About me
Dr. Wiesel is chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at MedStar Georgetown University, and a professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine, a position he's held since 1989. He specializes in treating patients with spinal conditions affecting the neck and lower back.
In addition to patient care, Dr. Wiesel is heavily involved in training the next generation of orthopaedic specialists through his academic and clinical appointments, earning many recognitions for his teaching abilities along the way. He is equally committed to advancing the field through his work with major peer-reviewed publications and professional medical societies. Chief among them are his longstanding positions as Editor-in-Chief, Seminars in Spine Surgery, (Saunders); Executive Editor, The Back Letter (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins); and Member, Board of Editors, Spine. Most recently, Dr. Wiesel served as senior editor for the second edition of Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery, a four-volume instructional manual released in 2016.
An active researcher, Dr. Wiesel has presented at many national and international conferences, and published widely with many academic articles, books and chapters to his credit.
Dr. Wiesel's Philosophy of Care
Throughout my career, I have focused on treating my patients as if they were members of my family. No matter what type of spinal disorder someone may have, my mission is always the same: Isolate the the problem, find the right diagnosis, and then come up with the most appropriate therapy to fix it. While surgery may be the ultimate answer, I always try the most conservative approach first.
Clinical areas of focus
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Thoracic Spine Instability
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Bone Density Disorder
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Congenital Musculoskeletal Deformities
- Dorsalgia
- Facet Joint Syndrome
- Inflammatory Spondylopathies
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Kyphosis
- Lordosis
- Lower Back Pain
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Myelopathy
- Muscle Disorders
- Neck Sprain
- Rib And Sternum Fracture
- Sciatica
- Scoliosis
- Skull Base Tumor
- Spinal Disc Herniation
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Deformity
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylopathies
- Spondylosis
- Thigh Fracture
- Thoracic Radiculopathy
- Thoracic Spine Instability
- Vertebral Fractures
Procedures I perform
- Cervical Facet Joint Denervation
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Cervical Vertebra Reposition
- Fibula Osteotomy
- Flap Surgery
- Ganglion Cyst Excision
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Median Nerve Decompression
- Ostectomy
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Facet Joint Pain Treatment
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spondylolysis Treatment
Practice locations
Distance from Change LocationEnter your Location
3800 Reservoir Rd NW Pasquerilla Healthcare Center Ground Fl Washington, DC, 20007
202-444-8766Fax 202-444-7804
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
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Medicare FFS
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Tricare Reserve Select
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Employee Health Plan
- IH-Open HMO
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Choice POS
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Aetna Basic
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Beech Street PPO
- Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- Network OA
- IH-Open POS II
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Medicare Direct
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- OA Plus
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- United Healthcare Choice
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- CIGNA Indemnity
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- CareFirst Administrators
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Police and Fire Clinic
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- CIGNA PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- IH-EPO Plus
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- IH-HMO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- TRICARE East Select
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- POS OA
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Sentara Health
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Choice Fund PPO
- Aetna HMO
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- IH-PPO
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- First Health PPO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- TRICARE East Prime
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- IH-POS Plus
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna VA Exchange
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Choice POS II Open Access
- IH-POS
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Blue Choice Advantage
- HighMark
- CareFirst NASCO
- Optimum Choice
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- IH-Indemnity
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Navigate
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- IH-Network Only Plus
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- CareFirst EPO
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- UHC Passport
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery
Residency: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1976)
Medical School: Perelman School Of Medicine At The University Of Pennsylvania (1971)
Awards
- Volvo Award Acromed Award Outstanding Clinical Paper, The International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine AOA Honor Medical Society, Georgetown
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- Book - 07/31/2015 - Wiesel, S.W.:Operative Techniques in Orthopedic Surgery (Four Volume). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins, 2015.