I am a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in the surgical treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disorders. I see patients in Bel Air, Rosedale / White Marsh, and in Baltimore at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.

Pursuing a career in orthopaedic surgery seemed a natural fit to my background as a mechanical engineer. After completing my residency and fellowship training at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, I served as division chief of Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital, prior to transitioning to MedStar Orthopaedics in 2014.

My areas of intellectual interest and clinical expertise center around minimally invasive spine surgery. Using tubular retractors in lieu of traditional open surgery, state-of-the-art technologies, and computer-assisted navigation allows me to deliver to my patients the best solutions with the least amount of invasion. A large portion of my practice also focuses on spinal problems in the elderly, rheumatoid arthritis of the spine, spinal deformity, and revision spinal surgery.

I remain active in resident and surgeon education, and was honored to be the recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award from the Johns Hopkins University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 2014. I have also been involved in developing innovative spine surgical techniques and new technologies and relate my experiences to other surgeons, both from the podium as well as in smaller teaching seminars. It has been a privilege to be listed by both U.S. News and World Report's and Castle Connolly in their lists of Top Doctors in the U.S., as well as being named among the Top 100 Spine Surgeons in the U.S. by Becker's Healthcare.

My philosophy of care is quite simple: to give my patients the best care possible. Each patient is treated as an individual with unique needs. My team understands the challenges facing patients with spinal disorders. Our team approach is utilized to enable timely, effective diagnoses and treatment options. Many surgeons are quick to operate. In my practice, non-operative options are exhausted first. In cases where symptoms persist, my goal is to achieve the best long-term results using the least invasive techniques, thus minimizing risks and improving recovery time. Minimally invasive spine surgery. My areas of special intellectual interest and clinical expertise center around minimally invasive techniques, which use tubular retractors instead of larger incisions, state-of-the-art technologies, and computer-assisted navigation. This all allows me to deliver the best solutions to my patients' spine issues with the least amount of invasion. Coordinated care to practice medicine as a team. Open communication with you and your referring physician, keeping both of you informed through each step of your evaluation and treatment, is an important component to your care. I welcome your questions and encourage dialogue with you, your referring physician, and other specialists who may be involved in your care...

Mesfin Lemma, MD was recognized in the 2020 "Top Docs" list by Baltimore Magazine for orthopaedic spine surgery and 2015-2016 Best Doctors in America.

Read Dr. Lemma's CV.

Conditions I treat:

• Disc herniation with neck or arm symptoms
• Cervical stenosis/myelopathy
• Rheumatoid arthritis in the cervical spine
• Cervical instability
• Cervical trauma
• Spinal tumors in the neck
• Revision cervical surgery

Mid-back (Thoracic):

• Scoliosis
• Complex fractures
• Spinal tumors

Lower back (Lumbar):

• Disc herniation with low back or leg symptoms
• Lumbar spinal stenosis
• Lumbar spondylolisthesis/instability
• Low back pain
• Scoliosis / Deformity
• Failed spinal surgery

Procedures I perform:
Neck (Cervical):

• Artificial disc replacement
• ACDF (Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion)
• Stand-alone ACDF (no plate)
• Cervical laminectomy
• Cervical instrumentation/fusion
• C1-2 fusion

Mid and lower back (Thoraco-Lumbar):

• Minimally invasive decompression
• Minimally invasive fusion / TLIF
• Microdiscectomy
• Laminectomy
• Spinal instrumentation / fusion
• MIDLIF procedure
• Coflex
• XLIF
• Anterior spinal surgery (ALIF, DLIF)
• Revision spinal surgery