Home > NC Providers > Spine Surgeons

Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD

Accepting New Patients

(698 Ratings)

Specializes in: Spine Surgery and Neurosurgery

Baylor College of Medicine (2009)

Professional interests include: minimally invasive spine surgery, scoliosis, spinal cancer, and more.

5601 Arringdon Park Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560

(919) 684-7777

Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD is a spine surgeon in Durham, NC specializing in spine surgery and neurosurgery. He graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 2009 and has 16 years of experience. Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD is affiliated with Duke Health and DUKE HEALTH INTEGRATED PRACTICE INC.

Office Locations

Address:

40 Duke Medicine Circle
Durham, NC 27710

Address:

5601 Arringdon Park Drive
Morrisville, NC 27560

Some issues Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD can help you with:

Spinal Fusion

Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure to permanently join together two or more vertebrae, the bones in the spine. Certain spinal disorders can lead to instability and pain, and the idea behind spinal fusion is that fusing vertebrae together can both make them stronger and reduce motion, which can sometimes reduce pain.

There are several different types of spinal fusion surgery available, mostly depending on where a patient's pain is located and whether his or her surgeon will perform the procedure through the back, front, or side. In general, a fusion is performed by packing the vertebrae to be fused with grafted bone. This bone may be taken from the patient's hip, may be donated from a cadaver, or it may be a manufactured synthetic material. The bone is placed along the vertebrae, and sometimes, the disc that lies in between the vertebrae is removed and replaced with grafted bone. The bone material will grow and cement the two vertebrae together. After the bone graft is placed, the vertebrae are sometimes held in place with rods, screws, plates, or cages, depending on the weakness of the spine and needs of the graft.

Spinal fusion is a significant surgery and can take three to four hours or more. Recovery is typically two to four days in the hospital. After surgery, it is important to remember that the fusion takes time to grow from the bone graft. So, the actual fusion is not complete for several months. Patients will probably feel somewhat better right away, but it may take a while to feel the full effects of the fusion as the bone grows into place. In the meantime, doctors might have patients wear a brace to protect their spine and keep it properly aligned.

Spinal fusion is not used for all kinds of back pain. Changing the way the spine moves can lead to strain on the other joints in the back, and fusion is only performed when the benefits outweigh the risks. Some spine disorders that are treated with fusion include:

Curvature disorders, such as scoliosis and kyphosis
Degenerative disc disease
Spondylolisthesis, a disorder that causes vertebrae to slip over each other
Significant spinal fractures that cause instability
Weakened spine due to infection or tumor
Some cases of spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column
Chronic lower back pain (although the use of fusion to treat this is controversial)

Regardless of the diagnosis, there is always a possibility of 'failure' with spinal fusion, or of the surgery not fully solving the pain. This is more likely when fusion is used primarily to treat pain instead of structural problems. Patients can improve their chances of a successful outcome by stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, moving their body every day, and following their doctor's instructions for any physical therapy that they are prescribed.

In The News

“The reality of spinal cord injuries is the victims are often just starting out in life, said neurologist Dr. Muhammad Abd-El-Barr of Duke University Medical Center.”—"4 years after paralyzing wreck, Raleigh restaurateur vows: 'This will not be my life'", Raleigh News & Observer, September 2019

doctor visit	17

**Gender**
Male	20
Female	18

**Age**
From 65 to 74	16
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	58
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	53
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	37
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	0
Heart Failure	0
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	0
Diabetes	37
Dementia	0
Cancer	0

doctor visit	107

**Gender**
Male	60
Female	50

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	81
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	58
From 75 to 84	26
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	36
Depression	31
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	0
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	16
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	19
Diabetes	33
Dementia	10
Cancer	15

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	12
decompression surgery	13
doctor visit	207
neck surgery	13
nerve procedures	13
spinal procedures	21

**Gender**
Male	75
Female	93

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	127
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	83
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	43

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	47
Chronic Kidney Disease	39
Asthma	8
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	13
Heart Failure	18
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	14
Diabetes	36
Dementia	8
Cancer	9

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	10
doctor visit	202
minimally invasive procedures	11
spinal procedures	28

**Gender**
Male	83
Female	86

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	127
Black	0
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	80
From 75 to 84	0
85 and over	0
Less than 65	46

Hypertension	71
High Cholesterol	56
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	34
Depression	43
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	17
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	17
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	31
Dementia	10
Cancer	11

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	12
doctor visit	203
minimally invasive procedures	13
spinal procedures	44

**Gender**
Male	96
Female	78

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	141
Black	19
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	92
From 75 to 84	46
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	73
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	0
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	39
Chronic Kidney Disease	33
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	19
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	15
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	28
Dementia	9
Cancer	10

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	16
doctor visit	343
minimally invasive procedures	17
spinal procedures	33

**Gender**
Male	124
Female	121

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	198
Black	36
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	122
From 75 to 84	78
85 and over	0
Less than 65	0

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	24
Depression	28
Chronic Kidney Disease	22
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	25
Atrial Fibrilation	15
Heart Failure	13
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	13
Diabetes	30
Dementia	6
Cancer	16

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2017 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD treated as a spine surgeon in Durham, NC were spinal procedures, nerve procedures, minimally invasive procedures and decompression surgery.

arthrodesis (bone fusion surgery)	13
decompression surgery	13
doctor visit	183
minimally invasive procedures	13
neck surgery	13
nerve procedures	13
spinal procedures	33

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2017 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD.

