Christian Gaffney, MD, MSc

Devoted to helping patients with back and neck problems return to their active, healthy lifestyles, Dr. Christian Gaffney offers the highest level of specialized spine care. As a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon, Dr. Gaffney has extensive experience in treating spine conditions in adults, adolescents, and children.

Dr. Gaffney recognizes that spine disorders are best managed with a team approach. As such, he works with other spine specialists to ensure that his patients have every possible treatment option available to them. Dr. Gaffney pursues nonsurgical methods whenever possible to ease pain and improve function. When surgery is needed, he strives to perform minimally invasive, motion-preserving procedures so his patients can achieve the best possible results and enjoy the fastest recovery.

Dr. Gaffney graduated summa cum laude with Bachelor of Science degrees in Electrical Engineering and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was then awarded a scholarship to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, where he graduated with highest honors with a Master of Science degree in Medical Anthropology. Dr. Gaffney subsequently attended Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, earning his Doctor of Medicine degree.

After graduating from Harvard Medical School, Dr. Gaffney went to Salt Lake City, Utah, to complete the University of Utah’s orthopedic surgery residency program—one of the most rigorous programs in the country. He subsequently completed a spine surgery fellowship, with an additional year of intensive surgical training, at the Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twin Cities Spine Center holds one of the most historic and highly selective fellowships in the world. It is a renowned institution for education, research, and the treatment of spinal disorders.

Dr. Gaffney is board-certifed with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is available to see patients in Rapid City, South Dakota at The Spine Center, and Gillette, Wyoming.