Richard Lee, MD
-
Primary Specialty:
Orthopedic Surgery (Board Certified)
- Surgery of the Spine
Procedures:
- Artificial Disc Replacement
- Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF)
- Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF)
- Bone Grafting
- Complex Spinal Column Reconstruction
- Computer Navigated Spine Surgery
- Discectomy
- Disc Replacement Surgery
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Laminotomy
- Lateral Lumbar Spinal Fusion
- Microscopic Spine Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Posterior Cervical and Lumbar Microdiscectomy / Microdecompression
- Posterior Cervical Fusion
- Scoliosis Surgery
- Spinal Fusion
- Spine Stabilization
- Spinal Instrumentation
- Spine Arthroplasty
Conditions:
- Arthritis
- Acute Spinal Fracture
- Bulging Disc
- Cervical Fracture
- Cervical Stenosis
- Chronic Back & Cervical Pain
- Compression Fracture from Osteoporosis
- Degenerative Back and Neck Disorders
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Facet Joint Syndrome
- Failed Laminectomy Syndrome
- Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
- Herniated Disc
- Kyphosis
- Myelopathy / Spinal Cord Injury
- Neck Sprain
- Neuropathic Pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteomyelitis / Bone Infection
- Radiculopathy / Pinched Nerve
- Ruptured Disc
- Sacroiliac (SI) Joint Pain
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Slipped Disc
- Spinal Deformities
- Spinal Fractures
- Spinal Infections
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spinal Tumors
- Spondylolysis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Traumatic Spinal Injury
- Thoracic Conditions
- Whiplash
Biography
A southern California native, Richard Lee, M.D., is board certified in orthopedic surgery specializing in minimally invasive surgery of the spine. He treats the entire spectrum of spinal conditions including cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine pathologies. Employing the most current and advanced operative techniques, Dr. Lee performs surgical procedures of the spine with the goal of returning patients to function as quickly as possible.
Dr. Lee’s interest in spinal surgery is a combination of several academic interests during his schooling. In college, he studied neurobiology and was intrigued by the complexity of the human nervous system. His laboratory research included work on the effects of microgravity on gene expression in bone and muscle cells in outer space. These early experiences as an undergraduate student and NASA researcher primed his interest in orthopedic and spinal surgery as a medical student.
“What I enjoy most about spinal surgery is the opportunity to combine science and art to help patients rehab from physically debilitating conditions.”
Dr. Lee attended the University of California at Berkeley for his undergraduate degree in molecular biology. He went on to attend medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. He completed his surgical internship and orthopedic surgery residency at the Yale School of Medicine, followed by a combined orthopedic and neurosurgical spinal surgery fellowship at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Lee resides in Newport Beach and enjoys running and cycling in his spare time.
- Medical School
-
Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Medical Doctor)
- Internship
-
Yale School of Medicine (General Surgery)
- Residency
-
Yale School of Medicine (Orthopedic Surgery)
- Fellowship
-
Harvard Medical School (Spinal Surgery Fellowship)
-
American Board of Orthopedic Surgery
- Doctorate of Medicine with Distinction, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2003)
- Alpha Omega Alpha, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (2003)
- B.A. Molecular Biology with Honors, University of California, Berkeley (1998)
- Hoag Hospital - Irvine
- Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian - Newport Beach
- Hoag Orthopedic Institute
- Newport Orthopedic Institute - Irvine Orthopedics
- Newport Orthopedic Institute - Newport Beach Orthopedics