i
Loading Page
loading, please wait

Select Year:

Home > DC Providers > Transplant Surgeons
placeholder image of provider

Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD

Accepting New Patients
Specializes in: General Surgery and Transplant Surgery
Professional interests include: liver cancer, cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation), abdominal hernia, and more.
3800 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC 20007

Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD is a general surgeon in Washington, DC specializing in general surgery and transplant surgery. Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD is affiliated with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Health and MGMC LLC.

View Doctor's Full Profile (202) 444-3700

Office Locations

Address:

3800 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC 20007

Address:

9000 Franklin Square Drive Suite 120
Baltimore, MD 21237

Some issues Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD can help you with:

Gallbladder Removal Surgery (Cholecystectomy)

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of the upper abdomen, underneath the liver. Its purpose is to store bile, which is used to digest fat. Occasionally, the gallbladder can develop mineral stones, called gallstones. If they are large enough, gallstones can block the ducts in the gallbladder and cause swelling and infection. Gallstones can be treated with lifestyle changes and medication, but sometimes this is not enough. In these cases, it is best to remove the gallbladder before it can cause more serious problems. The surgical removal of the gallbladder is called a cholecystectomy.

Today, most gallbladder surgeries are done laparoscopically. Four tiny incisions are made in the abdomen, and small tools are inserted through these tiny incisions to perform the surgery. Because the incisions are much smaller, recovery time is much faster with this type of surgery. Patients are usually discharged from the hospital the same day. Sometimes, open surgery is used to remove a gallbladder. In this type of surgery, a cut about six inches long is made in the upper right abdomen. After the gallbladder is removed, it is sutured or stapled closed. With open surgery, patients usually stay in the hospital for two to three days to recover before they are discharged.

Gallbladder removal, like any surgery, carries some risks, such as bleeding, infection, or the development of blood clots. Doctors will tell patients how to minimize their risk for complications. After surgery, patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for several days. They should not soak in a bath until their sutures or staples have been removed. Patients should wash hands before touching the area around the incision. It will take a couple of days until patients feel like themselves again and a few weeks until their scar has healed and faded.

Hepatectomy (Liver Resection)

Hepatectomy, or liver resection, is a surgical procedure that removes all or part of the liver to treat cancer or other diseases. The liver is divided into one left and one right lobe, and each lobe is divided into segments. The amount of liver removed is dependent on factors such as the size, location, and number of tumors or other lesions. The following are types of liver resection:

  • Wedge resection, which removes a small piece of the liver for small lesions
  • Segmentectomy, which removes a single segment of the liver, allowing the surgeon to treat tumors in multiple places without removing too much of the liver
  • Trisegmentectomy, which removes around 70% of the liver
  • Lobectomy, which removes the entire left or right lobe

Liver resection can be performed laparoscopically or through open surgery. Laparoscopic liver resection is a minimally invasive surgery that requires a few tiny incisions on the abdomen, through which the surgeon inserts a thin tube with a camera (laparoscope). Open hepatectomy is performed through a laparotomy, which makes one large incision on the abdomen. Although a laparoscopic liver resection is associated with less pain and quicker recovery, patients may have to undergo an open liver resection depending on factors such as the location of the tumor and previous abdominal operations they have had.

After the liver resection, patients will stay in the hospital for up to six days. The recovery period will vary based on how much of the liver was removed. Limiting consumption of alcohol and light physical activity, such as walking, can help patients to have a speedy recovery.

Pancreatectomy (Pancreas Removal)

Pancreatectomy is surgery to remove part or all of the pancreas to treat pancreatitis, tumors, or cancer. The pancreas is located behind the stomach and near the small intestine and spleen. There are three sections of the pancreas:

  • The head, which is the portion closest to the intestines
  • The body, which is the middle portion of the pancreas
  • The tail, which is the portion nearest the spleen

Pancreas removal procedures differ based on how much of the pancreas and surrounding organs are removed. There are three types of pancreatectomy:

  • Distal pancreatectomy removes the tail and body of the pancreas. This procedure treats tumors confined to these areas.
  • Pancreaticoduodenectomy, or the Whipple procedure, removes the pancreas, duodenum, bile duct, and, sometimes, part of the stomach. The Whipple procedure is used for pancreatic tumors that have not spread past the head of the pancreas and for other conditions affecting the pancreas, duodenum, and bile duct.
  • Total pancreatectomy removes the whole pancreas along with the duodenum, gallbladder, parts of the stomach and bile duct, surrounding lymph nodes, and, potentially, the spleen. Rarely performed, total pancreatectomy treats conditions that involve the entire pancreas, such as tumors found in multiple sites on the pancreas, or for rare tumors such as intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN).

