re: Is Dr James Andrews really the best Orthopedic Surgeon?

After multiple unsuccessful shoulder surgeries, I went to him. I will undoubtedly give him my vote. His support team is far and away better than the rest.
Plus, what other orthopod was all-SEC pole vaulter at LSU.

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Is he actually doing all of the surgeries or is his practice handling them?

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Does he have 2 locations now? I know he was in Birmingham for a long time, but now also has a clinic at the beach.

Fun story. Dr Andrews did my elbow while at auburn, and did a lefty two weeks later. We would always see him for checkups together post surgery, and he would always grab the wrong elbow first. He always said he was comparing our normal one to the repaired one, but we thought he got us mixed up.
Fast forward three years later, he repaired my now wife's ACL. That same day was the first surgery day after NFL regular season, so there were about 6 NFL players in that day too. He came out to tell my in-laws and I how the surgery went, stopped, and asked me by name how my elbow was, how my career was going, etc.
I was blown away. He did Chad Pennington's shoulder right after my elbow. He had countless huge athletes a year, and somehow remembered me after 3 years and remembered the details of my surgery. He is a really, really smart guy.

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Did he have a falling out with LSU at some point? I've never understood how they didn't try to promote the hell out of his alumni status or offer him the world for some kind of partnership.

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10 or so years ago he offered to donate most of the money that would pay for a world class indoor track facility--the kind that would have a hydraulic banked track and could host NCAA and US championships. TAF told him a donation that size would go to the things at the top of the priority list and track would get what was left over. For some reason that left a sour taste in his mouth.

I know for a fact he's had a stroke and has the other doctors do actual surgeries while he is in the OR. They still count as his surgeries, even thought he didn't actually do them-he just tells the other doctors what to do.
I'd still go to his practice if needed.

He operated on my shoulder when I was 18 after a local surgeon screwed up my 1st. It was baseball-related, I had a severe impingement, multiple labral tears, & zero cartilage left leaving the ball of the joint & the socket literally grinding against each other and aside from going in & cleaning it up as best as he could, which is what he opted to do, my only other option was a complete joint replacement, which you don't do on 18 year-old's.

This was back in 2005 and while I still have some issues, limited motion, etc., I haven't had to go back for more physical therapy, much less another surgery. He definitely had some magic back then.

I have no doubt he is excellent, but is he the best? Practically immeasurable, given what it would take tp prove such an assertion with all the possible variables involved. I can promise you there are genius, recluse virtuoso surgeons in backwaters all over the place that never find notoriety and don't seek it. Some of those genius virtuosos just happen to locate in the right place and find the right patient and are comfortable in the limelight.

No doubt to get where he has one has to distinguish himself with not only superior ablilty but stamina and work ethic. And I'm not impugning Dr. Andrews, I am in the same profession (different specialty) same home town (Homer, LA) and even related to the guy. And I'll add what many know, he's not only a great surgeon, he is a voice in the wilderness when it comes to overuse injuries in kids as well.

from LSU, so yes

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Does he have 2 locations now? I know he was in Birmingham for a long time, but now also has a clinic at the beach.

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Yes. He works mainly out of Pensacola.