Wylie Lopez, MD

Specializing in Spine Surgery

Meet Dr. Lopez

Orthopedic Surgeon

Specializing in Spine Surgery

Dr. Wylie Lopez is an Orthopedic Surgeon who specializes in Spine surgery. His clinical interests are focused on minimally invasive surgery (MIS), which allows patients an accelerated road to recovery.

He has been extensively trained to use the newest technology to assist in surgery such as Virtual-Reality Assisted and traditional Spine Navigation, Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusions, MIS tubular systems, and Sacroiliac (SI) joint fusions.

Dr. Lopez completed his Orthopedic training with the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program and his fellowship with Midwest Orthopedics at Rush University. Having experience at some of the top research institutions, Dr. Lopez has gained considerable insight into using patient-reported outcomes and cost-benefit analysis to deliver optimal, evidenced base spine care.

Training & Education

Rush University Medical Center Spine Fellowship
Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency Program (Board Certified, Spine Curriculum Co-Leader, CORE Eduction)
Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (Deans Scholar, Alpha Omega Medical Honors Society)
Rutgers University, School of Arts and Sciences (B.A., Biological Sciences and Psychology, Magna Cum Laude)

Locations & Languages

Seeing Patients In: Edison, Red Bank
Fluent: English, Spanish
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Hospital Affiliations

Hackensack Meridian Health JFK University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Hackensack Meridian Raritan Bay Medical Center

Motivational Speaking & Activities

Dr. Lopez was a member of ODASIS (Office for Diversity and Academic Success) while studying at Rutgers and frequently goes back to speak at motivational workshops, the MCAT speaker series, medical school events, Saturday Scholars Culminating Events, and more.
The Cathedral Project is a motivational program run by Tufts Medical School targeting underrepresented minority students from Cathedral High School. Each year, Dr. Lopez is a featured speaker discussing his life, success, career, and interest in Medicine and Orthopedics.
Dr. Lopez traveled with the Boston Children’s Hospital faculty to Neiva, Colombia to participate in the Healing The Children Medical Mission. While there, he held lectures at the local medical school and contributed to the Pediatric Orthopedic programs. He was then later selected by faculty to be the resident leader.
Dr. Lopez a Founding Father of Theta Dela Chi Fraternity, Lambda Triton Charge, the largest fraternity at Rutgers University. As a Founding Father, he helped establish national philanthropy programs like B.U.D, a big brother-little brother program for boys with Autism.

Academic Contributions

Book Chapters:

1. Lopez WY, Cha TD. Atlas of Spinal Imaging Phenotypes: Classifications and Radiographic Measurements. Chapter 9: Clinical Correlations to Specific Phenotypes and Measurements with Classification Systems. In press

Research:

Goh BC, Striano BM, Lopez WY, et al. Laminoplasty versus Laminectomy and Fusion for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Cost Analysis. The Spine Journal 2020; 20(11): 1770-1775.

a. Selected for podium presentation at CSRS: Las Vegas, NV 2020

Goh BC, Lightsey HM, Lopez WY, Tobert DG, Fogel HA, Cha TD, Schwab JH, Bono CM, Hershman SH. MRI Imaging is Inadequate to Assess Cervical Sagittal Alignment Parameters.
a. Accepted: Clinical Spine Surgery, 2022
Erickson J, Lopez WY, Azzolini A, Monica J. Volar Cortical Integrity in
NonOperatively Treated Adult Distal Radius Fractures. Journal of Hand Surgery (Asian-Pacific Volume) 2020; 25(2):192-198.
Federico V, Zavras A, Butler A, Munim M, Nolte M, Lopez W, Lopez G, An H, Colman M, Phillips F. Limited Disc Heigh Distraction After Cervical Disc
Arthroplasty Improves Range of Motion and Patient Reported Outcomes. a. Submitted to The Spine Journal (Revision Phase)
Kazarian ER, Lopez WY, Eizember S, Blucher JA, Culley DJ, Javedan H, Kang JD, Schoenfeld AJ. Incidental durotomy is associated with increased risk of delirium in patients aged 65 and older. Spine 2020; 45(17): 1215-1220.
Lopez WY, Rider SM, Nwosu K, Kazarian ER, Blucher JA, Schoenfeld EM, Simpson AK, Kang JD, Schoenfeld AJ. The impact of vancomycin and cefazolin as standard preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis on surgical site infections following
instrumented spinal fusion. Spine 2019; 44: E366-E371.
Lopez WY, Azizpour K, Raskin KA, Lozano-Calderon S. Mega- Endoprosthetic Viability Following 2-Stage Revision for Periprosthetic Joint Infection. Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery 2021. DOI:
10.22038/ABJS.2021.52948.2628
Lopez WY, Goh BC, Ziino C, Tobert DG, Fogel HA, Cha TD, Schwab JH, Bono CM, Hershman SH. Laminoplasty—An Underutilized Procedure for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy. The Spine Journal 2020; 21(4): 571-577.
a. Featured in Advances in Motion, Dec 2020—Massachusetts General Hospital’s publication news subscription service.
Lopez WY, Rocha JL, Khan K. The CASCADE Mini-Medical School Initiative: An Innovative Educational Pipeline Program. Unpublished, 2016
1. Manuscript completed and submitted for senior thesis, RWJMS
2. In conjunction with The Saturday Scholars Program (see “Activities section”)
  collected data on pre- and post-program medical career interest levels of
  
  underrepresented minority students attending community programs.

