Dr. Kris Alden Joined The Steadman Clinic’s Surgical Staff on July 1
08 Julio 2024 - 1:37PM
Orthopaedic surgeon Kris Alden, M.D., Ph.D., who specializes in
joint replacement surgery and treating hip and knee arthritis and
related disorders, joined The Steadman Clinic surgical staff on
July 1. Dr. Alden’s medical background includes education and
training at prominent medical institutions including Mayo Clinic
and Johns Hopkins University. He joins the team from the Fort
Myers, Florida, area, where he practiced after many years serving
in his native Chicago region.
Dr. Alden will be seeing patients at the clinics located in the
Steadman Philippon Orthopaedic Center in Basalt and Aspen Valley
Hospital.
“Bringing an outstanding hip and knee specialist such as Dr.
Alden into our roster continues to strengthen our team of surgeons
here at The Steadman Clinic,” said Marc Philippon, M.D., managing
partner of The Steadman Clinic and chair of Steadman Philippon
Research Institute (SPRI). “Dr. Alden provides us with an
outstanding hip and knee surgeon in Aspen and Basalt and adds
significant expertise and experience to our talented group of
surgeons and doctors there.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Kris Alden to our community,”
said Dave Ressler, CEO at Aspen Valley Hospital. “Dr. Alden’s
extensive expertise in comprehensive hip and knee care, combined
with his commitment to patient-centered care, will significantly
enhance our ability to provide top-tier orthopaedic services. His
innovative approach and dedication to restoring patients’ mobility
align well with our mission to deliver extraordinary healthcare. We
look forward to the positive impact he will bring to our
community.”
Dr. Alden’s emphasis on patient care makes him a perfect fit.
“When I first talked to the physicians at Steadman, I was extremely
impressed with not only the clinical expertise of the group, but
also their overall dedication to outstanding patient care,” said
Dr. Alden. “The extremely high caliber of orthopaedic care that
they offer to patients is something that I strongly believe in and
want to be a part of.”
Dr. Alden’s background includes training at a number of very
prestigious and respected universities and clinics. A graduate of
the University of Chicago, he later completed a highly competitive
dual degree program in which he received his M.D. and Ph.D.
(biophysics) concurrently at the University of Illinois at
Chicago.
Following medical school, Dr. Alden trained in orthopaedic
surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. During his
final year of residency at Johns Hopkins, he served as chief
resident. Upon completion of his residency, he began his fellowship
in hip and knee reconstruction surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota. As a fellow-in-training at Mayo Clinic, he worked with
some of the best surgeons worldwide in the latest approaches to hip
and knee replacement, minimally invasive surgery and complex
revision hip and knee replacements.
Years of an academic and private practice followed near his
suburban Chicago hometown of Hinsdale, Illinois, after which he
moved to southwest Florida to live and work near his retired
parents.
“I was in the Chicago area for school and work for most of my
life and really wanted to try something new. My parents were my
focus and, like a lot of Chicagoans, they had retired to Florida.
They needed some help healthwise, so that's why I moved down there
for the last several years.”
The opportunity to move to The Steadman Clinic was a prospect
that Dr. Alden could not turn down.
Dr. Alden’s surgical skills and approach to his practice
complement The Steadman Clinic’s mission and philosophy. With a
particular interest in using innovative techniques, he strives to
achieve the best results for active patients with hip and knee
arthritis, offering both non-surgical and surgical treatments to
resolve pain and restore function.
“I believe that life is about movement, mobility and fitness,”
said Dr. Alden. “And a sedentary lifestyle can lead to multiple
detrimental health implications. I love what we are able to
accomplish with hip and knee replacement procedures because that
enables people to become more active and get back to doing the
activities that they enjoy, which is what life is about.”
Dr. Alden is also known for his customization techniques in knee
replacement surgeries.
“I found that customizing the surgery, tailoring it to each
individual patient, is an effective way to help them achieve their
recovery goals,” said Dr. Alden. “Patient-specific instrumentation
is a mechanism that we can basically customize the total knee to
fit each patient individually and adjust for their sizes, anatomic
dimensions and deformity so we can correct it in an optimal
way”.
“Hip and knee replacement is one of the most successful
procedures in all of medicine,” continued Dr. Alden. “There are
obviously a lot of ways to achieve the desired outcome, but I
happen to really believe in this technology and the rapid recovery
associated with newer techniques in hip and knee replacements. I
think it's a fabulous way to offer patients a rapid recovery and a
relatively simple way to achieve their overall mobility goals and
rehabilitation.”
Dr. Alden also looks forward to working side-by-side with the
doctors and researchers at SPRI as he makes the move to the Roaring
Fork Valley.
“I did my Ph.D. in biophysics and I've always enjoyed research,”
noted Dr. Alden. “I think it's a way to help advance the field of
orthopaedics by answering questions and doing clinical trials.
Having access to a world-class research facility is just a
phenomenal part of the position at The Steadman Clinic and I'm
thrilled to be a part of it.”
For further information, contact Lynda Sampson, vice president
of external affairs at The Steadman Clinic/SPRI
(lsampson@sprivail.org).
- Pictured: Kris Alden, M.D., Ph.D.
Lynda Sampson
The Steadman Clinic
970-479-1563
lsampson@sprivail.org