by Emily Stembridge
Shaan Patel, MD, has joined Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH) as an assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery specializing in hand and upper extremities. Patel will be the only full-time hand surgeon dedicated to VWCH.
“I’m looking forward to supplying Wilson County with a full-time shoulder to hand specialist and creating great relationships with my clinical staff, orthopaedic partners, other health care professionals and the Wilson County community,” Patel said.
“I understand health care accessibility issues in rural areas because I grew up in rural Alabama, and I’m excited to make hand and upper extremity care more accessible in Wilson County.”
Patel completed his medical training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his orthopaedic surgery residency at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute through the University of South Florida. He completed a hand and upper extremity fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic and MetroHealth Medical Center in 2021 before embarking on a journey to Sydney, Australia, to complete a shoulder and elbow fellowship at the Sydney Shoulder Research Institute.
Patel’s main clinical interests are treating rotator cuff tears, tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, ligament injuries, arthritis and instability.
He also performs shoulder arthroscopy, elbow arthroscopy, wrist arthroscopy, shoulder replacements and elbow replacements.
His primary research interest is analyzing patient outcomes from various upper extremity operative and non-operative treatments.
In his free time, Patel enjoys traveling, playing guitar and piano, and running races. As a first-generation immigrant, Patel says he learned the values of work ethic, dependability, diligence to his craft and eagerness to learn from a young age, and he looks forward to instilling these values in his practice at VWCH.
“Dr. Patel will be a great asset to the people of Wilson County and the surrounding areas,” said Douglas Weikert, MD, associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and chief of the Division of Hand and Upper Extremities. “His practice will encompass the care of all types of arm and hand issues from the clavicle to the fingertip. We are fortunate and excited to have him as our upper extremity anchor in Wilson County.”