Szövérfi, Zsolt, MD PhD

Introduction

Zsolt Szövérfi, MD PhD, orthopedic traumatologist, spinal surgeon. Director General of the private branch of the Buda Health Center, as well as specialist of the National Center For Spinal Disorders.

He has performed more than 1.200 spinal surgeries over the years and spent more than 10.000 hours with surgical activities - in surgical and assistant tasks. He obtained his PhD in 2016 at the Doctoral College of the Semmelweis University in the subject of spine tumor surgery.

Basis of his clinical approach is that most spinal complaints do not require surgery - approximately 90% of his patients heal with conservative treatment: targeted CT guided nerve root and facet joint blocks, infusion therapy, and personalized physiotherapy. If surgery is needed, he prefers minimally invasive techniques, including MI-TLIF stabilization.

More details: szoverfizsolt.com

Specialties

• Conservative spine medicine (CT guided blocks, infusion therapy, physiotherapy)
• Minimally invasive spinal surgery (MI-TLIF) 
• Treatment of herniated disc 
• Treatment of spinal stenosis
• Spine stabilization surgeries
• Spine tumors

Professional experience

• 2024 - : Buda Health Center - Head of the Institutional Ethics Committee
• 2019 - : Buda Health Center - Director General and spinal surgeon of the private branch
• 2011 - : National Center For Spinal Disorders, Clinical physician, Medical researcher

Qualifications

• 2020: Orthopedics-traumatology board certification
• 2016: PhD, Doctoral College of the Semmelweis University
• 2013: Postgraduate Program in Health Economics, Corvinus University
• 2010: University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu-Mureş, Faculty of Medicine

Language of treatment

• Hungarian
• English
• Romanian

Scientific Society Memberships

• 2024 - : International Judo Federation Medical Commission
• 2011 - : AOSpine
• 2011 - : Magyar Gerincgyógyászati Társaság (Hungarian Spine Society)

Scientific Activities

Professional Training Courses and Programmes

• 2011: AOSpine Advances Symposium – Deformed Spine, Budapest
• 2013: Chordoma Foundation Research Workshop, Berlin
• 2013: The Eurospine Research Task Force Course, Prague
• 2013: GCP – Good Clinical Practice Course, Hong Kong
• 2013: AOSpine Advances Symposium – Spine Surgery in the Elderly, Budapest
• 2014: Medtronic Spinal Deformity Complications and Revisions: Lessons Learned, Dublin
• 2014: AOSpine Masters Symposium – Surgical Treatment of Spine Tumors, Budapest
• 2015: DePuy Synthes Institute 11th Advanced Deformity Symposium, Budapest
• 2015: AOSpine Symposium – Complications and Recurrence in Tumor Surgery
• 2016: Medtronic Spinal Deformity Treatment: A Time to Reflect, Rome
• 2017: Medtronic Summer University, Madrid
• 2017: Current Concepts in Spine Deformity (SRS, Eurospine Course), Prague
• 2018: Medtronic Spinal Deformity Symposium: Impact of Multidisciplinary Assessment in Deformity, Athens
• 2019: AOSpine Advanced Level Specimen Course – Rebalancing the Spine with Anterior and Posterior Techniques, Budapest

Clinical Trials and Projects

2011–2016: APOLLO, co-investigator
2011–2014: APATECH Registry, co-investigator
2011–2015: AOSpine PT Retro, co-investigator
2011–2014: MySpine FP7 HEALTH-F2-2008-269909, co-investigator
2015–2018: AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tomors – EPOSO, co-investigator
2017–: AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tomors – PTRON, co-investigator
2018: STABILITÁS: In Silico 3D Simulation Research for the Personalized Intervention of Specific Forms of Spinal Instability, co-investigator
2018–: AO Spine Knowledge Forum Tomors – MTRON, co-investigator

Awards and Honours

2010: Bolyai Foundation Scholarship
2013: Zinner Nándor Scientific Paper Competition, First Prize: Primary Spinal Tumor Mortality Score – Development of a New Prognostic Tool
2013: Eurospine Meeting, Liverpool, Best of Show Papers Selection: The Primary Tumor Mortality Score: New Tool for the Estimation of Survival in Primary Spine Tumor Patients
2014: PhD Scientific Meeting, Budapest, First Prize: Primary Spinal Tumor Mortality Score (PSTMS): A Novel Scoring System for Predicting Poor Survival
2014: Eurospine Meeting 2014, Lyon, Best of Show Papers Selection: Prognostic Variables for Local Recurrence and Overall Survival After Surgical Treatment of Sacral Chordoma – An Analysis from the AOSpine Tumor Knowledge Forum Primary Spinal Tumor Retrospective Database
2014: Eurospine Travel Grant
2015: Zinner Nándor Scientific Paper Competition, Second Prize: Prediction of the Surgical Treatment Costs of Primary Spinal Tumors
2016: Zinner Nándor Scientific Paper Competition, Second Prize: Prediction of Severe Complications Following Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Publications

Lazary A, Klemencsics I, Szoverfi Z, Kiss L, Biczo A, Szita J, Varga PP.: Global Treatment Outcome after Surgical Site Infection in Elective Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Operations. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2020. IF: 1.92.

