Luis Kolb, MD
Assistant Professor of NeurosurgeryCards
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Neurosurgery Spine, Neurosurgery
Director, Neurosurgery Complex Spine, Neurosurgery
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View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Neurosurgery Spine, Neurosurgery
Director, Neurosurgery Complex Spine, Neurosurgery
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Are You a Patient?
View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.
View Doctor ProfileAdditional Titles
Neurosurgery Spine, Neurosurgery
Director, Neurosurgery Complex Spine, Neurosurgery
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About
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Titles
Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery Spine, Neurosurgery; Director, Neurosurgery Complex Spine, Neurosurgery
Biography
Dr. Luis Kolb is a neurosurgeon that specializes in spine disorders. He completed his medical school at Yale School of Medicine after which he remained in New Haven, CT where he finished a neurosurgery residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital. After his neurosurgical training, he remained on staff and completed a CAST and AO Spine accredited post-residency fellowship in Complex Spinal Surgery.
Dr. Kolb's practice is predominantly spinal surgery and includes cervical and thoracolumbar deformity reconstruction, oncology, trauma, degenerative disease, and complex revision surgery. His research interests focus on clinical outcomes of spinal surgery, as well as genetic diseases that influence spinal pathology. He particularly focuses on revision surgeries or complex cases. His subspecialty interests include surgical outcomes, spinal biomechanics, spinal oncology, spinal deformity, and minimally invasive spinal techniques. He has taught numerous courses, published several research papers and book chapters in neurosurgical and spine disorders.
Dr. Kolb completed his undergraduate training at Johns Hopkins University where he obtained a Bachelor Degree in both fields of Biomedical Engineering, and in Romance Languages and Literature. Dr. Kolb is a member of numerous organizations including in the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, AANS/CNS Joint Spine Section, American Medical Association, AO Society, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, North American Spine Society, and European Association of Neurological Societies.
Clinical Interests: Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease, Idiopathic Scoliosis-adolescent, Degenerative Scoliosis, Cervical Disc Herniation, Cervical Artificial Discs, Degenerative Spondyloisthesis, Cervical Degenerative Disc Disease, Balloon Kyphoplasty, Computer Enhanced Navigation: Image Guided Spine Surgery, Postural Kyphosis (Roundback of Spine)-child, Lumbar Stenosis, Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP), Cervical Stenosis, Lumbar Disc Herniation, Scoliosis-child, Spondylolisthesis-child, Cervical Myelopathy, Herniated Disc, Spondylolysis, Vertebral Compression Fracture, Isthmic Spondylolisthesis, Neck Sprain, ALIF, DLIF, PLIF, TLIF, Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF), Direct Lateral Interbody Fusion (DLIF), Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (PLIF), Degenerative Disc Disease, Chronic Neck Pain, Spinal Stenosis, Fracture, Spine
Appointments
Neurosurgery
Assistant ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Neurosurgery
- Neurotrauma
- Spine Center
- Spine Surgery
- Yale Medicine
- Yale New Haven Health System
Education & Training
- Instructor - Complex Spine Fellowship
- Yale- New Haven Hospital (2017)
- Neurosurgical Residency
- Yale-New Haven Hospital (2016)
- Chief Resident - Neurosurgery
- Yale-New Haven Hospital (2016)
- MD
- Yale School of Medicine (2009)
- BS
- Johns Hopkins University, Biomedical Engineering (2002)
Research
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Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Publications Timeline
Andrew Koo, MD
Maxwell Laurans, MD, MBA, FAANS
John Havlik, MD, MBA
Josiah Sherman
Benjamin Reeves
Declan McGuone
Publications
2025
Interventional Image-Guided Deformity-Correcting Options for Pathological Fractures
Elsamadicy A, Reeves B, Robert S, Latich I, Kolb L, Laurans M, Mendel E. Interventional Image-Guided Deformity-Correcting Options for Pathological Fractures. 2025, 93-111. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-87939-5_7.ChaptersReduced sociodemographic disparities in surgical outcomes after spine surgery for spinal epidural abscess
Elsamadicy A, Ghanekar S, Serrato P, Mitre L, Kolb L, Lo S, Sciubba D. Reduced sociodemographic disparities in surgical outcomes after spine surgery for spinal epidural abscess. Journal Of Clinical Neuroscience 2025, 137: 111351. PMID: 40446558, DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2025.111351.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsSomatic SMARCB1 mutation in spinal meningioma represents branched evolution in a patient with multiple sporadic meningiomas
Gupta M, Samiappan S, Alanya H, Yalcin K, Gultekin B, Sharaf R, Elsamadicy A, Figuera D, Samuel N, Mishra-Gorur K, Kolb L, McGuone D, Gunel M, Erson-Omay E, Moliterno J, Mendel E. Somatic SMARCB1 mutation in spinal meningioma represents branched evolution in a patient with multiple sporadic meningiomas. Neuro-Oncology Advances 2025, 7: vdaf067. PMID: 40386121, PMCID: PMC12081948, DOI: 10.1093/noajnl/vdaf067.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetric
2023
A current review of spinal meningiomas: epidemiology, clinical presentation and management
Elsamadicy A, Reeves B, Craft S, Sherman J, Koo A, Sayeed S, Sarkozy M, Kolb L, Lo S, Shin J, Sciubba D, Mendel E. A current review of spinal meningiomas: epidemiology, clinical presentation and management. Journal Of Neuro-Oncology 2023, 161: 395-404. PMID: 36637710, DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04238-1.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsCitations
2022
Impact of Affective Disorders on Inpatient Opioid Consumption and Hospital Outcomes Following Open Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adult Spine Deformity
Elsamadicy A, Sandhu M, Reeves B, Jafar T, Craft S, Sherman J, Hersh A, Koo A, Kolb L, Lo S, Shin J, Mendel E, Sciubba D. Impact of Affective Disorders on Inpatient Opioid Consumption and Hospital Outcomes Following Open Posterior Spinal Fusion for Adult Spine Deformity. World Neurosurgery 2022, 170: e223-e235. PMID: 36332777, DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.10.114.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricLeveraging HFRS to assess how frailty affects healthcare resource utilization after elective ACDF for CSM
Elsamadicy AA, Koo AB, Sarkozy M, David WB, Reeves BC, Patel S, Hansen J, Sandhu MRS, Hengartner AC, Hersh A, Kolb L, Lo SL, Shin JH, Mendel E, Sciubba DM. Leveraging HFRS to assess how frailty affects healthcare resource utilization after elective ACDF for CSM. The Spine Journal 2022, 23: 124-135. PMID: 35988878, DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2022.08.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricAssessment of Frailty Indices and Charlson Comorbidity Index for Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Spine Metastases: A National Database Analysis
Elsamadicy AA, Havlik JL, Reeves B, Sherman J, Koo AB, Pennington Z, Hersh AM, Sandhu MRS, Kolb L, Larry Lo SF, Shin JH, Mendel E, Sciubba DM. Assessment of Frailty Indices and Charlson Comorbidity Index for Predicting Adverse Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Spine Metastases: A National Database Analysis. World Neurosurgery 2022, 164: e1058-e1070. PMID: 35644519, DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.05.101.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricHospital Frailty Risk Score and healthcare resource utilization after surgery for metastatic spinal column tumors.
