Aviram M. Giladi, MD, MS, is research director and surgeon at the Curtis National Hand Center at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. He also holds an appointment as an instructor in the Department of Plastic Surgery at Georgetown University.
As research director at the Hand Center, Dr. Giladi coordinates basic science, animal, biomechanics, and clinical outcomes studies, as well as collaborative efforts across specialties and institutions. His clinical focus is on reconstructive techniques for hand and upper extremity trauma, nerve and vascular problems, and arthritis care. His research efforts center on the interactions among upper extremity treatment outcomes, patient satisfaction, care delivery and costs, and how these elements contribute to the quality and value of surgical care.
Dr. Giladi serves as a reviewer for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and he serves on the Committee for Evidence-Based Medicine, American Society for Surgery of the Hand. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of Hand Surgery, Journal of the American College of Surgeons, American Journal of Surgery, and Hand Clinics. Topics he has written on include surgical outcomes, post-traumatic impairment and disability, Medicaid expansion, upper extremity surgical care, and the effects of these elements on care implementation and policy. He has presented his research nationally at meetings of professional societies, and he regularly serves as a mentor to new surgeons specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery.
Currently, Dr. Giladi is forming a comprehensive repository of hand and upper extremity data to allow for research on pain management, opioid use, and clinical outcomes among patients. This work is targeted to enable prediction of high-risk users and potential interventions. His other research projects include the effects of Medicaid expansion on trauma volume, payer mix, and referrals in Maryland; clinical outcomes related to distance of transfer and insurance coverage; and patient-reported and clinical parameter outcomes among wrist reconstruction patients. He also is preparing to conduct a clinical trial to track the effectiveness of conservative management versus various surgical approaches in patients with carpometacarpal arthritis.
Dr. Giladi completed his medical degree at Vanderbilt University and an integrated plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at the University of Michigan. During his residency, he completed a master’s degree in Health and Health Care Research through the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Michigan. He then completed a hand and upper extremity fellowship, in the Department of Orthopaedics at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, as part of the Harvard University Combined Orthopaedic Training Programs.
Research Interests
Dr. Giladi’s research interests include the following:
- Hand and upper extremity surgery
- Patient outcomes
- Healthcare delivery
- Care implementation and health policy
- Disability
- Health services research
- Resource utilization
Selected Research
Effect of Opioid Prescribing on Patient-Reported Outcomes and Satisfaction after Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery
Dr. Giladi is principal investigator on this project to study the effect of opioid prescribing on patient satisfaction after hand and upper extremity surgery. As principal investigator, Dr. Giladi supervises and assists with patient recruitment, outcomes testing, statistical analysis, and writing. This MedStar Health Research Institute-funded project will collect preliminary data about the relationship between patient factors, outcomes, satisfaction, and opioid prescribing.
Outcomes and Impairment after Finger Amputations
Dr. Giladi served as principal investigator for this project. The goal of this project was to evaluate functional and patient-reported outcomes after finger and thumb amputation and to assess associated impairment ratings and disability allocation. This work was funded by a fellowship grant from the Plastic Surgery Foundation.
Research Areas
- Health Services/Quality/OutcomesOther Surgical