**Gender**
Male	45
Female	44

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	5
Asian / Pacific Islander	0
Non-Hispanic White	67
Hispanic	0
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	0

**Age**
75 to 84	15
85 and over	0
Less than 65	8
65 to 74	45

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD From 2017 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, depression and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	44
High Cholesterol	37
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	20
Depression	22
Chronic Kidney Disease	19
Asthma	3
Osteoporosis	7
Heart Failure	7
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	6
Diabetes	19
Atrial Fibrillation	5
Cancer	6
Dementia	4

Education & Training

Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 2009. He completed residency at University of Florida Health Science Center and Affiliated Hospitals. He has a state license in Massachusetts.

Medical School: Baylor College of Medicine (2009)

Residency: University of Florida Health Science Center and Affiliated Hospitals (2012)

Licensed In: Massachusetts

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Duke Health

DUKE HEALTH INTEGRATED PRACTICE INC

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. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: MedCost, Aetna Traditional Choice, Blue Advantage, Aetna Medicare PPO, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, CIGNA Open Access Plus, WellCare, AmeriHealth, Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage, AARP, CIGNA Open Access, United Healthcare PPO, United Healthcare POS, United Healthcare HMO, Aetna, Aetna Workers' Compensation, TRICARE Prime, United Healthcare, Aetna Open Choice PPO, TRICARE Prime Remote, Medicare, Medicaid, Humana, Cigna, TRICARE, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Aetna Managed Choice POS, Gateway Health Alliance, Aetna HMO, Duke Group Plans, *Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan., Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA), *Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan., Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS), Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II, Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO), Duke Basic, Ambetter, Experience Health, Aetna Select HMO, Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan, Blue Select, Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*, Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO, Healthy Blue, Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option, All Savers Fully Insured, First Medicare Direct, Carolina Complete Health, Healthgram, All Savers Alternate Funding, Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP), Aetna/CVS Health, Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice, Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan, Duke Select, Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice, NC State Employees Health Plan, Ambetter of North Carolina and United Medical Resources (UMR).

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

MedCost

Aetna Traditional Choice

Blue Advantage

Aetna Medicare PPO

BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina

CIGNA Open Access Plus

WellCare

AmeriHealth

Medicare Part B

Medicare Advantage

AARP

CIGNA Open Access

United Healthcare PPO

United Healthcare POS

United Healthcare HMO

Aetna

Aetna Workers' Compensation

TRICARE Prime

United Healthcare

Aetna Open Choice PPO

TRICARE Prime Remote

Medicare

Medicaid

Humana

Cigna

TRICARE

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Aetna Managed Choice POS

Gateway Health Alliance

Aetna HMO

Duke Group Plans

*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.

Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)

*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.

Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)

Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II

Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)

Duke Basic

Ambetter

Experience Health

Aetna Select HMO

Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan

Blue Select

Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*

Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO

Healthy Blue

Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option

All Savers Fully Insured

First Medicare Direct

Carolina Complete Health

Healthgram

All Savers Alternate Funding

Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)

Aetna/CVS Health

Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice

Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan

Duke Select

Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice

NC State Employees Health Plan

Ambetter of North Carolina

United Medical Resources (UMR)

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Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.71 out of 5 stars based on 698 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Durham, NC.

4.71

Overall Rating

(698 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Spineology Inc.	$40,577 DUO TI EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM $14,702	OPTIMESH EXPANDABLE INTERBODY FUSION SYSTEM $8,625	Navigation System $8,250	Rampart Duo Interbody Fusion system $3,000	Elite Expandable Interbody System $1,287	Other $4,712
Globus Medical, Inc.	$11,642 Preserve TLIF $6,175	ExcelsiusGPS Robotic Navigation System $1,959	Excelsius - GPS $1,076	RISE-L $793	CREO 5.5 $454	Other $1,185
Medical Device Business Services, Inc.	$10,412 VIPER $9,135	CONDUIT $797	CONCORDE $115	Sentio $92	X-MESH $49	Other $224
TrackX Technology, Inc.	$8,508 TrackX $5,908	$2,600
Spinal Elements, Inc.	$4,780 MIS TLIF $4,250	Medical Device $66	$464
Other	$15,576 MAZOR X SYSTEM $2,814	XLIF $1,904	Other - Miscellaneous $1,220	Senza Spinal Cord Stimulation System $1,030	multiple $686	Other $7,922

**Types of Payments**
Consulting Fee	$47,810
Travel and Lodging	$17,479
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$13,800
Food and Beverage	$10,406
Compensation for serving as faculty or as a speaker for a medical education program	$1,000
Other	$1,000

Research Payments

Dr. Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, PhD, MD has received 29 research payments totaling $127,318.

Biography

Dr. Muhammad Abd-El-Barr is a specialist in spine surgery and neurosurgery. Patients rated Dr. Abd-El-Barr highly, giving him an average of 4.5 stars (out of 5). His clinical interests include scoliosis, dislocation, and minimally invasive spine surgery. He accepts Blue California, CIGNA Plans, TRICARE, and more. Dr. Abd-El-Barr attended Baylor College of Medicine and then went on to complete his residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Children's Hospital Boston, and a hospital affiliated with the University of Florida Health Science Center. He speaks Arabic. He is professionally affiliated with Duke Health. His practice in Morrisville, NC is open to new patients as reported by Duke Health.