Dr. Vikas V. Varma, MD

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Get to know Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Vikas V. Varma, who serves patients throughout the State of New York.

Dr. Varma is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon at Manhattan Orthopedics, with locations in Midtown Manhattan and Astoria, New York. He embraces a patient-centered approach to shared decision making, with an emphasis on understanding patients as people, and getting them back to their active lifestyles as soon as possible. In this regard, he combines his unique skills and training to use minimally invasive surgical techniques whenever possible. 

A meticulous surgeon, the doctor comes from a family of physicians and prides himself on his ethical, personalized, detail-oriented approach to patient care. He is an experienced surgeon, widely respected in Manhattan, known for his advanced technical surgical skills, and conservative multimodal approach to spine care. He specializes in the treatment of common adult degenerative conditions such as stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and herniated discs, as well as complex conditions such as spinal deformity surgery and revision surgery.

Academically, Dr. Varma received his undergraduate bachelor’s degrees from Cornell University, where he was a 4-year Division I athlete. He also completed accelerated coursework at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Chicago. He then received his medical degree from the University of Maryland prior to matriculating to the University of Connecticut, where he completed a surgical internship followed by a residency in orthopedic surgery, serving as Chief Resident.

Subsequently, he was selected as a fellow in the San Diego Spine Fellowship, under the direct tutelage of Dr. Behrooz Akbarnia, a world-renowned spine surgeon, and former president of the prestigious Scoliosis Research Society, the leading international society for the study of complex spine conditions. During his fellowship year, he treated many domestic and international patients with complex and rare spinal conditions in both the adult and pediatric populations, including major spinal reconstruction for spinal deformity, and revision surgery. He also was fortunate to receive training in advanced minimally invasive surgery and motion preservation surgery as a part of the comprehensive fellowship program.

With an unwavering commitment to his specialty, the doctor is board-certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS). The ABOS is an organization with the goal of establishing educational and professional standards for orthopedic residents and surgeons as well as evaluating the qualifications and competence of orthopedic surgeons.

On a professional level, Dr. Varma is an active member of the Scoliosis Research Society, and dedicated faculty member within the Mount Sinai Department of Orthopedics, where he is routinely involved in teaching medical students, orthopedic surgery residents, as well as fellows as part of the Sinai Spine Fellowship program. He also holds an appointment at the Icahn School of Medicine, where he is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Spine Surgery in the Department of Orthopedics, and is an attending spine surgeon at the Mount Sinai Medical Center of Manhattan.

As a published author, researcher, and surgeon educator, he has been invited to speak at domestic and international spine meetings to share his knowledge and expertise. In 2009, he performed the first Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion(XLIF) at the Mount Sinai Medical Center and remains committed to minimally invasive surgery techniques. In 2017, he performed the first Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion (OLIF) at Mount Sinai. He is routinely involved in teaching surgeons around the country as well as international surgeons, regarding these advanced techniques.

Orthopedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.

Recognized as a Regional Top Doctor by Castle Connolly Magazine and a Vitals Preferred Provider, Dr. Varma has been the recipient of the Marquis Who’s Who Top Doctor Award.

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