James Andrews (physician)
Encyclopedia
James Rheuben Andrews, M.D., born 1942 in Homer, Louisiana
, is an orthopedic surgeon
who practices at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze
, Florida
. He also practices in Birmingham
, Alabama
at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located at St. Vincent's Medical Center
. Dr. Andrews is arguably the most renowned orthopedic surgeon in his profession for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries. He has also been credited with performing some of the earliest arthroscopies. Some of the most common procedures performed by Andrews are Tommy John Surgery
and the repair of knee damage, and generally he is considered a top specialist in repairing damaged ligaments.
In 1986, Andrews and his partner Larry Lemak, M.D., founded the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center (ASMOC) as well as the American Sports Medicine Institute
(ASMI) in Birmingham. He practiced at ASMOC until 2005 when he moved to St. Vincent's Hospital from the HealthSouth Medical Center. ASMOC and ASMI had had a long lasting relationship with Birmingham-based HealthSouth Corporation and its downtown medical center, where it had been since 1986. His new practice at St. Vincent's Hospital is called Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.
In 2007, Andrews, along with Baptist Health Care, opened the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. This new facility is all-inclusive housing diagnostic imaging, an ambulatory surgery center, an outpatient rehabilitation center, and is home to Athletes' Performance Florida. Andrews also appointed Dr. Lonnie Paulos as the medical director for his research and education division located at the Andrews Institute. The Andrews-Paulos Research & Education Institute focuses on research and education on prevention of injuries in various types of athletics.
on high-profile athletes from a wide array of sports. He created the HealthSouth Sports Medicine Council and was the driving force behind the successful Go For It! Roadshow
. He was also an athlete himself, winning a Southeastern Conference
Championship in polevaulting at Louisiana State University
. Andrews was the subject of an ESPN
.com article that praised his talents and listed some of his notable clients. One excerpt from the magazine stated that "[Andrews] is the alpha doc at the center of a sports-medicine network that extends well beyond doctors. Every athletic trainer, physical therapist, strength-and-conditioning coach in the land seems to have Andrews' cell phone number". "As far as I know he's like the Jay-Z of the rap world. He's the best. He's smooth. He's smooth as butter." remarked Kevin Smith
, Lions running back, on surgeon Dr. James Andrews who performed his ACL reconstruction. He consulted on Tom Brady
after his third knee surgery, Brett Favre
with his shoulder surgery, and most recently worked with Albert Pujols
surgery on his right elbow. He also did a surgical repair of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees
's throwing shoulder when he sustained a 360 tear of the labrum and additional rotator cuff damage. He has also worked with professional wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels
, Triple H
, John Cena
, and Randy Orton
. He also consulted U.S. women's national soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo
on her major shoulder surgery. Dr. Andrews also performed wrist surgery on Kevin Ward of the San Diego Padres before Ward made the big leagues. It was in the minors that Ward injured his left wrist and was advised to give up on his dream of playing pro baseball due to the injury. With help from Dr. Andrews, Kevin Ward had made the majors at 29 years of age.
Andrews serves as the team doctor for Alabama
, Auburn
, and the NFL's Washington Redskins
.
Recently, Allen Iverson
has decided to rehab his right calf rather than have surgery after being examined by Dr. Andrews
Andrews' patients also include Michael Jordan
, Jack Nicklaus
, Emmitt Smith
, Wyatt Stewart, IV, John Smoltz
, Troy Aikman
, Charles Barkley
, Roger Clemens
, Andrei Markov, Bo Jackson
, and Ryan Broyles
among others.
Andrews is respected within sports medicine and his career has enjoyed notable press coverage.
Homer, Louisiana
Homer is present day parish seat of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was named after the Greek poet Homer and was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Frank Vaughn. The present day brick courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style of architecture, is one of only...
, is an orthopedic surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
who practices at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He also practices in Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located at St. Vincent's Medical Center
St. Vincent's Medical Center (Birmingham)
St. Vincent's Birmingham is a hospital located in Birmingham, Alabama. It is one of five facilities that make up St. Vincent's Health System.St...
. Dr. Andrews is arguably the most renowned orthopedic surgeon in his profession for knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries. He has also been credited with performing some of the earliest arthroscopies. Some of the most common procedures performed by Andrews are Tommy John Surgery
Tommy John surgery
Tommy John surgery, known in medical practice as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body...
and the repair of knee damage, and generally he is considered a top specialist in repairing damaged ligaments.
In 1986, Andrews and his partner Larry Lemak, M.D., founded the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center (ASMOC) as well as the American Sports Medicine Institute
American Sports Medicine Institute
American Sports Medicine Institute located in Birmingham, Alabama was founded in 1986 by Dr. James Andrews and Dr. Lawrence Lemak with original funding from HealthSouth Corporation...
