Dr. Andrew J. Pugely is a nationally recognized orthopaedic spine surgeon, researcher, and physician leader whose work has helped advance the understanding of spine surgery outcomes, complications, healthcare quality, value, and patient safety. He has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and his research has been cited thousands of times throughout the medical literature.
Dr. Pugely's work has accumulated more than 5,700 citations in conservative academic indexing systems and more than 7,000 citations across broader research databases. Depending on the citation platform used, his h-index is approximately 44 to 48 — reflecting a sustained record of influential scholarship. Because Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and other databases index the literature differently, publication totals and citation counts vary among platforms.
Published bibliometric comparisons suggest that this level of academic productivity and citation impact places him among approximately the top few percent of academic orthopaedic surgeons and academic orthopaedic spine surgeons. There is no single official national ranking system; these figures are evidence-based estimates, not formal percentile designations.
His research has addressed some of the most important questions in modern spine and orthopaedic care: Which patients benefit most from surgery? What factors increase the risk of complications? How can hospitals improve quality and safety? How should physicians evaluate cost, value, readmissions, recovery, and long-term outcomes? How can large clinical databases be used to improve decisions for individual patients?
Dr. Pugely developed this body of scholarship during an active clinical and academic career — achieving a citation profile more commonly associated with senior academic faculty and long-established investigators.
It shapes how Dr. Pugely evaluates risk, selects surgical strategies, discusses expected outcomes, and works to improve safety throughout your episode of care.
This academic background means recommendations are grounded in evidence, measurable outcomes, and a detailed understanding of surgical risk — the goal is the right treatment for the right patient, not an operation simply because one is technically possible.
The same analytical approach used in academic research informs Dr. Pugely's leadership of orthopaedic care: designing care pathways, measuring quality, aligning practice with evidence, and using resources responsibly.
Representative work from a publication record of 110+ peer-reviewed studies — each linked to its National Library of Medicine record.
After more than a decade in academic medicine, Dr. Pugely brings nationally informed, research-driven spine care to MercyOne Genesis and the Quad Cities. His research, clinical experience, and leadership are united by a single goal: safer, more effective, and more thoughtful spine care — advanced surgical expertise with careful patient selection, honest communication, and measurable outcomes.
