Prof. Dr. med. Michael Akbar

It’s the supporting pillar of our body: The spine enables us to walk upright – providing stability and mobility. For Prof. Michael Akbar, MD, it’s therefore clear: "The spine makes us human," he says – and he should know. Because it’s precisely because the spine is so important that he has focused entirely on it. If you want to rely on the safe hands of a loyal, caring and passionate spine specialist in Berlin, it’s best to turn to the orthopaedic clinic for spinal diseases and therapies at the MEOCLINIC. There, Prof. Akbar stands for uncompromising treatment quality as a highly specialised specialist.

It’s a rare mixture that impressively demonstrates the innovative state of modern high-performance medicine: In his Clinic for Spinal Diseases and Therapies in Berlin-Mitte, Prof. Dr med. Michael Akbar combines high medical treatment quality with the specialist knowledge of a university hospital – melding it with the advantages of an exceptional private clinic. In this way, he unites the four pillars that for him represent the success factors of a high-class therapy: A wealth of experience, a high level of medical expertise – plus a patient and calm manner.

First, he prepares thoroughly for the first personal appointment after an in-depth phone call – asking specifically for the information that is relevant to him and the people concerned. In this process, he also benefits from his great empathy. Because Prof. Akbar takes a lot of time during the subsequent diagnosis, his holistic anamnesis is very informative. He includes all mechanisms of the body – posture, muscles, bones, joints and also the psyche. And he attaches great importance to honesty, because only in this way can all aspects be considered correctly: Are there stress factors in the family or professional environment? Is there an infection?


Precise diagnostics with a holistic approach

Delving deep for precise findings – which are particularly important for questions relating to the spine – Prof. Akbar combines anamnesis with the latest generation of high-tech diagnostics using innovative imaging methods. In this way, he gains precise, prompt and direct findings with high information quality – without long distances or delays. Prof. Akbar also benefits from the first-class equipped MEOCLINIC, to which his own clinic is affiliated and of which he is also the Surgical Medical Director.

Anyone dealing with back pain and longing for pain-free mobility consistently benefits from the clarity and openness of the specialist at the Clinic – especially when it comes to treatment options. With this in mind, Prof. Akbar explains the different therapy alternatives to his patients in a detailed conversation and informs them about all aspects. As a pleasant surprise from such a thorough and complete approach, Prof. Akbar often manages to avoid surgery – thereby achieving the desired success with a conservative method. For him, surgery is always the last option.

This demanding approach makes Prof. Akbar a sought-after specialist for a well-founded second opinion. Because painful spinal disorders are usually accompanied by a high level of suffering, but because there is nevertheless rarely an emergency, a second opinion based on a precise and careful examination is a good basis for a safe decision.

Wide range of conservative therapies

Even if Prof. Dr med. Michael Akbar, with his many years of experience and high level of expertise as a specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery, can avoid many operations in the case of diseases or injuries of the spine – should a surgical intervention actually be helpful, the persons concerned are in the best hands with him. Because every intervention carries a risk, it’s best to turn to a specialist – someone who knows all the details that are decisive for successful operations on the spine, who masters every challenge at a university treatment level and who has just as much in-depth knowledge in degenerative spinal diseases as in deformities of the spine – at every age.

No wonder: In Berlin-Mitte, the former long-time head of Germany’s largest university orthopaedics department is just the right specialist. After all, he was head of the Centre for Spinal Surgery at Heidelberg University Hospital for five years. Prof. Dr med. Michael Akbar knows all the secrets of our spine as a trunk-bearing axial skeleton. Whether it’s a matter of congenital malpositions, degenerative conditions such as slipped discs or arthrosis – or even deformities such as scoliosis, kyphosis or spondylolisthesis: Only when the broad spectrum of conservative treatment methods has been exhausted does Prof. Akbar operate. And because the spine is directly connected to important parts of the body such as the pelvis, arms and head, he leaves nothing to chance during operations.

Highly specialised: Surgical excellence

Whether cervical spine, lumbar spine, sacrum or thoracic spine – Prof. Dr med. Michael Akbar has a lot of experience in all areas, which is also proven by his additional qualifications in special trauma surgery and special orthopaedic surgery. Even as a senior physician in the Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery at Heidelberg University, he was active in the spine surgery section. To date, he has performed well over ten thousand operations on his own, focusing exclusively on the broad spectrum of treatments for spinal diseases and injuries. This does not, of course, include the numerous treatments through which he was able to avoid operations.

The designated spine and scoliosis specialist knows that the individual treatment of spinal disorders requires a lot of experience, professional skills, sound knowledge and precise techniques in order to find the individually optimal solution. This also applies to children and adolescents, who complain more and more often about back pain. Even if lack of exercise is usually the cause of the complaints, there are numerous congenital or growth-related malformations or changes in shape. Therefore, it is quite appropriate for an experienced specialist to clarify the cause.

Physician with passion: Research, teaching, practice

Prof. Dr med. Michael Akbar also puts his high level of specialisation at the disposal of science. As a passionate physician who was already fascinated by the versatility of the spine during his studies, he is constantly researching to expand and optimise his treatment options. Publishing as a sought-after author of scientific journals such as “Der Orthopäde”, “Spinal Cord” or the “Zeitschrift für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie” (Journal of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery), he is in demand as an expert witness – and as an external lecturer on assignment as part of the “HeiCuMed” (Heidelberg Curriculum Medicinale of the Medical Faculty) student teaching at the elite University of Heidelberg. But that’s not the only thing he has in common with Heidelberg: He also maintains a practice there, where he has an ideal setup with exclusive high-end technology at his disposal – the private practice “EXPERTS FIRST – The Bone Docs”, which is known far beyond the local region.

As a highly specialised spine expert, Prof. Dr med. Michael Akbar will continue to offer outstanding treatment quality with ample time and calm – while contributing to the innovative state of modern orthopaedics with his conservative and surgical therapies. He thus fits in perfectly with the Leading Medicine Guide’s approach of informing patients about the ideal treatment of diseases and injuries and, with him, awarding an outstanding specialist for the spine. Focus also lists him: There he has been listed as a top doctor for spinal surgery since 2021. For Prof. Akbar, these are pointers in the right direction. Because his demanding approach is thus recognised by the highest authorities. His statement: “Once you have experienced excellence, you will never be satisfied with the average again.”