About me
S. Babak Kalantar, MD, is a member of the MedStar Orthopaedic Institute and performs surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Kalantar is a professor and chief of the Division of Spine Surgery in the Department of Orthopaedics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the MedStar Orthopaedic Institute. He is also the Co-Director of MedStar Spine Center.
Dr. Kalantar became a spine surgeon to help patients with debilitating pain or lack of function return to the highest quality of living possible. In addition to performing surgery, Dr. Kalantar guides patients before surgery, offering as much time and information as patients need to make decisions about the best treatment. He also guides patients after surgery to help them recover to their full potential.
In addition to English, Dr. Kalantar also speaks Spanish and Farsi.
For a decade, Dr. Kalantar has been recognized as a Washingtonian magazine Top Doc for Spinal Surgery: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. He is also a 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 Northern Virginia Magazine Top Doctor for Spinal Surgery, and a Findatopdoc.com Top Doctor 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
He is Co-Editor in Chief of Seminars in Spine Surgery, an international spine journal.
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Professional Society Memberships
- Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society
- Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
- North American Spine Society
Clinical areas of focus
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylosis
- Thigh Fracture
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Abdomen, Lower Back, Pelvis, And Genital Injury
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Benign Neoplasm Of Bone And Articular Cartilage
- Benign Tumor
- Biomechanical Lesions
- Bone Density Disorder
- Bone Discontinuity
- Bone Disorders
- Bone Spur
- Brain Disorders
- Bursopathy
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Congenital Malformations Of Musculoskeletal System
- Congenital Malformations Of Spine And Bony Thorax
- Congenital Musculoskeletal Deformities Of Head, Face, Spine And Chest
- Deforming Dorsopathies
- Dorsalgia
- Dorsopathies
- Fractures Of The Neck
- Hand And Wrist Fracture
- Head Injury
- Inflammatory Spondylopathies
- Intervertebral Disc Disorders
- Intraspinal Granuloma
- Joint Disorder
- Kyphosis
- Limb Deformity
- Lordosis
- Lower Back Pain
- Lumbar Disc Disease
- Lumbar Myelopathy
- Lumbar Radiculopathy
- Lumbar Spine Fracture
- Meningitis
- Mononeuropathy Of Lower Limb
- Muscle Disorders
- Musculoskeletal System Complications
- Neck Nerve And Spinal Cord Injury
- Neck Pain
- Neck Sprain
- Neoplasm Of Uncertain Behavior
- Nerve Root Disorders
- Nervous And Musculoskeletal Symptoms
- Nervous System Disorders
- Rib And Sternum Fracture
- Sacroiliac Joint Pain
- Scoliosis
- Secondary Malignant Neoplasm Of Brain
- Shoulder Burns
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Cord Diseases
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Spinal Disc Herniation
- Spinal Infection
- Spinal Osteochondrosis
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Deformity
- Spine Pain
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylopathies
- Spondylosis
- Thigh Fracture
Procedures I perform
- Cervical Corpectomy
- Cervical Facet Joint Denervation
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Cervical Vertebra Reposition
- Discectomy
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Fibula Osteotomy
- Flap Surgery
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Median Nerve Decompression
- Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Ostectomy
- Osteotomy
- Pedicle Screw Fixation
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Balance Restoration
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Spondylolysis Treatment
- Spine Fracture Reduction
Practice locations
Distance from Change Location Enter your Location
3800 Reservoir Rd NW
1 Gorman
Washington, DC, 20007
5454 Wisconsin Ave
Ste 1100
Chevy Chase, MD, 20815
1420 Beverly Rd
Ste 210 Fl 2
McLean, VA, 22101
Insurance
This list represents the major payors accepted by MedStar Health. NOTE: Payor contracts change and not all plans associated with a payor may be covered. Payors may offer multiple plans. If you have a question related to your insurance, please contact your insurance plan directly. Contact information is located on your health insurance ID card. *Denotes limited participation. Specific providers and practices may NOT be participating. Please contact your insurance plan directly.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- Aetna
