Orthopaedic Surgery Flourishes

Mark Gebhardt, M.D., chief of orthopaedic surgery, with Megan Anderson, M.D.

After a vigorous year of rebuilding, BIDMC’s department of orthopaedic surgery is becoming the world-class, full-service department its members envisioned.

“We started with a strong core of physicians and services,” says Mark Gebhardt, M.D., an internationally recognized leader in connective tissue sarcomas who has provided leadership and vision for the department since his arrival as chief a year ago. “We have recruited top-notch specialists and fine-tuned our advanced facilities and technology. The result is a comprehensive program that rivals any in New England.”

Since last fall, outpatient clinic visits for orthopaedic services have increased by 20 percent. Surgical volume has grown by eight percent (15 percent for outpatient procedures), due primarily to enhancements in the sports medicine and hand surgery programs. Growth in joint replacement has necessitated moving these services to a dedicated operating room on the east campus.

Key to the department’s revitalization is the addition, beginning last winter, of six new physicians:
• Douglas Ayres, M.D., total joints and trauma
• Harris Yett, M.D., total joints (long time member and former chair of B.I. orthopaedics)
• Megan Anderson, M.D., tumors/general orthopaedics
• Arun Ramappa, M.D., sports medicine
• Edward Rodriguez, M.D., trauma
• Michael O’Brien, M.D., primary care sports medicine

“The arrival of our new colleagues has allowed us to expand clinical services, reenergize our basic science research efforts and enhance our teaching program,” says Gebhardt. “There is a sense of enthusiasm throughout the department.” The department now consists of nine full-time surgeons, dedicated rheumatology and primary care sports medicine physicians, two nurse practitioners, and more than seven community orthopaedists who regularly choose BIDMC’s facilities for procedures.

Anderson	Ayres	O’Brien
Ramappa	Rodriguez	Yett

BIDMC’s department of orthopaedic surgery now offers:

• Diagnosis, evaluation, outpatient care and surgical treatment for all adult orthopaedic problems
• Joint replacement and reconstruction for hips, knees and shoulders
• Novel minimally invasive procedure for hip and knee replacements
• The latest therapies for spinal deformity and back care
• Expertise in surgery of the extremities (hand, wrists, feet and ankles)
• The HOME (hospitalist-orthopaedics medical evaluation) team, an innovative program to improve care for elderly patients with orthopaedic and medical needs (now in formation with other BIDMC departments)
• World-renowned expertise in bone and soft tissue tumors
• Pioneering work, in conjunction with the gerontology department, in treating delirium in seniors with hip fractures/joint replacements
• A dedicated trauma operating room equipped with the latest orthopaedic surgery technology
• Weekly clinics at BID-Chelsea
• Development of a state-of-the-art biomechanics laboratory
Referrals: (66)7-3940