What 2 orthopedic surgeons would want if they were joint replacement patients

Orthopedic

Many orthopedic surgeons spend their days performing total joint replacements. But what if they were the ones needing the procedure?

Two orthopedic surgeons told Becker's the qualities they would want from someone treating them.

Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity.

Question: Imagine you were an orthopedic patient. Whom would you want to perform your joint replacement?

Tim Ekpo, DO. Henry Ford Health (Detroit): If I were a patient looking to have a joint replacement, I would like to have it performed by a surgeon who specializes in joint replacement surgery. I would look for someone who not only has experience, but one who has the ability to fix any unfortunate complications should there be one at the time of surgery or down the road.

I would seek a surgeon who has a great reputation in the community. This is often found not just by searching online, but more so by word of mouth. 

If I were a healthy patient with few medical comorbidities, I would also look for a physician that was able to do my joint replacement as an outpatient surgery as this has become the pseudo-standard of care for joint replacements today.

Lastly, I think the most important thing is the relationship the patient has with their surgeon. I would make sure that I felt very comfortable with my surgeon and their ability to care for me.

Paul Perry, MD. President of Tri-State Orthopaedics (Evansville, Ind.): All things being equal, as a patient, I would prefer surgeons with adult reconstruction fellowship training or with extensive robotic experience in performing total joint arthroplasty.

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