Don Young Park, MD

Don Young Park, MD

Spine Surgery
Accepting new patients
Primary Location
Spine Center
1131 Wilshire Boulevard
Suite 100
Santa Monica, California 90401
Phone
Fax
424-259-6930
+1 more location
Meet Dr. Park

About

Dr. Don Young Park is a Board Certified, fellowship trained Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon with an expertise in minimally invasive spine surgery. He uses advanced minimally invasive techniques, including spinal endoscopy, to treat spinal degenerative conditions, spinal deformity, spine tumor, and spinal trauma.  Dr. Park is the Vice Chair of Quality and Safety for the department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCLA.

Dr. Park was the very first to perform endoscopic spine surgery at UCLA and one of the first to perform Dual Portal endoscopic surgery in the country. He teaches residents, fellows, and surgeons from across the United States on endoscopic spine surgery and directs the endoscopic spine surgery research program at UCLA.  Dr. Park is nationally and internationally recognized as a thought leader in endoscopic spine surgery and lectures regularly on the innovative technique.

Dr. Park was born and raised in Los Angeles. He is proud to be an alumnus of UCLA and now part of the faculty at UCLA.  Dr. Park received his medical degree from the UCSD School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency and spine surgery fellowship at Stanford. During his time at Stanford, Dr. Park published groundbreaking research in stem cell transplantation in spinal cord injury and was awarded the Cervical Spine Research Society 1st place Fellow Research Award in 2011. He was also awarded the Research Award at Stanford upon graduation. He has authored both basic science and clinical peer-reviewed journal articles, as well as written textbook chapters in spine surgery. Dr. Park has presented his research both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Park has a special interest in medical education and clinical research, which brought him to academic medicine at UCLA.  Most importantly, he provides the best surgical results for his patients with the most advanced, cutting edge techniques in minimally invasive spine surgery.

Languages

Korean, English

Education

Medical Board Certification

Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2014

Fellowship

Spine Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2012

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2011

Degree

MD, UCSD School of Medicine, 2006

Recognitions

Locations

Santa Monica

Spine Center

Interventional Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine| Spinal Cord Injury Medicine| Spine Surgery +1 more specialty
310-319-3475
Location Details
West Los Angeles

Westwood Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopedic Surgery| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation| Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Surgery +5 more specialties
310-319-3475
Location Details

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

Areas of Focus

Minimally invasive spine surgery
Spinal stenosis
Spine microsurgery
Spondylolisthesis
Spine fusion
Endoscopic spine surgery

Videos

Profile
Meet Don Young Park, MD
Dual Portal Endoscopic Spine Surgery | Don Young Park, MD | UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center
Spine Surgery: What to Expect
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: the State of the Art
Tips for Healthy Living | Don Young Park, MD - UCLA Health

Research

Interests

  • Endoscopic Spine Surgery Outcome Studies
  • Spine Database Studies
  • Applications of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence to Spine Surgery Clinical Studies
  • Spinal Alignment Clinical Studies
  • Spine-Knee Relationship Clinical Studies

