Increased Demand for Knee and Hip Replacements May Lead to Shortage of Orthopedic Surgeons

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The projected population growth during the next 20 years of those older than age 65 years will create a greater need for orthopedists, given an increase in degenerative disease and fragility fractures associated with aging. 

In fact, studies conducted by the federal government predict an overall shortage of orthopedic physicians by the year 2020 and the AmericanAcademy of Orthopedic Surgeons forecasts that the need for hip and knee replacements will double in the next 20 years.  While procedures like knee and hip replacements were once performed on primarily elderly patients, because our aging population is staying more active, orthopedic surgeons are performing these procedures on younger patients.  Also a key factor is the increased obesity rate, the higher that rate goes, the higher the rate of knee and hip replacement.  In addition, orthopedic surgeons are also seeing many older patients that need “revisions” to previous technologies that didn’t provide adequate long-term results. 

 “Because our services are in such high demand and projections show that the demand will only increase, we’re seeing lower and lower reimbursements on these procedures,” said Dr. Marc Rosen, of Phoenix Orthopedic Consultants. “Unfortunately, this could result in patients not receiving the treatments they need because of the limited reimbursement of Medicare or their private insurers, and new physicians choosing different areas of practice that are not so limited by Medicare.” Rosen added, “In order to provide our patients with the best care possible, we need skilled physicians and to continue to develop techniques that will provide long-lasting results. The demand for orthopedic physicians will continue to rise and we need to gain the public’s support in leveraging Medicare to make the right decisions that will protect our aging population and the physicians that provide their care.”

Phoenix Orthopedic Consultants are board-certified physicians with offices in the west valley for more than 25 years. They are members of the Orthopedic Surgeons Network of Arizona.  The group currently includes Neal Gimbel, MD, Marc Rosen, MD, Kishore Tipirneni, MD, Jonathan Landsman, MD, Stephen Ripple, MD, Eric Novack, MD, Shane Martin, MD, Leslie Johnson, FNP, and Michelle Hitchcock, PA-C. Phoenix Orthopedic Consultants currently specializes in fracture and trauma treatment for children and adults, hand surgery, joint replacement surgery, sports medicine, spine surgery and general orthopedic care. 

Source: Phoenix Orthopedic Consultants          

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