About me
Oliver Tannous, MD, is an orthopaedic spine surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. As a spine specialist, he utilizes state-of-the-art, minimally invasive and motion preservation techniques to treat conditions of the bones, discs, and nerves of the neck and back.
His clinical focus includes disorders of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, ranging from isolated disc herniation to complex deformities and failed surgeries. His research interests include optimizing patient outcomes after surgery and improving techniques for eliminating postoperative spinal infections.
Dr. Tannous completed his undergraduate studies in neuroscience and behavioral biology at Emory University. He then received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery. Prior to joining MedStar Health, he completed a fellowship in spine surgery at the University of California San Diego, a leading center for minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. His early interests in mechanics and how things are built, coupled with a degree in neuroscience, fueled his decision to become an orthopaedic spine specialist.
Dr. Tannous takes a conservative approach to spine care. He emphasizes the use of non-operative treatments before considering surgery. When surgery becomes necessary, he utilizes minimally invasive techniques in order to reduce the impact of surgery. He has extensive experience in revision spine procedures as well as correcting previously failed spine surgeries.
Philosophy of Care
"Becoming involved in the care of someone's health is a privilege. I treat all of my patients in the same way that I would treat my family members - with compassion and respect. When nonoperative methods fail and surgery becomes necessary, I spend a lot of time with my patients, ensuring that they fully understand the surgical process. I follow them very closely while they are in the hospital, and guide them throughout the recovery process so they can get back to a healthier life as soon as possible. I feel proud when my patients tell me that they would recommend me to their family members for care."
Patient Story:
Clinical areas of focus
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Failed Back Syndrome
- Herniated Disc In Lower Back
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Artificial Disc Replacement
- Cauda Equina Syndrome
- Cervical Fracture
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervicothoracic Junction Disorders
- Failed Back Syndrome
- Herniated Disc In Lower Back
- Herniated Disc In Neck
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Kyphosis
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Myelopathy
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Nerve Root Disorders
- Sacral Spine Fracture
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Cord Compression
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Curvature
- Spinal Cyst
- Spinal Disc Herniation
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Deformity
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylolysis
- Thoracic Spine Instability
- Vertebral Compression Fracture
- Vertebral Fractures
Procedures I perform
- Cervical Corpectomy
- Cervical Facet Joint Denervation
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Cervical Vertebra Reposition
- Discectomy
- Endoscopic Spinal Procedures
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Osteotomy
- Pedicle Screw Fixation
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Cord Tumor Treatment
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Infection Treatment
- Spinal Instability Treatment
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spondylolysis Treatment
- Thoracic Spine Surgery
- Vertebral Compression Fracture Treatment
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.
-
List of insurance plans we accept
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Choice POS II
- Optimum Choice
- CareFirst EPO
- IH-Open POS Plus
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CareFirst Administrators
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- IH-Open HMO Option
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- UHC Passport
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- IH-POS Plus
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- HighMark
- OA Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Aetna Classic 5000
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Choice Fund PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Beech Street PPO
- IH-Open HMO
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Navigate
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- POS OA
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst NASCO
- IH-POS
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- IH-EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- IH-HMO
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Medicare FFS
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CIGNA PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Employee Health Plan
- United Student Resources
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Sentara Health
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Choice POS
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- TRICARE East Select
- United Healthcare Choice
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- TRICARE East Prime
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- IH-PPO
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Blue Choice Advantage
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS II
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- First Health PPO
- TRICARE for Life East
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- MultiPlan, Inc
- First Health PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- CIGNA EPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Network OA
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- IH-Indemnity
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery
Residency: University of Maryland Medical Center (2015)
Medical School: University of Maryland School of Medicine (2015)
Awards
- Washingtonian Top Doc 2025
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- Cervical Disc Replacement: A Life Changer for Detective
- Neck Surgery Patient Praises New Procedure
- Podcast - Neck and Back Pain Basics: What You Need to Know
- Case Study - Alternative to Cervical Fusion: 2-Level Cervical Disc Replacement for Cervical Radiculopathy
- Blog - Keep moving to avoid and relieve back pain
- Blog - Neck surgery with shorter recovery, better range of motion
- Blog - Why does back pain persist after surgery?