Katy, TX & West Houston Orthopedic Surgeons
Good news first: if you live in West Houston, there are a lot of orthopedic surgeons with great reputations. But which one is actually the best for you?
You can find excellent orthopedic surgeons in hospital groups like Memorial Herman or Methodist. There are also multi-specialty groups like Fondren Orthopedic Group and Kelsey Sebold, not to mention almost one hundred University of Texas orthopedic doctors. Some people swear by independents like Dr. Muradov or Dr. Stefan Kreuzer.
However, there can be only one best for you and your individual situation. How do you find them?
Ideally, you want a surgeon nearby, who will accept you as a new patient, has the best training and experience for your condition, and typically accepts your insurance or Medicare.
The first thing I’d like to point out is that the best surgeon for you depends entirely on you! If you think about it, the best plumber in the world may not be the right person to fix your pool leak – a pool specialist maybe be a better choice. In the same way, a Sports Medicine specialist is usually not the best choice when you need a hip or knee replacement. We tend to think in terms of great hospitals, but no hospital is great at everything. As it turns out, finding the best orthopedic doctor starts with understanding what you need, and only then progressing to what they offer. So, let’s start with you. What hurts?
Is it your neck? Shoulder? Low back? Hip? Knee? Orthopedic surgeons specialize based on body part and procedure. Start with the body part or joint that hurts. Then we will move into the condition you have, and the procedure that is likely needed.
And a word to the wise… pick a surgeon, not a hospital. Houston Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann are excellent, but they didn’t know what was wrong with you when they put together their advertising campaigns.
You deserve the best for you; not what fills up their hospital beds with paying bodies. Skip to the body part you need help with below.
Please Note: We don’t currently provide assistance with foot, ankle, or hand problems in the West Houston or Katy area. If you have a foot/ankle or hand issues and are looking for surgeons in West Houston or Katy, please seek help elsewhere.
The Best Hip Surgeons in West Houston and Katy. . .
Most hip pain that lasts more than 12 weeks is caused either by arthritis or a tear in the labrum of the hip. Arthritis shows up on a plain x-ray. Magnetic Resonance Imaging is required to show a labral tear.
Hip Replacement
First, what you should not do… no matter how many billboard ads they buy off the Katy Fwy, you can’t pick your surgeon based on some hospital reputation. For one, neither Memorial Hermann nor Methodist particularly stands out for joint replacement on Hospitalcompare.gov. The place to start is not with the hospital but to figure out if you need hip replacement surgery int he first place.
Hospital comparisons for Katy Joint Replacement
| Hospital | Overall Rating | Patient Rating | PRO for Joint | Complications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memorial Hermann Katy | 4/5 | 3/5 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Methodist West | 5/5 | 4/5 | Not reported | 3.7% (average) |
Best Practice Health certifies orthopedic surgeons for hip replacement if they meet ALL the following criteria:
- Board certified
- Fellowship trained in joint replacement
- Perform a high volume of total hip replacements (>50 per year)
- Use registry proven implants that are not likely to be recalled
- Use a robotic assistant, and
- Use a minimally invasive approach so that they can operate out of an ambulatory surgery center
Labral Tear Repair
The key to arthroscopic labral tear repair is volume. Look up Dr. Joshua Harris at Houston Methodist., Dr. Ronak Patel at the Fondren Orthopedic Group, or Dr. Alfred Mansour with UT Physicians.
Best Knee Surgeons in West Houston and Katy
Knee pain that lasts longer than 12 weeks is usually due to arthritis, or a tear in a meniscus or a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The treatment for severe knee pain due to arthritis that fails conservative measure like Physical Therapy and Injections is a new knee. Meniscus and anterior cruciate tears, on the other hand, are best treated with arthroscopic surgery. Let’s break those down separately.
Knee Replacement
Partial or total knee replacement is the definitive treatment for severe knee pain due to severe arthritis that fails conservative measures. Let’s break those down. Severe arthritis is determined by your hip x-ray. Look at the written report. Not everyone with a bad knee needs a new one. You can tell if your knee pain is bad enough for hip replacement surgery by taking the KOOS survey here. The KOOS takes only a couple of minutes, and your score can be compared to people who have undergone knee replacement. Once you know you have severe arthritis and the pain is bad enough for surgery, the next issue is to pick your surgeon.
Best Practice Health certifies orthopedic surgeons for hip replacement if they meet ALL the following criteria:
- Board certified
- Fellowship trained in joint replacement
- Perform a high volume of knee replacements (>50 per year)
- Use registry proven implants that are not likely to be recalled
- Use a robotic assistant, and
- Use a minimally invasive approach so that they can operate out of an ambulatory surgery center
Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears are best treated surgically using an arthroscopic approach. This type of surgery requires extra training that orthopedic surgeons obtain in a Sports Medicine fellowship. We do not yet certify sports medicine orthopedists, but you can find a list of the board certified ones here: AAOS. Set the method of search to “Choose a specialty,” and set the specialty to “Sports Medicine.”
Best Neck and Low Back Surgeons in West Houston and Katy Texas
Spine doctors come in 3 different flavors: pain management, neurosurgeons, and spine orthopedic doctors. The key is to find one who is board certified and performs microsurgery using minimally invasive techniques. We will discuss the features of surgeons you should look for by procedure below.
Laminectomy for spinal stenosis is done by neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons. The most minimally invasive form of this operation currently being done is with the Medtronic METRx retractor system. Once you have a surgeon in mind, call and ask the office if the doctor uses this equipment. If not, try again with another choice.
Epidural injection and Microdiscectomy for herniated discs require a team. Start out with epidural injections by a pain management doctor who is double board certified in anesthesia or physiatry, and pain. The neurosurgeon should use the microscope or endoscope for visualization on all procedures.
Radiofrequency ablation for low back pain due to arthritis is best done by a double board-certified pain management doctor.
For spinal fusion find a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon who offers a minimally invasive approach and image guidance for placement of pedicle screws in the low back. In the neck anterior cervical discectomy and fusion can be done well by any competent spine surgeon.
Best Shoulder Surgeons in West Houston and Katy
The best shoulder surgeons wear two hats. They start out as board certified orthopedic surgeons. Then go on to a year of specialty training in Sports Medicine. Arthroscopic rotator cuff and Bankart tear repairs require high volume and training for surgical excellence.
If you have shoulder pain due to arthritis, then find an orthopedic surgeon who does at least 50 total shoulder replacements a year. Volume is key.
Dr. Dan Lieberman, MD
Medical Director,
Best Practice Health
