Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgery
Med School/Year Graduated: University of California, Los Angeles, 1991
Years in Practice: 25
After their orthopedic surgery residencies, do foot and ankle surgeons do any additional training?
Yes. We do a fellowship of six to 12 months more focused purely on treatment of foot and ankle disorders.
Are most foot injuries you see sports-related?
Yes, injuries are typically sports- or work-related.
What’s the most brutal sport on the feet?
For feet, it’s football. For ankles, it would be soccer or basketball.
You’re the foot and ankle consultant to the Arizona Diamondbacks, L.A. Dodgers and other MLB teams, and have worked in the past with the Arizona Cardinals and Ballet Arizona. Do all these athletes present with similar injuries, or are some specific to certain sports?
The professional football and baseball players as well as collegiate athletes often have fractures or ligament injuries and sprains, which sometimes need surgery. The ballet dancers usually have overuse injuries, like stress fractures or tendonitis, which need rest and time.
Have you experienced any orthopedic injuries of your own? How have they affected your practice/care philosophy?
I sustained a spine fracture as a resident [during a ski trip] and have had both shoulders operated on. It taught me that overall recovery from a significant injury or surgery takes a year, and that patience and a positive outlook are important.
What are your hobbies and interests outside medicine?
I love to ski and mountain bike and hike. I also swim three days a week with a masters swimming group. I like to read biographies and historical fiction.
What are you watching on Netflix these days?
The Crown.
“If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d be…”
A pilot.
