Michael Yang, MD

Professional Titles

• Neurosurgeon

Publications

• Yang MJ. The what, how, and why of an early career neurosurgeon. Presented at: Tufts University Neuroscience Grand Rounds; February 19, 2026; Boston, MA.
• Frerich J, Patel J, Yang MJ, Nail TJ, Riesenburger RI. Posterior approaches to cervical spine trauma. In: Steinmetz MP, Berven SH, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery: Techniques, Complication Avoidance, and Management. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2026:chap 170.
• Yang MJ, Nail TJ, Riesenburger RI, Benzel EC, Safain MG. Arachnoiditis and syringomyelia. In: Steinmetz MP, Berven SH, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery: Techniques, Complication Avoidance, and Management. 6th ed. Elsevier; 2026:chap 96.
• Yang MJ. Postoperative outcomes after vertebral body tether surgery: a focus on tether breakage and postoperative pain. Presented at: University of Colorado Department of Neurosurgery Grand Rounds; September 15, 2025; Aurora, CO.
• Plachta SM, Samdani AF, Pahys JM, Davuluri S, Yang MJ, Shah SA, Miyanji F, Newton PO, Hwang SW; Harms Study Group. In Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis, Do All Instrument-Related Complications Require Revision Surgery? Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2026 Aug 15;51(16):1171-1177. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000005523. Epub 2025 Oct 13. PMID: 41078227.
• Patel J, Dincer A, Wiepert L, Karimi H, Wang A, Kanter M, Olmos M, Yang M, Kosarchuk JJ, Kryzanski J, Riesenburger RI. Erector Spinae Plane Block Placement Utilizing Fluoroscopic Guidance Improves Efficiency in Lumbar Surgery. World Neurosurg. 2024 May;185:e886-e892. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2024.02.147. Epub 2024 Mar 5. PMID: 38453008.
• Yang MJ, Hwang SW, Samdani AF. Congenital and neuromuscular scoliosis. In: Baaj AA, Mummaneni PV, Uribe JS, Vaccaro AR, Greenberg MS, eds. Handbook of Spine Surgery. 3rd ed. Thieme Medical Publishers; 2024:chap 25.
• Yang MJ, Kim R, Singla A, Samdani AF. Classification of spondylolisthesis. In: Wollowick AL, Sarwahi V, eds. Spondylolisthesis: Diagnosis, Non-Surgical Management, and Surgical Techniques. 2nd ed. Springer International Publishing; 2023:chap 7.
• Yang MJ, Samdani AF, Pahys JM, Quinonez A, McGarry M, Toll B, Grewal H, Hwang SW. Pain After Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering: Incidence, Risk Factors, and Timing. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2023 Oct 15;48(20):1464-1471. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004779. Epub 2023 Jul 20. PMID: 37470388.
• Yang MJ, Samdani AF, Pahys JM, Quinonez A, McGarry M, Grewal H, Hwang SW. What Happens After a Vertebral Body Tether Break? Incidence, Location, and Progression With Five-year Follow-up. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2023 Jun 1;48(11):742-747. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000004665. Epub 2023 Apr 5. PMID: 37018440.
• Yang MJ, Rompala A, Samuel SP, Samdani A, Pahys J, Hwang S. Autofusion With Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods: A Case Report. Cureus. 2023 Mar 24;15(3):e36638. doi: 10.7759/cureus.36638. PMID: 37155436; PMCID: PMC10122916.
• Dincer A, Wang A, Kanter MJ, Olmos M, Yang M, Riesenburger RI, Kryzanski JT. Clinical Outcomes of Liposomal Bupivacaine Erector Spinae Block in Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion Surgery. Neurosurgery. 2023 Mar 1;92(3):590-598. doi: 10.1227/neu.0000000000002249. Epub 2022 Dec 5. PMID: 36512838; PMCID: PMC10158925.
• Yang MJ, Riesenburger RI, Kryzanski JT. The use of intra-operative navigation during complex lumbar spine surgery under spinal anesthesia. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2022 Apr;215:107186. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107186. Epub 2022 Feb 24. PMID: 35231677.
• Hernandez NS, George KM, Yang M, Nail J, Kryzanski J, Riesenburger RI. Feasibility of unilateral hemilaminectomy utilizing a Williams retractor for the resection of intradural-extramedullary spinal neoplasms. Neurochirurgie. 2022 Jan;68(1):4-10. doi: 10.1016/j.neuchi.2021.07.003. Epub 2021 Jul 27. PMID: 34329658.
• Hernandez NS, Wang AY, George K, Singh G, Yang MJ, Kryzanski JT, Riesenburger RI. Post-operative quadriparesis following posterior cervical laminectomy and fusion: A case-series of incidence, risk factors, and management. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2022 Feb;213:107124. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107124. Epub 2022 Jan 10. PMID: 35033792.
