About the Center

The spine experts at The Maryland Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore are committed to advanced treatment options for common and complex spine disorders.

The Center is part of the renowned Orthopedic Specialty Hospital at Mercy Medical Center, named one of America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Surgery by Healthgrades.

Experienced Spine Surgeons Addressing Back Pain

Medical Director Dr. Charles Edwards, II, follows in the footsteps of his father, founder Dr. Charles Edwards, to lead a team of nationally recognized spine physicians, including Dr. Justin Park, Dr. Maksim Shlykov and Dr. Mara Vucich.

Our physicians are known throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and the United States for expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of:

• Degenerative disc disease
• Disc herniation
• Kyphosis (hunchback)
• Radiculopathy and myelopathy
• Scoliosis
• Spinal stenosis
• Spinal trauma
• Spinal tumors
• Spondylolisthesis
• Vertebral compression fractures

Nationally Regarded Spine Center   

Dr. Charles Edwards founded The Maryland Spine Center at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. The Center aims to provide a state-of-the-art facility with expert spine doctors who offer patients leading edge treatment options for spinal deformities, injuries and degenerative conditions. The Maryland Spine Center at Mercy has become nationally regarded as one of the most comprehensive programs of its kind.  

Collaboration with a Personal Touch

The doctors of The Maryland Spine Center at Mercy work collaboratively to treat spine disorders and provide pain management therapies when needed. Dr. Edwards, II, Dr. Shlykov and Dr. Park perform spinal surgery and work in concert with Dr. Vucich, who provides non-surgical pain management therapies.

Patients from across the nation seek the expertise and knowledge of our spine specialists. Our doctors, often recognized for their outstanding clinical skills, also are respected for their warmth, compassion and their personal attention to patients. They’re regularly complimented by patients for the time they spend explaining conditions and procedures and for the personal encouragement they offer during the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation process. 

Minimally Invasive Surgery for Spinal Disorders

When surgery is needed, The Maryland Spine Center surgeons use state-of-the-art technology combined with minimally invasive surgical approaches to provide optimal symptom relief with an accelerated recovery for most patients.

Our surgical treatment offerings include:

• Artificial disc replacement
• Microscopic discectomy
• Nonunion repair
• Scoliosis correction
• Spinal decompression surgeries
• Spinal fusion
• Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty

Dedication to Research and Development in Spinal Surgery

Dr. Charles Edwards dedicated his career to extensive research and development to more accurately diagnose spine disorders and improve the results of major spine surgery. He focused on spinal biomechanics and the development of instrumentation and operations that permitted greater correction of major spine deformities with less invasive surgery than previously possible. Dr. Edwards’ research has set the standard in today’s treatment of spine disorders.

Dr. Charles Edwards, II, Medical Director, has followed in his father’s footsteps by making research an important aspect of The Maryland Spine Center. Under Dr. Edwards’ leadership, The Maryland Spine Center was chosen as one of only six centers nationally to participate in the first ever National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored clinical trial for adult scoliosis.

Convenient Locations in Baltimore Region

The Maryland Spine Center’s main office is at Mercy Medical Center in Downtown Baltimore. Our spine physicians also see patients at Mercy’s Community Physician Sites.

Patients needing surgery experience the state-of-the-art technology of Mercy’s Bunting Center operating rooms and the quiet, personalized environment of a private patient room. The Bunting Center at Mercy has a patient care floor dedicated specifically to orthopedic patients. Orthopedic patients who require an overnight stay in the hospital are cared for by a nursing team trained and skilled in the best-in-practice methods to assist patients’ recovery and return home as quickly as possible.