Publications

  1. Park DY, Rubenson J, Carr A, Mattson J, Besier T, Chou L.  The Influence of Acute Static Stretching and Warm-up on Achilles Tendon Material Properties.  Foot Ankle Int. 2011 Apr:32(4):407-413.
  2. Park DY, Rinsky LA.  Ewing’s Sarcoma of the Humerus in a Three-Year-Old Boy Requiring Radical En-bloc Resection and Total Humeral Expandable Prosthetic Replacement: A Case Report.  Surgery 2011, 1:101.
  3. Yao J, Woon C, Behn AW, Korotkova T, Park DY, Gajendran V, Smith L.  The Effect of Suture Coated with Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Bioactive Substrate on tendon Repair Strength in a Rat Model.  J Hand Surg Am. 2012 Jun 2
  4. Cheng I, Mayle RE, Cox C, Park DY, Smith RL, Corcoran-Schwartz I, Ponnusamy KE, Oshtory R, Smuck MW, Mitra R, Kharazi AI, Carragee EJ.  Functional Assessment of the Acute Local and Distal Transplantation of Human Neural Stem Cells Following Spinal Cord Injury.  Spine J. 2012 Nov;12(11):1040-
  5. Park DY, Mayle RE, Smith RE, Corcoran-Schwartz I, Kharazi AI, Cheng I.  Combined Transplantation of Human Neuronal and Mesenchymal Stem Cells Following Spinal Cord Injury.  Global Spine J. 2013 Mar;3(1):1-6. 
  6. Cheng I, Githens M, Smith RL, Johnston TR, Park DY, Stauff MP, Salari N, Tileston KR, Kharazi AI.  Local Versus Distal Transplantation of Human Neural Stem Cells Following Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.  Spine J. 2016 Jun;16(6):764-9.
  7. Park DY, Cheng I.  Response to the Letter to the Editor Regarding: “Local Versus Distal Transplantation of Human Neural Stem Cells Following Chronic Spinal Cord Injury” by Cheng I et al.  Spine J. 2016 Jun;16(6):793-4.
  8. Arshi A, Sharim J, Park DY, Park HY, Yazdanshenas H, Bernthal NM, Shamie AN.  Prognostic Determinants and Treatment Outcomes Analysis of Osteosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma of the Spine.  Spine J. 2016 Nov 14. Pii: S1529-9430(16)31062-2.
  9. Yamaguchi K, Mathew J, Lhi, J, Park DY.  Acute and Rapid Development of Spontaneous Epidural Hematoma of the Spine Associated with Combined Aspirin-Dipyramidole Therapy. JBJS Case Connect. 2017 Jan-Mar;7(1):e1
  10. Arshi A, Sharim J, Park DY, Park HY, Bernthal NM, Yazdanshenas H, Shamie AN.  Chondrosarcoma of the Osseous Spine: An Analysis of Epidemiology, Patient Outcomes, and Prognostic Factors using the SEER Registry (1973-2012).  Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2017 May 1;42(9):644-652.
  11. Drysch A, Ajiboye R, Sharma A, Li J, Reza T, Harley D, Park DY, Pourtaheri S.  Effectiveness of Reoperations for Adjacent Segment Disease Following Lumbar Spinal Fusion: A Systematic Review. Orthopedics. 2017 Jun 29:1-7.
  12. Arshi A, Wang C, Park HY, Blumstein GW, Buser Z, Wang JC, Shamie AN, Park DY.  Ambulatory Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion is Associated with a Higher Risk of Revision Surgery and Perioperative Complications: An Analysis of a Large Nationwide Database.  Spine J. 2017 Nov 16.pii: S1529-9430(17)31165-8.
  13. Cheng I, Park DY, Mayle RE, Githens M, Smith RL, Park HY, Hu SS, Alamin TF, Wood KB, Kharazi AI.  Does Timing of Transplantation of Neural Stem Cells Following Spinal Cord Injury Affect Outcomes in an Animal Model?  J Spine Surg. 2017 Dec;3(4):567-571.
  14. Ahlquist S, Gatto J, Park HY, Shamie AN, Park DY.  Does Approach Matter?  A Comparative Radiographic Analysis of Spinopelvic Parameters in Single Level Lumbar Fusion. Spine J. 2018 Apr 6. pii: S1529-9430(18)30125-6. 
  15. Arshi A, Wang C, Park HY, Blumstein GW, Buser Z, Wang JC, Shamie AN, Park DY.  Outpatient Posterior Lumbar Fusion: A Population-Based Analysis of Trends and Complication Rates. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2018.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2018 Apr 10. 
  16. Park HY, Park DY. Increased Specialization in Spine Surgery and its Implications on Delivery and Access to Care in the United States Healthcare System.  AME Med J 2018;3:56.
  17. Shaw K, Chen J, Sheppard W, Alazzeh M, Park HY, Park DY, Shamie AN.  Use of Lumbar Subcutaneous Lumbar Spine Index as a Predictor for Surgical Complications in Lumbar Spine Surgery. Spine J. 2018 Apr 27. pii: S1529-9430(18)30191-8.
  18. Park HY, Sheppard W, Smith R, Xiao J, Drysch A, Gatto J, Ajiboye R, Bowen R, Scaduto A, Holly L, Lu DC, McBride D, Shamie AN, Park DY.  The Combined Administration of Vancomycin IV, Standard Prophylactic Antibiotics, and Vancomycin Powder in Spinal Instrumentation Surgery: A Consecutive Case Series Examining Infection Rates and Bacterial Resistance.  J Spine Surg. 2018 Jun;4(2):173-179. 
  19. Hsiue PP, Stavrakis AI, Chen CJ, Park HY, Shamie AN, Hornicek F, Park DY.  Surgical Treatment of Metastatic Spine Disease: An Update on National Trends and Clinical Outcomes from 2010-2014.  Spine J. 2020 Jun;20(6):915-924. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2020.02.010. Epub 2020 Feb
  20. Park DY.  The Advent of Smartphone Applications in Spine Surgery: Bringing the Field to the 21st Century.  Neurospine. 2020 Mar;17(1):143-145. doi: 10.14245/ns.2040066.033. Epub 2020 Mar 31. 
