Christopher Sliva, MD

As a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, Dr. Christopher Sliva specializes in the treatment of herniated discs, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and degenerative diseases of the spine. He has extensive experience in the treatment of spinal tumors, infections, complex revision surgery, and trauma in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. His practice expertise includes spinal deformity such as scoliosis and kyphosis in adults and children.

Dr. Sliva’s interest in pursuing a medical career was triggered when he sustained an athletic-related knee injury while growing up in a small central Illinois town. The science of surgery fascinated him, but he also recognized there was an art to understanding who will best benefit from a surgical procedure. Following his graduation with High Honors and Departmental Distinction with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, Dr. Sliva was accepted to Rush Medical College where he received his medical degree before beginning a five-year residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Iowa. Honing his specialist skills further, he then completed advanced additional training as a Spine Surgery Fellow at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Today, Dr. Sliva strives to reflect his personal core values in his patient interactions. He offers compassion, honesty, integrity, and the highest level of surgical care. His goal after diagnosis is to ensure his patients have a complete understanding of their treatment options and to then reach a shared decision as to the best treatment plan.

When not practicing medicine, Dr. Sliva serves as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford and volunteers his time providing orthopedic care to the children at Walter Lawson Children’s Home in Loves, Park, Illinois. Weekends and evenings find him actively involved with community, church, and his children’s school activities. He is an avid collegiate sports fan and personally enjoys a round of golf with friends, kicking a soccer ball with his daughter, skiing with his son, or running trails with his wife.