Mesfin A. Lemma, MD| Spine Surgery | MedStar Health

Mesfin A. Lemma, MD
Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

4.7 out of 5 (839 reviews)

Specialties: Spine Surgery

Languages: Amharic, English

443-444-4775

About me

Dr. Lemma is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in the surgical treatment of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine disorders. He sees patients in Bel Air, Rosedale / White Marsh, and in Baltimore at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital. He currently serves as division chief of spine surgery as well as director of minimally invasive spine surgery at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital.

Pursuing a career in orthopaedic surgery seemed a natural fit to Dr. Lemma's background as a mechanical engineer. After completing his residency and fellowship training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, he served as division chief of Johns Hopkins Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital, prior to transitioning to MedStar Orthopaedic Institute in 2014.

Dr. Lemma's 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 Dr. Lemma to deliver to his patients the best solutions with the least amount of invasion. A large portion of his practice also focuses on spinal problems in the elderly, rheumatoid arthritis of the spine, spinal deformity, and revision spinal surgery.

Dr. Lemma remains 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. He has also been involved in developing innovative spine surgical techniques and new technologies and relates his experiences to other surgeons, both from the podium as well as in smaller teaching seminars. It has been a privilege for Dr. Lemma 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. In 2021, he was named a Top Doctor by Baltimore magazine.

Read Dr. Lemma's CV.

Conditions I treat:

Mid-back (Thoracic):

Lower back (Lumbar):

Procedures I perform:
Neck (Cervical):

Mid and lower back (Thoraco-Lumbar):

Clinical areas of focus

  • Cervical Spine Fusion
  • Complex Spine Deformities
  • Disc Replacement
  • Lumbar Spine Fusion
  • Myelopathy Surgery
  • Robotic Spine Surgery
  • Spine Fracture
  • Spine Revision
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Conditions and procedures

Conditions I treat

  • Cauda Equina Syndrome
  • Cervical Disc Degeneration
  • Cervical Herniated Disc
  • Cervical Radiculopathy
  • Cervical Spinal Stenosis
  • Cervical Spine Fracture
  • Complex Spine Deformities
  • Failed Back Surgery Syndrome
  • Herniated Disc
  • Junctional Kyphosis
  • Kyphosis
  • Lumbar Scoliosis
  • Lumbosacral Radiculopathy
  • Myelopathy
  • Neurogenic Claudication
  • Post Laminectomy Kyphosis
  • Post Laminectomy Syndrome
  • Radiculopathy
  • Ruptured Intervertebral Disc
  • Sciatica
  • Scoliosis
  • Spinal Cord Compression
  • Spinal Cord Injury
  • Spinal Stenosis
  • Spine Deformity
  • Spine Fracture
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Spondylosis With Myelopathy
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Procedures I perform

  • Artificial Disc Replacement Surgery In The Cervical Spine
  • Back Surgery
  • Cervical Decompression
  • Cervical Laminoplasty
  • Cervical Laminotomy
  • Cervical Spine Fusion
  • Cervical Spine Revision
  • Cervical Spine Surgery
  • Complex Spine Surgery
  • Decompression Laminectomy
  • Disc Replacement
  • Disc Surgery
  • Diskectomy
  • Instrumented Anterior Cervical Discectomy, Fusion (ACDF)
  • Laminectomy
  • Laminoplasty
  • Lateral Access Spine Surgery
  • Low Back Surgery
  • Lumbar Spine Fusion
  • Microdiscectomy
  • Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy
  • Minimally Invasive Spine Fusion
  • Myelopathy Surgery
  • Occipito Cervical Fusion
  • Posterior Cervical Laminectomy And Fusion
  • Posterior Lumbar Laminectomy
  • Posterior Lumbar Laminectomy With Fusion, Without Instrumentation
  • Posterior Lumbar Laminectomy With Instrumentation And Fusion
  • Robotic Spine Surgery
  • Scoliosis Surgery
  • Spinal Cord Surgery
  • Spinal Cyst Removal
  • Spine Deformity Correction Surgery
  • Spine Fusion
  • Spine Instrumentation
  • Spine Microsurgery
  • Spine Reconstruction
  • Spine Revision
  • Surgery For Sciatica
  • Surgical Treatment Of Myelopathy
  • Thoracic Laminectomy
  • Vertebrae Surgery
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Practice locations

Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location

3333 North Calvert Street
Suite 655
Baltimore, MD, 21218

410-554-2175
Get Directions

miles away

9101 Franklin Square Drive
Suite 200
Baltimore, MD, 21237

410-261-8762

Fax 443-444-4775

Get Directions

miles away

Fax 443-444-4775

12 Medstar Boulevard
Suite 300
Bel Air, MD, 21015

410-261-8762

Fax 443-444-4775

Get Directions

miles away

Fax 443-444-4775

Insurance

MedStar Medical Group accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Medical Group, please call your insurance company.

  • List of insurance plans we accept
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund) Innovation Health: Network Only Plus
    • Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
    • Aetna Student Health Insurance
    • Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
    • CFBCBS BlueChoice HMO
    • CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
    • CFBCBS Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS)
    • CFBCBS Maryland Indemnity or PPO
    • CFBCBS (NCA) Indemnity
    • CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
    • CIGNA POS/Network POS
    • Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
    • CIGNA Indemnity
    • Coventry Health Care of Virginia
    • Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
    • First Health PPO
    • FIRST HEALTH
    • Tricare Prime
    • Tricare for Life (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
    • MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
    • MedStar Select (MedStar Associates' Plan)
    • United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
    • United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
    • United Healthcare Choice Plus
    • United Student Resources
    • M.D. IPA (HMO)
    • M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
    • Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO)
    • Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
    • Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
    • Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
    • United Healthcare Choice
    • CIGNA HMO Open Access (OA)
    • Network OA
    • POS OA & OA Plus
    • CIGNA EPO
    • PPO and PPO Plus
    • Choice Fund PPO
    • CFBSBC Blue Preferred PPO
    • HealthyBlue PPO
    • CFBCBS Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
    • BlueChoice Open Access
    • Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
    • Innovation Health: Indemnity
    • Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
    • Innovation Health: PPO
    • Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
    • Innovation Health: POS Plus
    • Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
    • Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus
    • Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
    • Innovation Health: POS
    • Open HMO
    • Opoen HMO Option
    • Open EPO Plus
    • Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
    • Choice POS & Choice POS II
    • Innovation Health: Open POS Plus
    • Open POS II
    • Aetna HMO
    • Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
    • Aetna Innovations: HMO & EPO Plus
    • Aetna Better Health of Maryland
    • Blue Choice Advantage & Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)"
    • CFBCBS EPO
    • CFBCBS Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus)
    • Cigna HealthSpring Medicare Advantage
    • Kaiser MD Medicaid MCO
    • Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS
    • Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus (Medicare Supplemental Plan)
    • Kaiser Permanente Select
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature
    • Kaiser Permanente Signature-Added Choice
    • Kaiser PermanenteSelect-Added Choice
    • Kaiser Virginia Premier
    • Medicare Fee for Service
    • Private Health Care Systems (PHCS) (PPO)
    • UHC Community Plan of MD
    • United Healthcare Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO, GEHA, Compass Rose)"
    • UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans/ UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans HMO, POS, PPO"
    • UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv/Special Needs Plans

Videos

Education

Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery

Fellowship Program: Johns Hopkins Hospital (2003)

Residency Program: Johns Hopkins Hospital (2002)

Internship Program: Johns Hopkins Hospital (1998)

Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (1997)

Awards

  • 2015-2021 Baltimore Magazine Top Doctors
  • 2015-2016 Best Doctors in America
  • 2014 Teacher of the Year Award, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • 2014 Becker's Top Spine Surgeons in the US
  • 2011 Becker's Top 100 Spine Surgeons in the US

Ratings and reviews

  • Provider explained things understandably

    4.8
  • Provider listened carefully

    4.7
  • Provider knew medical history

    4.7
  • Provider showed respect

    4.8
  • Provider spent enough time with patient

    4.7
  • Jan 27, 2023

    I Already recommended Dr.Lemma to a Friend who has met him.

  • Jan 27, 2023

    Good

  • Jan 20, 2023

    I'd rather have surgery sooner than later, I'm in a lot of pain. And other than steroids, nothing for pain. Which I understand why, BUT dealing with pain is terrible.