Sami Tuffaha, M.D.

Sami Hani Tuffaha, M.D.

Headshot of Sami Tuffaha
  • Director, Peripheral Nerve Surgery
  • Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Male

Expertise

Arthritis, Arthritis of the Wrist, Arthroplasty, Brachial Plexus Injuries, Congenital Hand Surgery, DeQuervain's Tenosynovitis, Dupuytren's Contracture, Flap Reconstruction, Free Muscle Transfer, Hand Fractures, Hand Surgery, Joint Pain, Lower Extremity Reconstruction, Microsurgery, Microvascular Surgery, Nerve Compression, Neuromas, Parsonage Turner Syndrome, Peripheral Nerve Injury, Peripheral Nerve Reconstruction, Peripheral Nerve Surgery, Peripheral Nerve Tumor, Plastic Surgery, Polydactyly (extra fingers), Reconstruction After Cancer, Spinal Cord Injury, Syndactyly-Webbed Fingers, Tendon Injuries, Tendonitis of the Hand and Wrist, Tetraplegia, Trauma and Post Traumatic Reconstruction, Upper Extremity Reconstruction, Upper Extremity Spasticity, Upper Extremity Surgery, Wrist Fracture ...read more

Research Interests

Peripheral nerve regeneration; Developing novel therapies to enhance functional recovery from nerve injuries; Treatment and prevention of symptomatic neuromas. ...read more

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Insurance Information

Main Phone

Outside of Maryland & Washington D.C.

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International Patients

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Locations

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Appointment Phone: 443-997-9466
600 N. Wolfe Street
Baltimore, MD 21287
The Johns Hopkins Hospital - Google Maps

Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center

Appointment Phone: 443-997-9466
4940 Eastern Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
Phone: 443-997-9466 | Fax: 410-550-1808
Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center - Google Maps

Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (now called Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center)

Appointment Phone: 443-997-9466
601 N. Caroline St.
Suite 8161
Baltimore, MD 21287
Phone: 443-287-6012 | Fax: 410-614-1296
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center (now called Levi Watkins, Jr., M.D., Outpatient Center) - Google Maps

Background

Dr. Sami Tuffaha is an Assistant Professor in Plastic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, and Biomedical Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Dr. Tuffaha completed his residency training in the Johns Hopkins/University of Maryland Plastic and Reconstructive Training Program. He then completed additional fellowship training in Hand and Upper Extremity surgery at the Mayo Clinic, with an emphasis on Microsurgery and Peripheral Nerve Surgery.

Dr. Tuffaha has expertise in treating hand and wrist trauma, arthritis, vascular disorders, and tendon injuries. He has a particular interest and expertise in disorders affecting the peripheral nerves. He has helped establish a multidisciplinary peripheral nerve center at Johns Hopkins that seamlessly integrates many experts from the departments of plastic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopaedic surgery, neurology, pain medicine, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. He also has a special interest in surgery to improve extremity function in patients with paralysis and spasticity arising from spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, stroke and other disorders affecting the central nervous system.

Dr. Tuffaha also leads a complimentary basic, translational and clinical research program aimed at developing strategies to enhance nerve regeneration and functional recovery following peripheral nerve injury. This effort includes an ongoing multi-center clinical trial assessing the efficacy of a therapeutic agent stemming from work he performed in the lab.

His work has been recognized with multiple prestigious awards and honors including the J. Leonard Goldner Pioneer Research Award and Gelberman Scholar Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the Johns Hopkins Discovery Award.

...read more

Titles

  • Director, Peripheral Nerve Surgery
  • Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

Departments / Divisions

Centers & Institutes

Education

Degrees

  • MD; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (2011)

Residencies

  • Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2018)

Fellowships

  • Hand Surgery; Mayo Clinic (2019)

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Plastic Surgery (Plastic Surgery) (2020)

Research & Publications

Selected Publications

View all on PubMed

Tuffaha S, Singh P, Budihardjo J, Means K, Higgins J, Shores J, Salvatori R, Hoke A, Lee WPA, Brandacher G. Therapeutic augmentation of the growth hormone axis to improve outcomes following peripheral nerve injury. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2016 May 24: 1-7.

Tuffaha S, Budihardjo J, Sarhane K, Khusheim, M, Song D, Broyles J, Salvatori R, Means K, Higgins J, Shores J, Cooney D, Hoke A, Lee WPA, Brandacher G. Growth hormone therapy accelerates axonal regeneration, promotes motor reinnervation, and reduces muscle atrophy following peripheral nerve injury. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016 Jun;137(6):1771-80.

Sarhane S, Slavin B, Hricz N, Malapati H, Guo Y, Grzelak M, Chang I, Shappell H, von Guionneau N, Wong A, Mi R, Hoke A, Tuffaha S. Defining the Relative Impact of Muscle versus Schwann Cell Denervation on Functional Recovery after Delayed Nerve Repair. Exp Neurol. 2021 May;339:113650

Calotta N, Hanwright P, Giladi A, Tuffaha S. Vascularized, Denervated Muscle Targets for Treatment of Symptomatic Neuromas in the Upper Extremity: Description of Operative Technique. Techniques in Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery.  2021 Nov 24. doi: 10.1097

Hanwright P, Qiu C, Rath J, von Guionneau N, Malapati H, Hoke A, Mao HQ, Tuffaha S. IGF-1 nanoparticles to ameliorate the effects of chronic denervation and improve functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. Biomaterials. 2021 Nov 12:121244. doi: 10.1016

Activities & Honors

Honors

  • J. Leonard Goldner Pioneer Research Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (2016)
  • Adrian Flatt Basic Science Research Award, American Federation for Surgery of the Hand (2016)
  • Discovery Award, Johns Hopkins University (2018)
  • Dr. Chi-Tsung Su, M.D., Memorial Research Award, Johns Hopkins Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (2018)
  • Scholarly Concentrations Excellence in Mentoring Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2020)
  • Discovery Award, Johns Hopkins University (2020)
  • Cohen Translational Engineering Award (2021)
  • Gelberman Scholar Award, American Society for Surgery of the Hand (2022)
  • ASPN Travelling Fellowship, American Society for Peripheral Nerve (2022)

Memberships

  • American Association for Hand Surgery, Program Co-Chair (2020 Annual Meeting)
  • American Society for Peripheral Nerve, Program Co-Chair (2023 Annual Meeting)
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • Plastic Surgery Research Council
  • American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Videos & Media

Facebook Live: Latest Treatment Options for Peripheral Nerve and Spinal Cord Injuries

Recent News Articles and Media Coverage

"This is really weird. Who wakes up and their hand doesn’t work?" Washington Post (Sept. 3, 2022)

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