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

Home > AZ Providers > Vascular Surgeons

Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD

(No ratings)

Specializes in: Vascular Surgery, Thoracic Surgery and General Surgery

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Professional interests include: spinal fusion, spinal cord injury

1331 North 7th Street Suite 375
Phoenix, AZ 85006

(602) 776-3464

Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD is a vascular surgeon in Phoenix, AZ specializing in vascular surgery, thoracic surgery and general surgery. He graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD is affiliated with Abrazo Health, Abrazo Arrowhead Campus and PINNACLE VEIN AND VASCULAR CENTER PLLC.

Office Locations

Address:

1331 North 7th Street Suite 375
Phoenix, AZ 85006

Some issues Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD 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.

bypass surgery	15
cardiac procedures	30
hospital care	166
inpatient care	167
open surgery	30
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	30

**Gender**
Male	109
Female	90

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	161
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	83
From 75 to 84	68
85 and over	27
Less than 65	21

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	15
Ischemic Heart Disease	68
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	58
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	11
Atrial Fibrilation	23
Heart Failure	49
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	40
Diabetes	50
Dementia	15
Cancer	20

endarterectomy	11
hospital care	197
inpatient care	198
neck surgery	11
vascular procedures	11

**Gender**
Male	121
Female	90

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	164
Black	0
Hispanic	14
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	14

**Age**
From 65 to 74	100
From 75 to 84	62
85 and over	18
Less than 65	31

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	17
Ischemic Heart Disease	68
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	62
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	25
Heart Failure	47
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	34
Diabetes	51
Dementia	16
Cancer	17

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	17
bypass surgery	25
cardiac procedures	50
endarterectomy	12
hospital care	215
inpatient care	216
minimally invasive procedures	17
neck surgery	12
open surgery	50
spinal procedures	17
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	50
vascular procedures	12

**Gender**
Male	284
Female	212

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	368
Black	30
Hispanic	58
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	226
From 75 to 84	132
85 and over	64
Less than 65	74

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	18
Ischemic Heart Disease	74
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	56
Asthma	25
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	40
Diabetes	48
Dementia	19
Cancer	21

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	18
bypass surgery	22
cardiac procedures	44
endarterectomy	16
hospital care	189
inpatient care	190
minimally invasive procedures	18
neck surgery	16
open surgery	44
spinal procedures	18
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	44
vascular procedures	16

**Gender**
Male	137
Female	89

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	178
Black	0
Hispanic	19
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	14

**Age**
From 65 to 74	89
From 75 to 84	76
85 and over	22
Less than 65	39

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	20
Ischemic Heart Disease	71
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	65
Asthma	38
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	33
Heart Failure	52
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	38
Diabetes	53
Dementia	23
Cancer	18

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	32
bypass surgery	25
cardiac procedures	50
endarterectomy	22
hospital care	182
inpatient care	168
minimally invasive procedures	32
neck surgery	22
open surgery	50
outpatient care	14
spinal procedures	32
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	50
vascular procedures	22

**Gender**
Male	121
Female	106

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	181
Black	0
Hispanic	21
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	105
From 75 to 84	65
85 and over	24
Less than 65	33

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	23
Ischemic Heart Disease	75
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	61
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	12
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	36
Diabetes	50
Dementia	18
Cancer	18

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	42
bypass surgery	29
cardiac procedures	58
doctor visit	20
endarterectomy	14
hospital care	122
inpatient care	123
minimally invasive procedures	42
neck surgery	14
open surgery	58
spinal procedures	42
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	58
vascular procedures	14

**Gender**
Male	106
Female	88

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	146
Black	0
Hispanic	17
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	12

**Age**
From 65 to 74	95
From 75 to 84	57
85 and over	13
Less than 65	29

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	17
Ischemic Heart Disease	71
Depression	35
Chronic Kidney Disease	58
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	30
Heart Failure	43
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	36
Diabetes	50
Dementia	14
Cancer	16

