Tore my acl on Tuesday, looking around for an Orthopedic Surgeon. Got my MRI done at Austin Sports Medicine but haven't had an actual surgery consult yet. Wondering if you guys had any input.

TIA

In Houston, but I had mine done at Fondren Orthopedic in 1998. Very happy with the results.

As for Austin, I saw Dr Crawford at Westlake Orthopedic when I thought I had re-injured it and was pretty impressed.

Dr Brent Brotzman
North Austin Sports Medicine
512.977.0000

Right across the road from North Austin Medical Center (Parmer/MoPac.)

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-Thomas Jefferson

Friend used Dr. Spears for a shoulder

I wouldn't have that kind of surgery done in Austin under any circumstances. I had my knee 'scope done by Dr. Robbie Fain, Class of '71, while he was at Fondren Orthopedic Group in Houston. He is now at Memorial Hermann in Houston. He did the Oilers' knee stuff for 10 years, and did a great job for me as well. Don't blame him for the Oilers!

There are excellent ortho guys in Austin. Anyone who thinks you need to go to Houston or Dallas to get world class surgical care is poorly educated in the medical community of Austin.

Let me ask around. I'll get you the name of the best knee guy.

I gladly acknowledge that I am "poorly educated" about the world-class orthopedics in Austin! After visiting three of those "World-Class" turkeys, complete with one grossly incompetent misdiagnosis ("You have a torn rotator cuff", which wound up being a badly degenerated C4-C5 disc, pressing on the nerve to my right arm & shoulder and spinal cord) and another clown telling me I could watch my knee surgery on television, I did what was best for me, and went to a true "World Class" medical center and got both problems fixed. And the genius who told me I wouldn't need physical therapy for a knee that had atrophied to two-thirds its size?

If I gave a s*** about some idiot calling poorly-educated, I would care; but, I don't. They couldn't find their butts with both hands and the Canadian Mounted Police, and I wasn't about to risk my health and future well-being to those jokers. And, these were some of the "elite" orthopedics in Austin.

fixing a torn ACL isn't exactly on the leading edge of ortho work anymore. And it's not like Austin is a 3rd world country medically speaking.

I'd find someone in austin that does alot of them and have them get to work. Follow their aftercare/rehab instructions to the letter, and get on with life.

That's just my opinion, but I've had torn ACLs in both knees over the last 24 years and had excellent care everytime I've had work done (once in Austin, twice in BCS) There are quality orthos all over the place these days.

Yea, I really just want an Ortho guy that can put me on a good rehab plan and give me some meds at least until the end of the semester. I live alone, in a second floor apt w/ no elevator, and don't really know too many folks in Austin. So if I can help it I'm gonna wait until I can get near some family before I go under the knife.

Thanks for the responses so far.

I tore my right ACL about a week before classes started in the fall of my senior year at A&M. I had surgery over Christmas break. Worked out well enough. Spring semester kind of sucked since I wasn't very mobile for the first few weeks.

Anyways, in my situation the swelling and tenderness in my knee subsided after a few weeks and I was walking normally pretty quickly. No agressive exercising though, since my knee wasn't very stable.

Also, it was really weird walking into the hospital feeling 100% normal knowing that I'd be wheeling my way out with my knee all bandaged up. Just an odd feeling.

Good luck to you and your recovery though.

And I have at least 20 stories from patients who got completely screwed up in Houston.


After talking with the two orthos I trust most in town, their recs are John Pearce and Robert Blais.

No, neither of them are the ones I asked. The ones I know are trauma orthos who put a hell of a lot of people back together.

I have however worked with both Pearce and Blais when they have been on call and I would let either cut on me.

[This message has been edited by trouble (edited 10/18/2010 5:43p).]

Dr. crawford just did my wifes MCL. Good work and great guy.

Dr. Ted Spears reconstructed my knee. Great guy and did a great job. Great office and staff.

Texas Orthopedics is also impressive. I'm seeing a dr there currently for a hand fracture.

I would use Spears again in a heartbeat.

Saw Dr Brotzman again yesterday for an Achilles injury. Still love the guy!

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
-Thomas Jefferson

Dr Brotzman

Dr. Nathan Breazeale. Austin Sports Medicine.

Did a complete ACL reconstruction on me about 15 years ago.

He's awesome.

[This message has been edited by Goodfield Nohit (edited 11/4/2010 10:18a).]

dr. crawford in westlake

brotzman! that guy is hilarious!

Put it off for a while and wait on a kid named Ryan Tannehill. Supposed to be a wonder-kid