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Dr. Frank Cammisa img

Meet Frank P.
Cammisa Jr.

MD, F.A.C.S

Dr. Cammisa’s patients rate him 4.98 out of 5 stars in skill and 4.85 stars in friendliness/courtesy.
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Frank P. Cammisa, Jr., MD, is Bill and Barbara Weldon Endowed Chair in Spine Innovation and Endowed Chair in Spine Surgery. Dr. Cammisa serves as the Chief Emeritus of HSS Spine and a Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He specializes in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders. His areas of expertise include spinal reconstructive surgery, minimally invasive surgery, athletic spinal injuries, and motion preservation techniques. He served as Chief of the HSS Spine Service for 22 years. Under his leadership, the service grew into a multidisciplinary spine program inspiring significant advances in patient care and substantial growth of our world-class spinal surgical educational program. During Dr. Cammisa’s leadership, the Spine Fellowship Program trained over 120 clinical fellows that are represented around the globe. In addition, he founded the Integrated Spine Research Program at HSS to bring research from concept to clinical driving innovation in spine care and providing opportunities for research fellows and students.

  • Education & Training
  • Honors & Awards
  • Research & Publications
  • Professional Memberships
  • Insurance Information

Education & Training

  • Tufts University
  • The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
  • Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center (Residency)
  • The Hospital for Special Surgery (Orthopedic Surgery Residency)
  • The University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Medical Center and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery (Fellowship in Spinal Surgery)

Honors & Awards

  • Harvard Book Prize, Harvard Club of Southern Connecticut, 1974
  • Phi Beta Kappa, Delta of Massachusetts, 1977
  • Summa Cum Laude, Departments of Biology and Psychology, Tufts University, 1978
  • Tufts Psychology Society Research Award, Tufts University, 1978
  • Psi Chi National Honor Society for Psychology, Tufts University, 1978
  • Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, 1981
  • Resident Award Paper, The New York Academy of Medicine, Section of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1986
  • Lewis Clark Wagner Award, Resident’s Paper of the Year: “Respiratory Morbidity in One-Stage Bilateral Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasties: A Prospective Study” – Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, New York, 1986
  • Resident Award Paper, The New York Academy of Medicine, Section of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1987
  • Fellow Scholar Award, Eastern Orthopaedic Association, 1988
  • Spinal Research Award, Eastern Orthopaedic Association (with M.D. Brown, D.C. Holmes, E.C. Eckstein, L.L. Latta), 1989
  • North American Traveling Fellowship, American Orthopaedic Association, 1989
  • Outstanding Graduate Award,  John F. Kennedy High School, Waterbury, Connecticut, 1992
  • Official Citation of the General Assembly, State of Connecticut, 1992
  • Honorary Chairman, The New York Taxi Foundation Benefit Dinner, Award Presentations for Paraplegic Taxi Drivers, 2000
  • Best Doctors in New York, New York Magazine, 2000-present
  • Honorary Member, Argentine Association of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, 2001
  • Top Doctors: New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly Guide, 2001-present
  • America’s Top Doctors, Castle Connolly Guide, 2002-present
  • Guide to America’s Top Surgeons, Consumer Research Council of America, 2002-present
  • Nancy Kane Bischoff Award for Teaching, Awarded for being a trusted guide and mentor, demonstrating consistent concern for the interest and welfare of the residents, HSS Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Class of 2006
  • Elected Member of the American Orthopaedic Association, 2006
  • Sofamor Danek Paper Award, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine: “Surgical versus non-operative treatment for lumbar disc herniation: RCT and observational cohort outcomes from SPORT (Spine patient outcomes research trial” – (J Weinstein, J Lurie, T Tosteson, B Hanscom, A Tosteson, J Skinner, W Abdu, T Albert, S Boden, F Cammisa, J Fischgrund, H Herkowitz, A Hilibrand, R Deyo, Philadelphia, PA, Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, Royal Oak, MI, Seattle, WA, USA), 2006
  • BMA Medical Book Awards Competition, Commended in the Surgery category: “Dynamic Reconstruction of the Spine”  – Thieme Medical Publishers, Editors: DH Kim, FP Cammisa, RG Fessler, 2007
  • Whitecloud Award Finalist-Best Basic Science Paper, International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques, 2011
  • Founders’ Award, Eastern Orthopaedic Association, 2012
  • Spine Across the Sea, Best Poster Award, 2012
  • Cervical Spine Research Society – Asia Pacific Section, Best Podium Award, 2013
  • International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, Young Investigator’s Award, 2013
  • Cervical Spine Research Society – European Section, Best Poster Award, 2013
  • Outstanding Paper Award for Surgical Science, North American Spine Society, 2013
  • European Society of Anesthesiology, Best Abstract Award, 2013
  • Eastern Orthopaedic Association / Eastern Orthopaedic Educational Foundation, Resident/Fellow Paper Award, 2015
  • Spine Across the Sea, Best Papers Session, 2015
  • North American Spine Society Best Papers: Measurement of Surgical Outcomes, 2015
  • North American Spine Society, Value Award Nomination, 2015
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Best Poster: Spine, 2016
  • International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, Best Paper Awards Finalist, 2016
  • The Leading Physicians of the World, Publication, International Association of Orthopedic Surgeons (IAO), 2016
  • America’s Best Physicians, National Consumer Advisory Board, 2017
  • Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Marquis Who’s Who, 2017
  • Lumbar Spine Research Society, Best Paper Award, 2018
  • Scoliosis Research Society, Hibbs Clinical Research Award Nominees, 2018
  • Il Leone di San Marco Award in Medicine, Italian Heritage and Culture Committee, 2019
  • Leon Wiltse Award for Best Overall Paper, Charles D. Ray Award for Best Clinical Paper, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, 2020

