David Hong, MD, has joined Lehigh Valley Fleming Neuroscience Institute and Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital as the first pediatric neurosurgeon in the Lehigh Valley.

Dr. Hong is board certified by both The American Board of Neurological Surgery and The American Board of Pediatric Neurological Surgery, and as such is specialized in treating children with neurologic and spinal disorders.

He completed his fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. He also completed additional training in pediatric spinal deformity at Detroit Medical Center in Detroit.

Dr. Hong previously practiced at Stanford Children’s Health, Palo Alto, California, before coming to Lehigh Valley Health Network.

“I am honored to offer advanced surgical care to kids with complex neurological and spinal conditions within their own community,” Dr. Hong says. “Until recently, parents in the Lehigh Valley had to go all the way to Philadelphia to access specialized neurosurgical care for their children. Now, I offer them the same level of specialized care closer to home.”

Dr. Hong treats a wide variety of brain, skull, spinal cord and spinal disorders, including:

• Brain tumors

• Chiari malformation

• Craniosynostosis and plagiocephaly

• Congenital spinal deformities

• Hydrocephalus

• Intracranial vascular malformations

• Moyamoya syndrome

• Neurofibromatosis tumors

• Scoliosis and other spinal deformities

• Spina bifida

• Syrinx and tethered cord syndrome

When appropriate, he uses minimally invasive surgical approaches to minimize infection risk and improve recovery time.

He also works closely with dedicated pediatric plastic surgeon, Wellington Davis, MD (also with Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital), for many cases.

A caring approach

Dr. Hong partners with families to help them understand their child’s condition and recommend treatments.

“My goal is to give parents the information they need to make treatment decisions that they feel comfortable with,” Dr. Hong says. “I walk parents through every step of the treatment process and I’m happy to answer any questions they have. It can be very difficult when your child is diagnosed with a serious illness - I strive to support these families every step of the way.”

Dr. Hong is now accepting new patients and taking referrals from clinicians throughout the region.