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
- Robotic Assisted Spine Surgery
- Scoliosis
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Reconstruction Surgery
- Spinal Stenosis
- Spine Fracture Reduction
- Spondylolisthesis
- Thoracic Spine Instability
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Bone Density Disorder
- Cervical Herniated Disc
- Congenital Musculoskeletal Deformities
- Dorsalgia
- 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 Stenosis
- Spine Deformity
- Spondylolisthesis
- Spondylopathies
- Spondylosis
- Thigh Fracture
- Vertebral Fractures
Procedures I perform
- Cervical Corpectomy
- Cervical Laminectomy
- Cervical Myelopathy Surgery
- Cervical Vertebra Reposition
- Discectomy
- Endoscopic Spine Surgery
- Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion
- Fibula Osteotomy
- Flap Surgery
- Ganglion Cyst Excision
- Kyphoplasty
- Laminectomy
- Lumbar Laminectomy And Fusion
- Median Nerve Decompression
- Microdiscectomy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Ostectomy
- Osteotomy
- Pedicle Screw Fixation
- Percutaneous Discectomy
- Percutaneous Kyphoplasty
- Scoliosis Deformity Correction
- Spinal Disc Replacement
- Spinal Fusion
- 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.
-
List of insurance plans we accept
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- Optimum Choice
- OA Plus
- Aetna VA Exchange
- CareFirst EPO
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- UHC Passport
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- Choice POS
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Police and Fire Clinic
- TRICARE East Select
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- IH-Open HMO
- Medicare FFS
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- CIGNA PPO
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- Blue Choice Advantage
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- United Healthcare Choice
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- IH-HMO
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- Aetna Classic 3500
- IH-Open POS II
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- Aetna Basic
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- IH-Open POS Plus
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Navigate
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- United Student Resources
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- IH-Network Only Plus
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Aetna Classic 5000
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-POS Plus
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- HighMark
- Aetna HMO
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- IH-POS
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CIGNA EPO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- IH-PPO
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- Choice POS II
- IH-EPO Plus
- First Health PPO
- TRICARE East Prime
- HealthyBlue PPO
- CareFirst Administrators
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Network OA
- Medicare Direct
- CareFirst NASCO
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- Beech Street PPO
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- CIGNA Indemnity
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- First Health PPO
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Choice Fund PPO
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- MultiPlan, Inc
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- TRICARE for Life East
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- POS OA
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- Sentara Health
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- Employee Health Plan
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- Tricare Reserve Select
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- IH-Indemnity
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Choice POS II Open Access
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
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.