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield of Maryland
- Cigna Health Care
- Kaiser Permanente*
- MedStar Select (Administered by CareFirst)
- United HealthCare
- Aetna
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield of Maryland
- Healthspring
- Humana
- Medicare & Railroad Medicare
- United HealthCare
- Aetna Better Health of Maryland *
- Medical Assistance/Medicaid
- MedStar Family Choice MD
- Priority Partners *
- United HealthCare Community Health Plan MD
- Wellpoint MD
- AmeriHealth Caritas
- Health Services For Children With Special Needs (HSCSN)
- Medical Assistance/Medicaid
- MedStar Family Choice DC
- Johns Hopkins Employer Health Programs *
- Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan *
- MultiPlan
- Private Healthcare Systems
- Tricare/Humana Military
- VA Community Care Network (VACCN)
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery
Fellowship: Emory University Hospital-GME (2010)
Residency: Baylor College of Medicine (2009)
Internship: Baylor College of Medicine (2005)
Medical School: Eastern Virginia Medical School (2004)
Medical School: University of Virginia (2000)
Awards
- Washingtonian magazine Top Doctor in spine surgery annually selected 2015 through 2026
- Washingtonian magazine Top Doctors Hall of Fame honoree 2026
- Featured on the cover of Washingtonian magazine 2025 Top Doctors issue
- Northern Virginia magazine Top Doctor in spine surgery selected 2017 through 2025
- FindATopDoc Top Doctor 2018-2025
- Castle Connolly Top doctor
Hospital affiliations
News and publications
- Editor. The Resident’s Guide to Spine Surgery. Springer. 2019
- Complications of Occipital Instrumentation. Spinal Instrumentation. 2nd Ed. Kim, Vaccaro, Fessler, Radcliff. 2017
- Occipitocervical and C1-C2 Fusion with Instrumentation. Operative Techniques in Spine Surgery. Ed. Rhee, Boden, Flynn, Wiesel. 2013
- Adult Scoliosis: Etiology and Management. Orthopaedic Knowledge Online. February 2012.
- Injury Scene Assessment, Extrication, and Transport. Spine Trauma 2. 2nd Ed. Zigler, Eismont, Garfin, Vaccaro. 2011
- Pathophysiology of Cervical Myelopathy. Orthopedic Knowledge Update: Spine 4. Editor Raj D. Rao, MD. Sep 2011.
- Stephen D Lockey 1 , Seyed Babak Kalantar 1 , John G Heller 2 Historical Perspective: Thomas E. Whitesides, Jr. Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2020 Nov 1;45(21):1537-1539. PMID: 32796466. DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003609.
- Radcliff K, Smith H, Kalantar B, Isaacs R, Woods B, Vaccaro A, Brannon J. Feasibility of Endoscopic Inspection of Pedicle Wall Integrity in a Live Surgery Model. Int J Spine Surg. 2018 Apr 12 (2), 241-249. PMID: 30276081 PMCID: PMC6159636 DOI: 10.14444/5030
- Stewart JJ, Fayed I, Henault S, Kalantar B, Voyadzis JM. Use of a Smartphone Application for Spine Surgery Improves Patient Adherence With Preoperative Instructions and Decreases Last-minute Surgery Cancellations. Cureus. 2019 Mar. 11 (3), e4192. PMID: 31106092 PMCID: PMC6504025 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.4192
- Paulus MC, Kalantar SB, Radcliff K. Cost and Value of Spinal Deformity Surgery. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2014 Mar. 39 (5), 388-93. PMID: 24573071 DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000000150.
- Triantafillou KM, Lauerman W, Kalantar SB. Degenerative Disease of the Cervical Spine and Its Relationship to Athletes. Clin Sports Med. 2012 Jul. , 31 (3), 509-20. PMID: 22657999 DOI: 10.1016/j.csm.2012.03.009.
- Kalantar SB, Hipp JA, Reitman CA, Dreiangel N, Ben-Galim P. Diagnosis of Unstable Cervical Spine Injuries: Laboratory Support for the Use of Axial Traction to Diagnose Cervical Spine Instability. J Trauma. 2010 Oct. 69 (4), 889-95. PMID: 20130489 DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181bbd660.
- Ben-Galim P, Dreiangel N, Mattox K, Reitman CA, Kalantar SB, Hipp JA. Extrication Collars Can Result in Abnormal Separation Between Vertebrae in the Presence of a Dissociative Injury. J Trauma. 2010 Aug. 69 (2), 447-50. PMID: 20093981 DOI: 10.1097/TA.0b013e3181be785a.
- Radcliff K, Kalantar SB, Reitman CA. Surgical Management of Spondylolysis and Spondylolisthesis in Athletes: Indications and Return to Play. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2009 Jan-Feb. 8 (1), 35-40. PMID: 19142078 DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e318194f89e