Individualized spine treatment and care

Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Rojeh Melikian, M.D., joined DISC after training at some of the country’s leading spine programs. His areas of interests include disk replacement surgery, minimally invasive, microscopic decompression for cervical and lumbar stenosis, microdiscectomy for disk herniations, anterior cervical fusion, lateral-access and anterior surgery (XLIF and ALIF), spine trauma and spinal tumors.

• Super Doctors: Southern California Rising Stars 2023
• OCMA 2023 Physicians of Excellence
• 2023 Castle Connolly Top Doctor

Growing up with a physician father, Dr. Melikian had an early interest in medicine. He graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from University of California, Los Angeles, and immediately entered the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. There, Dr. Melikian was nominated for the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society and graduated as one of the top students in his class with highest distinction. After USC, Dr. Melikian was accepted into the prestigious Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program, where he received extensive training in complex spinal surgery and scoliosis, as well as primary and metastatic spine tumors. He excelled and was appointed Chief Resident at Massachusetts General Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Melikian completed a combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Spine Surgery Fellowship at Emory University, in Atlanta, which is considered one of the most prominent and respected spine surgery fellowships in the country. While at Emory, he had the privilege of training with leading experts in the full spectrum of spine surgery, from minimally invasive procedures to complex revision surgery.

Dr. Melikian has authored more than 25 medical journal articles, medical textbook chapters, medical society presentations and posters about spine surgery. In 2016, Becker’s Spine Review named him as “a spine surgeon leader to know.” Additionally, Dr. Melikian has been featured in numerous consumer publications, including Prevention Magazine, Santa Monica Mirror, WestSideToday and NextAvenue. He is a member of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, North American Spine Society, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, Armenian-American Medical Society of California and Orange County Armenian Professional Society.

Dr. Melikian has deep compassion for patients suffering from chronic spine pain, especially those wishing to return to a particular sport. He grew up in Southern California and enjoys outdoor sports, himself, especially skiing. These days, one of his favorite activities is playing at the park with his four kids.

Dr. Melikian in the News

SpineUniverse Pro: Better Navigation as a Pathway to Higher Endoscopic Spine Surgery Adoption

Outpatient Surgery: Wound Care Wonders

Newport Beach Independent: DISC Surgery Center at Newport Beach Goes In-Network with Cigna, DISC Doctors Garner Awards