  21. Ahlquist S, Kelley B, Park HY, Holly L, Shamie AN, Park DY.  The Efficacy and Safety of Early VTE Chemoprophylaxis Within 24 Hours of Surgical Intervention After Spinal Cord Injury.  Neurospine. 2020 Jun;17(2):407-416. doi: 10.14245/ns.1938420.210. Epub 2020 Jun 30.
  22. Ahlquist S, Thommen R, Park HY, Sheppard W, James K, Lord E, Shamie AN, Park DY. Implications of sagittal alignment and complication profile with stand-alone anterior lumbar interbody fusion versus anterior posterior lumbar fusion. J Spine Surg. 2020 Dec;6(4):659-669. doi: 10.21037/jss-20-595. PMID: 33447668; PMCID: PMC7797796.
  23. Sheppard WL, Upfill-Brown A, McKay KM, Park HY, Shah A, Park DY, Sassoon AA. Lumbar Spine Sagittal Mismatch Deformity Negatively Affects Total Knee Arthroplasty Outcomes. J Knee Surg. 2021 Feb 22. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1723979. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33618399.
  24. Shah AA, Karhade AV, Park HY, Sheppard WL, Macyszyn LJ, Everson RG, Shamie AN, Park DY, Schwab JH, Hornicek FJ. Updated external validation of the SORG machine learning algorithms for prediction of ninety-day and one-year mortality after surgery for spinal metastasis. Spine J. 2021 Mar 30:S1529-9430(21)00163-7. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2021.03.026. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33798728.
  25. Kelley BV, Hsiue PP, Upfill-Brown AM, Chen CJ, Villalpando C, Lord EL, Shamie AN, Stavrakis AI, Park DY. Utilization Trends and Outcomes of Computer-Assisted Navigation in Spine Fusion in the United States. Spine J. 2021 Mar 29:S1529-9430(21)00166-2. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2021.03.029. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33794362.
  26. Park HY, Hwang R, Sheppard WL, Blumstein G, Shah AA, Medina JA, Cargle MN, Bugarin A, Hamad CD, Proal JD, Smith R, Bernthal NM, Shamie AN, Park DY. Predictors of Medical Malpractice Outcomes After Spine Surgery: A Comprehensive Analysis From 2010 to 2019. Clin Spine Surg. 2021 Apr 19. doi: 10.1097/BSD.0000000000001184. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33872221.
  27. Grieg D, Zoller S, Sheppard W, Park DY.  Intermittent and Transient Hypotension-related Anterior Cord Syndrome following Elective Cervical Spine Surgery: A Case Report.  J Orthop Case Rep, Mar 2021; 11(3):21-24.
  28. Shah AA, Devana SK, Lee C, Bugarin A, Lord EL, Shamie AN, Park DY, van der Schaar M, SooHoo NF. Prediction of major complications and readmission after lumbar spinal fusion: a machine learning-driven approach. World Neurosurg. 2021 May 28:S1878-8750(21)00775-0. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.05.080. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34058366.
  29. Shah AA, Devana SK, Lee C, Bugarin A, Lord EL, Shamie AN, Park DY, van der Schaar M, SooHoo NF. Machine learning-driven identification of novel patient factors for prediction of major complications after posterior cervical spinal fusion. Eur Spine J. 2022 Aug;31(8):1952-1959. doi: 10.1007/s00586-021-06961-7. Epub 2021 Aug 15. PMID: 34392418; PMCID: PMC8844303.
  30. Chen CJ, Shah AA, Hsiue PP, Subhash AK, Lord EL, Park DY, Stavrakis AI. Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction (Ogilvie Syndrome) After Primary Spinal Fusion: An Analysis of Outcomes and Risk Factors from 2005 to 2014. World Neurosurg. 2021 Nov;155:e612-e620. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2021.08.110. Epub 2021 Sep 1. PMID: 34481105.
  31. Sheppard WL, McKay KM, Upfill-Brown A, Blumstein G, Park HY, Shah A, Sassoon AA, Park DY. Severity and location of lumbar spine stenosis affects the outcome of total knee arthroplasty. J Orthop Surg Res. 2021 Dec 20;16(1):720. doi: 10.1186/s13018-021-02864-x. PMID: 34930340; PMCID: PMC8686657.
  32. Yazdanshenas H, Osias E, Hwang R, Park DY, Lord E, Shamie AN. Retrospective evaluation of cervical fusion with DTRAX (R) cervical cage. J Craniovertebr Junction Spine. 2022 Jan-Mar;13(1):48-54. doi: 10.4103/jcvjs.jcvjs_150_21. Epub 2022 Mar 9. PMID: 35386243; PMCID: PMC8978854.
  33. Karhade AV, Fenn B, Groot OQ, Shah AA, Yen HK, Bilsky MH, Hu MH, Laufer I, Park DY, Sciubba DM, Steyerberg EW, Tobert DG, Bono CM, Harris MB, Schwab JH. Development and external validation of predictive algorithms for 6-week mortality in spinal metastasis using 4,304 patients from 5 institutions. Spine J. 2022 Jul 14:S1529-9430(22)00790-2. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2022.07.089. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35843533.
  34. Shah AA, Devana SK, Lee C, Bugarin A, Hong MK, Upfill-Brown A, Blumstein G, Lord EL, Shamie AN, van der Schaar M, SooHoo NF, Park DY. A Risk Calculator for the Prediction of C5 Nerve Root Palsy After Instrumented Cervical Fusion. World Neurosurg. 2022 Jul 22:S1878-8750(22)01030-0. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.07.082. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35872129.

