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. He was repeatedly named a Top Doctor by Baltimore magazine, most recently in 2023.
Clinical areas of focus
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Median Nerve Decompression
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spine Fracture Stabilization
Procedures I perform
- Back Pain Treatment
- Cervical Corpectomy
- Cervical Facet Joint Denervation
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Cervical Spine Stabilization
- Cervical Vertebra Reposition
- Discectomy
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Fibula Osteotomy
- Flap Surgery
- Heel Tendon Repair
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Lumbar Spine Stabilization
- Median Nerve Decompression
- Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Ostectomy
- Pedicle Screw Fixation
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Instability Treatment
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spine Fracture Stabilization
- Spondylolysis Treatment
- Thoracic Spine Stabilization
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 Classic 3500
- IH-EPO Plus
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- OA Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice
- Choice POS
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Employee Health Plan
- IH-POS Plus
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Aetna HMO
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- First Health PPO
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst NASCO
- HighMark
- Choice Fund PPO
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Beech Street PPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- TRICARE East Select
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- IH-HMO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CIGNA PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Aetna Basic
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- CareFirst EPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- POS OA
- IH-Indemnity
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- IH-PPO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- UHC Passport
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Choice POS II
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Network OA
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Navigate
- IH-Open HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Blue Choice Advantage
- First Health PPO
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- TRICARE East Prime
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CIGNA EPO
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- BlueChoice Open Access
- IH-Network Only Plus
- HumanaChoice PPO
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Optimum Choice
- Medicare FFS
- Sentara Health
- United Student Resources
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- IH-Open POS II
Videos
Education
Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University (2003)
Residency: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2002)
Medical School: Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry (1997)
Awards
- 2015-2021, 2023 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