Pancreatectomy can be done by open or minimally invasive surgery. During a laparoscopic pancreatectomy, the surgeon will use tiny incisions to insert a thin tube with a camera, or laparoscope, into the abdomen. Open surgery, or a laparotomy, is performed through a larger incision on the abdomen. If additional organs are removed, some procedures may require that the small intestine be reconnected to the stomach.

The hospital for pancreatectomy stay may be between 1-3 weeks. Generally, laparoscopic surgeries require shorter recovery periods. Whether patients undergo an open or laparoscopic procedure is determined by factors such as their condition and the extent of their procedure. For example, open surgery tends to be more common for distal pancreatectomies. If patients have difficulty eating, they may require a nasogastric tube, inserted through the nose, to carry food to their stomachs. A catheter can be inserted into the bladder if patients have trouble urinating. Full recovery may take about two months.

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2015 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD treated as a general surgeon in Washington, DC were hospital care and inpatient care.

doctor visit 44
hospital care 341
inpatient care 341

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2015 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD.

Gender
Male 23
Female 17
Ethnicity
Black / African American 10
Asian / Pacific Islander
Non-Hispanic White 16
Native American / Alaskan Native
Hispanic
Other
Age
75 to 84
85 and over
Less than 65 13
65 to 74 11

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD From 2015 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD treated were chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.

Hypertension 44
High Cholesterol 27
Stroke
Ischemic Heart Disease 21
Depression 16
Chronic Kidney Disease 45
Asthma 2
Osteoporosis 1
Heart Failure 15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 1
Diabetes 33
Atrial Fibrillation 1
Cancer
Dementia 6

Education & Training

He has a state license in District of Columbia.

Licensed In: District of Columbia

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

MedStar Georgetown University Hospital
MedStar Health
MGMC LLC

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: CIGNA Choice Fund PPO, MAMSI, First Health PPO, Blue Choice, Golden Rule, Great-West Healthcare, TRICARE, Community Care Network (CCN), Coventry, TRICARE Reserve Select, Anthem, Aetna Managed Choice POS, Beech Street PPO, Aetna HMO, Kaiser Select, Kaiser Permanente, CIGNA EPO, Aetna Medicare PPO, CIGNA Indemnity, AARP, Medicare Advantage, Coventry National Network PPO, United Healthcare, Medicaid, Humana, Cigna, Virginia Premier Health Plan, WellPoint, Aetna, CIGNA Network Open Access, Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS), HealthyBlue PPO, MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice, CareFirst NASCO, CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO, Traditional Medicare Fee for Service, United Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) & OCI Direct (HMO), Innovation Health: Open POS Plus, MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families, Carefirst EPO, Innovation Health: HMO & EPO Plus, United Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program, CareFirst Administrators, United Student Resources, United Select HMO - EPO/NPP, United MD IPA Preferred (POS), United Options (PPO) (includes Empire PPO), Innovation Health: Network Only Plus, United MD IPA (HMO), United Choice Plus, CareFirst Blue Card Program (Out-of-area BCBS plans), Innovation Health: PPO, HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO, MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance, United Choice, United Optimum Choice, Federal Employee Program (Std/Basic PPO/Blue Focus), Innovation Health: POS, Maryland Point of Service Plan (MPOS), Innovation Health: Open Network Only Plus, United Select Plus (POS), CareFirst BC/BS Advantage Core/Enhanced, United Erickson Advantage Plans, Carefirst Healthy Blue (HMO/POS), Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN), D-SNP), I-SNP, CareFirst MedStar PPO, CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity, United Core Essential (HMO), Innovation Health: POS Plus, HumanaChoice PPO, United Nursing Home Plan (C-SNP, Innovation Health: Open POS II, Innovation Health: Indemnity, United GEHA (for all other states) Compass Rose, Veterans Affairs Community Care Network, United Navigate, Carefirst Blue Preferred PPO, Police and Fire Clinic and CareFirst MedStar Select PPO.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

CIGNA Choice Fund PPO
MAMSI
First Health PPO
Blue Choice
Golden Rule
Great-West Healthcare
TRICARE
Community Care Network (CCN)
Coventry
TRICARE Reserve Select
Show More

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 37 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Washington, DC. 

4.8
Overall Rating
Leave a Review

Research Payments

Dr. Alexander Helmut Kurt Kroemer, MD has received 5 research payments totaling $42,846.

Biography

Dr. Alexander Kroemer's areas of specialization are general surgery and transplant surgery. His areas of expertise include liver failure, surgical repair, and hepatitis. He is professionally affiliated with MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Kroemer seems to honor Anthem, Blue California, Coventry, and more. Doctor.com reports that Dr. Kroemer is accepting new patients at his office in Washington, DC.

Transplant Surgeons in Nearby Locations

Other Providers in Washington, DC