Dr. Vijay Yanamadala, MD, MBA

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Get to know Neurosurgeon Dr. Vijay Yanamadala, who serves patients throughout the State of Connecticut.

Dr. Yanamadala is a board-certified spinal neurosurgeon who has dedicated his career to providing top-quality care to his patients. He has extensive experience in treating a wide range of spinal conditions, including lumbar stenosis and disc herniations, cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy, spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis, and more complex cases such as revision surgeries for flat back syndrome and failed back syndrome. He is particularly known for his expertise in using advanced and innovative techniques to achieve optimal patient outcomes.

As the Medical Director of Spine Quality and Surgical Optimization at Hartford Healthcare, Dr. Yanamadala continues to strive for excellence in his work, focusing on delivering optimal care for patients with spinal disorders. He is committed to improving patient outcomes and avoiding unnecessary surgeries, and his work has earned him numerous awards and recognition from professional organizations.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Yanamadala grew up in California before coming to Boston at the age of 17 to start college. He earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard University and received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School, before completing his residency in neurosurgery at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then went on to complete a fellowship in orthopedics and minimally invasive spine surgery at the same educational venue, followed by a fellowship in complex spine surgery and spinal deformity at the Virginia Mason Medical Center.

With an unwavering commitment to his specialty, the doctor is board-certified in neurosurgery and spine surgery by the American Board of Neurological Surgery (ABNS). The broad aim of the ABNS is to encourage the study, improve the practice, elevate the standards, and advance the science of neurological surgery and thereby serve the cause of public health.

Demonstrating his commitment to staying at the forefront of spinal surgery and improving the quality of care for his patients, Dr. Yanamadala has been certified by the Safety in Spine Surgery Project (S3P), a recognition of his dedication to safety in spine surgery. He is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Neurological Surgery, the Congress of Neurological Surgery, the North American Spine Society, and the Scoliosis Research Society.

A respected researcher and scholar, Dr. Yanamadala has published over 60 papers on the subject of spinal disorders and treatment. He is a pioneering surgeon who was among the first to offer awake spinal fusion surgery, and also the second in the world to offer patient-specific spine fusion surgery.

Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system. Neurosurgeons are doctors who diagnose and treat problems with the nervous system, often by performing surgery on the brain or spine. They treat strokes, tumors, certain types of birth defects, infections, and head or spinal cord injuries.

Among his various accolades, Dr. Yanamadala received the William H. Sweet Young Investigator Award in 2017 from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons for his work on improving the safety and efficacy of spine surgery. He also received the Charles Kuntz Scholar Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Section on Spinal Disorders as well as awards from the North American Spine Society for the same work.

Aside from his professional achievements, Dr. Yanamadala is a dedicated humanitarian who has participated in international spinal surgical missions, traveling to countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Mongolia to offer free care to patients with spinal disorders. 

In his free time, he enjoys gardening and hiking on the many trails in Fairfield County, Connecticut, where he lives with his wife and son.

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