Ryan T. Cordry, D.O.

I chose orthopedics for multiple reasons. One, because I enjoyed the immediate results helping people with orthopedic injuries or ailments specifically with surgical interventions. There is something very satisfying about meeting individuals who are dealing with serious injuries or longstanding joint damage and providing options through surgery. Sometimes these are complicated, detailed, and invasive procedures to offer less pain and improved function. 

Additionally, my father had Multiple Sclerosis and most of my life he was confined to a wheelchair for mobility. My family was always grateful we could get him out and about in a wheelchair but there was sadness to the fact that he could not walk at all. I never really pursued orthopedics with him in mind, but I feel incredible satisfaction when I can help people who are stuck in a wheelchair due to pain and see them get up and walk without pain or disability. I remember praying for his healing when I was a child and never getting to see that come to fruition. I suppose there is a part of me which simply wants to allow people to walk independently as much as possible. 

I never really thought I would be a physician at all until later in my college career, switching from law school and choosing to pursue a career in medicine instead. I entered medical school largely anticipating a career in primary care only to find that I really enjoyed working with my hands, specifically excelling in musculoskeletal anatomy in the gross anatomy lab (despite my relatively “weak stomach” for such things). I began exploring several different surgical specialties when it finally occurred to me the orthopedic surgery residents, attendings, and fellow were “my people” who I enjoyed spending time with and most like-minded. Later in my third year of medical school, I officially began working toward orthopedics residency. I often tell people when answering this question, it was not so much one decision but several smaller decisions I made, just one after the other, which led me here.   One of my favorite Bible verses is “thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105) because it points to the walk I have taken into orthopedic surgery, one that had so many twists and turns I would have never otherwise enjoyed.

I feel most successful when patients receive care from me, surgical or nonsurgical, which allows them to experience less pain and improve their ability to walk or use their shoulder functionally, and turn them loose to return to whatever activities they enjoy doing.  

So many cases stand out to me. I have revised many joints which were causing so many various problems. So many stories. One lady fell at the hospital and broke her ankle along with a severe laceration at the ankle which resulted in an open fracture and near amputation from the injury. I took her to the operating room immediately and was able to not only save her leg from amputation, but she healed completely in just a few weeks. There was another patient who had a longstanding total hip replacement who suddenly felt pain in his hip. He was found to have broken his hip replacement stem just under the neck of the device. He broke the actual implant! I took him in and removed the broken implant (which alone was extremely difficult) and then revised his hip replacement to a new one. He was able to travel to the beach and walk down the aisle in his own wedding just three weeks later. 

Southlake has a great team of general and sub-specialized orthopedic surgeons with excellent reputations, and they all work together in a team-oriented approach to take the best possible care of patients.