Our Doctors
Who We Are
Dr. Erik Bendiks
Board Certified Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon
Dr. Erik Bendiks is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, a leading spine surgeon and researcher, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Bendiks has been nominated as a Top Doctor by the International Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, lectured at numerous conferences, and taught other spine surgeons on new techniques and technology to include his knowledge and development of new implant designs. Dr. Bendiks completed his medical school training at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas Texas, followed by Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami Florida, and Fellowship in Spine Surgery at the University of Rochester/Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York. In 2015 he founded Georgia Spine and Orthopaedics, and in 2018 founded the Surgery Center of Roswell. Dr. Bendiks is affiliated with multiple hospitals throughout the Atlanta metro area, and on staff with the Surgery Center of Roswell. Dr. Bendiks speaks fluent English, Spanish, and French. Away from work Dr. Bendiks enjoys fishing, growing vegetables and herbs in his garden, spending time jumping on the trampoline with his kids, skiing, and tinkering in his tool shed.
Dr. Vinson Smith
Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Smith is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon. Dr Smith completed his medical degree from the University of Florida, then went on to complete his Orthopaedic Residency in Brooklyn, NY. Following completion of his residency program in Brooklyn, Dr. Smith then pursed Fellowship training in Sports Medicine at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa, Florida.
Following completion of his Fellowship, Dr Smith relocated to the Atlanta area where he has lived with his family and practiced Orthopaedic Surgery for the past 14 years. Dr. Smith is well versed in the treatment of all General Orthopaedics, and thanks to his additional Fellowship training he is adept in advanced arthroscopic techniques in the treatment of joints, as well as minimally invasive surgery. Dr Smith is well published and stays up to date on all the latest techniques and treatment alternatives in Orthopaedic surgery. He has treated professional, collegiate, and high school athletes, however takes pride in treating the everyday blue collar person. Dr. Smith would love to meet you and promises to treat you as a member of his own family. He is on staff at Southern Regional Medical Center, Piedmont Henry Hospital, and the Surgery Center of Roswell.
Dr. Smith is married with two children, and enjoys spending time with his family wakeboarding, wakesurfing, hiking and helping his father on the farm.
Dr. Daryl L. Figa
Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Dr. Daryl L. Figa is Board Certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation with a Subspecialty of Pain Medicine. He has over 20 years of experience in interventional pain management including Epidural Spinal Injections, Facet Joint Blocks, Sacroiliac Joint Blocks, Radiofrequency Ablations, EMGs, and Provocative Discography. Dr. Figa completed his Medical Degree at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, followed by Residency at Emory University School of Medicine, where he was Chief Resident for three years. Dr. Figa has a special interest in Physiatry and is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Figa has served as a clinical professor and as Medical Director for a large health insurer in utilization claims review. In his free time, he likes to paint, hike, ski, and bike.
Dr. Stanley Tao
Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr. Stanley Tao is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon with a certificate of added qualification in Sports Medicine. Dr. Tao completed his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He completed both his internship and residency programs in the Orthopaedic Surgery program at the Medical College of Ohio, in addition to a Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Fellowship at Orthopaedic Research of Virginia. Dr. Tao specializes in Sports Medicine and joint surgeries, is well published, and strives to help you select the best treatment to provide the best outcome. Dr. Tao is a Castle Connolly Top Doctor, and has been named Americas Top Physician annually since 2004. Dr. Tao enjoys spending time with family, traveling, playing tennis, and basketball.
Dr. Laviel Fernandez
Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon
Dr. Fernandez completed his undergraduate studies in Public Health Services at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, in 2011. He then pursued his medical education at Stony Brook School of Medicine in Stony Brook, New York, graduating in 2017. Following this, he successfully completed his Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital in New York, New York, in 2022. Further enhancing his expertise, he completed a fellowship in spine surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2023. Fluent in Spanish and conversational French, Dr. Fernandez finds enjoyment in activities like traveling, fitness, nutrition, baseball, and football when he's away from work.
Dr. Heather Horton
Board Certified Neurologist
Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Dr. Heather Horton completed her Medical Degree at Meharry Medical College in 2012. Her Neurology residency followed at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in 2016. With 6 years of experience as a Neurologist and Neurohospitalist, she specializes in headache disorders. Dr. Horton's interest in entrepreneurship emerged during Medical School and led her to pursue an Executive MBA from the University of Tennessee, which she achieved in December 2022. Balancing her professional journey with motherhood, she cares for her 7-year-old son and infant triplet girls. Outside of her medical and family roles, she hones her culinary skills in her spare time.