10. Rudisill S, Hornung A, Barajas J, Bridge J, Mallow GM, Lopez WY, Lee R, Sayari A, Basques BA, Louie PK, Harada GK, Tao Y, Wilke H, Colman MW, Phillips FM, An HS, Samartzis D. Application of Machine Learning in Spine Care: Predicting Early-Onset Adjacent Segment Degeneration Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

a. Accepted: European Spine Journal, 2022

Upadhyaya S, Lopez WY, Goh BC, Chen AF, Blucher JA, Beck A, Kang JD, Schoenfeld AJ. Post-operative hyperglycemia and its association with surgical site infection after instrumented spinal fusion. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2020; 197(106100). DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.106100
Munim M, Butler A, Federico V, Trevino N, Lopez W, Phillips F, Colman MW. Differences in Intraoperative Fluoroscopy Utilization Between Total Disc Arthroplasty and Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
a. Abstract submitted to AAOS

Presentations:
1. Lopez WY, Goh BC, Ziino C, et al. Laminoplasty—An Underutilized Procedure for

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy.
a. Poster—CSRS: Las Vegas, NV 2020

2. Lopez WY. Las Consultas Más Comunes en la Clinica Ortopédica Pediátrica (The Most Common Consults Seen in the Pediatric Orthopedic Clinic)

a. Grand rounds—Universidad Surcolombiana: Neiva, Colombia 2019 3. Lopez WY, Azizpour K, Raskin KA, Lozano-Calderon S. Mega-

Endoprosthetic Viability Following 2-Stage Revision for Periprosthetic Joint Infection

a. Podium—MSTS National Conference: Denver, CO 2017
4. Lopez WY, Rocha JL, Khan K. The CASCADE Mini-Medical School Initiative: An

Innovative Educational Pipeline Program
a. Podium—LMSA National Conference at Case Western School of Medicine:

Cleveland, OH 2016
5. Rudisill S, Hornung A, Barajas J, Bridge J, Mallow GM, Lopez WY, Lee R, Sayari

A, Basques BA, Louie PK, Harada GK, Tao Y, Wilke H, Colman MW, Phillips FM, An HS, Samartzis D. Application of Machine Learning in Spine Care: Predicting Early-Onset Adjacent Segment Degeneration Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

a. Poster presentation—AO North America Spine Fellows Conference: BanffAlberta, Canada, 2022

Research:

Goh BC, Striano BM, Lopez WY, et al. Laminoplasty versus Laminectomy and Fusion for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Cost Analysis. The Spine Journal 2020; 20(11): 1770-1775.

a. Selected for podium presentation at CSRS: Las Vegas, NV 2020

Goh BC, Lightsey HM, Lopez WY, Tobert DG, Fogel HA, Cha TD, Schwab JH, Bono CM, Hershman SH. MRI Imaging is Inadequate to Assess Cervical Sagittal Alignment Parameters.
a. Accepted: Clinical Spine Surgery, 2022
Erickson J, Lopez WY, Azzolini A, Monica J. Volar Cortical Integrity in
NonOperatively Treated Adult Distal Radius Fractures. Journal of Hand Surgery (Asian-Pacific Volume) 2020; 25(2):192-198.
Federico V, Zavras A, Butler A, Munim M, Nolte M, Lopez W, Lopez G, An H, Colman M, Phillips F. Limited Disc Heigh Distraction After Cervical Disc
Arthroplasty Improves Range of Motion and Patient Reported Outcomes. a. Submitted to The Spine Journal (Revision Phase)
Kazarian ER, Lopez WY, Eizember S, Blucher JA, Culley DJ, Javedan H, Kang JD, Schoenfeld AJ. Incidental durotomy is associated with an increased risk of delirium in patients aged 65 and older. Spine 2020; 45(17): 1215-1220.
Lopez WY, Rider SM, Nwosu K, Kazarian ER, Blucher JA, Schoenfeld EM, Simpson AK, Kang JD, Schoenfeld AJ. The impact of vancomycin and cefazolin as standard preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis on surgical site infections following
instrumented spinal fusion. Spine 2019; 44: E366-E371.
Lopez WY, Azizpour K, Raskin KA, Lozano-Calderon S. Mega- Endoprosthetic Viability Following 2-Stage Revision for Periprosthetic Joint Infection. Archives of Bone and Joint Surgery 2021. DOI:
10.22038/ABJS.2021.52948.2628
Lopez WY, Goh BC, Ziino C, Tobert DG, Fogel HA, Cha TD, Schwab JH, Bono CM, Hershman SH. Laminoplasty—An Underutilized Procedure for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy. The Spine Journal 2020; 21(4): 571-577.
a. Featured in Advances in Motion, Dec 2020—Massachusetts General Hospital’s publication news subscription service.
Lopez WY, Rocha JL, Khan K. The CASCADE Mini-Medical School Initiative: An Innovative Educational Pipeline Program. Unpublished, 2016
1. Manuscript completed and submitted for senior thesis, RWJMS
2. In conjunction with The Saturday Scholars Program (see “Activities section”)
  collected data on pre- and post-program medical career interest levels of
  
  underrepresented minority students attending community program.

a. Accepted: European Spine Journal, 2022

Upadhyaya S, Lopez WY, Goh BC, Chen AF, Blucher JA, Beck A, Kang JD, Schoenfeld AJ. Post-operative hyperglycemia and its association wth surgical site infection after instrumented spinal fusion. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2020; 197(106100). DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2020.106100
Munim M, Butler A, Federico V, Trevino N, Lopez W, Phillips F, Colman MW. Differences in Intraoperative Fluoroscopy Utilization Between Total Disc Arthroplasty and Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion
a. Abstract submitted to AAOS

Presentations:
1. Lopez WY, Goh BC, Ziino C, et al. Laminoplasty—An Underutilized Procedure for