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Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD

(262 Ratings)

Specializes in: Spine Surgery and Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School

Professional interests include: herniated disc, minimally invasive spine surgery, spine problems, and more.

159 Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459

(617) 831-7095

Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD is a spine surgeon in Newton, MA specializing in spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He graduated from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School. Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD is affiliated with Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, EMERSON PRACTICE ASSOCIATES, INC and MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL PHYSICIANS ORGANIZATION INC.

Office Locations

Address:

159 Wells Avenue
Newton, MA 02459

Address:

54 Baker Avenue Extension Suite 203
Concord, MA 01742

Address:

55 Fruit Street Suite 3a
Boston, MA 02114

Some issues Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD can help you with:

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure to permanently join together two or more vertebrae, the bones in the spine. Certain spinal disorders can lead to instability and pain, and the idea behind spinal fusion is that fusing vertebrae together can both make them stronger and reduce motion, which can sometimes reduce pain.

There are several different types of spinal fusion surgery available, mostly depending on where a patient's pain is located and whether his or her surgeon will perform the procedure through the back, front, or side. In general, a fusion is performed by packing the vertebrae to be fused with grafted bone. This bone may be taken from the patient's hip, may be donated from a cadaver, or it may be a manufactured synthetic material. The bone is placed along the vertebrae, and sometimes, the disc that lies in between the vertebrae is removed and replaced with grafted bone. The bone material will grow and cement the two vertebrae together. After the bone graft is placed, the vertebrae are sometimes held in place with rods, screws, plates, or cages, depending on the weakness of the spine and needs of the graft.

Spinal fusion is a significant surgery and can take three to four hours or more. Recovery is typically two to four days in the hospital. After surgery, it is important to remember that the fusion takes time to grow from the bone graft. So, the actual fusion is not complete for several months. Patients will probably feel somewhat better right away, but it may take a while to feel the full effects of the fusion as the bone grows into place. In the meantime, doctors might have patients wear a brace to protect their spine and keep it properly aligned.

Spinal fusion is not used for all kinds of back pain. Changing the way the spine moves can lead to strain on the other joints in the back, and fusion is only performed when the benefits outweigh the risks. Some spine disorders that are treated with fusion include:

Curvature disorders, such as scoliosis and kyphosis
Degenerative disc disease
Spondylolisthesis, a disorder that causes vertebrae to slip over each other
Significant spinal fractures that cause instability
Weakened spine due to infection or tumor
Some cases of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column
Chronic lower back pain (although the use of fusion to treat this is controversial)

Regardless of the diagnosis, there is always a possibility of 'failure' with spinal fusion, or of the surgery not fully solving the pain. This is more likely when fusion is used primarily to treat pain instead of structural problems. Patients can improve their chances of a successful outcome by stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, moving their body every day, and following their doctor's instructions for any physical therapy that they are prescribed.

doctor visit	26
hospital care	16
inpatient care	16

**Gender**
Male	38
Female	42

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	66
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	29
From 75 to 84	25
85 and over	14
Less than 65	12

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	49
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	40
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	18
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	30
Dementia	25
Cancer	0

decompression surgery	23
doctor visit	34
hospital care	10
inpatient care	10
nerve procedures	23
spinal procedures	35

**Gender**
Male	45
Female	57

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	91
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	44
From 75 to 84	34
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	70
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	43
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	25
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	25
Dementia	18
Cancer	16

decompression surgery	40
doctor visit	236
hospital care	16
inpatient care	16
nerve procedures	40
spinal procedures	49

**Gender**
Male	85
Female	90

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	149
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	11
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	88
From 75 to 84	52
85 and over	15
Less than 65	20

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	19
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	23
Dementia	11
Cancer	16

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	22
decompression surgery	41
doctor visit	197
hospital care	11
inpatient care	11
neck surgery	10
nerve procedures	41
spinal procedures	104

**Gender**
Male	84
Female	108

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	157
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	15
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	79
From 75 to 84	72
85 and over	18
Less than 65	23

Hypertension	74
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	42
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	17
Diabetes	27
Dementia	14
Cancer	11

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	14
decompression surgery	68
doctor visit	583
hospital care	26
inpatient care	26
nerve procedures	68
spinal procedures	149

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2017 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Newton, MA were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, decompression surgery and arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery).

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	18
decompression surgery	43
doctor visit	215
hospital care	15
inpatient care	15
neck surgery	10
nerve procedures	43
spinal procedures	86

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2017 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD.

**Gender**
Male	25
Female	29

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	46
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	0
Other	2

**Age**
75 to 84	18
85 and over	4
Less than 65	5
65 to 74	24

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD From 2017 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, depression and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	29
High Cholesterol	25
Stroke	1
Ischemic Heart Disease	15
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	14
Asthma	5
Osteoporosis	7
Heart Failure	7
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	6
Diabetes	10
Atrial Fibrillation	5
Cancer	4
Dementia	6

Education & Training

Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD graduated from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School. He is certified by the Orthopedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and has a state license in Massachusetts.

Medical School: Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School

Board Certification: Orthopedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Licensed In: Massachusetts

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Newton-Wellesley Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital

EMERSON PRACTICE ASSOCIATES, INC

MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL PHYSICIANS ORGANIZATION INC

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, MultiPlan, Tufts Health Plan, United Healthcare, Aetna, TRICARE, Medicare, Medicaid, Humana, Railroad Medicare, Coventry, Cigna, Blue California, Beech Street, WellPoint, Medicare ACO, WellSense, Senior Whole Health, Fallon Health, Commonwealth Care Alliance, Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, MassHealth and WellSense NH.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

MultiPlan

Tufts Health Plan

United Healthcare

Aetna

TRICARE

Medicare

Medicaid

Humana

Railroad Medicare

Coventry

Cigna

Blue California

Beech Street

WellPoint

Medicare ACO

WellSense

Senior Whole Health

Fallon Health

Commonwealth Care Alliance

Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare

Mass General Brigham Health Plan

MassHealth

WellSense NH

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Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.74 out of 5 stars based on 262 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Newton, MA.

4.74

Overall Rating

(262 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Harold August Fogel, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
NUVASIVE, INC.	$7,327 TLIF $3,209	XLIF $1,243	ALIF $530	Pulse $149	MaXcess-C $132	Other $2,065
Cerapedics Inc.	$2,851 I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT $2,851
Stryker Corporation	$2,377 Tritanium $1,018	ACCULIF $652	ES2 $437	SonicAnchor $136	vitoss $133
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.	$1,569 VIPER $123	EXPEDIUM $96	$1,350
SANOFI-AVENTIS U.S. LLC	$1,208 NO PRODUCT DISCUSSED $1,208
Other	$2,925 EXPEDIUM $511	HTX-011 $500	Osteotomy System $496	Vital $300	VIPER $179	Other $938

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$9,789
Food and Beverage	$5,231
Consulting Fee	$2,000
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$1,208
Entertainment	$28

Biography

Dr. Harold Fogel sees patients in Boston, MA, Newton, MA, and Concord, MA. His medical specialties are spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. His clinical interests include laminectomy, spinal trauma, and radiculopathy (nerve root disorder). He is professionally affiliated with Massachusetts General Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Dr. Fogel appears to be an in-network provider for Blue California, Coventry, and Viant, in addition to other insurance carriers. Before completing his residency at a hospital affiliated with Loyola University, Dr. Fogel attended medical school at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Chicago Medical School.