Kiss L, Varga PP, Szoverfi Z, Jakab G, Eltes PE, Lazary A.: Indirect foraminal decompression and improvement in the lumbar alignment after percutaneous cement discoplasty. Eur Spine J. 2019. IF: 2.47.

Éltes PE, Kiss L, Bartos M, Eösze Z, Szövérfi Z, Varga PP, Lazáry Á.: Attitude of spine surgeons towards the application of 3D technologies – a survey of AOSpine members. Ideggyogy Sz. 2019. IF: 0.34.

A Lazáry, Szoverfi Z, PP Varga: Paradigm shift in the surgery of bone metastases. II. Treatment of spinal metastases. Orvosi Hetilap. 2018.

I Klemencsics, A Lazary, Zs Szoverfi, A Bozsodi, PE Eltes, PP Varga: Surgical Site Infection after Primary Degenerative Lumbar Spine Surgeries and Its Effect on Long-Term Outcome. Global Spine Journal. 2017.

I Klemencsics, A Lazary, Zs Szoverfi, A Bozsodi, PE Eltes, PP Varga: Risk factors for surgical site infection in elective routine degenerative lumbar surgeries. The Spine Journal. IF: 2.8.

PP Varga, G Jakab, IB Bors, A Lazary, Z Szövérfi: Experiences with PMMA cement as a stand-alone intervertebral spacer (percutaneous cement discoplasty) in the case of vacuum phenomenon within lumbar intervertebral discs. Orthopäde. 2014. IF: 0.66.

Macki M, Bydon M, Wolinsky JP, Boriani S, Bettegowda C, Chou D, Fisher C, Luzzati A, Reynolds J, Z Szövérfi, Germscheid N, Zadnik P, Rhines L, Varga PP, Gokaslan ZL: Long-term outcomes in primary spinal osteochondroma: A multicenter study of 27 patients. Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. 2014. IF: 1.98.

I Klemencsics, A Lazary, T Valasek, Z Szoverfi, A Bozsodi, P Eltes, TF Fekete, PP Varga: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Hungarian version of the Core Outcome Measures Index for the back (COMI Back). European Spine Journal. 2014. Epub. IF: 2.47.

PP Varga and Z Szövérfi, first co-authors, et al.: Surgical treatment of sacral chordoma: prognostic variables for local recurrence and overall survival. European Spine Journal. 2014. Epub. IF: 2.47.

PP Varga, Z Szövérfi, and A Lazary: Surgical treatment of primary malignant tumors of the sacrum. Neurological Research. 2014. IF: 1.44.

PP Varga, Z Szoverfi, and A Lazary: Surgical resection and reconstruction after resection of tumors involving the sacropelvic region. Neurological Research. 2014. IF: 1.44.

Valasek T, PP Varga, Z Szövérfi, A Bozsodi, I Klemencsics, L Fekete, and A Lazary: Validation of the Hungarian version of the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Disability & Rehabilitation. 2014: 1–5. IF: 1.83.

Z Szövérfi, A Lazáry, and P Varga: Primary spinal tumor registry in the National Centre for Spinal Disorders. Orvosi Hetilap. 2014, 155: 745–749.

Z Szövérfi, A Lazary, first co-authors, Á Bozsódi, I Klemencsics, PE Éltes, and PP Varga: Primary Spinal Tumor Mortality Score (PSTMS): a novel scoring system for predicting poor survival. The Spine Journal. 2014. Considered for the Eurospine Journal Full Paper Award. IF: 2.8.

A Lazary, Z Szövérfi, J Szita, A Somhegyi, M Kümin, and PP Varga: Primary prevention of disc degeneration-related symptoms. European Spine Journal. 2013: 1–9. IF: 2.47.

T Valasek, PP Varga, Z Szövérfi, M Kümin, J Fairbank, and A Lazary: Reliability and validity study on the Hungarian versions of the Oswestry Disability Index and the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale. European Spine Journal. 2013, 22: 1010–1018. IF: 2.47.

A Lazáry, IB Bors, Z Szövérfi, M Rónai, and PP Varga: Prognostic factors of primary spinal tumors. Ideggyógyászati Szemle. 2012, 65: 161–167. IF: 0.34.

