Raymond W. Hwang, MD

Specializing in Spine Surgery

About
Dr. Hwang

Dr. Raymond Hwang is a board-certified spine surgeon specializing in complex disorders of the back and neck and is experienced in robotic spine surgery.

Dr. Hwang received both his Bachelor of Science and his Master of Engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Learn More About Dr. Hwang:

Dr. Hwang's Team

– Surgical Coordinator & Medical Assistant: Debbie
Phone – (781) 488-1020
Message on our Patient Portal

Physician Bio

Dr. Raymond Hwang received both his Bachelor of Science and his Master of Engineering degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Harvard Medical School and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Dr. Hwang is Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Tufts University School of Medicine. He is a fellowship-trained spine surgeon at New England Baptist Hospital Hospital, a musculoskeletal specialty hospital within Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH)in Boston, where he serves on the Institutional Review Board. He is a member of the BILH Physician Advisory Council and the BILH Musculoskeletal Steering Committee. Dr. Hwang is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthoaedic Surgeons, a member of the North American Spine Society, a reviewer for The Spine Journal and is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. His clinical practice focuses on adult degenerative spine conditions with a particular focus on motion sparing technology, minimally invasive approaches and robotic assisted surgery. He is an instructor for various contemporary spine surgery techniques including surgical navigation and robotics. Dr. Hwang has authored numerous peer reviewed articles, book chapters and abstract presentations on spine surgery outcomes and value analysis. He has a particular interest in device development and has helped design multiple surgical instruments and spine implants.

Specialties

Spine Conditions
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery including Cervical, Thoracic and Lumbar
Robotic Spine Surgery

Education

Education:

Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Residencies/Fellowships:

New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA — Spine Surgery
Harvard Combined Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program, Boston, MA – Orthopedic Surgery
Achievements

– 2024 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
– 2023 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
– 2022 Castle Connolly Top Doctors
– 2021 Boston Magazine’s Top Doctors
– 2020 Boston Magazine’s Top Doctors
First Surgeon to Perform Robotic Spine Surgery in Massachusetts

Publications

Gruhl D, Butera W, Hwang RW, Paiz FJ, Pogreb S, Bender W. Applications for Data Hiding. IBM Systems Journal 2000; 39(3, 4):547-568

O’Toole RV, Gobezie R, Hwang RW, Chandler A, Estok DM, Smith MR, Vrahas MS. LISS for Femur Fractures Adjacent to Stable Hip or Knee Arthroplasty. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2006; 450:203-210

Hwang RW, Herndon J. The Business Case for Patient Safety. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2007; 457:21-34

Herndon JH, Hwang RW, Bozic KH. Healthcare Technology and Technology Assessment. Eur Spine J. 2007; 16(8):1293-302

Hwang RW, Bae DS, Waters PM. Brachial Plexus Palsy Following Proximal Humerus Fracture in Patients Who Are Skeletally Immature. J Ortho Trauma. 2008; 22(4):286-290

Hwang RW, de Witte PB, Ring D. Compartment Syndrome Associated with Distal Radius Fractures and Ipsilateral Elbow Injuries. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2009; 91(3):642-5.

Vranceanu AM, Kadzielski J, Hwang RW, Ring D. A patient-specific version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire. J Hand Surg Am. 2010 May; 35(5):824-6

Hwang RW, Ring D. Pain and Disability Related to Osteoarthrosis of the Trapeziometacarpal Joint. J Hand Microsurg. 2011; 3(2):63-5

Smith HE, Hwang RW, Renaldo NJ, Carkner E, Parazin SJ. (2012). Value-Based Evaluation of New Spine-Related Technology. In Rihn J, Vaccaro AR, Albert TJ (Eds.), Defining the Value of Spine Care (pp. 136-43). London, England: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishing.

Hwang RW, Rocissano AW, Smith HE, Currier BL. (2012). Definition of Common Terminology. In Rihn J, Vaccaro AR, Albert TJ (Eds.), Defining the Value of Spine Care (pp. 3-26). London, England: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishing.

Hwang RW, Smith HE, Radcliff K, Rihn JA. (2012). Comparative Effectiveness Research in Spine Care: SPORT as an Example. In Rihn J, Vaccaro AR, Albert TJ (Eds.), Defining the Value of Spine Care (pp. 172-8). London, England: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishing.

Kutikov A, Rozenfeld B, Egleston BL, Sirohi M, Hwang RW, Uzzo RG. Academic Ranking Score: A Publication-Based Reproducible Metric of Thought Leadership in Urology. Eur Urol. 2012; 61:435-9

Smith HE, Hwang RW, Smith J, Vaccaro AR. (2012). Odontoid Fractures. In Anderson DG, Vaccaro AR, (Eds): Decision Making in Spinal Care (pp. 27-34). New York, NY: Thieme Medical Publishers.

Radcliff K, Hwang RW, Hilibrand A, Smith H , Gruskay J, Lurie JD, Zhao W, Albert T, Weinstrein J. The Effect of Iliac Crest Autograft on the Outcome of Fusion in the Setting of Degenerative Spondylolisthesis: A Subgroup Analysis of the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2012; 94(18):1685- 1692

Lo X, Hwang RW, Smith HE, Gendelberg D, Vaccaro AR. (2013). Spine Trauma: Occipital and Upper Cervical Spine. In Patel VV, Patel A, Harrop JS, Burger E, (Eds): Spine Surgery Basics (pp. 325-38). New York, NY: Springer.

Lo X, Smith HE, Hwang RW, Daffner SD. (2013). Ankylosing Spondylitis and Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis. In Patel VV, Patel A, Harrop JS, Burger E, (Eds): Spine Surgery Basics (pp. 475-90). New York, NY: Springer.

Kim DH, Hwang RW, Lee GH, Joshi R, Baker KC, Arnold P, Sasso R, Park D, Fischgrund Kim DH, Hwang RW J. Potential significance of facet joint fusion or posteromedial fusion observed on CT imaging following attempted posterolateral or posterior interbody fusion. Spine J. 2020 Mar;20(3):337-343.

Kim DH, Hwang RW, Lee GH, Joshi R, Baker KC, Arnold P, Sasso R, Park D, Fischgrund J. Comparing Rates of Early Pedicle Screw Loosening in Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion with and without Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion. Spine J. 2020 Sep;20(9):1438-1445.

Hwang RW, Golenbock SW. Drivers of Cost and Variation in Single-Level Lumbar Fusion Surgery. Accepted for publication

Kim DH, Hwang RW, Lee GH, Golenbock, SW, Baker KC, Arnold P, Sasso R, Park D, Fischgrund JS. Intraoperative Transverse Process Fractures and Posterolateral Lumbar Fusion Rates. Submitted for publication

Available Locations

Dr. Hwang is currently available at:

Chestnut Hill

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All offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28 - Friday, Nov. 29 in observance of Thanksgiving. Normal hours will resume Monday, December 2. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Hours
All offices will be closed Thursday, Nov. 28 - Friday, Nov. 29 in observance of Thanksgiving. Normal hours will resume Monday, Dec. 2. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Hours