Charla R. Fischer, MD

I became interested in the field of medicine because my father was an anesthesiologist. As a child, I used to accompany him to the hospital to see where he worked and what he did. I loved that he helped people and worked in a science-related field. When I was older, I became interested in surgery and the opportunity to work in different environments—the operating room, hospitals, and offices.

Today, as the chief of orthopedics for Tisch Hospital and Kimmel Pavilion and an orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone’s Spine Center, I treat people who have spine conditions like scoliosis as well as lumbar disc herniation, degenerative disc disease, and other conditions in which the discs and joints wear down.

I’m a big proponent of minimally invasive surgery when it’s appropriate. It allows patients to recover quickly and return to the activities they love in a short period of time. Of course, there are instances when minimally invasive surgery is not the best option. I have enough experience to know when it is and is not the best option, and guide my patients accordingly.

I’m proud to work at NYU Langone and with my colleagues at the Spine Center. In addition to our expertise, we provide nurturing and supportive care. I want to understand not only what’s going on in a patient’s body, but also in a patient’s life.

In addition to my clinical work, I am the director of Quality and Patient Safety in the Division of Spine Surgery and I conduct research in that area as well. When I perform surgery, I make life better for one person at a time. My research allows me to help many people at once.

I’ve received grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. I routinely publish in top peer-reviewed journals and present my findings at international academic meetings.