Meet Dr. Harris

Dr. Harris grew up in Boca Raton, Florida with a twin and a younger brother. Both of his parents are engineers. He found his way to joint replacement during his medical training, when he saw what modern techniques can accomplish. He saw patients who had lived with daily pain return to normal activity, often moving and sleeping without thinking about the joint at all. Hip replacement has been called “the operation of the century”, and knee replacement is among the most effective treatments for advanced knee arthritis. The chance to make that kind of difference in patients' lives is what drew him to it.

His path to becoming an orthopaedic surgeon began at the University of Florida, where he earned his undergraduate degree in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, before attending the University of Florida College of Medicine for his M.D. There, he graduated near the top of his class, and received the C. Craig Tischer, M.D. Faculty Award for Research, given to one graduating student each year, for work on improving outcomes after orthopaedic surgery.

He completed his residency in orthopaedic surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. His program director selected him as Education Chief Resident, responsible for the teaching curriculum followed by every resident in the program. He also served as the program’s representative to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Resident Assembly. Residents from programs across the country then elected him to its Executive Committee.

He went on to fellowship training in hip and knee replacement at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, regarded by many as one of the top institutions in the world for training orthopaedic surgeons. His fellowship covered all aspects of hip and knee replacement, including complex primary and revision joint replacement. That included patients with unusual anatomy, previous surgery, or bone loss, and joint replacements that had worn out, loosened, or become infected. He is Board Eligible with the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Research is a major interest alongside caring for patients. He has authored more than 100 publications and presentations in orthopaedic surgery, and reviews for several journals. His work is presented regularly at national and international meetings.

He has also volunteered with Operation Walk, traveling to Ecuador to perform hip and knee replacements at no cost for patients who would otherwise have no access to them.

Away from the hospital, Dr. Harris lives in Chicago with his wife, a Chicago native.