Book Chapters

Varga PP, Lazáry A, Szövérfi Z: Primary and Metastatic Tumors of the Spine and Sacrum. In: Bone and Joint Tumors and Tumor-like Lesions, Szendrői M. (Editor), Medicina, Budapest, 2015: 329–353.

Varga PP, Szoverfi Z, Lazáry A: Soft Tissue Sarcomas Involving the Vertebrae and Sacrum. In: Diagnosis and Treatment of Malignant Soft Tissue Tumors, Szendrői M. (Editor), Medicina, Budapest, 2017: 105–115.

Invited Lectures

Szövérfi Zs: Modern Therapy of Spinal Tumors, Radiology Congress, 2018, Budapest.

Szövérfi Zs: Modern Therapy of Vertebral Metastases, OORI, 2018, Budapest.

Szöverfi Z, Varga PP: On the Paradigm Shift in the Surgical Treatment of Primary Spinal Tumors, MIT, 2017, Pécs.

Szöverfi Z, Varga PP: How to Recognize and Respond to Complications of Sacral Tumor Resections, 5th International Spine Tumor Days, 2018, Dresden.

Szövérfi Zs: Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Procedures at the National Center for Spinal Disorders, OORI, 2017, Budapest.

Szövérfi Zs: Surgical Treatment of Spinal Deformities in the Elderly, Euromedic Training Course, 2017, Budapest.

Szövérfi Zs: Economy of Spine Tumor Surgeries, BMB Spine Meeting 2017, Budapest.

Szöverfi Z, Lazáry Á, Varga PP: Patient Education and Compliance, AOSpine Masters Symposium – Surgical Treatment of Spine Tumors, 2014, Budapest.

Szövérfi Z: MySpine Symposium: Treatment Decision Can Be Simulated? Clinical Implications of the MySpine Project, CORS 2013, Venice.

Szöverfi Z, Lazáry Á, Varga PP: Primary Tumors: Prognostic Factors and Age Characteristics, AOSpine Advanced Symposium – Spine Surgery in the Elderly, 2013, Budapest.

Szövérfi Z: Analyse et Aide informatique a la décision, projet européen “MySpine”, GIEDA Inter Rachis 2013, Nice.

Varga PP, Szövérfi Z, moderator: Gold Standards in Spine Tumor Surgery, AOSpine Webinar, 2012.

Selected Conference Presentations

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Koszo I, Papik K, Varga PP: Predicting high surgical treatment costs at primary spinal tumor patients. Eurospine, Dubai, 2016.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Koszo I, Papik K, Varga PP: Predicting high surgical treatment costs at primary spinal tumor patients. Eurospine, Copenhagen, 2015.

Varga PP, Z. Szövérfi, A. Lazary, Z. Gokaslan, C. Fisher, S. Boriani, M. Dekutoski, D. Chou, N. Quraishi, M. Fehlings, L. Rhines: Prognostic variables for local recurrence and overall survival after surgical treatment of sacral chordoma – an analysis from the AOSpine Tumor Knowledge Forum Primary Spinal Tumor Retrospective Database. Eurospine 2014, Lyon.

Varga PP, Szövérfi Z, Gokaslan Z, Fisher C, Boriani S, Dekutoski M, Chou D, Quraishi N, Fehlings M, Rhines L: Surgical treatment of sacral chordoma: prognostic variables for local recurrence and overall survival. 27th Annual Meeting of the European Musculo-Skeletal Oncology Society (E.M.S.O.S.), 2014, Vienna.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Varga PP: Primary Spinal Tumor Mortality Score (PSTMS): A Novel Scoring System for Predicting Poor Survival. PhD Scientific Meeting 2014, Budapest.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Varga PP: A Novel Scoring System for Primary Spine Tumors. BSpine 2013, Budapest.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Bozsódi Á, Varga PP: The Primary Tumor Mortality Score: New Tool for the Estimation of Survival in Primary Spine Tumor Patients. Eurospine 2013, Liverpool.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Bozsódi Á, Varga PP: Tumor-like Lesions of the Spine: An Institutional Series of 23 Cases. Global Spine Congress, 2013, Hong Kong.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Bozsódi Á, Varga PP: GCT of the Sacrum, Series of 8 Cases. Spine Experts Group Meeting, 2012, Ljubljana.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Bors IB, Varga PP: Wound Healing Complications of Sacral Chordoma Resections in the Elderly. Spine Experts Group Meeting, 2012, Ljubljana.

Szövérfi Z, Lazáry Á, Varga PP: GCT in the Sacrum – in the Primary Tumor Database of the National Center of Spinal Disorders. 2nd Bologna Budapest Spine Meeting, 2012, Budapest.