Paul Vessa, MD
Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon & Medical Director
- Fellow American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
- Specializing in Trauma and Reconstruction Surgery of the Spine
- Member North American Spine Society
- Former President of Quality Assurance and Utilization, Garden State Orthopedic Network
Education:
Training in general surgery was performed at New York University-Bellevue Medical Center, New York, NY. Dr. Vessa’s orthopedic residency was completed at UMDNJ and its various affiliated hospitals. Dr. Vessa’s spine surgery fellowship was completed at St. Mary’s Spine Center and Seton Medical Center in San Francisco with the Spine Care Medical Group San Francisco Institute, Stanford University Hospital, and Kaiser Hospital Oakland. Dr. Vessa completed additional training at the Carolina Spine Institute in Charleston, SC in lumbar interbody fusion and cervical spine reconstructive surgery.
Special Interests/Educator:
Dr. Vessa’s special area of interest is reconstructive surgery of the spine, and he treats all aspects of the spine in cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Dr. Vessa specializes in interbody reconstruction procedures of the lumbar and cervical spine. Dr. Vessa is the former Assistant Director of Spine Surgery at Jersey City Medical Center and Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. Dr. Vessa has presented many formal lectures to orthopedic surgical residents.
Accomplishments:
One of Dr. Vessa’s most notable accomplishments includes performing the first outpatient open laminotomy discectomy in the state of New Jersey in 1995. Dr. Vessa assisted Dr. Dwyer, as an orthopedic resident, in the first arthroscopic microdiscectomy in New Jersey, as well as the first laparoscopically assisted lumbar interbody fusion. Dr. Vessa was one of the first spine surgeons in New Jersey to utilize allograft threaded bone dowels for open lumbar interbody fusion.
In addition, Dr. Vessa is a member of a select group of surgeons in the U.S. who were chosen to receive advanced training in artificial disc replacement. He assisted Dr. Dwyer in performing the 1st artificial disc replacement at the L4-L5 level in New Jersey.
Expertise:
Dr. Vessa’s practice includes a full spectrum of conservative and surgical spine treatment modalities, including diagnostic and therapeutic spine injections, minimally invasive spine surgery including outpatient laminectomy/discectomies, as well as a full compliment of reconstructive and trauma surgeries for the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
Publications:
Dr. Vessa published articles in peer-reviewed journals, including a Poster Exhibit at the International Society of the Lumbar Spine in Chicago. Formal paper presentations at the Scientific Section of the North American Spine Society Boston, MA. Dr. Vessa has submitted papers for publications and has published a landmark paper on posterior lumbar interbody fusion for discogenic pain in the Spine Journal.
Memberships:
Dr. Vessa is a member of the American Medical Association, New Jersey Medical Society, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society, New Jersey Spine Society, International Spine Injection Society, American College of Spine Surgeons, and former President of Quality Assurance and Utilization of the Garden State Orthopedic Network.
Affiliations:
Dr. Vessa maintains full privileges at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, NJ. Dr. Vessa also has consultant privileges at Hackettstown Community Hospital in Hackettstown, NJ.
Philosophy:
Although proud of his accomplishments and credentials, Dr. Vessa takes personal responsibility for the well being of his patients. He strives to return patients back to their pre-injury level of activity as soon as possible, with the utmost respect for the patients’ previous life style. Dr. Vessa continuously strives to improve upon the type and complexity of his spine surgery procedures he utilizes. Dr. Vessa works closely with his staff to provide only the finest medical care.
“…Dr. Vessa takes personal responsibility for the well-being of his patients.”
