Procedure Volume Patient Data Patient Conditions Reviews General Payments Back to Top

Home > CA Providers > Spine Surgeons

Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD

Accepting New Patients

(4 Ratings)

Specializes in: Spine Surgery and Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery

Ohio State University College of Medicine (1994)

Professional interests include: spine problems

326 Santa Fe Drive
Encinitas, CA 92024

(760) 753-5594

Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD is a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA specializing in spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. He graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1994 and has 32 years of experience. Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD is affiliated with Scripps Clinic, Scripps Health and Scripps Green Hospital.

Office Locations

326 Santa Fe Drive
Encinitas, CA 92024

open_in_new

10710 N Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037

open_in_new

In The News

“Dr. James Bruffey (Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines, La Jolla, California) and Dr. Andrew Parkinson (Orthopedic Associates, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma) will be performing live product demonstrations in the...”—"Integra LifeSciences Receives FDA Clearance for Multiple Fixation Options for Vu aPOD(TM) Prime ALIF Device", NBC News, October 2010

“As Grant and her teammates prepare for their last match herthoughts return to the pain that became so bad she couldn't walk.Surgery by Dr. James Bruffey on June 15 at the Scripps Clinic...”—"With Grant again pain-free, Eagles hop on her able back", The San Diego Union-Tribune, December 2004

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 25%

By Volume:

anterior lumbar interbody fusion

lateral lumbar interbody fusion

lumbar interbody fusion

spinal fusion

spine surgery procedures

By Affordability:

arthrodesis

interbody fusion

lumbar fusion

lumbar interbody fusion

spinal fusion

In 2012, among providers in related specialties within California, Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD performed more anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), lumbar interbody fusion, spinal fusion, and spine surgery procedures procedures for Medicare patients than 75% of them and he also had a list price for arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery), interbody fusion, lumbar fusion, lumbar interbody fusion, and spinal fusion that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 75% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2012 were injections, spinal procedures, pain management and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	26
decompression surgery	43
doctor visit	464
injections	104
minimally invasive procedures	26
nerve procedures	43
pain management	82
revision surgery	16
spinal procedures	98

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2013 were spinal procedures, pain management, injections and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	20
decompression surgery	36
doctor visit	483
injections	59
minimally invasive procedures	20
nerve procedures	36
pain management	59
revision surgery	15
spinal procedures	74

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	160
Female	184

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	313
Black	0
Hispanic	13
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	171
From 75 to 84	120
85 and over	34
Less than 65	19

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2013

Hypertension	65
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	34
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	20
Dementia	6
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2014 were injections, spinal procedures, pain management and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	22
aspiration	29
decompression surgery	37
doctor visit	574
injections	103
minimally invasive procedures	22
nerve procedures	37
pain management	60
revision surgery	16
spinal procedures	84

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	187
Female	221

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	373
Black	0
Hispanic	15
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	210
From 75 to 84	127
85 and over	40
Less than 65	31

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2014

Hypertension	62
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	34
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	21
Dementia	4
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2015 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	35
aspiration	33
decompression surgery	38
doctor visit	648
injections	92
minimally invasive procedures	35
nerve procedures	38
pain management	59
revision surgery	17
spinal procedures	114

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	410
Female	492

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	814
Black	0
Hispanic	34
Asian	22
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	466
From 75 to 84	280
85 and over	90
Less than 65	66

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2015

Hypertension	59
High Cholesterol	57
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	23
Dementia	5
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2016 were spinal procedures, injections, pain management and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	22
aspiration	24
decompression surgery	34
doctor visit	551
injections	69
minimally invasive procedures	22
nerve procedures	34
pain management	45
revision surgery	15
spinal procedures	71

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	195
Female	229

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	384
Black	0
Hispanic	11
Asian	12
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	218
From 75 to 84	118
85 and over	45
Less than 65	43

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2016

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	22
Dementia	5
Cancer	8

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2017 were spinal procedures, rehabilitation, injections and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	21
aspiration	18
decompression surgery	46
doctor visit	574
injections	48
manual therapy	31
minimally invasive procedures	21
nerve procedures	46
pain management	30
rehabilitation	57
revision surgery	14
spinal procedures	80

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	218
Female	237

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	396
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	19
Other	18
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	249
From 75 to 84	144
85 and over	36
Less than 65	26

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2017

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	47
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	33
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	21
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	18
Dementia	4
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2018 were spinal procedures, rehabilitation, nerve procedures and decompression surgery.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	31
aspiration	19
decompression surgery	53
doctor visit	629
injections	44
manual therapy	36
minimally invasive procedures	31
nerve procedures	53
pain management	25
rehabilitation	55
revision surgery	21
spinal procedures	112

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	227
Female	240

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	407
Black	0
Hispanic	21
Asian	0
Other	19
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	261
From 75 to 84	153
85 and over	30
Less than 65	23

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2018

Hypertension	62
High Cholesterol	54
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	19
Dementia	4
Cancer	11

