Ali Bydon, M.D.

Headshot of Ali Bydon
  • Vice Chair of Strategic Planning
  • Professor of Neurosurgery
Male

Expertise

Aneurysmal Bone Cyst, Back Disorders, Back Injuries, Back Pain, Basilar Impression, Basilar Invagination, Cauda Equina Syndrome, Cavernous Angioma, Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease, Cervical Degenerative Disc Herniation, Cervical Disc Herniation, Cervical Myelopathy, Cervical Radiculopathy, Cervical Spine Deformity, Cervical Spine Disease, Cervical Spine Revision Surgery, Cervical Spine Trauma, Cervical Spondylosis, Chiari Malformations, Chondrosarcoma, Chordomas, Complex Cervical Spine Reconstruction Surgery, Complex Spinal Reconstructions, Cranio-cervical Junction Pathology, Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Spine Disease, Disc Pain, Hemangioblastoma, Hemangiomas, Kyphosis, Lumbar Degenerative Disease, Lumbar Disc Herniation, Lumbar Radiculopathy, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, Minimally Invasive Surgery, Myxopapillary Ependymoma, Nerve Sheath Tumor, Neurosurgery, Osteoblastoma, Radiculopathy, Sacral Tumors, Sarcoma, Schwannoma, Sciatica, Scoliosis, Spinal Column Tumors, Spinal Cord Injury, Spinal Cord Malformation, Spinal Cord Tumors, Spinal Decompression, Spinal Deformities, Spinal Dural Fistula, Spinal Ependymoma, Spinal Fixation, Spinal Fusion, Spinal Infection, Spinal Instability, Spinal Meningioma, Spinal Metastases, Spinal Neurofibroma, Spinal Pain, Spinal Reconstruction, Spinal Schwannoma, Spinal Stenosis, Spinal Trauma, Spine and Spinal Deformities, Spine Surgery, Spondylolisthesis, Thoracic Disc Herniation, Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) ...read more

Research Interests

Metastatic spinal tumors; Synovial cysts; Disparity in spine surgery; Surgical outcomes after lumbar spinal surgery; Surgical outcomes after cervical spinal surgery; Biomechanics of the spine and vertebral column rigidity; Surgical outcomes after thoracic spinal surgery ...read more

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Insurance Information

Main Phone

Outside of Maryland & Washington D.C.

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International Patients

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Locations

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Appointment Phone: 410-955-4424
600 N. Wolfe Street
Meyer Building 5-109
Baltimore, MD 21287
Phone: 410-955-4424 | Fax: 410-502-3399
The Johns Hopkins Hospital - Google Maps

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Appointment Phone: 410-955-0939
301 Mason Lord Drive
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 410-955-0939
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center - Google Maps

Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (now called Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center)

Appointment Phone: 410-955-4424
601 N. Caroline St.
Baltimore, MD 21287
Phone: 410-955-4424
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (now called Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center) - Google Maps

Johns Hopkins Medicine - Green Spring Station

10753 Falls Road
Pavilion II, Suite 115
Lutherville, MD 21093
Johns Hopkins Medicine - Green Spring Station - Google Maps

Background

Dr. Ali Bydon is a professor of neurosurgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His busy clinical practice focuses on degenerative disorders of the spine, spinal tumors, and complex reconstruction and restoration of the spine. Dr. Bydon is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. 

Dr. Ali Bydon earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan School of Medicine in Ann Arbor. He completed residency training in Neurological Surgery at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, where he graduated with distinction in 2006. He also completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery at Henry Ford, as well as a fellowship at Louisiana State University on the Surgical Treatment of Peripheral Nerves. Dr. Bydon then completed a one-year instructorship in Spinal Oncology and Complex Reconstructive Spinal Surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Ali Bydon is the director of the Spinal Column Biomechanics and Surgical Outcomes Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. His research focuses on spinal biomechanics, spinal disparities and surgical outcomes. He has co-authored over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts and numerous book chapters. Dr. Bydon co-authored the largest series in the literature evaluating the best surgical approach to spinal synovial cysts. His seminal work on outcomes after lumbar disk surgery has earned over 100 citations. The Spinal Outcomes Laboratory that he directs continues to evaluate multiple projects related to outcomes of patients with BMP, cervical myelopathy, cervical radiculopathy, ossified posterior longitudinal ligament, minimally invasive discectomy, lumbar fusion techniques and degenerative scoliosis. He is widely published on the history of spine surgery, the outcomes of patients after cervical, thoracic, and lumbar surgery, disparities in accessibility to care, and outcomes of patients with spinal tumors. His work has led to over 100 presentations at national and international scientific meetings. He has been invited to speak at meetings in Korea, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Panama, Kuwait, Qatar, Brazil, Bermuda, Dominican Republic and elsewhere.

Dr. Bydon is a principal investigator of several national, multi-center, prospective clinical trials evaluating long-term patient-reported outcomes following spine surgery. Dr. Bydon serves as a reviewer for a dozen scientific publications, including Spine and Neurosurgery.

Dr. Bydon is an educator who has helped train over 30 practicing neurosurgeons and is the recipient of the prestigious Richard Otenasak Faculty Teaching Award (2011). He has received Maryland’s “Favorite Physician” yearly award since 2008 and was selected by his peers as “Baltimore Magazine’s Top Doctor” for 2014. Dr. Bydon serves on the Johns Hopkins Department of Neurosurgery Residency Review Committee, and the Patient Access Committee. He was recently elected as the neurosurgical representative on the Johns Hopkins Faculty Senate. He is a “Medical Director” with Johns Hopkins Medicine International, overseeing the clinical, educational, teaching, and research activities of our Brazilian affiliate, Hospital Moinhos de Vento.

