Dr. James Rappaport, MD

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Get to know Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. James Rappaport, who serves patients in Reno, Nevada.

Dr. Rappaport, a highly trained orthopedic surgeon, is the Founder of Sierra Regional Spine Institute in Reno, Nevada.

Leading the west in outpatient spine surgery & spinal therapy, Sierra Regional Spine Institute physicians have pioneered the multidisciplinary team approach to spinal treatments, putting together a caring and professional medical group that includes nationally recognized spinal surgeons, spinal rehabilitation specialists, physiatrists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers.

Over 25 years ago, Dr. Rappaport moved from Stanford University Hospital and implemented the first outpatient microsurgery spine program in Reno. The medical Campus of Sierra Regional Spine Institute provides access to a state-of-the-art surgical center which provides the absolute best in spinal care, safety and patient comfort. Minimally invasive procedures like micro-discectomies performed at Quail Surgery Center continue today to be excellent options for patients needing spine surgery. Out-patient surgery centers like Quail have proven track records of helping surgeons maintain superior outcomes while keeping infection rates far below those of in-patient hospitals.

The minimally invasive procedures such as Coflex®, Kyphoplasty, and microsurgery, including discectomy and microdiscectomy, are all performed at Quail Surgery Center, located on campus with Sierra Regional Spine Institute. Should surgery be required, the PreHab™ program is offered.

In the state of Nevada, Dr. Rappaport can be found on staff at Northern Nevada Medical Center, Renown Regional Medical Center, and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.

His current appointments include Northern Nevada Representative to Nevada State Medical Association; Principal Investigator for Medtronic Evolve Study; Principal Investigator for Kineflex™ Lumbar and Cervical Disc Replacement, Clinical Trials, St Mary’s Regional Medical Center; Principal Investigator for Benvenue “KIVA” Study; Team Physician for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association; and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno.

With a broad educational background, Dr. Rappaport graduated with his high school diploma from  Ed Modena High School in 1972. He then went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Stanford University in 1976, and his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine in 1980. 

Furthering his education, he went on to perform his residency in orthopedic surgery at UCSF Medical Center in 1986. This was followed by spinal fellowships at the Texas Institute for Spinal Disorders and with John O’Brien, Ph.D., F.R.C.S., F.A.C.S. London Clinic, completing his training in 1987.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Examiners, Dr. Rappaport is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS). The ABOS is an organization with the goal of establishing educational and professional standards for orthopedic residents and surgeons as well as evaluating the qualifications and competence of orthopedic surgeons.

In addition to being a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a Fellow of the American Back Society, he is a member of the American Medical Association, the Bay Area Spine Society, the Washoe County Medical Society, the Nevada State Medical Association, and the California Orthopedic Association.

Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system. Neurosurgeons are doctors who diagnose and treat problems with the nervous system, often by performing surgery on the brain or spine. They treat strokes, tumors, cervical and lumbar disc disease, infections, and head or spinal cord injuries.

Among Dr. Rappaport’s most notable academic achievements include: University of Nevada – Dept. Of Family and Community Medicine, Reno. Family Medicine Residency Program, Faculty Recognition Award, 2002; University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, Fife Award for Scholarship in Surgery, 1980; and Stanford University, Kappa Sigma Award for Leadership and Scholarship, 1976.

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