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

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: 4.6 out of 5 (153 Ratings, 65 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. He took time to listen and explain to me, he was extremely helpful and actually I would say, I feel like my anxiety that I had before regarding my situation of the spine has gone away forever because of how he took time to explain in details with pictures of my MRI step by step. He needs an award if there is one in OHSU.

  2. Excellent as always

  3. The most education I have ever received from any specialist. This Dr spent a lot of time explaining my spine issues, pointing out Issues on my xrays, showing the curve and other issues. He talked about the changes that have evolved over the years and will continue as I age, and what I can do to improve my spinal pain.

  4. He explained complicated medical terminology and MRI images clearly and in great detail. He showed me his thinking process. For example, he found a flattened disk on the right side that was much bigger than the flattened disk on the left side, where I felt pain. That helped him to rule out the flattened disk as the cause. Took a lot of time, answered all my questions, explained why he did tests for balance, movement, reflexes, etc. Most other docs have just done the tests and moved on to the next thing.

  5. I'm giving my ailment he did an exceptional job of going through the X-ray pictures and explaining all the aspects of what I have facing me and what kind of follow-up I need to take

  6. Very knowledgeable

  7. Dr. Punsalan was personable, very communicative, positive, and caring. He treated me like an adult with a brain, rather than a body with pain. I highly recommend him.

  8. Fantastic service.

  9. Remarkably thorough discussion of my condition (illustrated with MRI images.

  10. He was very thorough and answered all my concerns. He was very considerate and polite.

  11. Felt I was listened to and he explained well for me to understand.

  12. I told him what I hoped to get out of the appointment and he complied admirably, giving me a full explanation and clarifying particular questions without impatience.

  13. We felt this physician was very experienced, which gave us confidence in him. We appreciated his multifaceted approach to the problem, and I as the patient felt heard.

  14. The doctor is amazing

  15. Excellent. Doctor I met with did an excellent job of going over my MRI, explaining my condition as well as my options for treatment. An added bonus was that he was very personable, and I enjoyed talking with him. He also took his time, answered all my questions and did not rush me.

  16. Very thorough

  17. Thorough, understanding, listened to my concerns and needs. Took the time to explain my medical issues. I was very impressed by that.

  18. Experience was outstanding

  19. Great communication and easy to understand

  20. I really appreciate the staff and my new provider Paolo Antonio Punsalan MD for my my spine care

  21. The doctor was so great! He went over my friend results with me frame by frame so I could see and understand what is wrong. He answered all my questions and was patient. Best consult I've ever had.

  22. Dr Punsalan was very knowledgeable and informative! He explained what my exact problem is and used words that were very easy to understand. His attention to detail and explanation of what to do going forward were laid out in easy terms. I felt encouraged by him to get on with my life.

  23. He went through my MRIs with me and showed me the spots that were of note and explained it all. I liked that a lot.

  24. The Dr was very thorough and made me feel listened to

  25. The doctor was amazing. Took lots if time and concern in addressing my problems

  26. Nothing wrong, I just didn't see anything different or exceptional that would lead me to recommend this doctor offer any other doctor.

  27. Dr Punsalan is wonderful. I'm very thankful I'm able to see him now

  28. He was extremely hepful

  29. Dr. Punsalan is a great educator, personable, great bedside manner. He really listened to my concerns and addressed them.

  30. Thorough analysis