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Titles

  • Vice Chair of Strategic Planning
  • Director of Spinal Outcomes and Biomechanics Laboratory
  • Co-Director, Neurosurgery Medical Student Education
  • Professor of Neurosurgery

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

  • MD; University of Michigan Medical School (1999)

Residencies

  • Neurosurgery; Henry Ford Hospital (2006)

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Neurological Surgery (Neurological Surgery) (2010)

Research & Publications

Research Summary

Dr. Bydon’s research focuses on the biomechanical properties of complex spinal reconstructions. As the director of the Spinal Column Biomechanics Laboratory and Surgical Outcomes Laboratory, Dr Bydon biomechanically validates the strength of alternative in vitro instrumented constructs and applies this technology into clinical practice with controlled outcomes assessment. In addition, he focuses on the development of novel plate systems to minimize graft subsidence in anterior spinal constructs.

Lab

Dr. Ali Bydon is the director of the Spinal Column Biomechanics Laboratory and Surgical Outcomes Laboratory at Johns Hopkins. His research focuses on spinal biomechanics, spinal disparities, and surgical outcomes. He has co-authored over 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts and numerous book chapters. Dr. Bydon co-authored the largest series in the literature evaluating the best surgical approach to spinal synovial cysts.  His seminal work on outcomes after lumbar disk surgery has earned over 100 citations.

The Spinal Outcomes Laboratory that he directs continues to evaluate multiple projects related to outcomes of patients with BMP, cervical myelopathy, cervical radiculopathy, ossified posterior longitudinal ligament, minimally invasive diskectomy, lumbar fusion techniques, and degenerative scoliosis. He is widely on the history of spine surgery, the outcomes of patients after cervical, thoracic, and lumbar surgery, disparities in accessibility to care, and outcomes of patients with spinal tumors. His work has led to over 100 presentations at national and international scientific meetings.  He has been invited to speak at meetings in Korea, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, Panama, Kuwait, Qatar, Brazil, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, and elsewhere.

Lab Website: Spinal Column Surgical Outcomes Lab

Clinical Trial Keywords

Metastatic Spine Cancer

Clinical Trials

Dr. Bydon is a principal investigator of several national, multi-center, prospective clinical trials evaluating long-term patient reported outcomes following spine surgery.

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

Bydon M, Macki M, De la Garza-Ramos R, McGovern K, Sciubba DM, Wolinsky JP, Witham TF, Gokaslan ZL, Bydon A. Incidence of Adjacent Segment Disease Requiring Reoperation After Lumbar Laminectomy Without Fusion: A Study of 398 Patients. Neurosurgery. 2015 Sep 4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26348008

Bydon A, Xu R, Parker SL, McGirt MJ, Bydon M, Gokaslan ZL, Witham TF. Recurrent back and leg pain and cyst reformation after surgical resection of spinal synovial cysts: systematic review of reported postoperative outcomes. Spine J. 2010 Sep;10(9):820-6 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20488765

McGirt MJ, Ambrossi GL, Datoo G, Sciubba DM, Witham TF, Wolinsky JP, Gokaslan ZL, Bydon A. Recurrent disc herniation and long-term back pain after primary lumbar discectomy: a review of outcomes reported for limited versus aggressive disc removal. Neurosurgery. 2009 Feb; 64(2):338-44 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19190461

Xu R, McGirt MJ, Parker SL, Bydon M, Olivi A, Wolinsky JP, Witham TF, Gokaslan ZL, Bydon A. Factors associated with recurrent back pain and cyst recurrence after surgical resection of one hundred ninety-five spinal synovial cysts: analysis of one hundred sixty-seven consecutive cases. Spine. 2010 May 1;35(10):1044-53 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20173680

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • Second place Eposter in the category of Socioeconomics, AANS Annual meeting, 2005 - 2008
  • Second place Eposter in the category of History, AANS Annual Meeting, 2011
  • Spine Faculty, AO/ASIF, 2009
  • Excellence Award, Healthnetwork Foundation Service, 2012
  • Richard Otenasak faculty teaching award, Johns Hopkins University Department of Neurosurgery, 2009 - 2010
  • Best Scientific Paper Award, Society for Progress and Innovation in the Near East (SPINE), 2013
  • Distinguished Abstract Award, Society for Progress and Innovation in the Near East (SPINE), 2013

Memberships

  • AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
  • American Association of Neurological Surgeons
  • American College of Surgeons
  • American Medical Association
  • AO Spine
  • Congress of Neurological Surgeons
  • Maryland Neurosurgical Society
  • Maryland Spine Society

Professional Activities

  • Ad hoc reviewer, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine
  • Reviewer, Spine
  • Reviewer, Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE
  • Reviewer, Eplasty: Open Access Journal of Plastic Surgery
  • Referee, Surgical Neurology International
  • Reviewer, Neurosurgical Reviews
  • Reviewer, Journal of Emergency Medicine and Health Care
  • Reviewer, Journal of Spine and Neurosurgery
  • Reviewer, Pain
  • Ad hob reviewer, European Spine Journal
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Neurosurgery
  • Ad hoc reviewer, World Neurosurgery
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Journal of Osteoporosis
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Journal of Spinal Disorders and Techniques
  • Ad hoc reviewer, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
  • Ad hoc reviewer, Spine

Videos & Media

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

Patient story: Thoracic Disc Herniation - Pedro's Story (4/30/19)

Serperuno, ¿El cáncer de columna puede ser consecuencia del cáncer de mama? 10/15/2018

Podcast: Low (Lumbar) Back Pain

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