Im going to need surgery to repair 2 torn tendons in my ankle that tore as a result of an injury last year. I am looking for a doctor who takes my insurance - empire bcbs epo and so far only came up with dr John G Kennedy, but I cannot seem to get any information about him? Did anyone here use him, or have any sort of feedback . Id really appreciate the help!!
thanx

I do not know him. I recommend a doctor who is an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon. That means an orthopedic surgeon who had extra training specifically in one part of the body. A little research showed me that a doctor named Shepard H. Splain located in Brooklyn is supposedly a foot and ankle surgeon who takes your insurance. You could call him and see if my information is accurate, though I have no personal experience with this person.

Kennedy is supposed to be good and does specialize in foot/ankles and your surgery would be done at HSS, hard to get much better than that.

I had an appt with him but cancelled it after I met with my OS out here on Long Island.

Good luck! Just make sure whoever you choose that you are comfortable with them. I saw a few great OS's before I met mine and while they all came highly recommended and were all more than capable, the one I chose was all that and someone who I felt super comfortable with, and trust.

Ah, he's at HSS? It is indeed tough to beat that, I get their newsletter and they were just bragging that they won some award for being the best orthopedic hospital in the country.

See who's able to see you, go there, see what the surgeon has to say. Trust is indeed an important part of it, as well as willingness to explain as much as you need. You want a guy who sounds confident, but not someone who's making totally unrealistic promises, like, you'll be playing soccer in a week, or nothing could possibly go wrong.

my pod is dr gelwert in manhattan; well written up re:sports injuries. a friend of mine uses beth israel for orthopedic care; not sure exact name.
good luck

Thanks to everyone for posting a reply!!
I have met dr. kennedy at hss and he seems skilled, but the reason i'm nervous is because when I called the doctor I had been seeing until now(the top in his field, doesn't take any insurance etc..)his secretary said that he knows dr. Kennedy and doesn't think he recommends to him, he was out of town and I should wait till he comes back to ask him before I make an appointment with dr. Kennedy. THIS scared me off A LOT!!Can it just be in-field politics or is it possible that I should steer clear of dr. kennedy ?
Any advice?????

Did you ask whom he would recommend? It may be that he doesn't recommend anyone as a matter of course....not that he just that he doesn't this one doctor. Or he may be in a loose knit group that refer each other.

He does recommend Dr martin O Malley or Dr Deland both also at HSS. I did see O Malley who doesnt take any insurance at all and he said pretty much the same thing as Dr. Kennedy but O Malley made it seem that the surgery is a walk in the park, and Kennedy made the recovery sound much more serious.

See if you can get some references from him....sounds like he knows what he is doing. Also, go online and check his CV (Curriculum Vitae - it's like a resume). See where he's been, where's he's studied, who he's worked under, what journals he publishes in, etc.

thanx!! I did the research you suggested and Im pretty satisfied that I will choose Dr. Kennedy. I actually have another appointment with him tomorow to discuss more specifics since I set up a tentative surgery date for Aug. 11.
Im totally nervous for this "lateral ligament reconstruction " surgery and Im hoping that the doctor will be able to give me a clearer picture of what to expect as far as downtime is concerned.
thanx again for your help.
Ill probably post another thread If/when I do go ahead with this surgery.

Please do. Good luck!