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Orthopedics Program Overview

The Columbia University Division of Orthopedics at Mount Sinai Medical Center is home to a team of expertly trained specialists whose treatments improve the quality of life for thousands of patients. Our orthopedists trained at some of the most prestigious academic medical centers in the nation. Now, they bring that expertise to Mount Sinai, where they use the most advanced technologies and innovative approaches to treat our diverse patients. From relieving arthritis pain to healing sports injuries, Mount Sinai’s orthopedics team offers a wide array of treatment options, ensuring you receive care that is personalized to your needs.

A Comprehensive and Innovative Approach

Our orthopedics department stands apart from other local and regional programs for a number of reasons:

  • We’re the only Ivy League affiliated orthopedics program in South Florida, which gives our patients access to the most up-to-date, evidence-based care and treatment options available.
  • Our foot and ankle specialists treat all foot and ankle conditions (deformities, arthritis, injuries) with the use of the most cutting-edge technologies, including revolutionary minimally invasive surgery, total ankle replacements, and arthroscopy.
  • We’re one of a few centers in the nation to offer a limb lengthening, limb deformity, and joint preservation program that seeks to restore the normal anatomy of a patient’s legs while preventing hip, knee, and ankle arthritis. Patients in our special program can also access aesthetic limb lengthening.
  • We are proud to be among a few programs in the state to offer minimally invasive joint replacement surgery, anterior total hip replacements, and robotic joint replacement surgery.
  • Our upper-extremity team diagnoses and treats nearly every condition affecting the shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand, from congenital issues and degeneration, to overuse and trauma.
  • From novice athletes to professionals, patients in our sports injury program find effective treatment of sports-related injuries and overuse conditions that affect men and women of all ages.
  • We have state-of-the-art surgical suites equipped with the latest technology, including intra-operative computerized 3D image-guided capabilities, and the most advanced instruments for minimally invasive procedures.

Emergency Orthopedic Surgery

The orthopedic emergency team at Mount Sinai works 24 hours a day to provide care for people who experience a traumatic accident or injury. Our orthopedic surgeons provide treatment for fractures, nerve and tendon injuries, and dislocations, among other orthopedic injuries. In addition, our surgeons have gained reputations as leaders in minimally invasive procedures for highly specialized reconstructive surgeries.

Mount Sinai’s emergency orthopedic treatments include:

  • Acute and subacute fractures
  • Complicated fractures, including those to the pelvis, hip, and joint, as well as multiple extremity fractures and fracture dislocations
  • Non-healing fractures
  • Complex orthopedic reconstruction or osteomyelitis
  • Minimally invasive procedures to insert and anchor plates – resulting in less scarring, faster healing, and fewer complications
  • Minimally invasive hand and shoulder procedures using the latest micro-surgical techniques

Advantages of Minimally Invasive Orthopedic Surgery

The Columbia University Division of Orthopedics at Mount Sinai is recognized for excellence in minimally invasive orthopedic surgery, where patients enjoy a number of benefits compared to open surgery, including:

  • Fewer small cuts instead of a large incision
  • Less trauma to the muscles, nerves, and tissues
  • Less bleeding
  • Less scarring
  • Less trauma to organs
  • Less pain and less need for narcotics
  • Less time in the hospital
  • Less risk of infection

Here, our doctors constantly grow, learn, and refine their skills. As a result of this nurturing atmosphere, our skilled orthopedic surgeons have proven themselves to be leaders in the field, involved in pioneering new techniques, working with companies to design medical devices and advanced technology, conducting research, and training other surgeons from around the nation and the world.

Our Physicians

Ettore Vulcano, MD

Chief, Division of Orthopedic Surgery

Director, Foot and Ankle Surgery

Associate Professor at the Columbia University Division of Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center

  • Orthopedics
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Joint Replacement
  • Foot and Ankle Surgery

Karim Sabeh, MD

Director, Adult Reconstruction and Arthroplasty

Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Columbia University Division of Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center

  • Orthopedics
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Hip & Knee

Stephanie S. Shim, MD

Director, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery

Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Division of Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center

  • Orthopedics
  • Hand Surgery
  • Orthopedic Surgery

Danica D. Vance, MD

Director, Sports Medicine

Assistant Professor at the Columbia University Division of Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai Medical Center

  • Orthopedics
  • Sports Medicine
  • Orthopedic Surgery
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