• Hwang SH, Plachta S, Pahys JM, Quinonez A, McGarry M, Yang MJ, Samdani AF. A five-year look at pulmonary function after both index and revision VBT. Podium presentation at: 16th International Congress on Early Onset Scoliosis and the Growing Spine; November 16, 2022; Rome, Italy.
• Hwang SH, Yang MJ, McGarry M, Pahys JM, Quinonez A, Toll BJ, Samdani AF. Outcomes of pain after vertebral body tether surgery. E-poster presentation at: 16th International Congress on Early Onset Scoliosis and the Growing Spine; November 16, 2022; Rome, Italy.
• Plachta S, Samdani AF, Pahys JM, Yang MJ, Shah S, Newton PO, Harms Study Group, Hwang SW. In adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, do all instrumentation-related complications require revision surgery? Podium presentation at: Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting; September 14, 2022; Stockholm, Sweden.
• Yang MJ, Hwang S, Samdani A, Quinonez A, McGarry M, Greywal H, Pahys J. What happens after a vertebral body tether break: incidence, location, and progression with 5-year follow-up. Podium presentation at: Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting; September 14, 2022; Stockholm, Sweden.
• Yang MJ, Hwang SW, Samdani AF, Quinonez A, McGarry M, Toll B, Greywal H, Pahys JM. Pain after vertebral body tether surgery: incidence, risk factors, and timing. E-poster presentation at: Scoliosis Research Society Annual Meeting; September 14, 2022; Stockholm, Sweden.
• Nail TJ, Yang MJ, Riesenburger RI. Posterior approaches to cervical spine trauma. In: Steinmetz MP, Berven SH, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery: Techniques, Complication Avoidance and Management. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2021:chap 166.
• Yang MJ, Nail TJ, Riesenburger RI, Benzel EC. Arachnoiditis and syringomyelia. In: Steinmetz MP, Berven SH, Benzel EC, eds. Benzel's Spine Surgery: Techniques, Complication Avoidance and Management. 5th ed. Elsevier; 2021:chap 94.
• Breton JM, Ludwig CG, Yang MJ, Nail TJ, Riesenburger RI, Liu P, Kryzanski JT. Spinal anesthesia in contemporary and complex lumbar spine surgery: experience with 343 cases. J Neurosurg Spine. 2021 Nov 5;36(4):534-541. doi: 10.3171/2021.7.SPINE21847. PMID: 34740182.
• Yang MJ, Arkun K, Kryzanski JT. C1-2 cyst presenting with syringobulbia: a case report. J Surg Case Rep. 2021 Apr 6;2021(4):rjab097. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjab097. PMID: 33854761; PMCID: PMC8024048.
• Yang MJ, Nail TJ, Winer J. Left Parietal Tumors Presenting with Smartphone Icon Visual Agnosia: Two Cases of a Modern Presentation of Gerstmann Syndrome. World Neurosurg. 2020 Oct;142:233-238. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.07.030. Epub 2020 Jul 13. PMID: 32673807.
• Breton JM, Yang MJ, Riesenburger RI. The use of decompressive segmental sublaminoplasty to treat myelopathy caused by lumbar stenosis in tethered cord syndrome. J Surg Case Rep. 2020 Mar 24;2020(3):rjaa041. doi: 10.1093/jscr/rjaa041. PMID: 32226600; PMCID: PMC7092679.
• Yang MJ, Arkun K, Heilman CB. Tumor-to-Tumor Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Vestibular Schwannoma. World Neurosurg. 2019 Aug;128:324-327. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2019.05.106. Epub 2019 May 21. PMID: 31125772.
• Ung TH, Yang M, Wang M, Harland T, Lillehei KO. Benefit of Intracystic Bleomycin for Symptomatic Recurrent Rathke Cleft Cyst. Oper Neurosurg. 2019 Sep 1;17(3):268-272. doi: 10.1093/ons/opy361. PMID: 30445570.
• Yang M, Loeb DF, Sprowell AJ, Trinkley KE. Design and Implementation of a Depression Registry for Primary Care. Am J Med Qual. 2019 Jan/Feb;34(1):59-66. doi: 10.1177/1062860618787056. Epub 2018 Jul 16. PMID: 30008227; PMCID: PMC6751137.
• Yang MJ, Whelan R, Madden J, Mulcahy Levy JM, Kleinschmidt-DeMasters BK, Hankinson TC, Foreman NK, Handler MH. Intracranial Ewing sarcoma: four pediatric examples. Childs Nerv Syst. 2018 Mar;34(3):441-448. doi: 10.1007/s00381-017-3684-7. Epub 2017 Dec 28. PMID: 29285586; PMCID: PMC5808087.
• Loeb DF, Trinkley KE, Yang MJ, Sprowell AS, Nease D. Improving the efficacy of a depression registry for use in a collaborative care model. Oral presentation at: The Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health Conference; December 14, 2015; Washington, DC.