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2019 were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, decompression surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	33
decompression surgery	45
doctor visit	563
minimally invasive procedures	33
nerve procedures	45
revision surgery	22
spinal procedures	124

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	190
Female	208

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	357
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	13
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	220
From 75 to 84	132
85 and over	29
Less than 65	17

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2019

Hypertension	61
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	18
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	16
Dementia	6
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2020 were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, decompression surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	26
decompression surgery	34
doctor visit	517
injections	13
minimally invasive procedures	26
nerve procedures	34
pain management	13
revision surgery	19
spinal procedures	78

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	171
Female	205

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	340
Black	0
Hispanic	15
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	202
From 75 to 84	121
85 and over	35
Less than 65	18

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2020

Hypertension	57
High Cholesterol	57
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	21
Dementia	6
Cancer	9

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2021 were spinal procedures, minimally invasive procedures, arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery) and nerve procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	31
decompression surgery	24
doctor visit	547
minimally invasive procedures	31
nerve procedures	24
spinal procedures	85

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	185
Female	189

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	330
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	12
Other	16
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	181
From 75 to 84	153
85 and over	22
Less than 65	18

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2021

Hypertension	62
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	25
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	7
Diabetes	16
Dementia	5
Cancer	10

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA during 2022 were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, decompression surgery and minimally invasive procedures.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	23
decompression surgery	28
doctor visit	531
injections	11
minimally invasive procedures	23
nerve procedures	28
pain management	11
spinal procedures	65

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	177
Female	205

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	331
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	13
Other	19
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	191
From 75 to 84	153
85 and over	22
Less than 65	16

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD in 2022

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	27
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	21
Atrial Fibrilation	18
Heart Failure	8
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	19
Dementia	5
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Encinitas, CA were spinal procedures, injections, rehabilitation and pain management.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	26
aspiration	24
decompression surgery	38
doctor visit	552
injections	60
manual therapy	33
minimally invasive procedures	26
nerve procedures	38
pain management	42
rehabilitation	56
revision surgery	17
spinal procedures	89

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

**Gender**
Male	192
Female	219

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	0
Asian / Pacific Islander	8
Non-Hispanic White	367
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	9
Other	7

**Age**
75 to 84	136
85 and over	34
Less than 65	25
65 to 74	215

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD From 2012 - 2022

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

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	51
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	18
Asthma	8
Osteoporosis	12
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	17
Atrial Fibrillation	12
Dementia	4
Cancer	9

Education & Training

Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1994. He completed residency at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Affiliated Hospitals. He is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery and has a state license in California.

Medical School: Ohio State University College of Medicine (1994)

Residency: University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Affiliated Hospitals (1999)

Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery (2002)

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Scripps Clinic

Scripps Health

Scripps Green Hospital

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 5.0 out of 5 stars based on 4 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Encinitas, CA.

Overall Rating

(4 Ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

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

**Payments by Company**
SeaSpine Orthopedics Corporation	$1,151,431 Vu aPOD Prime NanoMetalene $240,341	Vu aPOD Prime $193,025	Shoreline ACS $129,971	Shoreline $104,607	Vu aPOD-L $93,652	Other $389,835
Orthofix Medical, Inc.	$166,635 Shoreline ASC $81,428	Vu a-POD Prime NanoMetalene $29,635	Shoreline RT $17,227	MERIdian $12,664	Regatta Lateral System $7,018	Other $18,663
NUVASIVE, INC.	$105,806 Thoracolumbar $50,261	XLIF $34,387	Integrated Operative Solutions $10,800	Cervicothoracic $5,220	ALIF $3,600	Other $1,538
Integra LifeSciences Corporation	$95,467 Spine-Minimally Invasive $39,335	Spine-IBD $28,736	Spine - multiple therapeutic areas $19,661	Spine-Cervical $5,934	Spine-Lumbar $1,300	Other $501
Theken Spine, LLC	$27,055 Vu APOD - Vu APOD Prime $27,016	Spine-Minimally Invasive $39
Other	$76,428 Xpress $15,634	Spine - multiple therapeutic areas $14,625	Neo Pedicle Screw System $6,228	Spine-Minimally Invasive $4,664	Verticale $3,125	Other $32,152

**Types of Payments**
Royalty or License	$1,106,007
Consulting Fee	$452,292
Travel and Lodging	$28,925
Compensation for serving as faculty or as a speaker for a non-accredited and noncertified continuing education program	$20,300
Food and Beverage	$15,299

Ownership and Interest Payments

This table describes ownership payments received by Dr. James D. Bruffey, MD.

Spine Innovation, LLC

2017

$162,500.00

Physician Covered Recipient

Convertible Debt

Biography

Dr. James Bruffey is a specialist in spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. In his practice, Dr. Bruffey focuses on spine problems and orthopedic surgery. Dr. Bruffey is affiliated with Scripps Clinic and Scripps Green Hospital. He graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine and then he performed his residency at Scripps Clinic and a hospital affiliated with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Patient ratings for Dr. Bruffey average 5.0 stars (out of 5). His practice in Encinitas, CA is open to new patients as reported by Scripps Health.