Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Adolescent Sports Medicine; General Pediatric Orthopaedics & Spinal Deformities; Orthopaedic Surgery; Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery; Spine Deformities; Sports Medicine - Pediatrics
I chose the field of children‘s orthopaedics as my specialty because of my strong interest in helping children, the most vulnerable members of our society. I completed a fellowship in children‘s orthopaedics and scoliosis surgery; my expertise includes scoliosis surgery, hip and lower extremity reconstructive surgery, foot surgery and all aspects of pediatric trauma. I care for children and adolescents at the Women and Children‘s Hospital of Buffalo (WCHOB) and at the UBMD Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine clinic on Harlem Road in Amherst. My approach is to involve parents in the decision-making for their child’s medical care and, whenever appropriate, I involve the child as well. Doing so helps teach children responsibility for their own health. It may also improve their treatment outcomes and enhance their sense of control, particularly for children and adolescents with chronic health issues or those who have sustained traumatic injury. I care for my young patients in the same way I would treat my own child: with sensitivity and compassion.
My research interests include pediatric trauma and post-traumatic reconstruction. I’m currently working on research that addresses femoral fracture management in young children. My goal is to determine whether operative treatment is better than spica cast treatment. I welcome residents to collaborate with me on research projects.
I am keenly interested in resident education and take an active role in teaching, training and mentoring trainees. Residents have selected me as "Teacher of the Year" three times during the course of my career. I teach in small groups, at the bedside, in clinic and in the operating room. My goals are to promote independent thinking in my residents, guide them to assume greater independence as they progress through their residencies and, ultimately, take on the mantle of professional orthopaedic surgeons.