About me
Dr. Mesfin is an experienced fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopaedic spine surgeon. He is also the Vice Chair of Research for the Medstar Orthopaedic Institute in the Washington DC region. He was formerly a Professor of Orthopedics, Neurosurgery and Chief of Spine Surgery at the University of Rochester in New York. He completed his Orthopaedic Residency training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and his Adult and Pediatric Spine Surgery training at the Washington Univeristy in St. Louis.
He has served in committee and leadership roles in several organizations including: Cervical Spine Research Society, Scoliosis Research Society, Lumbar Spine Research Society, North American Spine Society, American Orthopaedic Association, J Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society.
He is a member of AO Spine Oncology Knowledge Forum and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor medical society.
He has been honored as a recepient of competitive and prestigious awards including he American Orthopaedic Association-American British Canadian Traveling Fellowship, Cervical Spine Research Society Traveling Fellowship and Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship.
His areas of special interest, expertise, and research include:
- Benign and malignant primary spine tumors and metastatic spine disease
- Adult scoliosis/Kyphosis
- Spinal stenosis/Disc herniations
- Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL)
- Spine trauma
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Cervical disc replacement and laminoplasty
An active and widely published researcher, he has published more than 200 book chapters and articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Journal of Neurosurgery Spine, Spine, and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. He has also been an invited lecturer in more than 15 countries. He has been awarded grant support for his research focusing on spine surgery outcomes.
The focus of Dr. Mesfin’s approach to caring for patients includes educating patients and their families about their diagnoses and options using the latest research so they can be partners in decisions about their care. Before recommending surgery, he exhausts all other treatment options. Dr. Mesfin is fluent in English, French, and Amharic.
He served in the U.S. Army Reserve Medical Corps in the U.S. and Afghanistan (as a member of a Forward Surgical Team), reaching the rank of major.
When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with family, traveling, long distance running, and tennis.
Clinical areas of focus
- Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery In The Cervical Spine
- Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery In The Lumbar Spine
- Cervical Deformity
- Cervical Disc Disease
- Cervical Spine Fusion
- Complex Spine Deformities
- Complex Spine Surgery
- Degenerative Spine Conditions
- Disc Replacement
- Lumbar Spine Fusion
- Myelopathy Surgery
- Robotic Spine Surgery
- Spine Fracture
- Spine Revision
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abnormal Vertebrae
- Absent Vertebrae
- Bulging Disc
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Cervical Bone Spur
- Cervical Compression Fracture
- Cervical Deformity
- Cervical Disc Degeneration
- Cervical Disc Disease
- Cervical Disc Displacement
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Cervical Spinal Stenosis
- Cervical Spine Fracture
- Coccyx Fracture
- Coccyx Injury
- Complex Spine Deformities
- Compression Fracture
- Congenital Malformation Of The Spine
- Congenital Scoliosis
- Degenerative Spine Conditions
- Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
- Flatback Syndrome Post Harrington Rods
- Foot Drag
- Herniated Disc
- Intraspinal Abscess
- Junctional Kyphosis
- Kyphosis
- Lumbar Scoliosis
- Lumbar Spine Stress Fracture
- Lumbosacral Plexus Lesions
- Lumbosacral Radiculopathy
- Meningioma Of The Spine
- Myelopathy
- Neck Arthritis
- Neurogenic Claudication
- Neuromuscular Scoliosis
- Post Laminectomy Kyphosis
- Post Laminectomy Syndrome
- Ruptured Intervertebral Disc
- Scheuermann's Disease
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Abscess
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Spinal Schwannoma
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Arthritis
- Spine Deformities
- Spine Deformity
- Spine Fracture
- Spine Osteoarthritis
- Spine Tumor
- Spondyloarthropathy
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylosis
- Spondylosis With Myelopathy
- Tarlov Cyst
- Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome
- Thoracic Herniated Disc
- Vascular Malformations Of The Spine
- Vertebral Epiphysitis
Procedures I perform
- Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering
- Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery In The Cervical Spine
- Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery In The Lumbar Spine
- Back Surgery
- Cervical Decompression
- Cervical Laminoplasty
- Cervical Laminotomy
- Cervical Spine Fusion
- Cervical Spine Revision
- Cervical Spine Steroid Injection
- Cervical Spine Surgery
- Complex Spine Surgery
- Cordotomy
- Craniocervical Junction Surgery
- Decompression Laminectomy
- Disc Arthroplasty
- Disc Replacement
- Disc Surgery
- Diskectomy
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Epidural Injection
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Facet Injection
- Facet Surgery
- Growing Rods
- Instrumented Anterior Cervical Discectomy, Fusion (ACDF)
- Interspinous Device Placement
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Laminoplasty
- Lateral Access Spine Surgery
- Low Back Surgery
- Lumbar Spine Fusion
- Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Myelopathy Surgery
- Occipito Cervical Fusion
- Posterior Cervical Laminectomy And Fusion
- Posterior Lumbar Laminectomy
- Robotic Spine Surgery
- Sacroiliac Joint Block
- Sacroiliac Joint Fusion
- Sacroiliac Joint Surgery
- Scoliosis Surgery
- Spinal Abscess Surgery
- Spinal Cord Surgery
- Spinal Cyst Removal
- Spinal Dural Graft
- Spinal Tethering For Scoliosis
- Spine Deformity Correction Surgery
- Spine Fusion
- Spine Microsurgery
- Spine Reconstruction
- Spine Revision
- Spine Stapling
- Spondylectomy
- Spondylosis Surgery
- Spondylosyndesis
- Surgery For Sciatica
- Thoracic Laminectomy
- Thoracic Spine Fusion
- Vertebrae Surgery
- Vertebral Stapling
- Vertebroplasty
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
- Innovation Health: Open POS II
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Choice POS & Choice POS II
- Innovation Health: POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Innovation Health: POS
- Aetna Open HMO/Open HMO Option/Open EPO Plus
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA
- Aetna HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus
- Aetna Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Aetna HMO
- Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO) |
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN)
- United Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- United Student Resources
- United Select Plus (POS)
- United Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO)
- United Golden Rule
- United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose
- D-SNP)
- I-SNP
- United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP
- United Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Choice Plus
- United Choice
- United Mamsi Life & Health
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- United MD IPA Preferred (POS)
- United MD IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
- Kaiser Signature
- Kaiser HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Select-Added Choice
- Kaiser Select
- Kaiser Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Kaiser Flexible Choice
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor’s plan PPO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna POS/Network POS
- Cigna Indemnity
- Cigna POS Open Access & Open Access Plus
- Cigna Network Open Access
- Cigna HMO Open Access
- Cigna PPO and PPO Plus
- Cigna EPO
- Cigna Choice Fund PPO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Beech Street PPO
- Anthem Plus BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Anthem (POS & Open Access POS) BCBS of VA HealthKeepers
- Anthem HMO - BCBS of VA HealthKeepers
- Innovation Health: Indemnity
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Innovation Health: PPO
- Cigna HMO & Network (HMO)
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- WellPoint Maryland
- Virginia Premier
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Optimum Choice
- United Navigate
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- United Group Medicare Advantage Plans
- United AARP Medicare Complete
- Traditional Medicare Fee for Service
- Medicaid - Virginia
- Medicaid - Maryland
- Medicaid - District of Columbia
- Tricare for Life East
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Tricare East Select
- Tricare East Prime
- Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
- CareFirst NASCO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced
- CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS)
- Carefirst BlueChoice Opt Out Open Access
- Carefirst BlueChoice Open Access
- Carefirst BlueChoice HMO
- Carefirst EPO
- Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellowship Program: Washington University/Barnes Jewish Hospital (2012)
Residency Program: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2011)
Medical School: Drexel University (2006)