Robert Mikael Henshaw, MD

Provider is directly employed by MedStar Health

Robert Henshaw, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in oncologic oncology, a field dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal tumors. Such tumors are rare and include a wide variety of benign and malignant diseases such as bone sarcomas (such as osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma), soft tissue sarcomas (such as synovial sarcoma, liposarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma), as well as metastatic cancers affecting the extremities. As these diseases can occur at any age, Dr Henshaw routinely treats pediatric and adult patients, having operated on over 4000 tumor patients in Washington, D.C. Dr. Henshaw sees and treats patients from the entire mid-Atlantic region, along with referred patients from around the country and the world.

As an expert in limb salvage surgery, Dr Henshaw has introduces a variety of novel and cutting edge techniques and technology to the region. He specializes in minimally invasive biopsies, routinely using advanced diagnostic techniques to ensure proper diagnosis and staging of each patient. As leader of a dedicated multidisciplinary team of physicians, Dr. Henshaw creates personalized treatment plans for every patient in order to ensure the best possible functional and oncologic outcomes.

Dr. Henshaw is a professor of clinical orthopedics (orthopedic oncology) at Georgetown University and serves in a number of roles with MedStar Health, including vice chairman of orthopedic surgery at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, chief of orthopaedic oncology at MedStar Georgetown Orthopaedics Institute and director of orthopaedic oncology of the Washington Cancer Institute. In addition, he is the director of orthopedic oncology at Children's National Medical Center, and is director of the musculoskeletal fellowship program at Georgetown University and is a consultant to the surgical branch of the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Henshaw has published or presented his research over 200 times. He's recognized as a top expert in orthopaedic oncology and listed as a "Top Doctor" by Castle Connolly and "Best Doctors in America" on www.bestdoctors.com. He is a member of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, Connective Tissue Oncology Society, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Orthopedic Association, as well as a fellow of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Before studying medicine, Dr. Henshaw trained as a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working at the Orthopedic Research Laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. After completing medical school at Tufts University, he trained as a resident in orthopedic surgery at UCLA, coming to Washington, D.C., for his fellowship. Now in his 25th year in D.C., he lives with his family in Alexandria, VA.

Dr. Henshaw was the first surgeon in the Washington-Baltimore area to use the Repiphysis, a non-invasive expandable prosthesis for children with bone cancer. He was the first surgeon in the world to perform a specialized reconstruction of the femur using a custom-designed metal implant to replace the bone between the hip and knee, sparing both joints as well as the growth plates, allowing the bone to grow normally as the patient ages. He has introduced minimally invasive techniques for bone biopsy as well as radiofrequency ablation for bone tumors, and specializes in cryosurgical ablation of bone tumors. Dr Henshaw has helped design multiple custom implants using 3D printed technology for unique skeletal reconstructions following tumor resection. He is also the primary investigator for a number of ongoing clinical trials for musculoskeletal tumors based at MedStar Health.