He then completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, VA, and then served as a staff Orthopaedic Surgeon and Department Head of Orthopaedics at the Naval Hospital in Sigonella, Sicily. Dr. Petilon then completed a combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical spine fellowship at the prestigious Norton Leatherman Spine Center in 2011.
Dr. Petilon returned to the Naval Hospital at Portsmouth, VA as a staff Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon in 2011 where he treated military members and families as well as retirees and the elite SEAL teams. Additionally, he acted as a professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He further served his country with a tour in Afghanistan in 2012 as the operating room Department Head and performed hundreds of procedures on victims of wartime injuries.
Dr. Petilon’s practice focuses on the treatment of adult patients with both simple and complex spine problems, including herniated discs, degenerative disease of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, deformity, revision surgery and disease of the sacroiliac joint. Dr. Petilon evaluates each patient individually with a comprehensive approach, offering both non-operative and surgical treatment plans to help alleviate acute and chronic pain as well as associated neurological symptoms. When surgery is indicated, Dr. Petilon utilizes both open and the latest minimally invasive techniques to provide patients optimal results and recovery.
Dr. Petilon has authored several publications in peer reviewed spine and orthopaedic journals and has presented at the podium at national and international spine meetings. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons and North American Spine Society.