Professional Memberships

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), Member
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), Member
• North American Spine Society (NASS), Member

Practice Locations

• UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital
• University of Colorado Hospital

Specialty Information

• Neurological Surgery
• Harvard Medical School - Certificate in Surgical Leadership, Certificate (2024)

• Brain and Nervous System
• Brain and Nervous System - Nerve injury
• Brain and Nervous System - Paralysis
• Brain and Nervous System - Plexiform Neurofibroma
• Brain and Nervous System - Spina Bifida
• Brain and Nervous System - Spinal Cord Injuries
• Brain and Nervous System - Spinal Cord Tumors
• Brain and Nervous System - Spine Diseases and Conditions
• Brain and Nervous System - Trauma / Nerve Injuries
• Brain and Nervous System - Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injuries
• Brain and Nervous System - Traumatic and Acquired Brain Injuries (e.g., traumatic brain injuries, strokes)
• Brain and Nervous System - Traumatic Brain Injury
• Brain and Nervous System - Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• Cancers - Cancer Surgery
• Cancers
• Spinal Deformity
• Spine
• Spine - Annular Tears/Fissures
• Spine - Arthritis and rheumatologic disorders of the spine
• Spine - Back Pain
• Spine - Back Sprain Injuries
• Spine - Back Strain Injuries
• Spine - Bulging Discs
• Spine - Bursitis
• Spine - Cervical disc herniation
• Spine - Cervical Myelopathy
• Spine - Cervical spinal stenosis
• Spine - Cervicalgia (Neck Pain)
• Spine - Degenerative back conditions
• Spine - Degenerative Disc Disease
• Spine - Degenerative neck conditions
• Spine - Degenerative Scoliosis
• Spine - Disc Extrusions
• Spine - Disc Prolapse
• Spine - Disc Protrusions
• Spine - Dorsalgia
• Spine - Facet Arthropathy
• Spine - Facet Syndrome
• Spine - Failed-back Syndrome
• Spine - Herniated Discs (HNP)
• Spine - Hip pain
• Spine - Intervertebral Disc Disorder
• Spine - Low-back Pain
• Spine - Lumbago
• Spine - Lumbalgia
• Spine - Lumbar disc herniation
• Spine - Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Spine - Myelopathy
• Spine - Neuritis
• Spine - Neurogenic Claudication
• Spine - Osteoporosis and compression fractures
• Spine - Peripheral nerve compression syndromes (such as carpal tunnel syndrome)
• Spine - Peripheral nerve injury
• Spine - Piriformis syndrome
• Spine - Post-laminectomy Syndrome
• Spine - Post-surgical shoulder, spine, hip, and knee pain
• Spine - Radiculopathy
• Spine - Sacroiliac Joint
• Spine - Ruptured Discs
• Spine - Sacroiliitis
• Spine - Sacrum and coccyx (tailbone) injuries
• Spine - Sciatica
• Spine - Scoliosis
• Spine - Shoulder pain
• Spine - Slipped Disc
• Spine - Spinal Stenosis
• Spine - Spinal tumors
• Spine - Spondylolisthesis
• Spine - Spondylolysis
• Spine - Spondylolysis (pars defects and fractures)
• Spine - Sports-related neck and back injuries
• Spine - Synovial cyst
• Spine - Tendon disorders
• Spine - Thoracic Pain
• Spine - Whiplash
• Surgery - Fracture nonunions
• Surgery
• Surgery - Nerve surgery
• Surgery - Neurosurgery