Darryl Lau, MD
I decided to become a physician because there is no other satisfaction like being able to help a person in need; for me, practicing medicine is the best method of doing so. As a neurosurgeon, I have the privilege and opportunity to help and work with patients that experience debilitating health conditions, sickness, pain, and functional disability.
As the director of complex spine and adult spinal deformity, I see a variety of patients with all types of spinal disorders, ranging from acute to chronic issues in both children and adults. I have a special interest in complex spine, scoliosis, spinal deformity, revision surgery, spinal oncology, and spinal reconstruction. As a neurosurgeon and dual fellowship-trained spine surgeon in both adult and pediatric neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery, I have a rare and unique perspective in the evaluation, management, and surgical treatment of spine conditions. Since complex spine surgery involves greater acuity and more technically challenging cases, I take a personalized approach to each patient’s treatment plan and tailor and discuss various surgical options targeted at specific goals.
For adults, I perform various surgical procedures and surgeries including microdiscectomy, decompression (laminectomy), spinal fusion, and deformity correction. I offer minimally invasive, hybrid, and traditional open surgical approaches. For complex revision cases and spinal deformities involving severe degenerative disease resulting in scoliosis and/or sagittal imbalance—a condition that results in spinal imbalance or poor spinal posture—I offer the most modern spinal reconstructive techniques to achieve proper spinal alignment for pain relief. For children, I provide a full range of treatment options for scoliosis, including casting, bracing, spinal fusion surgery, and a new fusionless surgical option called anterior vertebral body tethering.
As part of the spinal neurosurgery team at NYU Langone, we have access to the most high-end technology, including one of the best hospital facilities and digitally integrated operating rooms. We also use advanced techniques and tools, such as robotic spine surgery and intraoperative navigation, that improve precision, real-time decision-making, and patient outcomes. My multidisciplinary team and I are well equipped to ensure the whole patient is cared for by the highest standards.
As the director of spinal neurosurgery research in the Department of Neurosurgery, I am involved with clinical and translation research focused on spine care, and am involved with several multicenter studies across the country. I currently have more than 100 peer-reviewed publications regarding surgery for spine tumors, complex spine, and spinal deformity.
I have been awarded the Charlie Kuntz Scholar Award three times, as well as the Stryker Neuro-Oncology Award. I am a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
