About
Sebastian Bigdon, MD
Spine surgeon at Orthopädie Sonnenhof. Privatdozent (Habilitation) and Senior Researcher at the University of Bern. From endoscopic procedures to complex revisions.
My approach
Patients arrive either with the worry that surgery is unavoidable — or with a recommended operation about which they feel uncertain. My role is to assess these situations soberly: what is the natural course? Have realistic conservative options been exhausted? And if surgery is to be performed — with which technique, with which risk, with which expected benefit?
These questions deserve time. Initial consultations are planned so that there is room to review prior records, examine the patient, and talk through the options — so that you leave with a clear, written recommendation.
Academically, my focus lies on the management of osteoporotic vertebral fractures, on the classification of thoracolumbar trauma, and on the quality of surgical indication. This research feeds directly back into every consultation.
Current appointments
- Spine surgeon, Orthopädie Sonnenhof — consultations and surgery in Bern, Burgdorf and Langnau im Emmental, working alongside Prof. Paul F. Heini, Prof. Lorin M. Benneker, Prof. Christoph Albers, Dr. Mark Kleinschmidt, Dr. Regula Teuscher, Dr. Peter Diel.
- Senior Consultant with responsibility for spine care, Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Orthopädie Sonnenhof – Emmental site.
- Senior Researcher, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital Bern.
- VIP Consultant, SarinaMed Gstaad.
- Team physician for the Bern Grizzlies (American football). In addition, care for further elite athletes with spine-related injuries and sport-specific complaints.
- Member of the examination board, Clinical Skills Training, 3rd semester, University of Bern.
- Privatdozent, University of Bern.
Career
- since 2024Senior Consultant with responsibility for spine careDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Orthopädie Sonnenhof – Emmental site
- since 2024Senior ResearcherDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital Bern
- 2023Habilitation, Privatdozent (Venia Legendi)University of Bern
- 2023Subspecialty title in Interventional Pain Therapy SSIPMSwitzerland
- 2021Subspecialty title in Interdisciplinary Spine SurgerySwitzerland
- 2021AO Spine Fellowship in Deformity SurgeryBudapest
- 2019Specialist FMH, Orthopaedic Surgery and TraumatologySwitzerland
- 2017–2024Resident, fellow, senior physician and researchDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital Bern
- 2016Subspecialty title in Emergency MedicineGermany
- 2012–2016Resident, Orthopaedics and Trauma SurgeryUniversity Hospital Freiburg im Breisgau
- 2013Doctorate Dr. med. (magna cum laude)University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
- 2005–2011Medical studiesUniversity of Hamburg, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung scholar
Academic profile and international engagement
More than 70 publications in PubMed-indexed peer-reviewed journals, plus book chapters and a peer-reviewed surgical teaching video. Co-Principal Investigator on an AO Spine International Project on conservative versus operative management of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures (total volume approx. CHF 800,000). Competitive third-party funding of approximately CHF 242,000. Around 1,000 hours of curricular teaching at the University of Bern.
- AO Foundation / AO Spine — Steering Member, Knowledge Forum Trauma & Infection
- Programme Committee, AO Spine Global Spine Congress 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
- Faculty, AO SpineWeek Melbourne 2023
- Reviewer for several international spine surgery journals
Memberships
- FMH – Swiss Medical Association
- EUROSPINE – The Spine Society of Europe
- AO Spine International
- DWG – German Spine Society (Deutsche Wirbelsäulengesellschaft)
- Junges Forum der DWG (DWG Young Forum)
Personal
Born 1985 in Hamburg, based in Switzerland for over a decade. Married, two children. Languages: German (native), English (fluent), French (good), Polish (basic). Personal interests: triathlon, road cycling, dance and travel. Konrad-Adenauer scholar during medical studies; politically active in Germany 2002–2012, including as a research assistant in the German Bundestag; trained mediator (2003–2004).
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