John Sefter, M.D., Spine Surgeon 201 Plumtree Road, Suite 301 Bel Air, MD 410-879-0090 Mondays 8:30am – 4:00pm in Towson Wednesdays 8:30am – 4:00pm in Bel Air Fridays 8:30am – 4:00pm alternating between Bel Air & Towson Accepting new patients - yes Insurances they do NOT accept: none of the Maryland Assistance programs, Kaiser Permanente, Optimum Choice (check office for additional insurances not accepted) Patient must have had an MRI and a preliminary diagnosis prior to setting up an appointment with Dr. Sefter

Dr. Sefter is double boarded in orthopedic surgery and spine surgery. He is fellowship trained in spine surgery and specializes in cervical spine procedures including disc replacement, lumbar spine surgery that includes motion preserving procedures as well as lumbar decompression for pain, weakness, numbness and deformity correction.


More about Dr. John Sefter:
Doris and Bob Lindner define the word “active.” When Bob retired in 2007, after forty years with the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bel Air couple looked forward to a life that was one long Day-At-A Glance: Traveling, taking care of their grandchildren, entertaining friends both near and far. The Lindners think nothing of hosting Super Bowl bashes for forty or impromptu dinner parties for ten.

And, thanks to Dr. John Sefter, board certified orthopedic surgeon at Upper Chesapeake Health, they have been able to keep up that pace.

2008 was a banner year for Bob, a former volleyball player for The University of Maryland. He had spent more time than ever on the golf course—achieving his first hole in one—and he was anticipating that by October, his score would reach the 70s. But then, an excruciating herniated disc derailed him.

Bob immediately consulted Dr. Sefter, who had taken care of Doris for nearly a decade. When she was twelve years old, Doris was hit by a car. By the late 1990s, the childhood injury had begun to wreak havoc with her back—ultimately requiring several surgeries by Dr. Sefter to relieve her.

In Bob’s case, after trying several courses of water and physical therapy, Dr. Sefter operated on him last February. “He told me that I would be able to swing a golf club within thirty days of surgery, and I said, ‘God Bless You, when can we do this?’ And that is exactly how everything has unfolded. I’m swinging a golf club. I’m happy as a lark, and I’m standing with no pain.”

“What originally attracted me to the orthopedic field was that you could have a fairly immediate impact on an individual’s life,” Dr. Sefter explains. “You can fix things—from broken bones that set in 6-8 weeks to far more complex cases. But you are generally rescuing a person from an injury, a pain or a deformity and getting them straightened out. I enjoy the challenge and the rewards.”

“The really important thing is having compassion for the patient and analyzing their problem,” he says. “What is their problem and how can I help them? Those are the questions I ask.”

Dr. Sefter was trained in osteopathic medicine, a field that tends to focus on the entire person, rather than just their immediate health problem. “You really have to look at the whole being—I mean the whole human being – mind, body and spirit,” he stresses.

“Humility really is the key,” he muses. “I tell patients, ‘I’m guiding you. Let’s try to figure out what is the best thing to do for you’.”

The Lindners couldn’t agree more. “Dr. Sefter is a very unique person, and he really, really listens,” says Bob. “He is amazing. I have recommended him to so many people, and they all love him,” agrees Doris.

And, for the record, Bob teed off for his first golf game of the 2009 season at 9:07 am on April 6th, just as Dr. Sefter predicted.