HSS Names Harvinder S. Sandhu, MD, MBA, & Andrew A. Sama, MD, New Co-Chiefs Of HSS Spine

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), the top-ranked orthopedic hospital in the nation, today announced the appointments of Harvinder S. Sandhu, MD, MBA, and Andrew A. Sama, MD, as the new co-chiefs of its spine service, effective October 2019.

Drs. Sandhu and Sama succeed Frank Schwab, MD, who will continue his practice as chief emeritus of HSS Spine. Under Dr. Schwab’s leadership, HSS Spine continued to advance its clinical and academic reputation and bolstered its position as the international leader in complex and minimally invasive spine procedures.

“HSS is world-renowned for its innovative and research-based evaluation and treatment of people with all levels of musculoskeletal disease and injury, including afflictions of the spine,” said Bryan T. Kelly, MD, surgeon-in-chief and medical director at HSS. “We look forward to Drs. Sandhu and Sama’s leadership to continue to elevate our spine program to even higher levels of patient care excellence.”

“HSS has been ranked the # 1 Orthopedic program for 10 consecutive years. Our spine service is a key part of that amazing achievement and is one of the best in the world,” said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO at HSS. “The combined leadership and experience of Drs. Sama and Sandhu will take us to the next level.”

Dr. Sandhu focuses on minimally invasive spine surgery, microsurgery, computer-assisted surgery and spinal biologics. Previously chief of the spinal service at UCLA, and a graduate of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Dr. Sandhu joined HSS in 1997. He is actively engaged in the research, development and invention of a variety of devices and instruments and holds several patents on the diagnosis and treatment of spinal disorders.

“HSS is unique in that we have a bench-to-bedside approach and are able to directly translate our innovative research into appropriate and customized patient care,” said Dr. Sandhu. “Sometimes this means not doing surgery when you don’t need to. Other times it means ensuring the right kind of procedure. I am looking forward to this new opportunity to build on the strong foundation of our service and continue our mission to provide the highest quality spine care.”

Dr. Sama specializes in the evaluation and surgical management of all traumatic, degenerative and deformity-related conditions of the spine. A member of numerous spine and orthopedic societies, he lectures at scientific conferences internationally. He is also involved in innovative product development, helping to design orthopedic implant devices for spinal surgery. A graduate of the University of Miami, Dr. Sama completed his fellowship at HSS before beginning his practice in 2001.

“I am honored to co-lead our dedicated multidisciplinary team, who are so experienced that complex procedures have become routine,” said Dr. Sama. “Our high volume and incredible team allow us to continue to advance our expertise, leading to optimal patient care and outcomes.” – BioSpace