First Female Neurosurgeon in Sacramento Dr. Laura J. Anderson, MD, FACS, Announces Retirement

SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Laura J. Anderson, MD, FACS, the first female neurosurgeon in the Sacramento area and a highly respected and accomplished neurosurgeon, has made the decision to retire from her distinguished medical career. Dr. Anderson's retirement marks the end of an era in the field of neurosurgery, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional contributions and unwavering dedication to patient care. As a board-certified member of the American Board of Neurological Surgery and an esteemed surgical specialist, she has dedicated over 30 years to the practice of medicine. 

Dr. Anderson is proud to have been one of approximately 400 female neurosurgeons in the United States, and 49,940 globally. There are 33 countries where there are zero female neurosurgeons. Her career is most remarkable, as only 3.6% of these female neurosurgeons have practiced for 31 years or longer.

Dr. Anderson's career has been filled with unexpected twists of fate, which she credits largely to other people believing in her more than she believed in herself. She says that her father initially encouraged her to go into nursing, a more traditionally female career. According to Dr. Anderson, "I liked that idea because I knew I wanted a career that would provide important services to society and help people." However, life had different plans for Dr. Anderson.

As a girl, Dr. Anderson took up the hobby of sewing. She began with doll clothes and eventually moved to making her own clothes, from patterns she created herself. She sewed a new pair of pants in 20 minutes after school on Friday and wear them to watch her superstar brothers play basketball in high school. Her childhood hobby eventually would help her be a successful surgeon. As Dr. Anderson says, "Take something apart. Sew it back up."

When she was in college, Dr. Anderson had a professor who recognized her talent and recommended she apply to medical school. While she was dumbfounded at the idea, she decided to pour her heart and soul into getting into medical school, with the support of her brother, Steve. 

While in medical school at University of Nevada, Reno, Dr. Anderson had the opportunity to perform a heart massage on a patient who had been stabbed in the heart. As fate would have it, the Chief of Surgery walked in while she bravely kept the patient alive and saw that she had what it takes to be a surgeon. 

Dr. Anderson's father became critically ill while she was in medical school, and she knew she needed to be close to home during her residency. She applied at only one program, University of California Davis Medical Center, and was accepted. Despite the high demands of the neurosurgery rotation, she ended up loving it. While Dr. Anderson was focused on becoming a plastic surgeon, another twist of fate pushed her into the field of neurosurgery; the resident who had the neurosurgery residency was tragically killed when a car collapsed on him, leaving a vacancy. The chairman of UC Davis Neurosurgery reached out to Dr. Anderson and asked her to take the position.

During her tenure, Dr. Anderson has transformed the lives of countless patients through her expertise and commitment to excellence. She also has been a trailblazer as one of few female neurosurgeons in the United States, owning her own business and being in private practice.  

Dr. Anderson is fully enjoying her retirement from Neurosurgery. Her avocations are rocking out with the electric guitar, exercising, cooking, practicing part-time preventative medicine, and mentoring young women. She is a voracious reader, and a DEDICATED KINGS FAN. She enjoys every minute of her time with the most auspicious accomplishment in her life, her son Robbie Lemons, an NBA Kings Assistant Coach.

SOURCE Dr. Laura J. Anderson, MD, FACS