How to Choose a Joint Replacement Surgeon

Name: How to Choose a Joint Replacement Surgeon
Creator: Dr. Chetan M. Dojode

Choosing who replaces your joint is a decision most people make once, with little basis for comparison and considerable pressure to decide quickly. This page sets out what is actually worth asking — including questions that may lead you to a different surgeon.

Marketing rarely helps. Volume claims, awards and celebrity endorsements are not regulated and cannot be verified. What can be verified is training, registration, and whether a surgeon submits their results to an independent registry. Those are the things worth asking about.

Ask what specific training the surgeon has in the operation you need, and whether joint replacement is a routine part of their practice or an occasional one. Ask which implant they intend to use and why that one — a considered answer will reference the implant’s registry performance rather than simply its brand. Ask what happens if something goes wrong, and who you will see at follow-up.

Ask, too, whether the operation is genuinely necessary now, and what would happen if you waited a year. A surgeon comfortable discussing the case for not operating is generally a surgeon worth trusting when they do recommend surgery.

Questions worth asking any joint replacement surgeon

Training	What specific training do you have in this operation? Where, and for how long?
Registration	Are you on a specialist register? Which one, and can it be verified independently?
Registry data	Are your joint replacement results submitted to an independent joint registry?
Implant choice	Which implant will you use, and what is its registry track record?
Alternatives	What happens if I wait a year? What non-surgical options remain?
Follow-up	Who will I see afterwards, and for how long will the joint be monitored?
Complications	What are the specific risks in my case, and what happens if one occurs?

Why registry participation matters

A joint registry records every replacement submitted and tracks how long each implant lasts before requiring revision. It is the only mechanism by which a surgeon’s results and an implant’s performance are measured independently rather than self-reported. Registries are the reason several poorly performing implants were withdrawn worldwide — problems identified from pooled data long before any individual surgeon would have noticed them. A surgeon whose practice has been subject to registry audit has worked under external scrutiny of their outcomes.

Practice across two health systems

Dr. Chetan M. Dojode has operated in both the United Kingdom and India. His UK joint replacement practice is recorded on the National Joint Registry (NJR) — the world’s largest independent registry of joint replacement outcomes, which tracks implant survival and revision rates for every procedure submitted. That same registry-audited discipline — implant selection, alignment targets and structured follow-up — is applied to every joint replacement he performs in Bengaluru.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I look for in a joint replacement surgeon?

Verifiable specialist training in the specific operation, current specialist registration, joint replacement forming a routine rather than occasional part of their practice, participation in an independent registry, a clear implant rationale, and a defined follow-up arrangement. Willingness to discuss not operating is also a good sign.

Do surgical volume numbers mean a surgeon is better?

Volume claims in advertising are unverified and unregulated, and a raw number says nothing about case complexity or outcomes. Experience genuinely matters, but it is better assessed through training, subspecialty focus and registry participation than through a figure on a website.

What is a joint registry and why does it matter?

A joint registry is an independent database recording every joint replacement submitted and tracking when implants require revision. It provides objective outcome data rather than self-reported claims, and has historically identified failing implant designs far earlier than individual surgeons could. The UK National Joint Registry is the largest of its kind.

Should I choose a surgeon based on the hospital?

The hospital matters for facilities, infection control, anaesthetic support and intensive care backup, all of which are relevant if a complication occurs. But the surgeon performing the operation matters more for the technical result. Consider both, and weight the surgeon more heavily.

Is it reasonable to ask a surgeon these questions?

Entirely. A surgeon who is comfortable being asked about training, implant choice and outcomes is demonstrating exactly the transparency you want. Discomfort at reasonable questions is itself informative.