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Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD

Accepting New Patients

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Specializes in: Spine Surgery and Neurosurgery

University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine (2001 - 2003)

Professional interests include: spinal cord tumor, spinal cord injury, spinal fusion, and more.

1131 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 100
Santa Monica, CA 90401

(310) 267-2975

Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD is a spine surgeon in Santa Monica, CA specializing in spine surgery and neurosurgery. He graduated from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine in 2003 and has 22 years of experience. Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD is affiliated with Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Health, UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center and THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.

Office Locations

Address:

1131 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 100
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Some issues Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD can help you with:

Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury medicine is a branch of medicine that treats damage to the spinal cord from an injury or a nontraumatic myelopathy, which is any disorder that affects the spinal area. The spinal cord is a section of nerve tissue protected by the vertebrae (spinal bones). Trauma to the spinal cord, typically caused by compression or bent vertebrae, prevents the body and brain from communicating. This can result in pain, loss of sensation, and impaired physical function and movement. Acute spinal cord injuries (SCIs) are a leading cause of permanent disability. Spinal cord injuries may develop from accidents or myelopathies, disorders that provoke spinal compression. Traumatic incidents such as falls, sports injuries, vehicle accidents, and bullet or stab wounds can cause an acute spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury medicine seeks to stabilize the spine and to alleviate the symptoms of spine damage. Practitioners of spinal cord injury medicine are called spinal cord injury specialists. Spinal cord injury medicine is an interdisciplinary field, meaning physicians of various specialties may be trained to treat spinal cord injuries.

Damage to the spinal cord may initially be diagnosed through X-ray, MRI, or CT scans. Patients can also undergo spinal exams to evaluate their sensory ability and strength. Injuries to the spinal cord can be complete (no feeling or sensation) or incomplete (some feeling or sensation remains). Conditions spinal cord injury medicine specialists may treat include:

Paralysis, such as paraplegia (loss of function in the legs), or quadriplegia (loss of function from the neck down)
Spine fracture or trauma, which can lead to impairment and/or significant pain
Spinal infections
Myelopathies, such as herniated disks, spinal tumors, and rheumatoid arthritis
Inflammatory diseases such as ankylosing spondylosis, and degenerative conditions like Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS)

Treatment for spinal cord injuries often involves surgery, either directly after an injury occurs or at a later date. Surgery for spine injuries is intended to ease spinal compression and stabilize the spine. Surgical procedures can involve shifting vertebrae, removing bone, or altering spinal placement with implantable devices. Patients with significant spinal trauma may require urgent surgical intervention.

Surgical treatments can be complemented by rehabilitative physical therapy to improve mobility. Spinal cord injury specialists also treat complications arising from a spinal injury, such as respiratory or bladder conditions. Some patients with spinal cord injuries may require lifelong treatment. Spinal cord injury specialists aim to help these patients successfully adjust and lead an improved quality of life. An emerging treatment for spinal cord injuries is neural prosthetics, which replicate patients' lost nerve function. Neural prostheses may be used as artificial body parts or assistive devices that patients may cognitively control. Other assistive devices include wheelchairs and scooters.

Spinal cord injury specialists may collaborate with physical therapists, radiologists, neurologists, urologists, and orthopedists.

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.

In The News

“"It's a first step among hundreds," said Dr. Daniel Lu, a professor and vice chairman of neurosurgery at the University of California Los Angeles, who co-authored a 2016 study that showed that...”—"Helping Stroke Patients Regain Movement in Their Hands", New York Times, February 2023

“The idea of using a stimulator isn't brand new, said Dr. Daniel Lu, a neurosurgeon at UCLA Health in Los Angeles, where scientists have been using stimulators on paralyzed patients for a decade.”—"Paralyzed patients walking in minutes: New electrode device a step forward in spinal injury care", USA Today, February 2022

"https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/arts/2023/07/11/a-ucla-neurosurgeon-s-passion-for-violins", UCLA Health

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	10
decompression surgery	13
doctor visit	262
hospital care	16
inpatient care	16
neck surgery	9
nerve procedures	13
spinal procedures	21

**Gender**
Male	109
Female	118

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	140
Black	13
Hispanic	24
Asian	39
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	102
From 75 to 84	73
85 and over	23
Less than 65	29

Hypertension	72
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	40
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	26
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	33
Dementia	8
Cancer	15

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	15
decompression surgery	28
doctor visit	272
neck surgery	25
nerve procedures	28
spinal procedures	55

**Gender**
Male	104
Female	119

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	153
Black	0
Hispanic	21
Asian	29
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	97
From 75 to 84	72
85 and over	20
Less than 65	34

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	57
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	23
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	14
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	28
Dementia	9
Cancer	15

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	15
decompression surgery	32
doctor visit	204
neck surgery	26
nerve procedures	32
spinal procedures	61

**Gender**
Male	214
Female	186

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	274
Black	0
Hispanic	46
Asian	38
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	198
From 75 to 84	126
85 and over	26
Less than 65	50

Hypertension	62
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	37
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	12
Diabetes	26
Dementia	8
Cancer	14

decompression surgery	19
doctor visit	223
nerve procedures	19
spinal procedures	16

**Gender**
Male	98
Female	106

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	140
Black	0
Hispanic	20
Asian	27
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	105
From 75 to 84	60
85 and over	15
Less than 65	24

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	50
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	41
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	19
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	16
Diabetes	31
Dementia	10
Cancer	15

decompression surgery	44
doctor visit	363
hospital care	36
inpatient care	36
nerve procedures	44
spinal procedures	66

**Gender**
Male	175
Female	143

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	221
Black	13
Hispanic	22
Asian	41
Other	21
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	152
From 75 to 84	90
85 and over	40
Less than 65	36

