Alexander P. Hughes, MD

Dr. Alex Hughes is an Assistant Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery. He specializes in the surgical management of traumatic, degenerative, and deformity-related conditions of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral spine.

Dr. Hughes was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas.  He has a degree in biomedical engineering from Vanderbilt University. He completed medical school at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a residency in orthopedic surgery at UCLA. Dr. Hughes received fellowship training in spinal surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery before joining the faculty at that institution.  He feels a background in engineering plus the clinical and technical skills acquired in orthopedic surgery and spinal surgery training provides an excellent foundation for innovative and effective solutions in spinal surgery.

Dr. Hughes’ office is conveniently located in the HSS complex in Manhattan.

Appointments

Assistant Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery

Specialty

Orthopedic Surgery

Subspecialty

Spine

Special Expertise

Enhancing patient experience and outcomes through innovation and clinical research.

Conditions and Disorders
Ankylosing Spondylitis
Back Pain
Balance Issues
Cervical Radiculopathy
Cervical Arthritis (Spondylosis)
Cervical Fracture (Broken Neck)
Compression Fractures
Degenerative Disc Disease
Facet Arthropathy
Fractures of the Spine
Herniated Disc (Ruptured or Slipped Disc)
Instability
Kyphosis
Lower Back Pain
Myelopathy
Neck Sprain
Sciatica
Scoliosis
Spinal Stenosis
Spondylitis / Spondyloarthritis / Spondyloarthropathy
Spondylolysis / Spondylolisthesis
Whiplash

Procedures

Biologic Intervention
Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP)
Decompression Surgery (cervical and lumbar laminectomy, micro-laminotomy, micro-foraminotomy)
Deformity Correction
Disc Replacement
Dynamic Stabilization
Endoscopic Spine Fusion
Lateral Access Spine Surgery
Microsurgical Discectomy
Microsurgical Decompression
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Spinal Fusion (cervical, thoracic, lumbar)

Specialized Centers

• Spine Care Institute
  Dr. Hughes is one of 15 spinal surgeons at the Spine Care Institute (SCI) at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS).  The SCI is a multi-disciplinary, comprehensive center of excellence for the treatment of all non-operative and operative spinal disorders.
  
  The mission of the Spine Care Institute is to bring together a highly renowned team of spine care specialists covering a range of professional disciplines who through research, education, and clinical excellence will provide the highest standard of comprehensive patient care and open new frontiers in the diagnosis and treatment of adult and pediatric spinal disorders including scoliosis and disc herniations. The Institute has experts in multiple fields to ensure all patients’ needs are addressed.
  
  Patients who suffer from back and joint pain often find it difficult to find answers to their questions and navigate the many treatment options available to them. Look no further - the Spine Care Institute at Hospital for Special Surgery can handle all of your needs.

Education

MD, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 2003

Internship

General Surgery, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2004

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 2008

Fellowship

Spinal Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, 2009

State Licensure

New York, California  

Selected Publications

For more publications, please see the PubMed listing.

Selected Books/Chapters

Holly L, Hughes A. Bone Biology and Lumbar Fusion. Resnick, Haid, and Wang. Surgical Management of Low Back Pain, 2nd ed. Thieme, New York, 2007.

Selected Presentations

Bowen R, Hughes A, Gurbani B. Patient and Surgeon Radiation Exposure in Thoracic Deformity Spine Surgery. Poster presentation SRS. San Antonio, TX. September 26, 2009.

 

Research Description

Integrated Spine Research Program (ISRP)
Dr. Hughes is a member of the ISRP.  The ISRP combines experience from experts involved in both surgical and non surgical spine patient care along with PhD researchers with backgrounds in basic science and engineering.  The mission of the ISRP is to progress technology from "Discovery to Recovery" thereby improving treatments and outcomes for patients.   

Research Interests

Outcome Registries
Nerve Deficits and Injury

Integrated Spine Research Program (ISRP)
Dr. Hughes is a member of the ISRP.  The ISRP combines experience from experts involved in both surgical and non surgical spine patient care along with PhD researchers with backgrounds in basic science and engineering.  The mission of the ISRP is to progress technology from Discovery to Recovery thereby improving treatments and outcomes for patients.