Residents of Southeastern Wisconsin are fortunate to have access to a renowned orthopedic surgeon who has performed hip and knee replacements on celebrities, politicians, and elite athletes. Richard Berger, M.D., a pioneering hip and knee replacement surgeon at Rush University Medical Center, is known for his minimally invasive, outpatient procedures. Dr. Berger, who performs surgeries at North Shore Surgical Suites, Pleasant Prairie, WI, has a reputation for performing hip and knee replacement on elite athletes and celebrities. An article in the Chicago Tribune indicates that retired New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning, actor John Slattery of “Mad Men,” and even former U.S. President George W. Bush have had joint-replacement surgery from Dr. Berger.
However, Dr. Berger modestly admits that he and his proficient medical team give the same undivided attention and concierge approach to every patient. “I get the most satisfaction from helping a teacher return to her classroom and a carpenter continue building houses,” Dr. Berger admits. “In their post-surgery visits, my patients often thank me for giving them their lives back.”
Meet Debbie Lurie, an avid golfer and Milwaukee artist/designer whose knee replacement was performed by Dr. Berger in May of 2021. Within three weeks of surgery, Lurie was back on the putting green; within five weeks, she was playing 18 holes. “My friends couldn’t believe that I was playing that soon,” Lurie admits. “Dr. Berger’s minimally invasive procedure had me walking out the door after surgery and now I am playing golf better than I have in years.”
Dr. Berger’s innovative surgical techniques, which are performed in an outpatient setting, emanate from his unique background — he has a mechanical engineering undergraduate degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). What makes Dr. Berger’s minimally invasive procedures so novel is that they eliminate the need to cut muscle, ligaments, or tendons, thus allowing for a faster and more complete recovery. To date, he has performed more than 20,000 outpatient hip and knee replacements, more than any other surgeon in the country.