Research & Publications

  • Journal of the American Medical Association
  • The New England Journal of Medicine
  • Spine
  • The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
  • The Spine Journal
  • European Spine Journal
  • Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
  • Global Spine Journal
  • Asian Spine Journal
  • Journal of Orthopaedic Research

A complete list of Dr. Cammisa’s published research can be viewed here.

Professional Memberships

  • American Medical Association (1980-present)
  • Member, Medical Society of the State of New York, 1980-2019
  • Member, Alumni Association, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, 1982-present
  • Member, Alumni Association of Hospital for Special Surgery, 1987-present
  • Member, Miami Spine Fellowship Alumni Association, 1988-present
  • Honorary Member, Scientific Research Team, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, 1998-present
  • Member, New York County Medical Society, 1989-present
  • Member, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 1990-present
  • Member, Groupe International Cotrel-Dubousset (G.I.C.D.), 1992-2000
  • Member, Eastern Orthopaedic Association, 1993-2018
  • Member, New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 1993-present
  • Member, North American Spine Society, 1994-present
  • Member, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, 1994-2006
  • Member, Cervical Spine Research Society, 1994-present
  • Member, American Spinal Injury Association, 1994-2005
  • Member, Scoliosis Research Society, 1995-present
  • Member, Irish American Orthopaedic Society, 1995-present
  • Member, Scoliosis Association of Long Island, 1995-present
  • Member, National Scoliosis Association, 1995-present
  • Member, John Jones Surgical Society, College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, 1997-present
  • Member, New York Weill Cornell Medical Center, Alumni Council, 1998-present
  • Member, Spine Arthroplasty Society, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, 2001-present
  • Honorary Member, Argentine Association of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, 2001
  • Member, American Orthopaedic Association, 2006-present
  • Member, Society of Lateral Access Surgery, 2008-present
  • Founding Member, Lumbar Spine Research Society, 2008-present
  • Member, Society of Nucleus Arthroplasty, 2008-present
  • Member, NFL Physicians Society, 2014-present
  • Member, Biologic Association, 2020-present

Insurance Information

Dr. Cammisa accepts the following insurances: UNH/Oxford, Aetna and WC & NF (NY and NJ only).

