Dr. Kretzer is a Neurosurgeon and Partner at Western Neuro. Dr. Kretzer serves as the Director of Spine Surgery at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Vice Chairman of the Department of Neurosciences at the Carondelet Neurological Institute. He is board certified in Neurosurgery by the ABNS. Dr. Kretzer completed a Residency in Neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as a Research Fellowship in Spinal Biomechanics at the Orthopaedic Spinal Research Laboratory in Towson, MD under the direction of Bryan Cunningham, PhD. After graduation, Dr. Kretzer completed a Clinical Fellowship in Complex Spine Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to joining Western Neuro, he served two years as the Neurosurgical Medical Officer at the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Dr. Kretzer is a researcher and inventor, with several U.S. and international patents for spinal devices. He has authored more than 30 peer reviewed publications and seven chapters in medical textbooks. He currently serves as a peer reviewer for the prestigious journal, Spine.He has been awarded with several scholarships, grants and accolades for his research in the treatment of spinal disease.
He has two children and enjoys spending time with his family, cycling and skiing in his spare time.
Areas of Specialization
- minimally invasive and complex spine surgery
- degenerative disc disease,
- spinal stenosis,
- nerve root compression,
- adult degenerative deformity
- spinal oncology
Education & Training
Undergraduate: The Johns Hopkins University
Medical school: M.D. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Residency: The Johns Hopkins Hospital; Neurosurgery
Fellowships:
- Joseph Medical Center (Towson, MD); Spinal Biomechanics Research
- Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Silver Spring, MD); FDA Medical Officer, Medical Device Fellowship Program
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, MD); Complex Spine Fellowship, AO Spine North America
Professional Memberships
- Fellow, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
- Member, Congress of Neurological Surgeons
