According to the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, Americans spend more time researching car purchases than they do choosing doctors. Yet, when it comes to our healthcare, about which we make some of the most important decisions in our lives, we often don’t do our due diligence. Choosing a doctor, especially one who may be performing surgery on you or a loved one, can be overwhelming. In recognition of National Wise Health Care Consumer Month, Dr. Mark Hollmann covers 3 tips to keep in mind when finding an orthopaedic surgeon that’s right for you.

Is your doctor a general orthopaedic surgeon or has he/she received additional training in joint replacements and is highly specialized in his field?

The road of training to become an orthopaedic surgeon is a long one. The entire process takes 13 years: 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and 5 years of residency.

A fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon chooses to spend an extra year after their required five years of general orthopaedic surgery training, focusing on a specific specialty in orthopaedics like sports medicine or total joint replacement. The extensive skills learned in a Fellowship take years to achieve in private practice. Fellowship training allows doctors the opportunity to train with nationally recognized experts, as well as concentrate and master knowledge of special surgical techniques.

I recommended that you find an orthopaedic physician who specializes in the specific type of treatment that you are seeking, whether it’s total knee replacement, reverse shoulder replacement or hip replacement, etc. With fellowship-trained doctors, like the ones at Florida Orthopaedic Associates, you can be assured that they have an extensive level of background knowledge and experience and are considered a trusted resource in their field.

How many Joint Replacement surgeries do they perform each year?

Performing joint replacement procedures can be complex, and experience and specialization matter when looking for a surgeon. It is important to look for an orthopaedic surgeon who has been well trained in performing joint replacement surgeries and is up to date on the best way possible to perform the procedure possible.

When it comes to choosing an orthopaedic surgeon, the more experience a surgeon has to perform your specific procedure, the better your outcome is likely to be. Studies show there is a lower risk of revision surgery and complications for patients operated on by a surgeon who specializes in joint replacement.

At Florida Orthopaedic Associates, our sub-specialized training and high volume allow us to achieve better results and lower complication rates than surgeons who do fewer joint replacements each year.

Where will my surgery take place?

Studies have found that total joint replacement patients have greater satisfaction rates overall with surgeons and facilities with a higher volume of joint replacement procedures performed. We take pride in providing high-quality care and great outcomes at accredited facilities where all nurses, technicians, therapists and numerous support personnel work together to provide excellent care for those patients requiring joint replacement surgery.

Due in large part to Florida Orthopaedic Associates physician experts, AdventHealth DeLand has earned the Joint Commission Certified Gold Seal of Approval® for knee, hip and shoulder replacement surgery. AdventHealth Fish Memorial has earned the Gold Seal of Approval for hip and knee replacement, and is the first in Volusia and Flagler Counties to earn the Gold Seal of Approval for spine replacement as well.

Central Florida Regional Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Total Knee Certification.

This certification means that when you come to Florida Orthopaedic Associates for a total hip and knee replacement, you can expect high quality care, and equally important, a high level of patient safety.