James Andrews (physician)

James Andrews (born May 2, 1942) is retired American orthopedic surgeon. He is a surgeon for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries[1][2][3] and is a specialist in repairing damaged ligaments. Practicing in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Andrews has become one of the best-known and most popular orthopedic surgeons and has performed on many high-profile athletes. He also is the team doctor for the Tampa Bay Rays, Auburn Tigers, and Washington Commanders.

James Andrews
Andrews in 2019
Born (1942-05-02) May 2, 1942 (age 82)
EducationLouisiana State University (B.S., M.D.)
OccupationOrthopedic surgeon
Known forAndrews Institute
Andrews Research & Education Foundation
Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center
American Sports Medicine Institute
Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center
SpouseJenelle Andrews
Children6

Career and education

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Andrews received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Louisiana State University, where he was an athlete, winning a Southeastern Conference Championship in polevaulting. He completed his residency at Tulane Medical School and completed fellowships at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Lyon.[citation needed]

Andrews is known for performing orthopedic surgery on high-profile athletes from a wide array of sports.[4]

Andrews has co-founded or chaired multiple research bodies and medical centers, including the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama, the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI), the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Florida, and the Andrews Research and Education Foundation.[5] He created the HealthSouth Sports Medicine Council and was behind the Go For It! Roadshow.[citation needed] He serves on the medical advisory board for Tenex Health, Inc., a medical device company that manufactures and markets the Tenex Health TX System for the treatment of chronic tendon and fascia pain.[6] In 2023, Andrews announced his retirement.[7]

2018 Malpractice lawsuit

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In November 2018, retired defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd filed a $180 million medical malpractice lawsuit against Andrews for causing him debilitating muscle and nerve damage after performing an unpermitted knee surgery on him in September 2016.[8]

2023 Malpractice lawsuit

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In May 2023, it was announced that attorneys on behalf of offensive tackle Taylor Lewan had filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against Andrews over an October 2020 surgery Andrews performed to repair Lewan's torn right ACL.[9]

Notable patients

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Andrews has performed surgery on many high-profile athletes. He first became known among athletes when Roger Clemens's agent advised the pitcher to visit Andrews in 1985.[10] Andrews provided a second opinion to team doctors, performed a successful surgery on a torn labrum, and Clemens made a full recovery. Andrews would gain a reputation as an "athlete-centric" doctor, operating on athletes including Drew Brees, Bo Jackson, Michael Jordan, Jack Nicklaus, John Smoltz, Triple H, Brett Favre, Chris Godwin, Chase Young, Marcus Lattimore, and Adrian Peterson.[10] Unusually, he has treated two baseball players with the same name, Brady Feigl. Both had the same injury and have a similar appearance, among other coincidental similarities.[11]

References

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  1. ^ Jervey, Gay (September 1, 2005). "The Secret Capitals of Small Business". Fortune / CNN. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
  2. ^ "Dr. James Andrews: Lessons for the Public From a Leading Pioneer". Shoulder1 Heros. Shoulder1. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
  3. ^ Anderson, Steve (2002). "Blading for real: Dr. James Andrews—the surgeon to the superstars—talks about how he puts all your favorite wrestlers back together again". Wrestling Digest. Archived from the original on September 22, 2007. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
  4. ^ Helyar, John (September 20, 2007). "Andrews still surgeon to the sports stars". ESPN. Retrieved October 13, 2007.
  5. ^ "James Andrews AL | Orthopaedic Surgeon | Sports Physician". www.andrewssportsmedicine.com. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  6. ^ "Medical Advisory Board – Tenex Health".
  7. ^ Spencer, Steve. "After Over 50 Years in Medicine, Andrews Turns Over the Reins". BirminghamMedicalNews.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  8. ^ McCann, Michael (November 6, 2018). "A Deep Dive Into Sharrif Floyd's $180 Million Lawsuit Against Dr. James Andrews". SI.com. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  9. ^ "Taylor Lewan sues Dr. James Andrews over ACL repair". ESPN.com. May 4, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  10. ^ a b "Will Dr. James Andrews fix my kickball injury?". SBNation.com. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
  11. ^ Herz, Jane (January 11, 2023). "We're identical strangers with the same name and job". New York Post. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
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