Sonu Ahluwalia, MD, board-certified in orthopedics and sports medicine, is clinical chief of orthopedic surgery at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood, Calif., and supervisor of the sports medicine department of the division of orthopedic surgery. Dr. Ahluwalia specializes in knee and hip replacement, minimally invasive techniques, ligament reconstruction, rotator cuff and labral tear repair and orthopedic trauma. He is the host of his own talk show, "All is Well with Dr. Ahluwalia" and lectures internationally. He holds fellowships in shoulder surgery and total joint preservation and replacement from Harvard University.
Here he discusses his passion for the athletic lifestyle, attracting international patients and tailoring care for each individual patient's needs.
Q: Why did you choose to focus on orthopedics and sports medicine?
Dr. Sonu Ahluwalia: I have been an athlete all my life and the idea of taking care of active motivated people and getting them back to their favorite sporting activities appealed to me. I like to say that I don't always save lives but work more on lifestyle.
Q: How has your experience with treating professional athletes affected the way you view sports medicine?
SA: Professional athletes are at the pinnacle of perfection of the body and mind. It is a treat to take care of them. All our accelerated rehab protocols have come out of our experience with them. We often try cutting edge treatments on professional athletes and then if they work, we use them for our patients.
Q: What have you learned during your study of less invasive hip replacement options for older patients?
SA: Surgeries continue to evolve. Over time, our incisions get smaller, the muscles and tendons are spared and these will often help in pain and rehab. That said, though, large scale randomized trials have yet to prove conclusively that there is a substantial difference in the various approaches. I continue to use a minimally invasive approach on my hip replacement patients as I believe it helps my patients tremendously.
Q: What advice do you have for orthopedic surgeons considering ways to attract international patients?
SA: Most patients, but more specifically international patients, depend on the Internet for information. It is important to have a web presence to be on the radar for these patients. That said though, at the end of the day, most patients are fairly savvy and look for the best care in the world.
Q: What do you think is the best strategy for providing patient-centric care?
SA: We go over and above what's customary to cater and custom tailor care to our patient's needs. Each patient has a different set of needs and expectations. It is important to not just recognize but also to do your best to accommodate them.
Q: What advice do you have for orthopedic surgeons just entering the field?
SA: Practice medicine the way you envisioned when you went to medical school. Patients are always first and that is what brings the best out in everyone.
A series of articles featuring orthopedic surgeons on issues ranging from personal background to current research developments is published weekly. We invite all orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists to participate.
If you are interested please email cpallardy@beckershealthcare.com.
More Articles on Sports Medicine:
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10 Orthopedic Surgeons Recently Treating Professional Athletes
Building a Strong Sports Medicine Program & Online Presence From Scratch: Q&A With Dr. David Geier of MUSC Sports Medicine Program