Ilya Laufer, MD

As a member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Spine Tumor Center, my goal is to provide comprehensive care for all patients with spinal disorders. I specialize in spinal cord and nerve decompression, the surgical removal of spine tumors, and complex spinal reconstruction techniques. I also have extensive training in treating the full range of degenerative spinal disorders and perform more than 150 spine tumor operations each year.

Our team develops a treatment plan for each person designed to control the tumor and relieve symptoms. These treatments include:

As a member of the Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Center, I use cutting-edge surgical techniques, including image-guidance and robotics to treat spinal tumors and degenerative disorders. Image guidance and robotics allow for increased precision during operations that require spinal reconstruction and stabilization, thereby minimizing the risk of neurologic injury and complications. Minimally invasive surgery decreases damage to tissues, which lessens surgical risk and postoperative pain and speeds recovery.

As a member of the Neuromodulation Center for Cancer Pain, I work with experts in anesthesiology and rehabilitation medicine to alleviate pain caused by cancer and its treatments. We use intrathecal drug delivery (which allows us to administer drugs directly into the spinal canal) and nerve and spinal cord stimulation to treat and cure cancer pain.

I am also a member of the Neurofibromatosis Center and treat patients with peripheral nerve tumors. While most of these tumors require conventional open surgeries, sometimes we are able to use robot-assisted techniques.

My research interests include new technologies for treating spinal and peripheral nerve tumors and cancer pain. I also design and lead studies and clinical trials to assess quality of life and determine the best ways to treat patients with spinal tumors. My goal is for patients to leave my office feeling hopeful, safe, and calm, with a clear action plan and confidence that they placed their trust in the right team.