Erick R. Kazarian, MD

Dr. Erick R. Kazarian is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at NYU Langone Health in New York City. He is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Dr. Kazarian is one of the highest-volume endoscopic spine surgeons in New York City and an active member — both clinically and in research — of NYU Langone's Endoscopic Spine Center, one of only a small number of dedicated endoscopic spine programs in the United States. He cares for the full spectrum of spine pathology — from common disc herniations and spinal stenosis to complex revision cases — across the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

Dr. Kazarian's philosophy is simple: every patient's spine should be treated with the least invasive solution that durably solves the problem. Before considering fusion, he asks whether the same goal can be achieved with an endoscopic, minimally invasive, or motion-preserving approach. In a meaningful number of cases that other surgeons would recommend for fusion, he is able to offer a successful endoscopic or motion-preserving alternative — sparing patients the longer recovery, permanent loss of motion, and accelerated wear on adjacent levels that fusion can bring.

Fusion is reserved for cases where instability, deformity, or anatomy make a non-fusion option unsafe or unlikely to last. When fusion is the right answer, Dr. Kazarian uses minimally invasive and robotic-guided techniques to keep recovery as fast and as comfortable as possible.

Dr. Kazarian completed his undergraduate degree in molecular biology at Princeton University and earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his residency at Harvard University, followed by a spine surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Kazarian maintains an active research interest in endoscopic and minimally invasive spine surgery, with recent peer-reviewed publications including the Primer on Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery (2026).