I am Dr. Cheng-Min Shih. My practice spans minimally invasive, complex, and revision spine surgery, hip and knee joint reconstruction, and osteoporosis care.

Current Position

Chief, Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopedics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital.

Education

M.D., Kaohsiung Medical University; Ph.D., National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.

Training & Experience

Clinical training began at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, followed by a full residency, chief residency, and attending physician appointment in the Department of Orthopedics at Taichung Veterans General Hospital, where he also served as ward chief. He is board-certified in both Orthopedic Surgery and Osteoporosis by Taiwan's national specialty boards. To further refine his technique, he trained at Columbia University Medical Center (thoracolumbar deformity correction), NewYork-Presbyterian Allen Hospital (cervical microsurgery and robotic-assisted spine surgery), and Indiana Orthopedic Hospital (Mazor robotic spine surgery), and was invited as a visiting scholar by the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research (JSSR). He trained under Dr. K. Daniel Riew, a leading authority in cervical spine surgery; Dr. Lawrence G. Lenke, a pioneer in spinal deformity correction; and Professor Cheng-Hung Lee, an expert in anterior spine surgery. Together, these three surgeons have each helped define the modern standard for spine surgeons in their respective subspecialties. He is a member of the Taiwan Spine Society, the Taiwan Minimally Invasive Spine Society, and international societies including APSS and AO Spine, and is frequently invited to demonstrate spine surgery both in Taiwan and abroad. He has received multiple institutional awards for clinical excellence, teaching, and research. His research focuses on spinal biomechanics and osteoporosis, with a particular interest in applying artificial intelligence to orthopedic imaging. He also holds a Taiwan patent for a compressible, leak-resistant bone-grafting fusion cage and plate system, recognized with Taiwan's National Innovation Award.

My Philosophy

My clinical judgment rests on one core belief: what ultimately determines a treatment's outcome is rarely the choice of treatment itself, but whether the right call was made at the right time. I started this page not to showcase the difficulty of surgery, but to help patients better understand their own condition, so they can face treatment decisions with more confidence and clarity.