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Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD

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Specializes in: Spine Surgery and Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery

University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine (2011)

Professional interests include: kyphoplasty (vertebral augmentation), spinal fusion

45 E River Park Place W Suite 104
Fresno, CA 93720

(559) 320-0530

Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD is a spine surgeon in Fresno, CA specializing in spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. She graduated from University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine in 2011 and has 14 years of experience. Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD is affiliated with Saint Agnes Medical Center, COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MEDICAL GROUP and NEUROSURGICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL GROUP INC.

Office Locations

Address:

45 E River Park Place W Suite 104
Fresno, CA 93720

Address:

7130 N Sharon Avenue 100
Fresno, CA 93720

Address:

805 W Acequia Avenue Suite 2d
Visalia, CA 93291

Some issues Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, 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	33

**Gender**
Male	32
Female	32

**Age**
From 65 to 74	24
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	24

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	53
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	44
Chronic Kidney Disease	30
Asthma	27
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	33
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

decompression surgery	12
doctor visit	74
nerve procedures	12
spinal procedures	21

**Gender**
Male	55
Female	75

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	109
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	57
From 75 to 84	30
85 and over	12
Less than 65	31

Hypertension	72
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	35
Depression	44
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	14
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	18
Diabetes	32
Dementia	14
Cancer	12

doctor visit	343
fracture surgery	21
joint surgery	10
lower extremity surgery	21
open surgery	10
reconstructive surgery	10
spinal procedures	20
X-rays	26

**Gender**
Male	68
Female	160

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	141
Black	11
Hispanic	61
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	97
From 75 to 84	66
85 and over	32
Less than 65	33

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	68
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	44
Depression	29
Chronic Kidney Disease	48
Asthma	15
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	23
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	47
Dementia	13
Cancer	7

decompression surgery	15
doctor visit	320
nerve procedures	15
spinal procedures	39
X-rays	28

**Gender**
Male	87
Female	130

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	122
Black	0
Hispanic	72
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	108
From 75 to 84	53
85 and over	16
Less than 65	40

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	5
Ischemic Heart Disease	49
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	41
Asthma	16
Osteoperosis	21
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	24
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	46
Dementia	6
Cancer	9

decompression surgery	17
doctor visit	238
injections	10
nerve block	10
nerve procedures	17
pain management	10
spinal procedures	23

**Gender**
Male	78
Female	121

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	103
Black	0
Hispanic	73
Asian	11
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	100
From 75 to 84	48
85 and over	12
Less than 65	39

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	65
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	43
Depression	33
Chronic Kidney Disease	42
Asthma	22
Osteoperosis	18
Atrial Fibrilation	8
Heart Failure	25
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	15
Diabetes	43
Dementia	0
Cancer	7

**Gender**
Male	99
Female	192

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	168
Black	0
Hispanic	95
Asian	12
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	145
From 75 to 84	82
85 and over	21
Less than 65	43

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	74
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	45
Depression	27
Chronic Kidney Disease	46
Asthma	15
Osteoperosis	20
Atrial Fibrilation	4
Heart Failure	19
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	43
Dementia	5
Cancer	5

**Gender**
Male	117
Female	204

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	172
Black	0
Hispanic	104
Asian	21
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	139
From 75 to 84	112
85 and over	23
Less than 65	47

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	6
Ischemic Heart Disease	30
Depression	24
Chronic Kidney Disease	32
Asthma	24
Osteoperosis	23
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	17
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	47
Dementia	5
Cancer	17

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2016 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Fresno, CA were spinal procedures, nerve block, pain management and injections.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	18
decompression surgery	26
doctor visit	297
fracture surgery	21
injections	40
joint surgery	10
lower extremity surgery	21
nerve block	40
nerve procedures	26
open surgery	10
pain management	40
reconstructive surgery	10
spinal procedures	63
X-rays	27

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2016 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD.

**Gender**
Male	53
Female	91

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	1
Asian / Pacific Islander	4
Non-Hispanic White	81
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	40
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	39
85 and over	11
Less than 65	25
65 to 74	67

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD From 2016 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	51
High Cholesterol	46
Stroke	1
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	23
Chronic Kidney Disease	27
Asthma	13
Osteoporosis	11
Heart Failure	12
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	11
Diabetes	29
Atrial Fibrillation	6
Cancer	5
Dementia	4

Education & Training

Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD graduated from University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine in 2011. She completed residency at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals. She is certified by the Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery American Board and has a state license in California.

Medical School: University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine (2011)

Residency: University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Affiliated Hospitals (2016)

Board Certification: Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery American Board (2019)

Licensed In: California

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Saint Agnes Medical Center

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MEDICAL GROUP

NEUROSURGICAL ASSOCIATES MEDICAL GROUP INC

Ratings & Reviews

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General Payments

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

**Payments by Company**
Stryker Corporation	$2,304 NIAGARA LATERAL ACCESS SYSTEM $1,220	ES2 SPINAL SYSTEM $645	AERO-LL $301	ARIA $138
Alphatec Spine, Inc	$2,133 Other - Miscellaneous $1,949	Biologics $57	$127
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.	$1,452 EXPEDIUM $1,452
Synthes GmbH	$1,445 $1,445
Medtronic, Inc.	$1,429 INTELLIS ADAPTIVESTIM $893	INTELLIS $143	VANTA ADAPTIVESTIM $105	KYPHON EXPRESS II KYPHOPAK TRAY $56	Vanta $51	Other $181
Other	$1,460 Proclaim Family of SCS IPGs $390	SYNAPSE $172	iGA $147	I-FACTOR PEPTIDE ENHANCED BONE GRAFT $113	DERMABOND $89	Other $549

**Types of Payments**
Travel and Lodging	$7,177
Food and Beverage	$3,046

Biography

Dr. Samia Ghaffar's medical specialty is spine surgery and orthopedics/orthopedic surgery. Dr. Ghaffar's clinical interests encompass kyphoplasty (vertebral augmentation) and spinal fusion. She attended the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine and then went on to complete her residency at a hospital affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). In addition to English, Dr. Ghaffar (or staff) speaks Urdu. She is affiliated with Saint Agnes Medical Center.

Select Year:

Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD

Office Locations

Some issues Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD can help you with:

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2016

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2017

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2018

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2019

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2020

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2021

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD in 2022

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2016 - 2022

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2016 - 2022

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Samia Abdul Ghaffar, MD From 2016 - 2022

Education & Training

Affiliations & Hospitals

Ratings & Reviews

General Payments

Biography

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