Locations
Dr. Kevin Yoo
La Jolla, CA
About
Bio
Dr. Kevin Yoo received his bachelor’s degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar. He went onto Emory University School of Medicine where he became a doctor in medicine and did his Internship. He moved onto the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he attended graduate school and did two years of research on brain tumors. Dr. Yoo then moved to Illinois to Loyola University Medical Center for his first half of his Neurosurgical Residency and then completed it at University of California at San Diego. Dr. Kevin Yoo is dedicated to the intricate care of each and every patient he treats. Dr. Yoo works at various hospitals in San Diego where he cares for complex trauma, brain and spine patients. Throughout Dr. Yoo’s medical career there has always been a passion for research which has led to numerous publications and presentations. He has extensive training that has resulted in his intricate and meticulous expertise. Dr. Yoo has been relied upon as a spinal and neurosurgical expert throughout his career.
SpecialtiesDoctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Doctors may have more than one area of specialty interest. Board certification in a specialty area means the doctor has completed formal training and has practice experience in that specialty, and has passed the certification examination from the corresponding accredited medical specialty board.
Neurosurgery
Licenses
United States: California
Doctor Q&A
113 Answers
4 Agrees
The number of answers this doctor has agreed with.
A 39-year-old member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Gamma Knife: Risks to gamma knife are the following:
Pain to the head frame pin site
Swelling of the brain
Headaches
Hair loss near treated area
Seizures
Weakne... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
844 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
This is not unusal: Patients who have spine issues particularly in the lumbar spine complain to me not infrequently of sexual dysfunction. I do not know the exact mechani... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
817 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Yes younger better: You will never be as healthy as you are today. Therefore, if a surgery is needed then the younger you are, the more likely you will not have complicat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Yes, it heals: There is always healing as long as we are alive. The extent of healing and the recovery time depends mainly on characteristics of the patient and degr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 17-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Maybe: I have heard my patients tell me that they hear noise in their VP shunt but this is very rare and unusual. The reservoir can have sometimes moving par... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
No and Yes: Surgery for spondylolysis requires fusion with titanium metal implants. If you fuse well, which as a 28-year-old you should, it is very unlikely you w... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 21-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
It cannot really.: Simple partial seizures are small seizures that are restricted to a small part of the brain and would be highly unlikely to cause death. You need to b... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
What kind of surgery: Without knowing what type of spine surgery you had, it is really hard to help you. The most common reason for your problem is constipation from narcot... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
882 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Try not to worry: Natalie, 18 year-olds do not get GBM. And there are only very few families where these tumors are hereditary. If you have not gotten an MRI of Brain ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 59-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
It depends.: 3 mm anterolisthesis of C4/5 means that the C4 vertebrae is 3 mm anteriorly positioned to C5 vertebrae which can be a normal variant or could mean ins... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
No but can't tell: Spinal canal stenosis can cause spinal cord compression. In order to know if a nerve is pinched in the cervical spine you want to know if there is lat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Cannot be cured: Epilepsy with rare exceptions are not curable. Those exceptions are only in patients that have something that can be cut out surgically such as mesial... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Very rare: After head injury in a young person like you that is normal neurologically, the chances that you have subdural hematoma is very rare. Even if you did ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Need MRI of C Spine: As a spine surgeon, I think your problem could be cervical spinal stenosis with compression of spinal cord. If that is what you have, you will more li... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 31-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Not really.: If the headaches have resolved then she should be OK. Patients who have CSF leak from LP even after successful blood patch often complain of pressure... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 35-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Yes, but . . .: Clot dissolving medications can worsen a hemorrhagic stroke by enlarging the hemorrhage. This medication was most likely given to your grandmother as ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
3 months: Brain hemorrhage typically gets absorbed around 3 months. A TIA by definition is an ischemic stroke where there is no hemorrhage and is completely rev... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Yes it can: In my spine practice, I rarely use EMG/NCV because they often do not show any abnormalities. They seem to be only helpful if they are positive to conf... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
293 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 55-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Medications: Valium 5 mg as needed can help with intermittent muscle spasms. As for back pain, over the counter ibuprofen taken around the clock can help along wi... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
844 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 33-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Something else: Epidural injection for L5/S1 problem puts steroid in the very bottom of your spine and it really does not go anywhere else. Therefore, it does not aff... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
304 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 22-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Expected: After transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) which is performed from the back, my patients often have pain near the site of surgery especially ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
901 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Compensation: Your spine and really your body will compensate for scoliosis so that you try your best to stand appropriately and to balance the weight of your body.... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 44-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Radiographically: If xrays or CT show good bone fomration and do not move on flexion and extension films, you are fused. If there is poor bone formation and/or movement... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Is pain controlled?: Chronic pain can have flare ups so that it cannot be controlled at home with any of the normal means of controlling the pain. If the pain is debilitat... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
808 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Get treatment: If it has not resolved within a few days, go see your primary care physician. Most likely pain meds, activity modification and some therapy will get r... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
844 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 30-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Not certain: As a practicing spine surgeon, I have never heard of " minor prominence of central canal." Whatever this may be, it appears to be a description of a C... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
813 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Unrelated: Slipped disc at L4/5 can cause numb and tingly toes is the disc is compressing a nerve. It does not cause red and hot toes. A slipped disc compressing... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
