An interview with Michael J. Lee

Michael Lee was born in Cincinnati OH, and has lived most of his life in the Midwest. He attended Northwestern University in Chicago for his undergraduate and medical school education. Thereafter, he returned to Ohio and completed his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery at Case Western Reserve University. During his orthopedic surgery residency, he was selected as an Allen scholar for one year. This year was spent performing basic science and clinical research. After completion of his residency in 2006, Dr. Lee returned to Chicago, and completed a fellowship in Spine Surgery at Rush University Medical Center with Dr Howard An. Dr Lee joined the UW faculty in 2007.

What do you most enjoy about your work?
When a patient recovers function that they had previously lost, or comes back to the clinic reporting that their pain is relieved, I feel that that is the most gratifying aspect of my work. To follow the patient from when they were having symptoms to them returning to their normal activity really reinforces why I became a physician in the first place.

What is your treatment philosophy?
My role is to listen to a patient’s goals and desires, and to chart the least invasive and safest course towards achieving those goals.  I am just as happy to deliver a successful outcome with a non operative approach as I am with surgery, but my area of specialty is in the surgical treatment of degenerative spine conditions, with a particular interest in the cervical spine.   
One of the most important aspects of my job is to make sure the patients understand their condition, what treatments can be used, the pros and cons of these treatments, and my recommendation. Teaching patients about their conditions and how to treat them is almost as important as the treatment itself. 

What is the focus of your research?
Back pain is a common problem and there are numerous causes.  Some of the causes for back pain can be successfully treated with therapy, medication, injections or surgery.  Other causes are poorly understood.  Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about “discogenic” pain, or pain that come directly from a degenerated disc.  Unfortunately, discogenic pain is difficult to diagnose accurately and difficult to treat successfully.  My research focus is to further understand the cause and physiology of “discogenic” pain. What causes it, how does it occur, and more importantly, how can we accurately diagnose and treat it?
I am also interested in clinical outcomes with newer technologies, including minimally invasive approaches to the spine and disc replacement procedures.

What are your interests outside of medicine?
I enjoy traveling, music, reading and playing sports.  I love playing basketball, but I’m not particularly good.  I am also a die-hard Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan.  I was born and raised there, so I still cling to my childhood sports loyalties.  I enjoy reading everything from contemporary novels to science fiction to scientific journals.  Traveling extensively has been put on hold, as my wife and I are kept busy raising our daughter who has just learned to explore her surroundings.

Selected bibliography of [ Michael Lee ] recent publications:

1. Sarwahi V, Sarwark JF, Schafer MF, Backer C, Lee M, King EC, Aminian A, Grayhack JJ.  Standards in anterior spine surgery in pediatric patients with neuromuscular scoliosis.  J Pediatr Orthop. 2001 Nov-Dec;21(6):756-60.
2. Bazaz R, Lee MJ, Yoo JU.  Incidence of Dysphagia after Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery – A Prospective Study.  Spine 2002. 27(22):2453-2458.
3. Lee MJ, Bazaz R, Furey CG, Yoo JU.  The Influence of Anterior Cervical Plate Design on Dysphagia: A Two Year Prospective Study.  J Spinal Disord Tech. 2005 Oct;18(5):406-409.
4. Lee MJ, Bazaz, Furey CG, Yoo JU.  Risk Factors for Dysphagia after Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery: A Two Year Prospective Study.  Spine J. 2007 Mar-Apr;7(2):141-7.
5. Cassinelli EH, Lee MJ, Skalak AF, Bohlman HH, Ahn N.  Anatomic Considerations for the Placement of C2 Intra-laminar Screws.  Spine. 2006 Nov 15;31(24):2767-71
6. Nalepka JL, Lee MJ, Kraay MJ, Marcus RE, Goldberg VM, Chen X, & Greenfield EM. Lipopolysaccharide Found in Aseptic Loosening of Patients with Inflammatory Arthritis..  Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2006 Oct;451:229-35
7. Lee MJ, Cassinelli E, Riew KD.  The Feasibility of Inserting Atlas Lateral Mass Screws via the Posterior Arch.  Spine. 2006 Nov 15;31(24):2798-801).
8. Lee MJ, Cassinelli E, Riew KD.  The Prevalence of Cervical Stenosis: an anatomic study in cadavers. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007 Feb;89(2):376-80.
9. Smith MV, Lee MJ, Islam AS, Rohrer JL, Goldberg VM, Biedelschies MA, Greenfield EM. The PI3K/Akt pathway mediates the biological response to titanium particles.  J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007 May;89(5):1019-27.
10. Eubanks JD, Lee MJ, Ahn N.  Prevalence of lumbar facet arthrosis and its relationship to age, sex and race: an anatomic study of 647 cadaveric specimens.  Spine (in press).

Dr. Michael Lee Contact Information:
University of Washington Bone and Joint Center - Phone: 206-598-BONE (2663) or the online referrals website

Last Updated: 4/3/2009