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	39
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	20
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	31
Dementia	12
Cancer	11

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	10
decompression surgery	26
doctor visit	332
hospital care	39
inpatient care	39
neck surgery	9
nerve procedures	26
spinal procedures	62

**Gender**
Male	151
Female	146

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	203
Black	24
Hispanic	27
Asian	28
Other	15
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	157
From 75 to 84	90
85 and over	24
Less than 65	26

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	6
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	31
Dementia	15
Cancer	17

decompression surgery	42
doctor visit	318
hospital care	28
inpatient care	28
nerve procedures	42
spinal procedures	39

**Gender**
Male	153
Female	130

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	187
Black	17
Hispanic	23
Asian	42
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	128
From 75 to 84	96
85 and over	25
Less than 65	34

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	38
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	35
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	16
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	33
Dementia	13
Cancer	12

doctor visit	201
hospital care	39
inpatient care	39

**Gender**
Male	120
Female	102

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	150
Black	0
Hispanic	28
Asian	26
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	103
From 75 to 84	62
85 and over	21
Less than 65	36

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	37
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	38
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	20
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	21
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	34
Dementia	20
Cancer	12

decompression surgery	45
doctor visit	407
hospital care	26
inpatient care	26
nerve procedures	45
spinal procedures	54

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD treated as a spine surgeon in Santa Monica, CA were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, decompression surgery and hospital care.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	12
decompression surgery	32
doctor visit	292
hospital care	30
inpatient care	30
neck surgery	17
nerve procedures	32
spinal procedures	49

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD.

**Gender**
Female	105
Male	112

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	6
Asian / Pacific Islander	27
Non-Hispanic White	146
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	21
Other	5

**Age**
85 and over	19
75 to 84	66
Less than 65	26
65 to 74	104

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	55
High Cholesterol	47
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	9
Osteoporosis	11
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	24
Atrial Fibrillation	7
Dementia	9
Cancer	11

Education & Training

Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD graduated from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine in 2003. He completed residency at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals. He has a state license in California.

Medical School: University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine (2003)

Residency: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals (2009)

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Health

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

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. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Cigna, TRICARE, Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS), Aetna, Blue Shield of California, MultiPlan, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem, Medicare Advantage, Prime Health, First Health, HealthSmart, Centivo, Health Net of California, UFCM Health System and L.A. Care.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD accepts the following insurance providers:

Cigna

TRICARE

Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)

Aetna

Blue Shield of California

MultiPlan

UnitedHealthcare

Anthem

Medicare Advantage

Prime Health

First Health

HealthSmart

Centivo

Health Net of California

UFCM Health System

L.A. Care

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Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD has an average of 1.0 out of 5 stars based on 1 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD from all over the web to help you find the right in Santa Monica, CA.

Overall Rating

(1 Rating)

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Reviews Left On DocSpot

Overall Rating: 1.0 2023-08-28

UCLA neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel Lu is as incompetent as he is arrogant – a literally crippling combination.  This cold, condescending man, a failure as both a doctor and a human being, performed four spinal surgeries on me from 2019 to 2022. He left me worse than when I started.  

In 2023 a capable surgeon did a complete re-do and revision of two of Dr. Lu's surgeries. He was appalled at Dr. Lu’s substandard work and abusive treatment of me. I’m better but still may never get my full mobility back thanks to Dr. Lu. 

I ‘ve reported Dr. Lu to UCLA, the California Medical Board and Medicare.  All three are investigating him for:  Performing Deceptive, Unnecessary and Unwanted Surgeries; Negligent Care; Deliberate Falsifying of Medical Records; and Threatening Behavior.

I come from a family of doctors and am realistic about what they can and can’t do, but Dr. Lu, with his monstrous lies and meager skills, was much worse of a nightmare than I could ever have imagined.

General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Orthofix Medical, Inc.	$47,499 NorthStar $47,499
SeaSpine Orthopedics Corporation	$42,991 NorthStar $28,389	NorthStar OCT $2,284	NanoMetalene Technology $991	Vu aPOD Prime NanoMetalene $531	Cambria NanoMetalene $334	Other $10,462
DePuy Synthes Sales Inc.	$10,219 Spine $2,278	VIPER $1,852	Orthopaedics $640	SYNFIX $524	BRAINLAB $445	Other $4,479
DePuy Orthopaedics Inc.	$9,588 Spine $9,505	EXPEDIUM $42	Biomaterials $41
NUVASIVE, INC.	$7,324 Simplify Cervical Artificial Disc $1,764	XLIF $1,592	Modulus $1,490	Reline $271	ACP $149	Other $2,059
Other	$13,498 GENERAL - PAIN MANAGEMENT $661	Mobi-C $547	Neuro-Duraplasty $331	GENERAL PAIN MANAGEMENT $300	Altera $298	Other $11,359

**Types of Payments**
Royalty or License	$78,172
Consulting Fee	$23,152
Food and Beverage	$20,641
Travel and Lodging	$9,153

Research Payments

Dr. Daniel Chia-Hsing Lu, MD, PhD has received 2 research payments totaling $12,253.

Biography

Dr. Daniel Lu works as a spine surgery and neurosurgery. Dr. Lu's areas of expertise include the following: spinal cord tumor, spinal cord injury, and spinal cord compression. He seems to honor Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, Blue California, and more. He attended medical school at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), School of Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), School of Medicine. For his professional training, Dr. Lu completed a residency program at a hospital affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Awards and/or distinctions he has received include Super Doctors Southern California and Super doctors, Southern California. He is professionally affiliated with Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. His practice in Santa Monica, CA is open to new patients as reported by UCLA Health.