About Dr. Jihoon Choi, Orthopedic Spine Surgeon

Philosophy

I believe good spine care begins with understanding the person, not simply the imaging. My role is to help you understand what is causing your symptoms, what your options are, and when surgery may — or may not — be the right next step.

My practice pairs that judgment with modern, evidence-based technique — including minimally invasive and motion-sparing approaches when they can provide meaningful benefit — and with individualized treatment planned around each patient.

An accurate diagnosis is the foundation of everything that follows. I make it by reading the imaging together with the symptoms and the examination — not from a scan alone — and that clarity is what allows each treatment plan to be genuinely personal: the right treatment, for the right patient, at the right time.

Surgical approach

Some of Dr. Choi’s patients arrive with a diagnosis already in hand — often with a recommendation for surgery attached to it. His first task is to test both. He weighs the imaging alongside the symptoms, the examination, and the patient’s own goals — whether those are simply living without pain, returning to demanding work, or getting back to rigorous sport and activity — because the scan alone rarely settles the question. Many are second opinions — patients asking whether the diagnosis is right, or whether the surgery recommended for it is necessary.

Most patients leave with a thoughtful, personalized plan — conservative first. Most do not leave with a plan for surgery. The goal is clarity: a diagnosis explained in straightforward terms, the options laid out honestly, and a decision the patient understands well enough to own.

“Surgery should be recommended thoughtfully — not simply because it is technically possible.”

When surgery is recommended, it is performed precisely, with modern technique. Dr. Choi favors the smallest effective operation: minimally invasive approaches through precise corridors, and motion-preserving options — including disc replacement — when they can solve the problem without fusing the segment. Technique serves the diagnosis, never the other way around. The measure of an operation is not how advanced it sounds, but how well it fits the problem it was chosen to solve.

Training and experience

Dr. Choi’s path to spine surgery began at UC San Diego. There, he played collegiate soccer while earning dual degrees — in physiology and neuroscience, and in psychology. He earned his medical degree at Creighton University, completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Southern California, and completed fellowship training in spine surgery at UC San Diego.

His residency at the University of Southern California placed him at the frontiers of orthopedic medicine. He trained at Keck Hospital of USC, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and at Los Angeles County — now LA General Medical Center — one of the busiest trauma centers in the country, learning alongside some of the most prominent leaders shaping orthopedics today.

His fellowship at UC San Diego immersed him in the full spectrum of spine care — from minimally invasive surgery to the most complex deformity, oncology, and trauma cases — under the direction of renowned spine surgeons.

Today he teaches as a clinical instructor in the orthopedic surgery residency program at Baylor University Medical Center — a Level I trauma center and tertiary referral center, where complex and revision cases are sent from across the region. He trains residents through cadaveric labs, didactics, journal clubs, and research, and operates alongside them in the operating room. He also takes Level I trauma call there — the steady exposure to complex, referred-in pathology that allows him to handle the difficult spinal cases other practices send his way.

Academia

A member of the North American Spine Society and the Korean American Spine Society, he has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in orthopedic and spine surgery literature.

Publications →

Beyond the clinic

Away from the clinic, his time belongs to his family. He stays active with Pilates and Lagree, plays golf, and enjoys exploring new restaurants and traveling.

These commitments run through every case: accurate diagnosis, precision, personalized attention, and the highest standards of modern surgical care. Dr. Choi is committed to the best results for every patient — practicing at the frontiers of evidence-based spine care, and adopting innovation when the evidence supports it.