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Dr. Uchechi Iweala is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon. Dr. Iweala grew up in Maryland and attended St. Albans in DC. He earned his Bachelor’s degree with honors at Harvard College, and received his MD/MBA from Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School. Dr. Iweala returned to the DC area to complete his residency training in orthopaedic surgery at George Washington University. Following residency, he completed a fellowship in spine surgery at New York University.

Dr. Iweala is the Chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at Adventist White Oak Medical Center and also has operating privileges at Adventist Shady Grove Medical Center, Holy Cross Germantown, Holy Cross Silver Spring, Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center, and Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital.

Dr. Iweala's areas of expertise concern total spine pathology (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar), nerve entrapment syndromes and other hand conditions, degenerative joint disorders, and fracture care. Dr. Iweala has a special clinical focus on the overlapping presentation of neck/upper extremity disorders as well as low back/hip disorders with a careful diagnostic plan that allows for the rapid identification of the true pain generator and the most appropriate non-surgical or surgical treatment. Dr. Iweala focuses on robotics and minimally invasive spine surgery as well as anterior hip replacement, techniques that allow for a quicker recovery and reduced soft tissue disruption, pain, and blood loss.

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Dr. Iweala also has a passion for meeting surgical needs around the world. He has worked on health projects in Ghana and South Africa, and recently co-founded a surgery center in Nigeria with his father, a trained neurosurgeon. Dr. Iweala is a member of the Lumbar Spine Research Society, the North American Spine Society, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Practices

Metro Orthopedics and Sports Therapy

Potomac, Maryland

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Capital Health Surgical Center

Abuja, Nigeria

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Expertise
  • Robotic / Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery​​​​​​​​

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  • Cervical and Lumbar Disc Replacement

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  • Spinal Decompression and Microsurgery

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  • Spinal Fusion/Arthrodesis

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  • Spinal Injections (Regenerative and Steroid)​

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  • Joint Injections (Regenerative and Steroid)

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  • Joint Replacements

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  • ​Carpal and Cubital Tunnel Releases

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  • Trigger Finger Releases

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  • Cyst Excisions

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  • Tendon Repairs

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  • Trauma and Fracture Care

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Reviews

Iweala UA, Zhong J, Varlotta C, Ber R, Kim Y, Protopsaltis T, Buckland A. “Fusing to the Sacrum/Pelvis – Does the Risk of Reoperation in Thoracolumbar Fusions Depend on Upper Instrumented Vertebrae (UIV) Selection?” International Journal of Spine Surgery. October 2021.

 

Iweala UA, Owusu-Sarpong S, Bloom D, Buckland A, Protopsaltis T, Fischer C. “Characterizing the Effect of Perioperative Narcotic Consumption and Narcotic Prescription Dosing at Discharge on Satisfaction with Pain Control for Patients Undergoing Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.” Accepted for Poster Presentation at AAOS 2021 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. September 2021.

 

Iweala UA, Varlotta C, O’Malley N, Zhong J, Balouch E, Leon C, Stickley C, Maglaras C, O’Connell B, Protopsaltis T, Buckland A, Fischer C. “Is there a difference in the magnitude of pain intensity reduction for patients undergoing lumbar interbody fusion via a minimally invasive (MIS) versus an open approach?” Accepted for Poster Presentation at AAOS 2021 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. September 2021.

 

Iweala UA, Lee D, Lee R, “Characterizing Efficiency in the Ambulatory Surgery Setting: An Analysis of OR Time and Cost Savings” Journal of Orthopaedics. August 2019. 

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Iweala UA, Resnick CM, Lee D, Cyriac M, Nguyen HN, Yu W, O’Brien JR. “Vascular Anatomy As a Predictor Of Implant Size in Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion.”

 

Iweala UA, Obayomi A. “Healthcare Information Technology: Where Are We Now, and Where Are We Going?” ResearchGate. September 2017.

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Iweala UA, Mensah E. “Traveling for Health: Nigerians As Medical Tourists.” ResearchGate. November 2017.

Research
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