Commitment to forward-thinking medicine

Robert S. Bray Jr., MD, is a pioneering neurological spine surgeon whose forward-thinking approach has helped redefine modern sports and spine care. At DISC, he performs the vast majority of his procedures—about 95%—in an outpatient setting, which is a remarkable contrast to the roughly 20% national average. Whether he is performing a spine fusion, artificial disc replacement or microdiscectomy, Dr. Bray uses advanced microsurgical techniques designed to treat complex spinal conditions while helping patients achieve superior results, rapid recoveries and minimal scarring. His leadership and innovation have earned him recognition in the Super Doctors Hall of Fame for 13 consecutive years, as well as repeated honors such as the Orange County Medical Association’s Physicians of Excellence.

Dr. Bray graduated from Baylor College of Medicine and went on to hold several prominent leadership roles early in his career, serving as director of neurosurgery and head of spinal programs at St. John’s Medical Center, Century City Hospital and Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital. He later founded The Institute for Spinal Disorders at Cedars-Sinai and built it into one of the country’s largest and most respected spine programs. In 2006, he established DISC as a state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary destination for athletes and patients seeking high-level spine and orthopedic care in an outpatient environment. Board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery and licensed in multiple states, Dr. Bray continues to set standards for safe, efficient and patient-centered spine surgery.

Deeply committed to education and research, Dr. Bray has trained more than 25 fellows, given lectures internationally and published numerous peer-reviewed articles. A true innovator, he holds multiple patents for surgical devices and techniques and is frequently sought out by national media for his expertise on spine surgery, outpatient care and sports-related injuries. His work and perspective have been featured in outlets such as the Associated Press, Becker’s and Outpatient Surgery, among others. Through these efforts, he has helped advance minimally invasive spine surgery and broaden access to high-quality, ambulatory spine care.

Outside of the operating room, he spends time on his ranch where he and his wife raise competitive dressage horses.

Dr. Bray in the News

Associated Press: Eichel leads the way in NHL for disk replacement surgeries

Becker's Podcast: Dr. Bray Founder and CEO of DISC Sports and Spine