TODD PITTS, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Dr. Pitts is a leading orthopedic surgeon known for his cutting-edge use of robotics in surgery. Fellowship-trained in reconstructive surgery, Dr. Pitts specializes in shoulder, knee and hip replacement and reconstruction. He collaborates closely with family practice physicians and other specialists to provide the best outcomes for patients.
Raised in a small Utah town, Dr. Pitts was passionate about playing soccer and enjoying the outdoors. He graduated from the University of Utah in Exercise and Sport Science. After meeting and marrying his wife, Jessica, they moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Dr. Pitts attended medical school at The Medical College of Wisconsin.
He then completed a 5-year Orthopedic Surgery Residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, where he worked with the foremost educators in orthopedics. He operated shoulder-to-shoulder with the doctors who literally wrote the books on fractures, pediatric orthopedics, the shoulder, and just about every one of the texts used to teach orthopedic medicine.
While completing a Fellowship in adult knee, hip, and shoulder replacement and reconstruction at the CORE Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, he focused on learning cutting-edge techniques using robotics. As one of the first robotics fellows of this kind, Dr. Pitts has been at the forefront of this exciting new technological advancement in orthopedic medicine since its inception. In 2016, the SCA approved the first robotic knee surgery, and Dr. Pitts was one of the surgeons in the operating room.
We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Pitts to Summit Brain, Spine, and Orthopedics.
Read more about Dr. Pitts
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When a joint replacement is required, positioning the implant is an extremely precise procedure. There are many different degrees of how the implant should be placed into your body. With so many degrees of freedom rotating around all axis points, finding the right position for the implant is crucial. However, statistics show that around 50% of the time, the implant is not placed where the surgeon thought it was positioned. Yet, with surgical robotic technology, surgeons get implant placement right on the money 92% of the time. As a result, the healing experience is better, faster, and far less uncomfortable.
When a surgeon is in the process of a joint replacement, what looks to the human eye like a 45-degree angle may not quite match the precise angle. Sometimes the eye doesn’t catch the difference. But with robotic technology, Dr. Pitts can accurately analyze the precise angle and make adjustments as small as a millimeter, which can make all the difference. The robotics make sure your new implant is placed with exactness.
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Do you need a knee replacement? Consider how many variables there are in the human knee. It has so many angles of freedom when working properly. This makes the idea of “exactness” all the more important in a knee replacement procedure. The problem is, the implant size is based on the “average” person, whether you are 4’ 11” or 6’ 2’’. That’s a lot of room for error. To make sure the implant fits properly, a precise amount of bone has to be cut to fit the implant. But as you can imagine, there’s a big difference between the amount of bone cutting required for a shorter person as compared to a taller person.
With robotics, there is no guesswork. The technology inside the robotic device helps Dr. Pitts measure with exactness before the procedure and again during the procedure to double-check that everything is placed as perfectly as possible. This allows him the peace of mind of a “measure twice, cut once” mentality made possible only through the advanced technology of orthopedic robotics.
Since his very first robotic replacement, Dr. Pitts has never had to adjust his work after the procedure. The robotics allow him to make smaller incisions and conserve bone. In fact, the robotics won’t let him take away more bone than he’s planning to. So, if he’s being human and feeling tired one day during surgery, the robotics remove the possibility for human error. And even though he may be short on sleep, he knows the procedure will be as perfect as possible.
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Dr. Pitts played on the men’s NCAA soccer team in his early college years. He and his wife Jessica have four girls who are the center of their world. After having lived all over the country, they are happy to be in Utah again. They enjoy playing soccer and spending time in the mountains together.
Patient Stories
Dr. Pitts and the Summit team of doctors have helped thousands of patients recover from debilitating conditions and get their lives back. Read some of their stories here:
