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Philip Yuan, M.D.

Philip Yuan, M.D. Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

Philip Yuan, M.D.

Dr. Philip Yuan is a board certified Orthopedic Surgeon and fellowship trained spinal surgeon. He specializes in the treatment of all spinal disorders including issues with the neck and back. He treats conditions that affect the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine utilizing both surgical and non-surgical interventions. Dr. Yuan emphasizes non-surgical treatment first and only recommends surgical procedures when absolutely necessary to better a patient’s quality of life.

Training in minimally invasive techniques and robotic surgeries makes Dr. Yuan an excellent choice for patients looking to undergo a minimally invasive operation. His dedication to his patients keeps Dr. Yuan actively involved in cutting edge research to help further improve treatment options. He has published numerous research articles and presented his findings both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Yuan was born and raised in Syracuse, New York. He earned a B.S. degree with distinction in Biochemistry in 1993 from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and qualified as a Howard Hughes Scholar. Dr. Yuan earned his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1997 from the University of Michigan Medical School. During medical school he co-authored his first of many subsequent articles, which was published in Spine.

Dr. Yuan came to the West Coast for an Internship in General Surgery and his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of California San Diego. In 2003 he was offered the prestigious Spine Surgery Fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University and the Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Yuan is the Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Long Beach. He is the only physician at Long Beach Memorial that has focused his practice solely on spinal surgery, which allows him to keep up to date on all less invasive surgical options.

Dr. Yuan participates in numerous ongoing research studies to stay at the top of his field.

Outside of medicine, Dr Yuan enjoys traveling, tennis, basketball, golf, snowboarding, wakeboarding, electronics, automobiles and spending time with his wife and sons.

Specialties

Dr. Yuan specializes in the treatment of all spinal disorders (neck and back) and specializes in the following:

