results.

𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗲? 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

04/29/2026

𝗗𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 “𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲” 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀?

Technically, no — but they provide the essential window for the body to heal itself. Approximately 75% of disc herniations naturally shrink or completely disappear within a year.

While non-surgical options like physical therapy, non-narcotic medications, and epidural steroid injections are often viewed as “band-aids,” they serve a vital purpose: they manage symptoms and buy time. By the time the effects of an injection wear off, the body may have already dissolved the herniated material on its own.

𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆:
An active young woman came to me with severe pain shooting down her leg.
• 𝙇𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙈𝙍𝙄: A sizable herniated disc in her lower back was causing substantial nerve compression.
• 𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩: She underwent a stepwise course of conservative care rather than jumping to surgery.
• 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙈𝙍𝙄 (𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿): Her herniation has shrunken dramatically. Her sciatica is gone, and she avoided the operating room entirely.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲
The least invasive surgery is still no surgery, which is why it’s important to consider non-operative measures first. However, you don’t have to suffer for a year to see if you’ll get better. If non-surgical treatments aren’t providing enough pain control to let you live your life, an ultra-minimally invasive endoscopic procedure could get you there in an hour. 😉

04/22/2026

Back in the lab! It was privilege to return as faculty for another incredible Ultra-Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Fellowship Forum and witness how quickly endoscopic techniques are gaining momentum.

Teaching the next generation of surgeons isn’t just about sharing a skill — it’s about changing the standard of care for patients everywhere. The future of spine surgery is here, and it’s better (and smaller) than ever!

04/15/2026

Expertise is built one case at a time. I took a trip down memory lane and shared my endoscopic spine surgery origin story with the wider medical community in a recent article.

A key takeaway? I’m never satisfied with the status quo and am proud to be part of a small group of spine nerds who are safely pushing the boundaries of what we can achieve with ultra-minimally invasive techniques. The results speak for themselves.

This approach is designed to shorten the gap between the operating room and the activities that define you. Less time spent “recovering” means more time as an athlete, a parent, or an explorer. 🏄🏻‍♂️

04/08/2026

I’m beyond thrilled to be recognized again by 𝘋 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 as a “Best Doctor” in Collin County. Several of my colleagues at Texas Back Institute and I are among a handful of spine surgeons in the region who have been selected for this designation. Personally, I am grateful for and motivated by this award. It reinforces my conviction that minimally invasive philosophies and techniques represent the future of spine surgery. I’ll continue treating every patient like a personal family member and look forward to many years of service to come!

04/01/2026

𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟮 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 🏖️

Treg’s journey is a testament to what is possible with endoscopic spine surgery. After 2.5 years of debilitating sciatica, he was back to normal 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 following his endoscopic L5-S1 discectomy.

In Treg’s words:

“I was there for probably a total of 3 hours from prep to walking out the door after back surgery pain free… I walked in there with a pain level of about an 8, and when I woke up, I popped 1 Tylenol and walked right out that door with 0 pain! And no, I was not all drugged up... I never took another pain pill!”

Treg traveled back home to Oklahoma the day after surgery and then hopped on a plane to Florida the following morning… two days after surgery, he was celebrating on a family cruise to the Bahamas! ☀️

It’s an honor to help patients like Treg avoid long recoveries and get right back to enjoying life.

Fun fact: Treg is a member of the legendary Etbauer rodeo family. Yee-haw! 🤠

03/25/2026

Teaching takes many forms, and I’m committed to the full spectrum. This week, I hosted a spine surgeon from Chicago who traveled to Dallas to hone his endoscopic spine surgery skillset. We spent an evening in the lab refining his technical skills and then the next day in the OR, where he observed me in action performing live cases (with patient permission, of course). He returned home equipped with a refined toolkit and the “pearls” necessary to elevate his practice.

Training the next crop of endoscopic specialists isn’t just a side project; it’s how we move the field of spine surgery forward.

Address

Dallas, TX

Website

https://texasback.com/find-a-physician/name/peter-derman/#biography

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