For more details, please contact Dr. Cammisa’s insurance billing contact.
Click to email Teddy Rowson

In addition to Dr. Cammisa’s active clinical practice, he conducts research to advance the treatment of complex spine conditions. He has received numerous prestigious research grants from various funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. He has been recognized by New York Magazine as one of “12 doctors who are reinventing medicine,” based on his research of artificial disc replacement to relieve debilitating back and neck pain. He is on the medical staff of the New York Giants and is a spinal surgery consultant to the National Hockey League Players Association.

Dr. Cammisa has published over 250 original scientific papers in prestigious medical journals and has made more than 500 scientific presentations at national and international meetings. He has co-authored more than 30 chapters in medical textbooks and edited a textbook titled “Dynamic Reconstruction of the Spine.” His numerous awards include the Lewis Clark Wagner Award, the AOA North American Traveling Fellowship, the Nancy Kane Bischoff Award for Teaching, EOA Spine Research Award and Founder’s Award, the NASS Outstanding Paper Award, the LSRS Best Paper Award, the ISSLS Best Paper Award, Best Paper and the Best Clinical Paper Awards at IMAST and the Outstanding Publication Award from the Austrian Society for Spine Surgery.

Dr. Cammisa graduated from Tufts University, summa cum laude with election to Phi Beta Kappa. He graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Medical Society. He completed his general surgery residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and his orthopedic surgery residency at Hospital for Special Surgery. His fellowship in spinal surgery was completed in the Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Medical Center and The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

Meet Dr. Frank Cammisa Of SpineCare Of NY

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Dr. Cammisa Receives Lifetime Achievement Award From HSS

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Dr. Cammisa Honored During Weldon Investiture

On November 20, 2024 Dr. Cammisa was honored for his work in research, patient care, and surgery at the recent investiture with the Weldons. The full video of Dr. Cammisa’s honors is available here.

Dr. Cammisa Throws

Dr. Cammisa Throws First Pitch At New York Mets Game

Frank P. Cammisa, Jr., MD, is Chief Emeritus of HSS Spine and a Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. He specializes in the surgical treatment of spinal disorders. His areas of expertise include spinal reconstructive surgery, minimally invasive surgery, athletic spinal injuries, and motion preservation techniques.

He served as Chief of the HSS Spine Service for 22 years. Under his leadership, the service grew into a multidisciplinary spine program inspiring significant advances in patient care and substantial growth of our world-class spinal surgical educational program.

During Dr. Cammisa’s leadership, the Spine Fellowship Program trained over 120 clinical fellows that are represented around the globe. In addition, he founded the Integrated Spine Research Program at HSS to bring research from concept to clinical driving innovation in spine care and providing opportunities for research fellows and students.

What Our Patients Are Saying

We are dedicated to delivering expert and compassionate care at SpineCare of NY. Check out our reviews to hear the stories of our incredible patients.  

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Dr. Hughes is a genius! Though I’m still not 100%, I’m 99%. I have recommended him to several people for surgery. I don’t know if they contacted his office but if they haven’t more the fool them. He is the only surgeon for my back.

Loretta F.
star

Dr. Hughes is an amazing spinal surgeon. He does a great physical examination along with understanding the imaging. My operation for spinal stenosis went well and I started walking the next morning and came home the day after. The office is very responsive even though VERY busy. I went from a wreck to a mobile oldster in a vet short time.

David R.
star

You can’t find a better surgical facility than the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in NYC. It is state of the art for medical procedures combined with top notch doctors employing cutting edge technologies. Dr. Frank Cammisa is the best spinal surgeon in the country and a terrific and compassionate physician who takes the time to meet with you and analyze and discuss your particular situation. I can’t say enough about HSS and Dr. Cammisa and his staff.

Rudy M.
star