(ASMI) in Birmingham. He practiced at ASMOC until 2005 when he moved to St. Vincent's Hospital from the HealthSouth Medical Center. ASMOC and ASMI had had a long lasting relationship with Birmingham-based HealthSouth Corporation and its downtown medical center, where it had been since 1986. His new practice at St. Vincent's Hospital is called Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.
In 2007, Andrews, along with Baptist Health Care, opened the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. This new facility is all-inclusive housing diagnostic imaging, an ambulatory surgery center, an outpatient rehabilitation center, and is home to Athletes' Performance Florida. Andrews also appointed Dr. Lonnie Paulos as the medical director for his research and education division located at the Andrews Institute. The Andrews-Paulos Research & Education Institute focuses on research and education on prevention of injuries in various types of athletics.
Career
Andrews is well known for performing orthopedic surgeryOrthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
on high-profile athletes from a wide array of sports. He created the HealthSouth Sports Medicine Council and was the driving force behind the successful Go For It! Roadshow
Go For It! Roadshow
The Go For It! Roadshow was a health education event for children presented by Birmingham, Alabama-based HealthSouth Corporation from 1995 until 2003. The show featured many celebrity athletes including Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker, and Cory Everson. The Roadshow was overseen by the HealthSouth...
. He was also an athlete himself, winning a Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
Championship in polevaulting at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. Andrews was the subject of an ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.com article that praised his talents and listed some of his notable clients. One excerpt from the magazine stated that "[Andrews] is the alpha doc at the center of a sports-medicine network that extends well beyond doctors. Every athletic trainer, physical therapist, strength-and-conditioning coach in the land seems to have Andrews' cell phone number". "As far as I know he's like the Jay-Z of the rap world. He's the best. He's smooth. He's smooth as butter." remarked Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith (running back)
Kevin Smith is an American football running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Central Florida.-Early years:Smith attended Southridge High School...
, Lions running back, on surgeon Dr. James Andrews who performed his ACL reconstruction. He consulted on Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
after his third knee surgery, Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
with his shoulder surgery, and most recently worked with Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara , better known as Albert Pujols , is a Dominican-American professional baseball player, who is currently a free agent...
surgery on his right elbow. He also did a surgical repair of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
's throwing shoulder when he sustained a 360 tear of the labrum and additional rotator cuff damage. He has also worked with professional wrestlers such as Shawn Michaels
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom , better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American television host and retired professional wrestler. He presents the Outdoor Channel show MacMillan River Adventures, and is currently signed to WWE, where he has served in an ambassadorial role since December...
, Triple H
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque is an American professional wrestler, professional wrestling authority figure, WWE Executive Vice President of Talent and actor, better known by his ring name Triple H, an abbreviation of the ring name, Hunter Hearst Helmsley...
, John Cena
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, rapper, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE as a member of its WWE Raw brand....
, and Randy Orton
Randy Orton
Randal Keith "Randy" Orton is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to WWE wrestling on its SmackDown brand...
. He also consulted U.S. women's national soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo
Hope Solo
Hope Amelia Solo is an American association football goalkeeper. She became a free agent after Women's Professional Soccer terminated the magicJack franchise for which she played in the 2011 season. Solo is the current starting goalkeeper for the United States women's national soccer...
on her major shoulder surgery. Dr. Andrews also performed wrist surgery on Kevin Ward of the San Diego Padres before Ward made the big leagues. It was in the minors that Ward injured his left wrist and was advised to give up on his dream of playing pro baseball due to the injury. With help from Dr. Andrews, Kevin Ward had made the majors at 29 years of age.
Andrews serves as the team doctor for Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
, and the NFL's Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
.
Recently, Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson
Allen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball point guard and shooting guard. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in the 1996–97 season...
has decided to rehab his right calf rather than have surgery after being examined by Dr. Andrews
Andrews' patients also include Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
, Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
, Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, Wyatt Stewart, IV, John Smoltz
John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and active sportscaster. He is best known for his prolific career of more than two decades with the Atlanta Braves, in which he garnered eight All-Star selections and received the Cy Young Award in 1996...
, Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, Charles Barkley
Charles Barkley
Charles Wade Barkley is a former American professional basketball player. Nicknamed "Sir Charles" and "The Round Mound of Rebound", Barkley established himself as one of the National Basketball Association's most dominating power forwards...
, Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, Andrei Markov, Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
, and Ryan Broyles
Ryan Broyles
Ryan Broyles is an American football wide receiver for the Oklahoma Sooners.-Early years:Broyles attended Norman High School. He finished his career with 79 receptions for 1,688 yards and 18 touchdowns on offense and 157 tackles and 20 interceptions on defense.-College career:Broyles was...
among others.
Andrews is respected within sports medicine and his career has enjoyed notable press coverage.