Recognitions

  • Super Doctors® Southern California, 2023
  • Top Doctors, Los Angeles Magazine, 2021
  • Super Doctors® Southern California Rising Stars 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Awarded Best Paper, "Utilizing big data to determine the safety profile of recombinant human BMP-2 in spinal fusion surgery: An analysis of 5 databases from 2003 to 2017."  North American Spine Society, 37th Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, October 2022.
  • Awarded Best Paper, “Ambulatory Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion is Associated with a Higher Risk of Revision Surgery and Perioperative Complications: An Analysis of a Large Nationwide Database.”  North American Spine Society, 33rd Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, September 2018
  • Nominated for Best Paper, “Does Approach Matter?  A Comparative Radiographic Analysis of Spinopelvic Parameters in Single Level Lumbar Fusion.”  2018 International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, Annual Meeting, April 2018
  • Cervical Spine Research Society, 1st place Fellow Research Award, 2011
  • Stanford Orthopaedic Surgery Chief Resident of the Year Award, 2011         
  • Stanford Orthopaedic Surgery Research Award, 2011
  • Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 2009 Best PGY3 Orthopaedic Teaching Resident of the Year Award
  • National Institutes of Health, Summer Research Training Fellowship, 2002
  • UCLA Chancellor’s Service Award, 2001
  • UCLA Alumni Association Scholar, 1996-2001
  • Provost’s Honors List, 1996-2001

Links