How to Choose a Hip or Knee Replacement Surgeon

Why the surgeon matters more than the implant

Most patients choosing a joint replacement surgeon for the first time aren’t sure what to ask. The implant matters less than you’d expect — modern hip and knee implants are excellent across the board. What varies, and what drives your recovery, your pain, and how long the replacement lasts, is the surgeon’s training, focus, and technique. The criteria below are the ones experienced patients and referring physicians actually use. Use them to evaluate any surgeon you’re considering.

What to look for in a hip or knee replacement surgeon

• Fellowship training in joint replacement. Beyond a five-year residency, an additional fellowship year focused specifically on adult hip and knee reconstruction means concentrated preparation in the exact surgery you need — not general orthopedics.
• Board certification. Confirms the surgeon has met rigorous national standards and stays current through ongoing examination and review.
• A practice focused on hip and knee replacement. A surgeon who concentrates on joint replacement, rather than splitting attention across sports medicine, trauma, and spine, brings focused, repeated experience to your procedure.
• Modern, muscle-sparing technique. The direct anterior approach to the hip works between muscles rather than cutting through them, and robotic-assisted planning improves implant positioning — both linked to faster early recovery.
• A clear plan for pain, with fewer narcotics. Modern protocols control pain while minimizing addictive opioids, and increasingly allow same-day surgery so you recover at home.
• A record you can verify. Look for expertise recognized beyond the surgeon’s own website — through research, teaching, and independent recognition.

How Dr. Dattilo measures up

Dr. Dattilo is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who focuses specifically on hip and knee replacement. He completed fellowship training in adult hip and knee reconstruction at the Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute — one of the most respected joint replacement centers in the country — after medical school at Johns Hopkins and residency at the University of Pennsylvania.

He performs the direct anterior approach for hip replacement, including a bikini-line incision option, and robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement. He offers outpatient, same-day joint replacement for appropriate candidates and uses opioid-sparing pain protocols. He has authored 45+ peer-reviewed publications and was named by Becker’s ASC Review among the “10 Total Joint ASC Physicians to Know.”

Questions to ask any surgeon you’re considering

• Are you board-certified and fellowship-trained in joint replacement?
• Does your practice focus specifically on hip and knee replacement?
• What surgical approach do you use, and why is it right for me?
• Am I a candidate for same-day or outpatient surgery?
• What is your plan to control my pain while minimizing narcotics?
• How will my recovery and physical therapy be managed?

The techniques Dr. Dattilo offers

Matching a surgeon’s technique to your needs matters. Learn more on each procedure page:

• Direct anterior hip replacement — a muscle-sparing approach from the front of the hip.
• Bikini-line anterior hip replacement — the anterior approach through a discreet, lower incision.
• Total, partial & robotic-assisted knee replacement — matched to your arthritis pattern.
• Outpatient (same-day) joint replacement — recover at home the same day when you’re a candidate.
• Narcotic-free pain management — effective pain control that minimizes opioids.
• Revision hip & knee replacement — correction of prior replacements that have failed or worn.
• Non-surgical arthritis treatment — options to try before surgery is considered.

Dr. Dattilo sees patients at four Tampa Bay locations — St. Petersburg, Largo, Palm Harbor, and Sarasota. Learn more about Dr. Dattilo ›

Frequently asked questions