Medical-Surgical Team

Prof. Dr. Ricardo Ruiz-López

Neurosurgeon & Director of Vertebra

Registration number: 11890. Official College of Physicians of Barcelona and 28/2821229 Official College of Physicians of Madrid (ICOMEM).

Professor Dr. Ricardo Ruiz-López is a specialist in Neurosurgery, Pain Management, Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery, and Regenerative Medicine. His professional career combines extensive clinical experience with a strong commitment to innovation, excellence in patient care, and the development of advanced techniques.

As Director of Clínica VERTEBRA , he develops a medical practice based on scientific evidence, focused on precision diagnosis and the application of minimally invasive surgical procedures and advanced regenerative therapies.

Throughout his career he has actively contributed to the promotion of high standards of quality, training and professional certification at an international level.

Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery. Faculty of Medicine. Autonomous University of Madrid. 1975. Spain.
ECFMG Certification – Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates . USA 1975.
Specialist in Neurosurgery (Ministry of Education and Science). Faculty of Medicine. Autonomous University of Madrid. 1980. Spain.
Specialist in Family and Community Medicine (Ministry of Education and Science). Faculty of Medicine. Autonomous University of Madrid. 1985. Spain.
Fellow in Interventional Pain Treatment. Boston Pain Center, Massachusetts General Hospital. Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Harvard Medical School, Mass, USA 1985.
Diplomated. American Academy of Pain Management. USA 1991.
Fellow in Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP). World Institute of Pain (WIP). California, USA 2001.
Fellow in Minimal Invasive Endoscopic Spine Surgery. Wooridool Spine Hospital – Seoul, Korea. 2008-2009.

President and Medical Director. VERTEBRA SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTERS.
Life Member. Executive Committee. World Institute of Pain (WIP). USA.
Vice President. Development Committee. World Institute of Pain (WIP). USA.
Director. Cell Surgical Network Europe. Barcelona.
Professor and Examiner of the “Fellowship of Interventional Pain Practice” (FIPP). World Institute of Pain (WIP). USA
Program Director. FIPP/CIPS Interventional Pain Examination for East Asia. Taipei, Taiwan. Professor at National Taiwan University. Taipei, Taiwan.
Advisor and First Honorary Member of the WIP Taiwan Registered Society.
Distinguished Speaker at international events on Regenerative Spine Medicine, Spine Surgery, MISS and Interventional Pain Surgery.

Founder. Barcelona Pain Clinic, SA (1987).
Director. Pain Medicine and Palliative Care Service. Barcelona Hospital (SCIAS). 1990 – 2006. Spain.
Founding Father. World Institute of Pain (WIP). 1993. USA
Director. Interventional Pain Management Service. Delfos Hospital. Barcelona. 1999 – 2014. Spain.
Member of the Board of Directors. (2001–2010). Delfos Hospital. Barcelona, Spain.
Founding President. Catalan Pain Society ( Societat Catalana del Dolor ). 2002. Academy of Medical Sciences of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Spain.
Vice President. Examining Court. World Institute of Pain (2005–2009).
Founding President. Catalan Pain Society (Academy of Medical Sciences of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands). 2006–2010.
President. World Institute of Pain (WIP). USA 2011 – 2013.
Member of the Advisory Board. World Institute of Regenerative Medicine. California, USA. 2026 – present.

Founder and promoter: Medical services

Barcelona Pain Clinic. 1987. Outpatient Health Center for Pain Research and Treatment. Barcelona, Spain.
Pain Medicine Service. SCIAS Hospital of Barcelona. 1990. Spain.
Pain Intervention Surgery Service. Delfos Hospital. Barcelona. 1999. Spain.
Delfos Hospital expansion project. Architects: Llimona, Ruiz and Recoder. Approved by the Barcelona City Council. September 2009. Spain.
VERTEBRA Clinic Barcelona. SpinePain & Regenerative SURGERY CENTER . Barcelona. 2014. Spain.
Cell Surgical Network Europe. Barcelona. 2017. Spain.

