Dr. Choll Kim, Spine Surgeon

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Dr. Choll Kim, Spine Surgeon An internationally recognized spine surgeon specializing in minimally invasive procedures, including

10/13/2026

This spinal disc herniation looks small, but it's exactly in the wrong spot, pushing the S1 nerve root posteriorly, and my patient can barely stand sometimes. Each time he pressurizes that disc, more disc bulges out and irritates the nerve further. If you've hit your funny bone, that's nerve pain; unlike muscle pain, it's very, very difficult to tolerate. He came all the way out here to San Diego for the most minimally invasive surgery available: lumbar endoscopic spine surgery. Share this if someone you know is exploring spine surgery options.
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/13/2026

My team named the last check of my spine surgeries after Mikey, our charge nurse back at the surgery center, who would always walk in near the end of the case to see how we were doing, right around when I'd say, "Okay, let me just double check everything," and in that one last check I would always find something. So we started saying, "Okay, I'm gonna now look for the Mikey fragment," that fragment you always find after you think you're done.
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/10/2026

Post op day 2 for this patient who I've been observing after surgery to better understand what my patients go through during recovery. First, I decided to take them home with me and observe them like Jane Goodall. Now he's made it back to Florida after flight delays, and is on a nice beach walk while letting pain be his guide. Stay tuned for more results!
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/09/2026

Happy PA Week! 🎉 I don't know what I'd do without my Physician Assistants. Everyone needs someone who can look at the same situation from a completely different perspective and offer insights they might never have considered. I'm fortunate to have someone like that by my side every day.
To all the incredible PAs, thank you for your dedication, expertise, and everything you do for your patients and teams.
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www.excelspine.com | Dr. Choll Kim - Endoscopic Spine Surgeon
Medical Disclaimer: This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding your medical needs. Individual circumstances and treatment outcomes may vary.

10/09/2026

Post-op day 1, observing my patient after endoscopic spine surgery: leg pain free, moving well, and feeling great. He had a severe lumbar disc herniation at L5-S1 and had pain level 9-10. We removed tons of corrupt disc fragments endoscopically, which is ultra-minimally invasive and works though just a little poke hole in the back. This video is part of my experiment to better understand my patients' recovery process. Stay tuned for more!
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/08/2026

To better understand my patient's recovery, I started an experiment, bring him to my house and observe him 3hrs after surgery. And I plan to observe him the next day, and further after he goes home to Florida. I drove him to my home myself to observe him like Jane Goodall. Subject A went from pain at a 9 to 10, unable to walk and miserable, to completely pain free. It's incredible. More to come so stay tuned!!
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/07/2026

Just operated on a man I've known for a very, very long time, and I insisted that I fix his disc herniation myself, so I had to do a really good job. No pressure!!! His herniation looked small, but it was exactly in the wrong spot, and he could barely stand sometimes. The team was fired up to do a perfect job... With endoscopic spine surgery, the instruments are small, so I entered the canal with minimal bone and facet joint resection. The hardest part was deciding how much disc to take out: enough to prevent a recurrent herniation, but not so much that the disc loses shock absorption and degenerates. Just as I predicted, it was a lot bigger than on the MRI. We're all expecting a great result and praying for a speedy recovery, so BEST WISHES!!!
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/06/2026

This is endoscopic spine surgery where I enter via a small poke hole. It's ultra minimally invasive and patients can usually go home the day of surgery. I call it the LESS procedure: Lumbar Endoscopic Spine Surgery. Here's what it looks like during surgery when I get to the traversing nerve root. If the patient were awake, which I used to do, I bet the patient would immediately feel the relief from pain.
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

10/04/2026

This simple Band-Aid might be the most costly one you ever have on your body. You'd think they could at least round the edges, make it shine, or add a smiley face. Simple improvements make a big difference.

10/03/2026

There was so much badness in this disc that came out. This was a LESS procedure, lumbar endoscopic spine surgery, where I removed fragments of disc herniation. Look at how much disc came out!!!
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www.ExcelSpine.com
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information in this video is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Surgical procedures shown may not be appropriate for all individuals. Viewing this content does not establish a physician patient relationship. Treatment decisions should be made by qualified healthcare professionals based on individual patient circumstances.

Address

6719 Alvarado Road, Ste 304
San Diego, CA
92120

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+16193446918

Website

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