The Definitive Textbook on Awake Spine Surgery
Dr. Alok Sharan, MD, MHCDS is a co-editor of Awake Spine Surgery — the first comprehensive medical textbook dedicated entirely to awake spine surgery techniques, published by Thieme Medical Publishers, one of the world’s leading medical publishers. This 246-page, 22-chapter textbook with 17 procedural videos represents the definitive clinical reference for surgeons worldwide seeking to adopt or advance the awake approach. Dr. Sharan’s co-authorship of this landmark textbook reflects his position not just as a practitioner of awake spine surgery — but as one of the surgeons who wrote the book on it.
About This Textbook
Published by Thieme Medical Publishers — world leader in medical education
246 pages across 22 chapters and 3 comprehensive parts
17 high-quality procedural videos demonstrating diverse techniques
Covers preoperative, intraoperative & postoperative considerations
Includes endoscopy, robotics, next-generation TLIFs, and lateral spine surgery
Regional anesthesia protocols, erector spinae blocks, ultrasound-guided nerve blocks
Available on Amazon and Thieme E-Books
What the Book Covers
Awake spine surgery is more than a technique — it is a philosophy of minimizing the surgical footprint on patients. This textbook is the most comprehensive clinical resource ever published on the subject, written by the surgeons who pioneered and perfected the approach.
Part I — Preoperative
Patient selection criteria, anesthesia planning, regional block protocols, erector spinae plane blocks, long-acting nerve blocks, and ultrasound-guided techniques that make awake surgery possible.
Part II — Intraoperative
Step-by-step surgical techniques for lumbar fusion, ACDF, next-generation TLIFs, minimally invasive lateral spine surgery, endoscopy, and robotic-assisted awake spine procedures.
Part III — Postoperative
Enhanced recovery protocols, outpatient discharge pathways, opioid-sparing pain management, same-day discharge criteria, and outcomes data demonstrating the advantages of the awake approach over traditional surgery.
Editors
This textbook was co-edited by five of the leading spine surgeons in awake spine surgery:
Why This Matters for Patients in New Jersey
When you choose Dr. Sharan for your spine care, you are not choosing a surgeon who learned the awake technique from someone else — you are choosing one of the surgeons who co-wrote the definitive medical textbook on the subject. His co-authorship of this Thieme-published textbook is independent, peer-validated recognition that he is among the foremost authorities on awake spine surgery in the world.
The techniques described in this textbook are the same techniques Dr. Sharan performs every day for patients from Edison, across New Jersey, Bridgewater, Morristown, and New York City. His patients benefit directly from research and expertise that surgeons around the world travel to learn.
Dr. Sharan’s Other Academic Contributions
The Awake Spine Surgery textbook is part of a body of academic work that makes Dr. Sharan one of the most published and recognized spine surgeons in New Jersey:
100+ peer-reviewed publications in journals including JBJS, Global Spine Journal, and Clinical Spine Surgery
Deputy Editor of Clinical Spine Surgery — a leading peer-reviewed spine journal
International lecturer — presented awake spine surgery techniques across the USA, India, Pakistan, and Argentina
Castle Connolly Top Doctor & NY Magazine Best Doctor
