Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, MD, PhD
Neurosurgeon, Spine Surgeon
My Locations
About Me
As a Neurosurgeon with fellowship training in Spine Surgery, I have dedicated my professional life to treating patients with spine disorders. These include spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, scoliosis, herniated discs and spine tumors. I incorporate minimally-invasive spine (MIS) techniques whenever appropriate to minimize pain and length of stay, yet not compromise on achieving the goals of surgery, which is ultimately to get you back to the quality of life you once enjoyed. I was drawn to medicine and neurosurgery for the unique ability to incorporate the latest in technology and neuroscience to making patients better. I will treat you and your loved ones with the same kind of care I would want my loved ones to be treated with. In addition to my clinical practice, I will be working with Duke Bioengineers and Neurobiologists on important basic and translational questions surrounding spinal cord injuries (SCI), which we hope to bring to clinical relevance.
- Professor of Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery 2024
- Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics, Orthopaedic Surgery 2022
Call for an Appointment
Areas of Expertise
- Spondylolisthesis
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Scoliosis
- Spine Cancer
- Spine Fractures and Dislocations
- Myelopathy
- Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
- Awake Spine Surgery
- Spinal Fusion
- Spinal Stenosis
Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
In the News
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Clinical Focus and Research
I am particularly interested in studying treatments for spinal cord injury, using the latest bioengineering and neuroscience advances to further this. As a surgeon with both bioengineering and a neuroscience background, I will be working with the scientists at Duke to help bring these treatments to help patients. I am also interested in advancing minimally-invasive surgery (MIS) techniques to decrease pain and length of hospitalization so we can get you back to the life you would like to enjoy as fast as possible.
- 2025 NACTN Registry awarded by Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation 2024 - 2026
- Diaz-Aguilar, Luis D., Nolan J. Brown, Andrew Nguyen, Saarang Patel, Zach Pennington, Lauren E. Stone, Nicholas S. Hernandez, et al. “Prone transpsoas (PTP)-LLIF approach versus standard LLIF in patients undergoing surgical revision following adult spinal deformity correction surgery.” J Clin Neurosci 141 (August 13, 2025): 111558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocn.2025.111558.
- Decker, Isabella, Evelyn Hunter, Lauren Jiyeon Seo, Anna Landen, C Rory Goodwin, Melissa Erickson, Sabino Zani, and Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr. “Robotic assisted anterior lumbar interbody fusion with the use of indocyanine green and posterior spinal fusion.” Neurosurg Focus Video 13, no. 1 (July 2025): V2. https://doi.org/10.3171/2025.4.FOCVID2521.
- Bartlett, Alyssa M., Summer Shabana, Caroline C. Folz, Mounica Paturu, Christoper I. Shaffrey, Parastou Quist, Olumide Danisa, Khoi D. Than, Peter Passias, and Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr. “Optimizing TLIF Approach Selection: An Algorithmic Framework with Illustrative Cases.” J Clin Med 14, no. 12 (June 13, 2025). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14124209.
- Abd-El-Barr, M. M., S. F. Oliveria, R. Jabarkheel, B. Jankowitz, B. L. Hoh, and J. D. Mocco. “Arteriovenous Malformations: Evidence-Based Medicine, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications.” In Textbook of Neurointensive Care Neuroanatomy Diagnostic Assessment Disease Management Volume 1, 1:349–60, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-62220-5_22.
- Williamson, T., L. Massie, I. Karikari, C. I. Shaffrey, and M. M. Abd-El-Barr. “Differential Diagnosis of Spinal Disease.” In Youmans and Winn Neurological Surgery Volumes 1 4 8th Edition, 2444-2444.e13, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-66192-8.00311-6.
- DeCarvalho, S. A., M. M. Abd-El-Barr, and M. W. Groff. “Vascular complications in cervical spine surgery (anterior and posterior approach).” In Complications in Neurosurgery, 314–19, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-50961-9.00053-0.
- Tabarestani, Troy, David Sykes, Kelly Ryan Murphy, Timothy Y. Wang, Christopher I. Shaffrey, C Rory Goodwin, Phillip Horne, Khoi Duc Than, and Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr. “Beyond Placement of Pedicle Screws - New Applications for Robotics in Spine Surgery: A Multi-Surgeon, Single-Institution Experience.” In NEUROSURGERY, 69:130–130, 2023.
- Sykes, David, Troy Tabarestani, Nauman Shaukat Chaudhry, Miles Berger, Chakib Ayoub, Jeffrey Gadsden, Dhanesh Kumar Gupta, Christopher I. Shaffrey, and Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr. “Awake Spine Surgery for Traditionally Poor Surgical Candidates: An Illustrative Cohort.” In NEUROSURGERY, 69:85–85, 2023.
- Soliman, Mohamed A. R., Luis Daniel Diaz-Aguilar, Asham Khan, Jose San Miguel, Rodrigo Augusto Amaral, Bryan S. Lee, Muhammad M. Abd-El-Barr, et al. “Clinical Outcomes of the Prone Transpsoas Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Degenerative Lumbar Spine Disease: A Multicentre Study.” In NEUROSURGERY, 69:51–52, 2023.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- UHC Community Plan
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
- BrainLAB
- DePuy Spine (Johnson & Johnson)
- Globus Medical
- Spinal Elements
- Spineology
- Trackx Technology LLC
Superb appointment
Best all around service, from the staff members to the doctor himself.
Dr. Abd-El-Barr is great
Dr. Barr Muhammad record serves him well. He listened carefully and he is very personable. He explained complex procedures where the average person can understand what he is talking about. His bed side manners are above grade.
Explained things well and understandably.
My only complaint is about time. It took many, many months to get a first appointment with this doctor. And when I finally did, he was running late. But during that wait time, other members of the staff interacted with me and performed some diagnostic tests. And I was very pleased with the doctor when he came in. Obviously, he is in great demand.
I have nothing bad to say. I had pain and the doctor was able to give the correct treatment, surgery, and I no longer have the debilitating pain. Thank you.
Everybody was caring and very knowledgeable. I love the doctor. He was very professional, and I felt very calm in the office.