4 Key Considerations When Choosing Your ACL Surgeon

Did you know the majority of Orthopedic Surgeons perform only a handful of ACL reconstructions a year?  Usually less than one per month.  Does that matter?  There are some surgeons who may perform 15-20 operations a day? Are they better?

ACL tears are increasing at an alarming rate.  Most children require an ACL reconstruction to restore stability and minimize the risk of further damage to the meniscus or the other ligaments in the knee.

Adults are staying active longer and pushing themselves harder.  Adults are also tearing their anterior cruciate ligaments more frequently.  Many adults are also choosing to proceed with ACL surgery as opposed to altering their lifestyle.  They are on the move and have no desire to slow down.  

Decision making after an ACL injury is not always straightforward. In a previous post, I helped you by supplying you with a number of questions to ask your doctor to help determine if ACL surgery would potentially benefit you.  We went on and explored the options you have regarding graft choices and other ACL surgical issues.

Now you have torn your ACL and you have chosen to have ACL surgery.

Which surgeon should perform your surgery?

Key Considerations in Choosing Your ACL Surgeon

1.  Training: Are they a Sports Medicine Specialist.  In other words, did they pursue advanced training in the management of ACL injuries?  Sports Medicine trained Orthopedic Surgeons went through an additional year of training to hone their skills at minimally invasive surgery and reconstruction of the ligaments around the knee.
2. Affability:  Sounds simple… but do you trust them?  What is that voice in the back of your head saying?  You probably shouldn’t stay with a surgeon you do not trust.  If something goes awry you will never forgive yourself -–or them.
3. Education:  Did your surgeon take the time to educate you and/or your child about ACL injuries, your options available and the procedures available to repair the damage?  Has the surgeon returned your phone calls?  Do you have their email address?  Have they responded?  If you have trouble reaching your surgeon before surgery… that difficulty might increase drastically after surgery should an issue arise.
4. Volume:  Volume matters.  As I mentioned before, most Orthopedic Surgeons perform very, very few ACL reconstructions.   It has been shown that an ACL Surgery performed by a low-volume surgeon leaves you at a higher risk of complications and failure.   Look for a surgeon who performs a few ACL surgeries a week.  That means that they likely possess the technical skills to put the new ACL in properly and in a reasonable timeframe, which improves your chances of success.  Now… what about a very high volume hospital or surgeon.  Do you think one surgeon stays with you throughout the entire case if they have 20 other cases on the board that day?  Nope.  Very high volume surgeons utilize physician extenders, residents, etc to help them power through a busy day.  I personally do not believe that is the proper recipe for success either.

There are many decisions that come into play when you have suffered an ACL injury.  You need to decide whether or not you need surgery, which graft you want to use to reconstruct your new ligament from, and you need to choose a qualified surgeon to perform the procedure.

Hopefully, this provides you with some useful guidance as you begin your search for the surgeon to perform your ACL Surgery.