897 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 27-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Get MRI of Brain: The best way to answer if you have a recurrent optic nerve astrocytoma is to get an MRI of Brain with contrast. Headaches is one of the most common pr... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
928 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Yes repeat ESI: If you got better with the first epidural steroid injection (ESI), and if you have some pain left over, repeating the ESI is a good idea. If you did n... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
295 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 47-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
It depends: What medications one needs after a stroke depends on how he got the stroke. He will likely need one or both types of medications. One is blood pressur... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
294 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 48-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Wrong drug: Dexamethasone is simply not a drug we use to treat concussion. It must have been prescribed for something else. However, a short course of it should ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
300 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 60-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
No, not often.: EMG/NCV study can be helpful in diagnosing cervical radiculopathy. However, in my Practice I have found these to be very rarely helpful. The clinical ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Headaches from TBI: Traumatic Brain Injury occurs with blunt hit to the head and headaches is the most common symptom. You have a very mild form of TBI. But you may also ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
896 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 26-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Likely latter: Laura, I do not know a rebound effect of muscle relaxant exists but I do know that when patients take narcotics for pain for some time that they devel... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 25-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Good idea: Sympathetic blocks are one of the most effective ways to treat and diagnose CRPS. This is an outpatient, minimally invasive, and fairly safe procedure... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
842 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 19-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Maybe pinched nerve: Hip disease can give you leg pain but usually in top of thigh. Pain down the side of thigh could be pinched L5 nerve. An MRI of Lumbar Spine is the be... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 18-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
It will get better: Most back pain improve on their own without any intervention and it does so for sure in someone as young as you are. You have already improved by your... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
291 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 52-year-old member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Stretched spine: Tethered cord syndrome is where the spinal cord is stretched because it failed to grow along with the rest of the spine. The cord is attached to the s... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 37-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Ignore: If you are diagnosed with neurogenic claudication from spinal stenosis, have lumbar decompression.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
750 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 42-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Need Workup of Brain: MaryB,
1. Falling - I do not know what other medical problems you have but repetitive falling in a 42-year-old with the other problems is very strange... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Not much: There is nothing that we know of that should prevent one from flying after brain surgery even if you had to do it immediately after the surgery. The p... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 40-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Why did it not work?: You need to figure why. Pseduoarthorsis or non-fusion can be one cause. Having disc problems at another level could be another cause. Surgery not done... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 38-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
We don't know: You are probably referring to non-specific white matter lesions seen on MRI of your brain. We actually do not have a clear understanding of what these... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Rest of exam: What is the rest of her exam? Is she awake and appropriate? Is she obtunded? Is she still seizing?
Pupillary dilatation can mean than pressure is bui... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 24-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Topamax (topiramate) & Aleve safe: I do not know of any interactions between Topamax (topiramate) and Aleve that would pose a problem. If you were my patient, I would recommend you take... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 51-year-old male asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Two options: 1. Conservative care: time, activity modifications, pain meds, therapies (including physical therapy, chiropractic and others), lumbar steroid injecti... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.5k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 47-year-old member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Relief of pain: Spinal decompression and fusion surgery is done for pain. The decompression should help mostly with pain in the extremities. It can also help with num... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.6k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 41-year-old member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
That is impossible.: I do not know of any quadriplegic individuals who have normal body functions. The hallmark of such significant spinal cord injury is to lose the abili... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
847 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A member asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
It is much harder: When you are in your 80s and have the list of medical problems that you have the chance of getting better is much harder than if you were younger. It... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.1k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 50-year-old female asked:

Dr. Kevin Yooanswered
Neurosurgery 30 years experience
Yes it can.: The upper cervical nerves C4 and C5 innervates the shoulder. You will then likely have pinched nerve at C3/4 or C4/5. Shoulder joint wear and tear is ... Read More
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
1.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
TestimonialsRecommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
Recommendations and Thank you notes are endorsements given from patients or other doctors.
1
Recommendations
85
Thank you notes
HealthTap member
Jan 16, 2017
Dr. Yoo, is thorough, attentive, caring, and straightforward. He is a patient doctor who allows you adequate time to address all your concerns. I was very pleased with my consult. Thank you Dr. Yoo!
HealthTap member
This made me feel good. Thanks! Oh you so made my day. I have been so worried about this. I thought I was going to have a stroke. Honestly, I can't thank you enough. Thanks you! Thank you! and Th...Read More
HealthTap member
Thank you.This is tough. My husband of 34 1/2 years is facing this right now.What can I expect at the end of this fight, is a question I need to understand next. I appreciate your straightforwardness...Read More
HealthTap member
Yes it is t spine &have numbness, tingling, burning, & sever pain where bra close to top of hump in my back. increasing pain since age 17. First Mri ever. No insurance. Possible treatment?
Education & Training
Medical/Graduate school
Emory University School of Medicine, GA
Graduated 1993MD
Residency
Neurosurgery
Completed 2004
Awards
Top Neurosurgeon , First Place, National - Spring
2016
Thought Leader, Third Place, San Diego Region - Spring
2016
Top Neurosurgeon, First Place, the San Diego Region - Spring
2017
Affiliations
Scripps Memorial Hospital; Encinitas, CA
Tri-City Medical Center
Alvarado hospital medical center
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