Alexander S Taghva, MD

Dr. Taghva is a board-certified neurosurgeon practicing in Orange County, California. He specializes in the treatment of neck pain, low back pain, sciatica, brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, as well as other conditions requiring brain or spine surgery. He offers his patients unique nonsurgical options as well as minimally-invasive surgery and neuromodulation therapies. He received his medical degree from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Prior to that, Dr. Taghva graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Southern California with a degree in biochemistry. He completed his residency in neurological surgery at the University of Southern California, where he learned complex techniques in brain surgery and spine surgery, including minimally-invasive spine surgery.

Dr. Taghva completed a prestigious fellowship in neuromodulation and functional neurosurgery at Ohio State University. During that time, Dr. Taghva treated such conditions as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor using deep brain stimulation (DBS). In addition, Dr. Taghva has specialized training in the use of spinal cord stimulation in the treatment of chronic pain. He is considered a “key opinion leader” nationally in neuromodulation and is on the cutting-edge of these interventions. Most recently, he was a primary investigator for the St. Jude Medical Sunburst study, and one of the first in the nation (and first in Southern California) to implant the Nevro Senza device.

Dr. Taghva’s training has given him unique perspective on the treatment of many patients who have failed prior spine interventions, including patients with “failed back surgery syndrome,” as well as patients who are not traditionally considered candidates for surgery.

Dr. Taghva tailors his approach to each patient and can offer minimally-invasive options for corrective surgery or neuromodulation options for the treatment of chronic pain. Dr. Taghva’s personal philosophy is that many patients get unnecessary spinal fusion operations, and he prefers nonsurgical, minimally-invasive, or motion-sparing alternatives for most of his patients. He also specializes in the treatment of uncommon pain syndromes including trigeminal neuralgia and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS or RSD).

He also keeps an active practice of general neurosurgery, including surgery for tumors of the brain and spine, as well as epilepsy surgery, including vagal nerve stimulation.

On a personal note, Dr. Alexander Taghva was raised in Las Vegas, Nevada where he was a national champion tennis player featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.” He now lives in Orange County, California with his wife and two daughters.