Where you’ll have surgery
One of the most common questions I hear is “where will my surgery happen?” The answer depends on the operation and on you. Here is how I think about choosing the right facility for each patient.
Two settings, matched to the patient
The majority of my primary hip and knee replacements are performed at the Capital Orthopedic Surgery Center (COSC) in Germantown — an outpatient surgical center purpose-built for joint replacement and enhanced-recovery protocols.
Revision surgery and medically complex cases are performed at Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. — a full hospital with the resources to support more involved operations and patients with significant medical conditions.
Which setting is right for you is a clinical decision we make together at your consultation, based on your specific situation.
Capital Orthopedic Surgery Center (COSC)
20680 Seneca Meadows Parkway, Suite 200, Germantown, MD 20876
COSC is an orthopedic-focused outpatient surgical center — meaning the team, the equipment, and the recovery protocols are all built around joint replacement, not spread thin across every surgical specialty. The result is a setting where the entire process, from check-in to discharge, is optimized for what you're actually here for.
For most patients, this also means going home the same day as surgery — outpatient (same-day) joint replacement is the standard at COSC when it's the right, safe choice for the individual patient.
COSC is typically where I’ll operate if
- You're generally healthy and a good candidate for outpatient (same-day) surgery
- You're having a primary hip or knee replacement (your first on that joint)
- You prefer a smaller, more personal surgical setting
- You're a strong fit for enhanced recovery and going home the same day
Johns Hopkins Sibley Memorial Hospital
5255 Loughboro Road NW, Washington, DC 20016
Sibley Memorial Hospital is a member of Johns Hopkins Medicine and a full hospital, with the breadth of services and the level of acuity needed for more complex joint replacement surgery. When a patient's situation calls for that broader hospital infrastructure, Sibley is where I operate.
This includes revision hip replacement and revision knee replacement — operations that are more involved than a first-time replacement — as well as patients whose medical conditions make a hospital setting the safer choice.
Sibley is typically where I’ll operate if
- You're having revision surgery — a second or subsequent operation on the joint
- You have significant medical conditions that benefit from a hospital setting
- Your surgery is medically complex and may require overnight or extended observation
- A multidisciplinary hospital team is the right level of care for your situation
What goes into choosing your surgical setting
The setting is a clinical recommendation, not a marketing choice. At your consultation we review:
- Whether you're a candidate for primary outpatient surgery, or whether revision or complex primary surgery is on the table
- Your overall medical history and any conditions that affect anesthesia or recovery
- The right anesthesia plan (spinal anesthesia and regional blocks are typical for joint replacement at both facilities)
- Practical factors — distance from home, recovery support, personal preference
The aim is matching you to the setting that gives you the safest, most comfortable surgery and recovery — not the most convenient or the most expensive.
Scheduling: All consultations and surgical scheduling are handled through Dr. Harb's clinic offices — not directly through COSC or Sibley. Request a visit using the contact form, or call the office that's most convenient for you.
Talk through what surgery would look like for you
Schedule a consultation with Dr. Harb to discuss your hip or knee and build a plan to get you back to the activities you love.