About me
Dr. Ali Rahnama, DPM, is a board certified, fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeon affiliated with MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and is an Assistant Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine.
Dr. Rahnama sees patients for all conditions of the foot and ankle, with a special focus on reconstructive surgery as well as minimally invasive and arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of athletic injuries, which include ligamentous and tendon injuries as well as fractures of the ankle, talus, calcaneus, and Lisfranc joint. Dr. Rahnama also treats and specializes in diabetic Charcot reconstruction of the lower extremity.
Dr. Rahnama is board certified in Foot and Reconstructive Rearfoot and Ankle Surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery.
Dr. Rahnama’s clinical interests include sports-related injuries, fracture management, Charcot reconstruction, bunion and hammertoe correction, and first metatarsal phalangeal joint arthritis. His research interests include elective surgery in the diabetic population and exploring minimally invasive techniques for hallux valgus (bunion) surgery. He is dedicated to utilizing techniques that allow patients to get back on their feet as soon as possible without compromising care.
Dr. Rahnama completed his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia before completing a three-year surgical residency in foot and ankle surgery at the Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center and the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. He then completed a one-year specialty fellowship in traumatic and reconstructive foot and ankle surgery with The Southeast Permanente Medical Group, Inc. in Atlanta, where he performed more than 1,000 surgical procedures.
Dr. Rahnama is the author of several book chapters and peer review research articles and regularly lectures at national conferences in foot and ankle surgery and is committed to research as well as teaching residents, fellows and peers with the goal of advancing the field of foot and ankle surgery.
Dr. Rahnama lives locally with his wife, who is undergoing her medical training in Washington, DC. They enjoy outdoor activities as well as trying new and different foods when they can.
Philosophy of Care
“Individualized treatment plans and patient-focused treatment are what provide the best results for patients, as each case is unique to that person and their body. A patient who is educated on their condition is best prepared to make informed decisions together with their doctor, allowing them to put together a plan of action that’s best suited for them. Despite the comprehensive nature of my surgical training, I’m an advocate for conservative treatment options if and when they’re appropriate. I don’t only operate because I’m a surgeon. I do what’s best for the patient. If something can be managed and treated conservatively without surgery, that’s what I’ll try every single time.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Ankle Fracture
- Foot Injury
- Foot Pain
- Hammer Toe
- Osteomyelitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Sports Related Foot Injury
- Toe Fracture
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Achilles Tendon Tear
- Achilles Tendonitis
- Ankle Arthritis
- Ankle Fracture
- Ankle Instability
- Ankle Sprain
- Bunion
- Charcot Foot
- Chronic Lateral Ankle Pain
- Foot And Ankle Disorders
- Foot Arch Issues
- Foot Arthritis
- Foot Fracture
- Foot Injury
- Foot Pain
- Hammer Toe
- Heel Pain
- Ligament Injury
- Osteomyelitis
- Plantar Fasciitis
- Sports Related Foot Injury
- Tendonitis
- Toe Fracture
Procedures I perform
- Ankle Joint Replacement
- Arthroscopy Of Ankle
- Correction Of Bunion
- Diabetic Foot Reconstruction
- Foot And Ankle Ligament And Tendon Repair
- Foot And Ankle Tendon Lengthening
- Hammer Toe Repair
- Lower Extremity Reconstruction
- Minimally Invasive Achilles Tendon Surgery
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
- 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
- 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
- Beech Street PPO
- 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
- Aetna Open Choice (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
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)
- Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
- United Optimum Choice
- 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
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- First Health PPO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- 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)
- Employee Health Plan (EHP)
- 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
- United Core Essential (HMO)
- United Navigate
- 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
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Foot and Ankle Surgery
Fellowship: Northside Hospital Atlanta (2018)
Residency: Wayne State University School of Medicine (2017)
Medical School: Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine (2014)
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
Alexandra T. Black, Jered M. Stowers, Son Tran, Karla De La Mata, Alain E. Sherman, Ali RahnamaVaghef. Clinical Outcomes for Pilon Variant Posterior Malleolar Fractures: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Volume 61, Issue 6, 2022, Pages 1303-1307, ISSN 1067-2516.
Stowers JM, Black AT, Kavanagh AM, Mata K, Bohm A, Katchis SD, Weiner LS, Spielfogel W, Rahnama A. Predicting Nonunions in Ankle Fractures Using Quantitative Tibial Hounsfield Samples From Preoperative Computed Tomography: A Multicenter Matched Case Control Study. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2022 May-Jun;61(3):562-566. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2021.10.007. Epub 2021 Oct 22. PMID: 34819267.
Black AT, Stowers JM, Tenley J, Hu CY, Eshetu T, Spielfogel WD, Katchis SD, RahnamaVaghef A, Weiner LS. The Association Between Lateral Radiographs and Axial Computed Tomography of Posterior Malleolar Fractures as a Tool for Predicting Medial Malleolar Extension: A Multi-Center Retrospective Analysis. J Foot Ankle Surg. 2021 Mar 10:S1067-2516(21)00080-6. doi: 10.1053/j.jfas.2021.03.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33785238.
Zeeshan S. Husain, Ali Rahnama-Vaghef; Staged Surgical Management of Open Navicular Fracture Secondary to a Gunshot Injury. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1 May 2021; 111 (3): Article_21. doi: https://doi.org/10.7547/18-035