James J. Lynch, MD, FACS, FAANS

Board-certified Spinal Neurosurgeon
Fellowship-Trained Spinal Neurosurgeon
Clinical Assistant Professor
President, Swift Institute

Specialties
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
Dr. James Lynch

About Dr. Lynch

Dr. James Lynch is a board-certified neurosurgeon with 30 years of experience specializing in complex spine surgery, cervical disorders, degenerative spine, spinal deformities, trauma, tumor infection, and minimally invasive spine surgery. He is also proficient in endoscopic spine surgery techniques. Dr. Lynch has been performing minimally invasive spine surgery techniques since 2002. He was the first neurosurgeon in Reno to perform MIS TLIF and MAS PLIF procedures and the first to perform both cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacements. Dr. Lynch performs over 600 spine surgeries per year in both hospital and outpatient center settings. He is recognized as an expert in cervical spine disorders and performs over 200 cervical spine fusions a year. Dr. Lynch practices in Reno and Sparks.

Dr. Lynch is one of a handful of spine surgeons with three fellowships in the specialty of spine surgery. Known as a national leader in outpatient spine surgery, he has been a consultant neurosurgeon in the Reno area since 2000. Dr. Lynch serves as a Partner and Director of Spine Services at Regent Surgical Health, a company involved in developing hospitals and ASC outpatient surgery centers. Dr. Lynch is Chairman and Director of Spine Programs at Surgery Center of Reno. He previously held the role of Chief of Neurosurgery at St. Mary's Hospital.

Dr. Lynch also contributes as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. He is published in leading journals, including Spine: Journal of Neurosurgery and Neurosurgery. Dr. Lynch is a member of the Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and the Society of Lateral Access Surgery.

He earned his medical degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, followed by a Mayo Clinic residency in Rochester, MN. Dr. Lynch completed a spine fellowship under Alan Crockard, MD, at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queens Square, London, UK. At the prestigious Mayo Clinic, Dr. Lynch finished a spine fellowship and an additional spine fellowship under Volker Sonntag, MD, at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Dr. Lynch is a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.

As a leading authority on Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) development, Dr. Lynch lectures at national meetings on outpatient spine surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery. Dr. Lynch was a keynote panelist at the 2016 Becker's 14th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine. During the panel, entitled "Independence, healthcare business & outpatient spine — 4 spine surgeons discuss the next five years", Dr. Lynch emphasized the importance of differentiating the spine practice to both patients and payers. Demonstrate you are "doing something different and you have a commodity and not just a surgical service," said Dr. Lynch.

He is as well a pioneer in reducing the cost of orthopedic and spinal implants. As a device expert and innovator, he regularly presents on the topic and is a board member of the Orthopaedic Implant Company - OIC.

Dr. Lynch is a Board Member for the High Fives Foundation. He also serves on the Grant Selection Committee and is the Medical Director for the organization. High Fives Non-Profit Foundation based in Truckee, CA, was founded by Roy Tuscany. The Tahoe based organization is dedicated to raising money and awareness for athletes that have suffered a life-altering injury while pursuing their dream in the winter action sports community. Dr. Lynch was the recipient of the inaugural 2014 High Fives Foundation Community Five Award.

In 2020, Dr. Lynch organized Rounds 4 Heroes as a way to support our heroes on the frontlines battling the COVID-19 pandemic. "Our frontline workers deal with stress daily, and even more so now as they are on the frontlines of this public health crisis," he explained. Rounds 4 Heroes has a shared vision with Feed Our Heroes, and the two projects joined forces to help feed and assist frontline workers and family members throughout Reno, Sparks, and Carson City.

Dr. Lynch was the founder of Spine Nevada and IXE Healthcare Group. In 2022, Spine Nevada merged with Tahoe Fracture and became Swift Institute. He serves as President of Swift Institute, a multidisciplinary group focused on providing value-based specialty care and services.

Education

Fellowship
Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ
Fellowship
Mayo Clinic
Fellowship
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queens Square, London, UK
Residency
Mayo Clinic
Medical School
Trinity College Medical School, University of Dublin, Dublin, 1984 - 1991
MB, BCh, BAO
Trinity College, Dublin
MA
Trinity College, Dublin

Affiliations & Memberships

Fellow, American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Joint Section AANS I CNS Spine and Peripheral Nerve
SMISS – Society Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
SOLAS – Society of Lateral Access Surgeons
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Fellow Royal College Surgeons
North American Spine Society
American Medical Association
Mayo Alumni Association
Trinity College Alumni

Awards

Publications & Lectures

Seattle Science Foundation, 8th Annual Advanced Lateral Approaches to the Spine, Bioskills Lab, L4-L5 Lateral with Plating — James Lynch, MD. March 5, 2022.

Becker's Healthcare and Becker's ASC. "How Dedicated MRI For Weight-Bearing Imaging Improves Patient Care". — James Lynch, MD. January 21, 2021.

Seattle Science Foundation, 5th Annual Robotics, Endoscopy, Emerging Technologies and Navigation Course — James Lynch, MD, Presenter on Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery

Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Virtual Conference + The Future of Spine — James Lynch, MD, Keynote Panelist on Innovation, Creativity and Excellence

9th Annual UCSF Techniques in Complex Spine Surgery Course — James Lynch, MD, Presenter on 3D Technology and Complex Spine Surgery

IXE Healthcare Group and Renown Health Continuing Medical Education Event — Presentation on Optimizing Spine and Musculoskeletal Care through Multi-specialty Collaboration. February 2020

3rd International Meeting on WEIGHT-BEARING MRI — James Lynch, MD, Keynote Presenter on Competitive Advantages of Weight-Bearing MRI in Surgical Planning

17th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine — James Lynch, MD, Keynote Speaker on Establishing a Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Ortho / Neuro Network - The 5 Critical Tenets

16th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine — James Lynch, MD, Keynote Speaker on how ancillaries can help independent orthopedic and spine practices survive in an increasingly competitive market

15th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Future of Spine — Dr. James Lynch served as a featured keynote panelist on the topic of ASC's, Orthopedics and Spine: The Next Five Years June 2017 in Chicago

14th Annual Spine, Orthopedic and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference + The Business of Spine — Dr. James Lynch served as a featured keynote panelist on the topic of Independence and the Healthcare Landscape, read more about the panelist discussion, please click here. ASCs Orthopedics and Spine: The next five years, June 2016 in Chicago

13th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management Driven ASC Conference + The Business of Spine — Dr. James Lynch served on a keynote panel at the Chicago conference, 2015

12th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management Driven ASC Conference + The Business of Spine — Dr. James Lynch served on a keynote panel entitled "What Does the Sunshine Act Mean for Orthopedic and Spine Surgeons", June 12-14, 2014 in Chicago

12th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management Driven ASC Conference — Dr. James Lynch served on panel entitled "Key Evolutions in the Device Arena", June 12-14, 2014 in Chicago

11th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management Driven ASC Conference — Dr. James Lynch served on keynote panel entitled "What Will Healthcare Reform Mean for Orthopedics, Spine, Pain Management and ASCs", June 13, 2013

11th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management Driven ASC Conference — Dr. James Lynch discussed "Quantum shift needed in orthopedic and spinal implant strategy", June 13, 2013

American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meetings — Dr. James Lynch, Invited guest lecturer on building a comprehensive spine center and ASC development, 2010-2012

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