Elsamadicy AA, Koo AB, Reeves BC, Pennington Z, Yu J, Goodwin CR, Kolb L, Laurans M, Lo SL, Shin JH, Sciubba DM. Hospital Frailty Risk Score and healthcare resource utilization after surgery for metastatic spinal column tumors. Journal Of Neurosurgery Spine 2022, 37: 241-251. PMID: 35148505, DOI: 10.3171/2022.1.spine21987.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricDifferences in Health Care Resource Utilization After Surgery for Metastatic Spinal Column Tumors in Patients with a Concurrent Affective Disorder in the United States
Elsamadicy AA, Koo AB, Sarkozy M, Reeves BC, Pennington Z, Havlik J, Sandhu MR, Hersh A, Patel S, Kolb L, Larry Lo SF, Shin JH, Mendel E, Sciubba DM. Differences in Health Care Resource Utilization After Surgery for Metastatic Spinal Column Tumors in Patients with a Concurrent Affective Disorder in the United States. World Neurosurgery 2022, 161: e252-e267. PMID: 35123021, DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2022.01.112.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricHospital Frailty Risk Score and Healthcare Resource Utilization After Surgery for Primary Spinal Intradural/Cord Tumors
Elsamadicy AA, Koo AB, Reeves BC, Pennington Z, Sarkozy M, Hersh A, Havlik J, Sherman JJZ, Goodwin CR, Kolb L, Laurans M, Lo S, Shin JH, Sciubba DM. Hospital Frailty Risk Score and Healthcare Resource Utilization After Surgery for Primary Spinal Intradural/Cord Tumors. Global Spine Journal 2022, 13: 2074-2084. PMID: 35016582, PMCID: PMC10556884, DOI: 10.1177/21925682211069937.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitations
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
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Activities
activity Clinical Director Verdi 4 North- St Rapheals Campus
06/01/2017 - PresentProfessional OrganizationsDirectorDetailsClinical Director of the Medical Floor at Verdi 4 North at the St Rapheal Campus.activity Deformity Correction in the Set-Up of Spine Tumors
03/14/2026 - PresentOral Presentation 16th Annual Multimodal Spinal Tumor Tx Course :: Friday, March 14, 2026DetailsSeattle, WA, United Statesactivity “Impact of Patient Obesity on Healthcare Resource Utilization after Anterior or Posterior Fusion for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy
06/23/2025 - 06/25/2025Oral PresentationNeurosurgical Society of AmericaDetailsPunta de Mita, NAY, MexicoCollaboratorsactivity Neurosurgery Section - Bridgeport Hospital
06/01/2024 - 05/31/2025Professional OrganizationsInterim DirectorDetailsInterim Chief of Neurosurgery at Bridgeport Hospitalactivity Spinal Cord Injury
04/03/2025 - PresentLecture27th annual CT Trauma ConferenceDetailsMohegan, CT, United StatesSponsored by American College of Surgeons
Clinical Care
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Overview
Luis Kolb, MD, is a neurosurgeon at Yale Medicine specializing in spine surgery, with a sub-specialty in complex spine deformity, tumors, degenerative spine diseases and complex revision surgery. Many of the patients he sees have previously bounced from doctors to doctor without any significant improvement. “The most rewarding part of my job is seeing these patients, treating them and having their pain finally go away. They’re back at work and returning to their favorite activities,” says Dr. Kolb.
With each patient, Dr. Kolb asks detailed questions to help him pinpoint the issue and how long it’s been affecting the patient. He also reviews the patient’s history to understand if and how any previous surgeries may be affecting the spine. Dr. Kolb understands that surgery is a significant step and works with patients to make sure they have exhausted all other possible options.
In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Kolb conducts research on new technologies to treat spine tumors through laser technology and minimally invasive surgery. He is also a professor of neurosurgery at the Yale School of Medicine. “There’s a lot to be discovered in neurosurgery,” he says. “That’s what brought me here.”
Clinical Specialties
Board Certifications
Neurological Surgery
- Certification Organization
- AB of Neurological Surgery
- Original Certification Date
- 2022
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Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.