Yi-Ren Chen, MD

Dr. Yi-Ren Chen, MD, MPH is a neurosurgeon and spine surgeon serving the greater Sacramento area and beyond. He specializes in minimally invasive spine, complex and redo spine, neck and back pain, and spinal deformity/ scoliosis. He is also the Chief of Neurosurgery at Mercy Medical Group, and sits on the Board of Directors (Director North) for the California Association of Neurological Surgeons (CANS). I became a physician and neurosurgeon because of my desire to help others and cure neurological and spinal diseases. My father was a physician and the most selfless person I know - as a child, I witnessed firsthand the privilege of being able to help others at a critical point in their lives. After double majoring in biology and history at Stanford University, I received my MD from Stanford and MPH from Johns Hopkins. During training, I was awed by the precision and technical excellence required to perform spine and brain surgery, and subsequently completed both neurosurgery residency and minimally invasive spine fellowship at Stanford. I have been fortunate to author over 150 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, talks, and abstracts, and continue to do my part in the advancement of neurosurgical care as an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Stanford University Medical Center. My clinical interests include minimally invasive spine surgery, degenerative spinal conditions (lumbar stenosis and back pain), complex spinal deformity surgery, and redo/ revision spinal surgery. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, running, cooking, and traveling with my wife and kids. I believe in caring for and treating every patient as though they were my own family – with expertise, compassion, and the highest level of care. I strive to partner with patients to provide individualized and meticulous care, working together to find the best possible treatment plan to achieve a successful outcome. I am also a believer in minimally invasive techniques in spine surgery, with the goal of getting patients back on their feet as soon as possible.