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Finding a surgeon

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Bubba

new member
Joined
Jun 8, 2009
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Age
79
Location
United States
How does one go about finding the proper (best) surgeon to perform the surgery in a specific part of the country? I have spoken to several doctors (ok,3) and have gotten 3 different recomendations. Is there a rating panel or website I can go to to get help choosing a surgeon for my totao knee replacement?
 
Hi there, Jo our moderator put this is the forum for help to others, go to search at the top and key this in I hope is works for you!!!----------------(- How to choose a surgeon and a prosthesis )
 
Hi Bubba and welcome to BoneSmart. Looks like you have an excellent start on researching a surgeon for your knee. You can find additional information and questions to ask during an interview by clicking on the INFORMATION CENTER link on the red tool bar at the top of this page. Once there, click on GENERAL INFORMATION and scroll down to find the thread Texas was talking about - How to Choose a Surgeon and a Prosthesis.

There is also a tool in BoneSmart to locate surgeons in your general area. Here is the (broken link removed: https://bonesmart.org/clinic_lookup.php.

Unfortunately there is no place that centrally "rates" surgeons in the US. You must do the research yourself through your primary physician and recommendations from people you know. Or you can find names of surgeons with the search engine I provided and meet with them (look online also for information about each by Googling their names).

What it all boils down to is finding a person that you "click" with, who presents what seems to be a logical solution to your problem, and who has done LOTS of the kind of surgery being proposed. You might also do a forum search in BoneSmart to find threads on this subject. Many comments and suggestions have been written from our members about their search for the right doctor for them.

If I may ask, what is your knee problem and what recommendations did the three doctors have? Are you near a major city? That certainly gives you more options if you are or if you can get to one.
 
Thank you Jo, I read that information and have the questions printed.

Jamie, thanks to you as well. I reside in Colleyville, Texas and am thus relatively close to both Dallas and Fort Worth. There are two hospitals quite close to me; Baylor Grapevine and Harris Methodist Southlake (small but quite nice). I do have a list of OS guys in this area.

Not too long ago, I had 3 vertebra fused [I am getting old and everything is coming unglued!] and the doctor that did that for me had a magazine cover in his office showing that he was voted by his peers best in the DFW metroplex in 2007. I was hoping to find some kind of thing like that.
 
You can call the Medical Exchange and find out about all the OS in your area. They will also give you ratings. That should help you.

There is a wealth of info on the net also. Just have to read between the lines though, but you should be able to get a good feel.
 
Pat,

I did a search for Medical Exchange and all I find is answering services. Can you be more specific?

Thank you for your reply!
 
Will try and find the name in Dallas for you.

You can also call the Medical Board there and they will let you know. I think they have Texas Ortho Group there
in Dallas and that is considered one of the best group of
doctors. You might want to look that up.

Will get back later tonight with a post
 
Bubba, did you try the BoneSmart link I put in the post above? Just click on the red words and it will take you there. It's a search engine where you put in your zip code and the number of miles you might be willing to travel. It should give you a good-sized list of doctors to consider in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
 
I am about 11 months and 4 months post-surgery for both my knees. I have had extremely postive results and basically recovered from the recent surgery!! Prior to the decision to have my first total knee arthroplasty I did considerable research on the surgery, doctors and prosthesis manufacturers.

I am very adamant that there are two keys to having the best potenial for a postive outcome.....select a doctor who is highly specialized in knee replacement surgery; then commit to the physical therapy. You should be able to locate several doctors in the DFW area who only perform joint replacements (knees, hips, etc).....they should be doing several hundred a year (my doctor does over 500 knees per year).

You should also select a physical therapy facility that has extensive experience in knee replacement re-hab...the staff should be master or phd degreed physical therapists. Many are affiliated or part of a hospital....also many now have "wellness centers" which usually have physical therapy capabilities. You might also go the one of these facilities and ask the physical therapists their opinion as to which doctors have the most successful patients!!

Happy to share my specific details if you so desire.


Steve,
Spring, Tx
 
Additionally....once you have the names of several doctors go meet with three or four. Make a list of questions to ask them: such as....what prosthesis manufacturer do they use and why, the length of the incision (assuming it is the minimally invasive procedure), what is the infection rate at the hospital where they practice, how many days in the hospital, does the hospital have a formal physical therapy program during the stay and how long should the recovery last.

Steve
 
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