Our Physicians

Stephen J. Barr, MD

Orthopedic Surgeon

Specialties:

Joint Replacement: Knee, Hip, Elbow
Back and Spine

Certifications:

Diplomat, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Associations:

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Education:

University of Massachusetts, Medical School, Worcester, MA
General Surgery, Internship, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA
Orthopaedics, Residency, Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Program, Boston, MA
Research, Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Dr. Barr specializes in total joint replacement of the knee, hip, and elbow, orthopaedic trauma care, and hand and spine disorders. He has a special interest in osteotomies around the knee as a joint preserving method to address osteoarthritic pain as well as operative care of spinal stenosis. He has served as an orthopaedic trauma surgeon at the Level I Trauma Center at Maine Medical Center for more than 21 years. Dr. Barr also serves on the Maine Medical Center/ Tufts University Maine Track Medical School admissions committee and is involved in resident and medical student education.

Dr. Barr was born in Taiwan, where his father was stationed in the US Navy, and was raised in Massachusetts. The Merrill family, on his mother’s side, has been living in Maine for over 300 years.

He joined Spectrum Orthopaedics after practicing for three years as an officer in the Public Health Service, stationed with the Indian Health Service in Gallup, New Mexico, where he cared for Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni Native Americans as well as local military personnel.

Dr. Barr has three children and lives with his family in North Yarmouth, where they farm over an acre of organic vegetables and fruit, stocking their root cellar. He is also a beekeeper and has cared organically for bees for over 21 years. He enjoys coaching soccer, basketball, and lacrosse and is an avid outdoorsman, fishing, hunting, open water swimming, and foraging for wild mushrooms whenever he can.

Treatment Philosophy

I feel my job as an orthopedic surgeon is to educate my patient about their diagnosis and condition. When the patient has a solid understanding of the problem, we can discuss different treatment options, which allows my informed patient to choose the option best for them.

Dr. Barr is hands down the most knowledgeable, caring, and well read orthopedic surgeons in the entire state. I would know, as I’ve been to many other offices. When other surgeons withheld surgical options, he presented me with very new (published two months before our first meeting) techniques that gave me a chance to keep my finger. Don’t waste your time going anywhere else. Just ask for Dr. Barr, he’s the BEST!

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