Founder and promoter: Scientific and academic societies

Spanish Pain Society (IASP Chapter). 1989.
Spanish Pain Society. 1989. Madrid.
Catalan-Balearic Society of Palliative Care. 1992. Vic, Barcelona.
Spanish Society of Palliative Care. 1993. Vic, Barcelona.
World Institute of Pain (WIP). USA 1993.
EFIC (European Federation of IASP Chapters). 1993.
Catalan Pain Society (Academy of Medical Sciences of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands). Barcelona. 2003.
World Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Societies and Techniques. Seoul, South Korea. 2013.
Taiwan – WIP Registered Society. Honorary Member. Taiwan. 2017. Republic of China (ROC).

Founder and promoter: Editorial Boards

Pain Practice. Official Journal of the World Institute of Pain . USA.
Taiwan – WIP Registered Society. Honorary Member. Taiwan. 2017. Republic of China (ROC).
Pain. Ed. Permanyer. Barcelona, Spain.
Journal of the Spanish Pain Society. Official Publication of the Spanish Pain Society. Madrid, Spain.

Memberships in scientific societies

World Institute of Pain (WIP). USA Founder.
North American Spine Society (NASS). USA
American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP). USA
World Federation of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (WFMISS). Seoul, South Korea. Founder.
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). USA
Spanish Pain Society (SED). Madrid, Spain. Founder.
Catalan Pain Society. Academy of Medical and Health Sciences. Barcelona, Spain.
Catalan Society of Neurosurgery. Academy of Medical and Health Sciences. Barcelona, Spain.
Catalan Society of Anesthesiology. Academy of Medical and Health Sciences. Barcelona, Spain.
World Institute of Regenerative Medicine. California, USA

Organization of international medical congresses

President. EFIC Congress (European Federation of IASP Chapters) “Pain in Europe”. International Association for the Study of Pain. Barcelona, Spain, September 1997.
President. Third World Congress on Pain, WIP (World Institute of Pain). Barcelona, Spain, September 2004.
President. V International Symposium of the Catalan Pain Society. “Interventional Therapies for Chronic Pain”. Official College of Physicians of Barcelona, January 2007.
President. VI International Symposium of the Catalan Pain Society. “Minimally Invasive Techniques and Surgery for Chronic Spinal Pain”. Official College of Physicians of Barcelona, October 2009.
Co-chair. VI World Congress. World Institute of Pain. Miami, Florida, USA. February 2012.
Honorary President. III World Congress of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery and Techniques. Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, August 2014.
President. III International Symposium. Iberian Section of the World Institute of Pain. “The Lumbar Spine: Advances in Minimally Invasive Surgery and Interventional Approaches”. Official College of Physicians of Barcelona, November 2014.

Clinical organization models:

Multidisciplinary teams: Chronic pain.
Multidisciplinary teams: Cancer pain and palliative care.
Hospital pain medicine service.

Patents (U.S. Patent Office – USPTO):

Patent (Ruiz-López, R. and Racz, NS): RULO Cannulas for Directional Radiofrequency. U.S. Patent Office. Patent No.: US 9,265,563 B2. Grant Date: February 23, 2016.
Patent (Ruiz-López, R. and Park): Percutaneous Lumbar Extraforaminotomy. U.S. Patent Agency Patent No.: US 9,649,129 B2. Grant Date: May 16, 2017.
Patent (Ruiz-López, R. and Racz, NS): RULO Protective Working Channel. U.S. Patent Agency (Filed April 2023).

Institutional development:

Miami, Florida, USA: Implementation of the Examining Board for the Fellowship in Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP). Examination in Spanish/English format. World Institute of Pain.
National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan: Implementation of the Examining Board for the Fellowship in Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP). Examination in Mandarin/English format. World Institute of Pain.