Rafe Sales, MD

About Dr. Sales

Rafe Sales, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained spine surgeon. At his practice  in Portland, Oregon, he provides comprehensive diagnosis and surgical treatment for a wide range of spinal conditions, including spinal stenosis, herniated discs, lumbar spondylolisthesis, and nerve pain.

Dr. Sales earned his Doctor of Medicine at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. He served his residency in orthopedic surgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Sales went on to complete a prestigious spine surgery fellowship at the San Francisco Spine Institute in California. 

Dr. Sales is active in the spine community, and performs over 450 minimally invasive spinal surgeries years. He has completed over 7000 spinal surgeries over the last 20 years in practice, and focuses exclusively on spine surgery. In addition he serves as the Medical Director of Spine Surgery for the Providence Health Care system in Oregon.  He is the Medical Director at NorthWest Spine and Pain surgery center. He serves on the Medical Executive Board for SCA/ United Heath Care, helping guide minimally invasive spine care for patients around the country. He is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, the American Spinal Injury Association, and the North American Spine Society. He served as the Director of Spinal Trauma for Legacy Health for many years until focusing exclusively on minally invasive spine surgery in 2017.

While Dr. Sales is an experienced and meticulous surgeon, he typically begins with conservative treatments. He collaborates with physical therapists and chiropractors to provide well-rounded care for each patient, aiming to heal their spine without surgery whenever possible.