Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists welcomes Dr. Kevin A. Kopko
Dr. Kevin Kopko is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacement surgery.
He earned his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine and completed an orthopedic residency at Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, NY. Dr. Kopko has completed a fellowship in joint replacement surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, part of the Harvard combined orthopedic surgery program, in Boston, MA.
Dr. Kopko is skilled in primary and revision joint replacements of the hip and knee, fracture care, orthopedic trauma surgery, and nonoperative management of osteoarthritis.
As a Syracuse University graduate and former member of the Orange football team, Dr. Kopko is very excited to come back to Central New York with his wife, a Camillus native, and children. He looks forward to providing high quality care by working with his patients to provide the best surgical outcomes possible.
Q&A with Joint Replacement Surgeon Dr. Kevin A. Kopko
Q: HOW DID YOU GET INTO YOUR FIELD, AND YOUR SPECIALTY?
Being a doctor was something I always wanted to be since I was a very young child. After seeing my grandfather undergo a coronary artery bypass grafting, there was no other career that interested me.
I became drawn to Orthopedics due to my bioengineering background. Many of the central tenants to Orthopedics have backgrounds in engineering principles and I was able to start my career as a surgeon building off that background.
I became interested in joint replacement because it made me feel like I could truly make a difference in my patients' lives. Throughout my training, I've seen people undergo surgery and see a dramatic improvement in quality of life, function, and pain levels. To me, performing a surgery is just part of the process, but seeing the outcome really completes the journey.
Q: WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY OF CARE?
I want my patients to feel like I am treating them like human beings and truly listening to their questions and concerns. Joint replacement is an elective surgery, so I want to make sure I do everything possible to make patients comfortable with their decision, understand the recovery process, and maximize their outcomes.
Q: WHAT DIFFERENTIATES YOUR CARE FROM OTHER JOINT REPLACEMENT SURGEONS?
I have a degree in biomedical engineering, so I have a particular interest in new developments in my field. I feel like I can use those skills to analyze anything new on the market and decide if it will truly improve patient care.
My research interests are in blood conservation, early recovery/rehabilitation, and peri-operative medical optimization.
Q: ARE THERE ANY PROCEDURES/ NEW TECHNOLOGY YOU DO/USE THAT ARE UNIQUE/NEW?
I am most excited about the new ACL Retaining total knee. I think in the right patient it may offer the most stable, natural range of motion and sensation for a knee replacement. I believe robotic /navigated surgery and custom implants can be helpful for patient with prior injuries or congenital abnormalities that can make a surgery more challenging.
Further Information about Dr. Kopko
Hometown: Perkiomenville, PA
Hobbies: Spending time with friends and family, football, skiing, fishing, grilling, cheering on SU sports teams