Accepting new patients

Paolo Punsalan, M.D.

Accepting new patients

  • Orthopedic Spine Surgeon
  • Instructor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine

Specialty

  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Orthopaedics and rehabilitation

Clinical focus

  • Spinal Surgery
  • Spine

Locations and contact

I see patients at
Tall building with the ariel tram to its left
Center for Health & Healing, Building 1
503-494-8311
Read clinic details

About me

I’m an orthopedic surgeon specializing in spine care. I help adults and teens with conditions affecting the back and neck, including:

My goal is to work with you to reduce pain, restore function and improve your overall quality of life through personalized care.

I focus on listening carefully to each patient’s concerns and explaining your diagnosis and treatment options in clear, understandable language. Whether your care involves non-surgical management, rehabilitation, or surgical intervention, I aim to help you feel informed and confident throughout your treatment journey.

I enjoy working collaboratively with patients and our broader care team to tailor a plan that fits your individual goals.

Languages spoken

  • English

Education and training

  • Residency

    • Philippine General Hospital, 2002

  • Fellowship

    • Bone and cartilage transplantation and joint revision surgery, Brisbane Private Hospital and Queensland Bone Bank, Brisbane, Australia, 2004

Memberships and associations:

  • Orthopaedic Trauma Association
Read faculty profile

Insurance

Before scheduling an appointment

  1. Check your network. If you have health insurance,  call your company to find out if the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is part of your network.
  2. Ask what you will pay. Your insurance company can tell you what your costs are likely to be.

If you schedule an appointment and your health insurance does not include OHSU Health, you may have to pay more than if you go to a provider in your insurance network. 

Visit our billing and insurance page for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 (143 Ratings, 55 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized Press Ganey patient surveys.

  1. Very informative about treatment options and procedures

  2. Very nice, knowledgeable, caring and made things easy to understand

  3. I'm happy with my doctor.

  4. The doctor was extremely knowledgeable and spoke with me in depth of my healing process and future possible issues if any

  5. Dr Punsalan was very thorough in his explanation about my diagnosis and made every effort to explain with display of my MRI in computer screen which made it a lot easier for me to understand my back pain issues. He was friendly and humorous which I think Is very helpful to put any patient at ease.

  6. Attentive, seemed thorough

  7. The Doctor was Very Thorough & Very Helpful in discussing My problems w/ Me.

  8. Dr Punsalan was great he took the time to explain my issues and the options I have moving forward

  9. Explained thoroughly, went over every detail I was spoken to as a intelligent person and I felt like I finally got the information I needed to make a plan for my treatment.

  10. Everyone from reception, to nurse, to doctor were great. Especially my doctor though. He took so much time explaining things, asking and answering questions and made me feel safe which doesn't always happen with male doctors. I will absolutely recommend him and this clinic to anyone who may need them in the future. Seriously wonderful

  11. The Dr went through my MRI with great detail and explained the results thoroughly. He spent the time to answer my questions and I did not feel rushed. Extremely knowledgeable!

  12. Dr. Punsalan is very thorough seeking a wholistic approach to his style. He looks at several things about your health issues. I truly appreciate this.

  13. Very professional and knowledgeable

  14. Good

  15. My specialist takes an hour and a half to see me, and he takes his time. He happens to do that consistently and lets the receptionist know. I told him that he tends to do that and not progressing. There's much to do about it.

  16. The doctor was extremely helpful. Took time, explained things well, answered our questions.

  17. Answered my questions with candor.

  18. Well explained diagnosis. Thorough uncomplicated and super.

  19. He is a fantastic educator the first Dr to take the time to diagnose my spinal issue I really appreciate him

  20. The wait was short. Didn't take long to be Sean

  21. One of the best doctors I've ever met. He explained my condition and options clearly in terms I could understand with empathy.

  22. Dr. Punsalan was exceptional in his response to all my concerns, questions. The issue discussed was complex and long term so I greatly appreciated the explanations of the current state, likely outcomes, background on how the situation developed and some options, realities for the future.

  23. Explained MRI reading thoroughly which is very appreciated.

  24. This doctor listens and offers candid advice and ideas to try before moving to surgery. Very knowledgeable

  25. Dr. Punsalon answered all my questions, and explained things that I didn't understand so that I was able to make good decisions.

  26. He was excellent

  27. Dr. Punsalan was extremely knowledgeable, helpful and kind. Best explanation of condition I've ever received.

  28. The doctor was very knowledgeable, explained things well and gave me a plan to move forward.

  29. Very informative, good listener_very positive appt.

  30. He was extremely understandable explaining everything