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Tom Lutz, Patient: Mayo Clinic is just absolutely superb. If I had an hour, I couldn't describe it. They want the best for the patient, and you can't beat that.

Alexander Shin, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: I have a rule when I deal with my patients, and that rule is if I wouldn't do it on my own mother or father, I would never do it on them.

Cedric Ortiguera, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: So when patients come here to Mayo, I think they know that they're going to get the right treatment options and only be recommended to have surgery if we feel like they really need it.

Steven Hattrup, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: The patient is the driver of what we do.

Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo, M.D., Ph.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: A patient coming to Mayo for orthopedics will get the benefit of having plenty of time to be with the physician but also having access to a person that will perform the best possible operation for you.

Aaron Krych, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: We perform a high volume of those surgeries and become an expert in that particular area, which I think translates into better outcomes for patients.

Peter Murray, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: One of the things that makes Mayo Clinic unique is that we don't just have superstars. We have really superstar teams.

Dr. Ortiguera: Surgical techs, nurses in the operating room that are all specifically for orthopedics and all inherently involved with each patient's care.

Mark Spangehl, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: If I have a very complex case, I've got great colleagues that I can talk to.

Dr. Shin: We can come up with ideas and diagnoses that a single person may have missed.

Dr. Spangehl: Mayo has got a great reputation for orthopedics.

Courtney Sherman, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: We have been at the forefront of orthopedic treatments and advances. The first FDA-approved hip replacement was done at Mayo Clinic in 1969.

Dr. Murray: When a patient comes to Mayo Clinic, they can rest assured that whoever they're seeing is really up on the latest things and what can be done for their condition.

Dr. Ortiguera: There are new technologies now in orthopedics, including robotic-assisted surgeries.

Dr. Murray: Ultra-high definition microscopes that will allow us to sew blood vessels and nerves together with suture as fine as your hair.

Dr. Spangehl: Have the ability to print somebody's pelvis in a plastic model.

Christopher Beauchamp, M.D., Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic: We actually operate on the models that we make so that we do a rehearsal surgery.

Dr. Murray: We've taken technology and applied it to these areas where we couldn't go before.

Dr. Ortiguera: Well, research, obviously, is extremely important. And we need that research to improve upon education and, most importantly, upon patient care. We want to help people get better, doing what we do and doing what we do best.

Dr. Beauchamp: And our ability to fix things predictably, permanently in most cases, is extremely rewarding.

Dr. Spangehl: You know, a good day is when you see a patient back after surgery and they say, you made a tremendous difference to my quality of life.

Dr. Sanchez-Sotelo: And the patient is pain free, moving the shoulder or the elbow, having no pain, enjoying life.

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Nov. 03, 2023