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
- 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
- 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
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- IH-PPO
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- CareFirst EPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- IH-Network Only Plus
- IH-POS Plus
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Medicare Direct
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- IH-Open POS Plus
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA EPO
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Employee Health Plan
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- IH-POS
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- Choice POS II
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- IH-Open HMO
- IH-Open HMO Option
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- First Health PPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Beech Street PPO
- CareFirst NASCO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- TRICARE East Select
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Blue Choice Advantage
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan, Inc
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Aetna Classic 5000
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- TRICARE for Life East
- TRICARE East Prime
- Tricare Reserve Select
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- IH-Indemnity
- POS OA
- IH-EPO Plus
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- First Health PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- IH-HMO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- HighMark
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- OA Plus
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- UHC Passport
- Sentara Health
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- BlueChoice Open Access
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- Aetna HMO
- Choice Fund PPO
- HealthyBlue PPO
- Navigate
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Choice POS
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- United Student Resources
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- CIGNA PPO
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS II
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Core Essential (HMO)
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- Optimum Choice
- Network OA
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- United Healthcare Choice
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Medicare FFS
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic 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.