Dr. K. Daniel Riew

EDUCATION & BACKGROUND

Dr. Riew graduated from Harvard College, where he was awarded the Class Ames Award for Character and Leadership; and from Case Western Reserve University Medical School, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honorary medical society for top students in his junior year. He finished residency in Internal Medicine at Cornell Medical Center and Orthopedics at George Washington University. He then completed fellowship training under the world-renowned cervical spine surgeon, Dr. Henry Bohlman in Cleveland. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine as well as Orthopaedic Surgery.

In 1995, he was recruited by Washington University School of Medicine to start the cervical spine service in the newly formed Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Starting with only a dozen or less cervical procedures in 1994, he developed it into one of the largest cervical spine practices in the world.

In 2015, he was recruited to Columbia University as the Co-Chief, Spine Division, Director of Cervical Spine Surgery and Co-Director of the Columbia Spine Fellowship. Two years later, The Och Spine Hospital was born, with a generous gift from Dan and Jane Och. Och Spine has grown since then and now includes Neurosurgical spine surgeons from both Weill Cornell and Columbia Universities, as well as Orthopedic spine surgeons from Columbia University. As part of the expansion of the Och Spine Hospital to the Weill-Cornell campus, Dr. Riew joined the medical staff at Weill Cornell in the Neurosurgery Department. While he still remains a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia, he has a joint appointment in Neurosurgery at Weill Cornell and his practice is now located at the Weill Cornell Campus of New York Presbyterian Hospital.

BOARD CERTIFICATIONS

American Board of Internal Medicine, 1987; American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 1997; Recertified, 2008, 2018

MEDICAL DEGREE

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

RESIDENCY

• Internal Medicine, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center

• General Surgery, Beth Israel Medical Center

• Orthopaedic Surgery, George Washington University Medical Center

FELLOWSHIP

• Cardiology, Cornell Medical Center

• Biomechanics Research, Hospital For Special Surgery

• Spine Surgery, Case Western Reserve University

Inspiration And Interests

What happened in the course of schooling to make you choose your specialty?

DR: When I was in medical school, I decided to become an orthopedic surgeon because I enjoyed working with my hands and surgery seemed to be a fun and interesting specialty. But then in my fourth year, I did a rotation in cardiology, which I enjoyed so much that I decided to become a cardiologist instead. I trained in Internal Medicine and was about to do a cardiology fellowship when I realized I really missed orthopedic surgery. So I changed my mind yet again and went back into training to become an orthopedic surgeon. One benefit of all this extra training is that I am double boarded in Internal Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery, and my medicine background helps me in taking care of my surgical patients.

What aspect of your practice is most interesting?

DR: The most challenging cases are those patients who have had multiple operations or those who have very bad deformities of the cervical spine. Often these people have had deformities for many years, or have had multiple operations and have been told that there is nothing more that can be done for them. They often travel long distances to get to St. Louis and are very grateful when we are able to fix their problem.

Do patients from around the world come for a consultation?

DR: We have treated patients from Europe, South America, the Middle East, Far East, and India. I’ve also traveled to other countries to see patients, as well as to do operations. We also see patients from many different parts of the US.

What developments in your field are you most excited about?

DR: There are two things. One is a substance called BMP which stands for Bone Morphogenetic Protein. BMP is a substance which the body naturally makes to heal bone. Commercial laboratories have purified and have mass produced BMP so now we can use it to markedly improve bone healing rates. In the past, we would have used a portion of bone from a patient’s pelvis to heal the spine. Now we can use BMP, so they do not need a second operation to harvest bone. This results in a lot less pain and disability, and allows patients to return to normal faster. This advance has been around for about five years, and has really revolutionized the way we do some complex operations.

The second thing I’m excited about is the artificial cervical disc replacement. This will allow us to treat some patients with a motion-preserving procedure, instead of a fusion of the neck.

Which particular award or achievement is most gratifying to you?

DR: Professional awards and achievements are nice, but undoubtedly, the thing I am most proud of is my family. None of my successes would be worth much without them. My wife, Mary, and I have three children, who have been the greatest source of joy for both of us.

During the first several years of my career, I worked most of my waking hours, but over the last several years I’ve learned how to manage my time better, and am now spending more and more time with my wife and children. All three kids are loving and truly enjoy being together.

Where are you from originally?

DR: I was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the United States when I was seven. My family lived in Detroit for one year, and then I grew up in Akron, Ohio. I have two older sisters. One lives in Michigan and the other in Ohio.