
Overview
Yi Cai, MD is an Assistant Professor and Director of Sleep Surgery at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is driven by the desire to improve patients’ sleep through innovative clinical and research approaches. As one of the few fellowship-trained sleep surgeons in the New York City area, Dr. Cai has expertise in the diagnosis and surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). She devotes significant attention to upper airway evaluation in personalizing treatment for her patients and offers the full spectrum of surgical sleep apnea care, ranging from nasal and pharyngeal surgery to skeletal surgery to hypoglossal nerve stimulation (Inspire therapy).Dr. Cai received her undergraduate degree with honors from Harvard College and her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she was awarded the Coakley Memorial Prize and Donald M. Palatucci Prize. She then completed her residency in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. There, she led quality improvement initiatives as a chief resident, received a Patient Care Fund Award, and served as Co-Chair of the UCSF Resident and Fellow’s Council. Dr. Cai then completed fellowship training in both Sleep Medicine and Sleep Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was selected to attend the AASM Young Investigators Research Forum. Since specializing in sleep surgery, Dr. Cai has given several presentations at the premier global conferences in otolaryngology, sleep medicine, and sleep surgery.As one of <10 fellowship-trained sleep surgeons in the nation with active, peer-reviewed grant funding for sleep apnea research, Dr. Cai’s clinical expertise is uniquely strengthened by her academic experience. She is dedicated to advancing the field of sleep apnea surgery through novel therapeutic target identification and research on the cardiometabolic outcomes of OSA surgery. For this work, Dr. Cai has been supported by competitive grants from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Triological Society, American Heart Association, and Columbia Technology Ventures, as well as awards at international conferences. Additional research interests and ongoing projects include the use of wearable technologies and applying shared decision-making to enhance care in OSA. Dr. Cai has also served on hospital and national academic committees, mentored numerous medical trainees, and reviewed articles for various research journals. She has published over 40 peer-reviewed research articles and textbook chapters, including first-author publications in JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, SLEEP, and the leading otolaryngology textbooks.
Her clinical expertise encompasses Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Septoplasty.
Dr. Cai is currently accepting new patients.
Graduate Institution
Residency
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Languages Spoken
Gender
Insurance
Accepted insurance can change. Please verify directly with the provider.
Accepted insurance plans:
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER COMMERCIAL
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- PPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- EPO
- HMO
- PPO
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- OTHER COMMERCIAL
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- OTHER COMMERCIAL
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- PPO
- HMO
- POS
- EPO
- POS
- HMO
- INDEMNITY
- POS
- PPO
- EPO
- POS
- PPO
- OTHER MANAGED MEDICAID
- OTHER MEDICAID
- STATE MEDICAID
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
- EPO
- PPO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- EPO
- HMO
- POS
- PPO
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- EPO
- HMO
- INSURANCE PLAN
- MANAGED MEDICAID PLAN
- MEDICARE MAPD
- MEDICARE PDP
- MEDICARE SNP
- MEDICARE-MEDICAID PLAN
- OTHER MEDICARE
- OTHER MEDICARE PART D
Locations
51 West 51st Street, Suite 385, New York, NY 10019
880 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022
1 Pondfield Road, Floor 2nd Floor, Bronxville, NY 10708
180 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032
Additional Areas of Focus
Dr. Cai has provided the following conditions as areas of focus. Please note that we may not have enough data to validate their experience in some of these conditions.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Dr. Yi Cai
How do I make an appointment with Dr. Yi Cai?
You can book an appointment with Dr. Yi Cai by calling their office at 212-305-8555. MediFind provides direct contact information so you can schedule visits, second opinions, or consultations without navigating third-party calendars.
What conditions does Dr. Yi Cai specialize in?
While Dr. Yi Cai is a Sleep Medicine, they have specific expertise in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Septoplasty. MediFind analyzes a doctor's articles and referral patterns to identify their specific areas of focus within Sleep Medicine.
Does Dr. Yi Cai accept my insurance?
Dr. Yi Cai accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna and Anthem BCBS. We recommend calling the office directly at 212-305-8555 to verify that your specific plan is currently accepted before your visit.
Areas of Expertise
MediFind evaluates expertise by pulling from factors such as number of articles a doctor has published in medical journals, participation in clinical trials, speaking at industry conferences, prescribing and referral patterns, and strength of connections with other experts in their field.
Learn more about MediFind’s expert tiers