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	48
bypass surgery	18
cardiac procedures	36
doctor visit	15
hospital care	92
inpatient care	93
minimally invasive procedures	48
open surgery	36
spinal procedures	48
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	36

**Gender**
Male	98
Female	77

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	142
Black	0
Hispanic	11
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	84
From 75 to 84	61
85 and over	19
Less than 65	11

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	18
Ischemic Heart Disease	68
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	57
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	29
Heart Failure	39
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	26
Diabetes	41
Dementia	17
Cancer	12

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	45
bypass surgery	16
cardiac procedures	32
hospital care	50
inpatient care	51
minimally invasive procedures	45
open surgery	32
spinal procedures	45
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	32

**Gender**
Male	60
Female	56

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	104
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	60
From 75 to 84	40
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	15
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	54
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	15
Atrial Fibrilation	28
Heart Failure	34
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	36
Dementia	15
Cancer	16

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	57
hospital care	19
inpatient care	20
minimally invasive procedures	57
spinal procedures	57

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD treated as a vascular surgeon in Phoenix, AZ were hospital care, inpatient care, thoracic (chest) surgery procedures and open surgery.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	37
bypass surgery	21
cardiac procedures	42
doctor visit	17
endarterectomy	15
hospital care	137
inpatient care	136
minimally invasive procedures	37
neck surgery	15
open surgery	42
outpatient care	14
spinal procedures	37
thoracic (chest) surgery procedures	42
vascular procedures	15

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD.

**Gender**
Female	80
Male	103

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	3
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	144
Native American / Alaskan Native	4
Hispanic	14
Other	0

**Age**
85 and over	18
75 to 84	56
Less than 65	23
65 to 74	84

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD treated were high cholesterol, hypertension, ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	60
Stroke	14
Ischemic Heart Disease	56
Depression	26
Chronic Kidney Disease	47
Asthma	13
Osteoporosis	9
Heart Failure	36
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	28
Diabetes	37
Atrial Fibrillation	22
Dementia	13
Cancer	13

Education & Training

Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Affiliated Hospitals. He has a state license in Arizona.

Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas and Affiliated Hospitals

Licensed In: Arizona

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Abrazo Health

Abrazo Arrowhead Campus

PINNACLE VEIN AND VASCULAR CENTER PLLC

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD does not have any reviews yet, be the first to leave a review of Dr. Michael Robert Kralik, MD here: Leave a Review

(No ratings)

Leave a Review

General Payments

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

**Payments by Company**
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation	$2,351 EDWARDS SAPIEN 3 TRANSCATHETER HEART VALVE (THV) $1,139	Edwards SAPIEN 3 Transcatheter Heart Valve $1,031	Edwards SAPIEN 3 Ultra Transcatheter Heart Valve $103	EDWARDS INTUITY Elite valve system $77	$1
NUVASIVE, INC.	$1,749 ALIF $850	XLIF $51	Brigade $23	$825
Medtronic, Inc.	$1,510 VenaSeal $1,472	ENDURANT IIS $25	Micra $12
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.	$872 Revascularization - Surgical $450	STENTS $268	Heart Valves $154
AtriCure, Inc.	$713 AtriCure cryoICE cryoSPHERE Cryoablation System $481	SYNERGY ABLATION SYSTEM $232
Other	$2,423 ENTRESTO $260	Impella $250	LifeVest $236	WATCHMAN $203	SAMSCA $126	Other $1,348

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$5,210
Food and Beverage	$4,339
Education	$69

Biography

Dr. Michael Kralik's specialties are general surgery, vascular surgery, and thoracic surgery. He practices in Phoenix, AZ. In his practice, Dr. Kralik focuses on spinal cord injury and spinal fusion. He is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. For his residency, Dr. Kralik trained at a hospital affiliated with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He is affiliated with Abrazo Arrowhead Campus.