Thomas J. Welle, D.O.

I believe that when a patient sees an orthopedic physician, the patient can obtain the best possible results if the patient has a realistic, sensible perspective and understands the need for patient personal responsibility to act on the information received and to diligently do the exercises and treatment prescribed.

I enjoy educating my patients and providing to them handout information in non-medical jargon. For many musculoskeletal problems, my philosophy is to emphasize the use of non-surgical measures and to wait for healing before considering surgery. Many muscle, tendon, joint and bone (non-emergency) problems are "self limited." This means that there is no irreversible harm that will be done by waiting -- if the problem worsens later, it would have worsened later anyway.

I have found that patients benefit from obtaining a diagnosis and non-surgical treatment by a non-surgeon physician (such as primary, physiatrist, sports medicine or rheumatologist) before presenting their problem for consideration from a surgeon. These non-surgical physicians will use the many necessary non-surgical methods that should be tried before considering surgery.

My surgical approach emphasizes three aspects: multi-modal pain control (coordinating anesthesia/anesthesiologist techniques before and during the operation -- as well as multi-modal pain control techniques post-operatively), reduced tissue trauma surgical techniques (known also as minimally invasive surgery), and patient responsibility (recognition that the after surgery care is just as important as what occurs in the operating room).

Having been the team physician for U.C. Santa Cruz and Cabrillo College for many years, I emphasize a "sports medicine" approach for recovery to all of my patients.

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