Medical Memoirs

Lakeland Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. Stuart Patterson Stays on the Cutting Edge of His Field

- 

MORE THAN THREE DECADES since beginning practice, Dr. Stuart Patterson has gotten the upper hand on what it takes to be one of the most successful and sought out orthopedic surgery specialists in Polk County and Florida.

Since September 1991, Patterson has helped between 2,000 and 2,500 new patients per year adjust and fix problems with bones, joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. Although he has about seen it all, Patterson says he still finds his career to be inspiring.

From his Lakeland office, Patterson, 62, takes some time to reflect back on an orthopedic career that was born near the shores of South Africa and into England, Canada and into the United States. Taking some time out in his office breakroom, he says he is demanding in the quality of his work and has “always tried to do the best I can” by surrounding himself with “the best people.”

“I’ve never regretted the paths I’ve taken. In life, what starts as a career can become your life because of you kind of live it 24-7. But I’ve enjoyed it.”

In his Central Florida Orthopedic Surgery Associates office in Lakeland, Patterson works with a staff of about 13 and nurse practitioner Kelly Kreiger to keep patients treated and on the mend.