Education
  • Undergraduate: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Medical: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Training
  • Orthopaedic Surgery Residency: University of California, San Diego, CA
  • Spine Fellowship: Thomas Jefferson University and the Rothman Institute, Philadelphia, PA
Professional Affiliations
  • North American Spine Society
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • California Orthopaedic Association
Hospital Affiliations
Publications
Peer Reviewed
  • Yuan PS, Albert TJ “Managing degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis” The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine 2009 June: 222-231.
  • Yuan PS, Day TF, Albert TJ, Morrison WB, Pimenta L, Cragg A, Weinstein M. “Anatomy of the Percutaneous Presacral Space for a Novel Fusion Technique.” J Spinal Disord Tech. 2006 Jun;19(4):237-241.
  • Smith HE, Vaccaro AR, Yuan PS, Papadopoulos S, Sasso R. The use of computerized image guidance in lumbar disk arthroplasty,” J Spinal Disord Tech. 2006 Feb;19(1):22-7.
  • Smith HE, Yuan PS, Sasso R, Papadopolous S, Vaccaro AR. “An evaluation of image-guided technologies in the placement of percutaneous iliosacral screws.” Spine. 2006 Jan 15;31(2):234-8.
  • Vaccaro AR, Yuan PS, Smith HE, Hott J, Sasso R, Papadopoulos S. “An evaluation of image-guided technologies in the placement of anterior thoracic vertebral body screws in spinal trauma: a cadaver study,” J Spinal Cord Med. 2005;28(4):308-13.
  • Goins ML, Wimberley DW, Yuan PS, Fitzhenry LN, Vaccaro AR. “Nucleus pulposus replacement: an emerging technology.” Spine J. 2005 Nov-Dec;5(6 Suppl):317S-324S.
  • Yuan PS and Albert TJ, “Managing Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis,” The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine, Vol. 21, No. 12, pp. 640-7, December 2004.
  • Yuan PS and Albert TJ, (selected Instructional Course Lecture) “Nonsurgical and Surgical Management of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis,” The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. Vol 86-A, No. 10, pp. 2319-2330, October 2004.
  • Yuan PS, Pring ME, Gaynor TP, Mubarak SJ, Newton PO, “Compartment syndrome following intramedullary fixation of pediatric forearm fractures,” J Pediatr Orthop. 2004 Jul-Aug;24(4):370-5.
  • Peters D, Barash I, Burdi M, Yuan PS, Mathew L, Friden J, Lieber R, “Asynchronous Functional, Cellular, and Transcriptional Changes after a Bout of Eccentric Exercise in the Rat,” J Physiol. Vol 553(Pt 3), pp. 947-57, December 15, 2003.
  • Park C, Allen M, Schoonmaker J, Yuan PS, Bai B, Yuan H, “Gelfoam as a barrier to prevent polymethylmethacrylate-induced thermal injury of the spinal cord: in vitro and in vivo studies in pigs,” J Spinal Disord. Vol 12, No. 6, pp. 496-500, December 1999.
  • Chen D, Fay L, Lok J, Yuan PS, Edwards W, Yuan H, “Increasing neuroforaminal volume by anterior interbody distraction in degenerative lumbar spine,” Spine, Vol. 20, No. 1, pp. 74-79, January 1995.
Non Peer Reviewed Publications
  • Crossfuse™ Surgical Technique – contributing designer to PEEK interbody cage, Pioneer Surgical Technology, 2008.
  • Solanas™ – Posterior Cervico-Thoracic Instrumentation System, Surgical Technique Guide, contributing surgeon aurthor, Alphatec Spine.
  • Yuan PS, Goins ML, Wimberley DW, Vaccaro AR, Albert TJ, Hilibrand AS, “A Less Traumatic Technique: Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery,” Orthopedic Technology Review. Vol. 6, No. 3, Mar/Apr 2004.
  • Yuan PS, Wimberley DW, Goins ML, Hilibrand AS, “Cervical Chymopapain Chemonucleolysis Producing Interbody Fusion: A Case Report,” The Jefferson Orthopaedic Journal, Vol XXXII, pp. 93-95, 2004.
  • Wimberley DW, Yuan PS, Goins ML, Vaccaro AR, “The Surgical Management of Traumatic Injuries of the Vertebral Column and Spinal Cord: An Update,” The Jefferson Orthopaedic Journal, Vol XXXII, pp. 96-103, 2004.
  • Goins ML, Wimberley DW, Yuan PS, Fitzhenry LN, Vaccaro AR, “Nucleus Pulposus Replacement, An Emerging Technology,” The Jefferson Orthopaedic Journal, Vol XXXII, pp86-92, 2004.
Book Chapters
  • Yuan PS, “Crosstrees Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation” Chapter 42. The Comprehensive Treatment of the Aging Spine Minimally Invasive and Advanced Techniques, Editor Yue, J. In Press.
  • Andersen DG, Yuan PS, Hanna A, Albert TJ. “Lumbosacral spine: Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion,” Rothman-Simeone The Spine Fifth Edition, edited by Herkowitz HN, Garfin SR, Eismont FJ, Bell GR, Balderston RA, Chap 24, pp. 361-370, Philadelphia, 2006.
  • Smith HE, Yuan PS, Vaccaro AR, “Minimally Invasive Posterior Lumbar Spine Surgery,” Spinal Instrumentation: Surgical Techniques, edited by Kim DH, Vaccaro AR, Fessler RG, Thieme, Chap. 111, pp. 803-12, 2005.
  • Smith HE, Yuan PS, Vaccaro AR, “MONARCH Spine System: Posterior Lumbar Spine,” Spinal Instrumentation: Surgical Techniques, edited by Kim DH, Vaccaro AR, Fessler RG; Thieme, Chap. 112, pp. 813-25, 2005.
  • Yuan PS, Smith HE, Vaccaro AR, Ozgur BM, Taylor WM. “Triad Open and MaXcess Minimal Access Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF), Spinal Instrumentation: Surgical Techniques, edited by Kim DH, Vaccaro AR, Fessler RG; Thieme, Chap. 141, pp. 1038-49, 2005.
  • Smith HE, Yuan PS, Vaccaro AR, “Neurovision JJB System,” Spinal Instrumentation: Surgical Techniques, edited by Kim DH, Vaccaro AR, Fessler RG; Thieme, Chap. 164, pp 1233-1238.
  • Yuan PS, Kim C, Yaszemski M, Currier B, “Primary Benign Tumors”, Spine (Orthopaedic Surgery Essentials), edited by CM Bono, SR Garfin; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2004.
  • Kim C, Yuan PS, Yaszemski M, Currier B, “Primary Malignant Tumors”, Spine (Orthopaedic Surgery Essentials), edited by CM Bono, SR Garfin; Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2004.