Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedics specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Derived from the Greek words for "straighten the child," orthopedic care includes patients of all ages electively requesting evaluation for musculoskeletal complaints or in need of emergency care.

The Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is a multispecialty group of 47 surgical, research, and clinical consultants. Our physicians work in an integrated and cooperative group practice that strives to provide the highest-quality and cost-effective care for more than 66,000 patients annually. This department consistently maintains an excellent reputation in the orthopedic community and in consumer ratings.

There are four specialty areas within the department: adult reconstruction, hand surgery, orthopedic oncology and pediatric orthopedics.

We collaborate with specialists in adult reconstruction, pediatrics, sports, trauma, spine, foot, hand, shoulder, elbow, oncology, and impairment evaluation. Joint appointments with radiology, plastic surgery, infectious diseases, oncology, neurologic surgery, and surgical pathology also exist.

About The Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first."

More than 2,900 physicians and scientists and 47,000 medical support staff work together as part of the Mayo system that encourages collaboration to meet the needs of patients. Mayo physicians share information through a unified, electronic medical record and regularly call upon the expertise of their colleagues to thoroughly understand patients' conditions and best meet the needs of each patient. In addition, Mayo physicians are paid by salary, not by how many patients they see or tests they order -- enabling them to focus on one priority: the needs of each patient.

At Mayo Clinic, the needs of the patient always come first. Mayo Clinic recognizes that patients seeking medical care far from home have unique needs. Mayo Clinic provides a range of services to help make international patients as comfortable as possible, including interpreters in more than 30 languages, an International Services Center to assist patients throughout their visit, and translated written materials to help explain many medical conditions.

From the beginning, Mayo Clinic has been dedicated to meeting the health care needs of all patients, regardless of their geographic location. Dr. Will Mayo and Dr. Charlie Mayo, the founders of Mayo Clinic, traveled throughout the United States and around the world to share their surgical expertise and learn new techniques from other surgeons. Mayo Clinic physicians continue this tradition today, freely sharing their medical knowledge with colleagues at medical conferences, through visiting professorships and in published papers.

Efficient Scheduling

In many cases, Mayo Clinic physicians provide both diagnosis and treatment within the same patient visit. Given the vast diagnostic infrastructure available, Mayo Clinic doctors are often able to provide patients their test results within one or two days of those tests being completed. Scheduling of appointments for diagnostic tests, consultation, and if needed, surgery can often be adjusted for patients who have traveled long distances. For international patients, this means less time away from home, less expense, and a more efficient use of patients' and family members' time.

By working together to meet the needs of patients, Mayo Clinic strives to make every patient's journey, no matter how far, worthwhile.

Scheduling an Appointment

You are always welcome to contact one of our staff physicians to discuss a specific patient or problem. To discuss a case or schedule a patient appointment, please call the Mayo Clinic Referring Physicians Service at (800) 533-1564 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday. This toll-free number is exclusively for referring physicians and their staff.

The clinic is closed Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. However, physicians representing all medical and surgical subspecialties are available for telephone consultation or referral after-hours.

Appointments

Patients with urgent medical or surgical problems are given priority in the Mayo appointment system. Appointments for nonurgent medical problems are scheduled several days to several weeks in advance. General medical exam appointments are more readily available during the winter months, November through March. Appointments for patients under age 18 are available with little delay in the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Mayo Clinic will, to the fullest extent of its resources, accept emergency cases on the same day. Patients requiring hospitalization may be referred to Saint Marys Hospital emergency room for evaluation. Patients not requiring hospitalization should be referred to Mayo Clinic for outpatient evaluation. In either case, please call in advance of the patient's arrival.

Information Needed to Schedule the Appointment

To facilitate making an appointment, please be prepared to give the following information when you call:

Patient's name
Address
Phone number
Date of birth
Mayo Clinic registration number, if a previous patient
Type of insurance (e.g., HMO, Workers' Compensation, Medical Assistance)
Nature of the medical problem
Referring physician's UPIN
Services you would like Mayo to provide.