Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, MD

Dr. Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle has been fully devoted to orthopedic surgery since 1993. He is an expert in reconstructive surgery of the hip and knee, including joint reserving procedures (osteotomies and arthroscopy), as well as hip and knee replacement surgery. He has surgically treated over 5,000 patients with numerous hip and knee conditions ranging from straightforward procedures to complex revision surgery of hip and knee replacements. He has received the Patients' Choice Award from Vitals.com for being one of New York's favorite physicians yearly since 2008.

Dr. Gonzalez Della Valle is aware of his patients’ wide range of expectations for function and activity following surgery. "Patients undergoing joint replacement surgery today are not the same as those who underwent surgery 20 years ago," he says. "Today, the enthusiastic baby boomers, post-baby boomers and young patients who receive a joint replacement expect a short hospital stay, a fast recovery, and a prompt return to their regular activities and active lifestyles." Dr. Gonzalez Della Valle combines classic concepts of total joint replacement surgery with the newest techniques, technologies and materials, and adapts the surgery to meet each patient’s realistic demands. His recommendations for treatment are based on a thorough physical examination and discussion with the patient, a deep understanding of the classic and newest surgical techniques, and a robust body of research, which includes over 120 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters authored by him.

Dr. Gonzalez Della Valle graduated with honors from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He trained in prestigious institutions in North and South America including Hospital for Special Surgery and the Italian Hospital in Buenos Aires. He also received numerous awards including the prestigious Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica Research Award; the Sir John Charnley Award, which is awarded by the American Hip Society; and the Nicholas Andry Award, which is awarded by the American Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.

Appointments

Associate Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College

Specialty

Orthopedic Surgery

Subspecialty

Hip, Knee

Special Expertise

Hip and knee early and late osteoarthritis, congenital hip dysplasia, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, avascular necrosis, fractures, and sequelae of hip conditions such as Perthe’s disease and slipped capital femoral epiphysis

Primary hip and knee arthroplasty (replacement). Revision hip and knee surgery to address acute or late failures of total hip and knee arthroplasties (prosthetic infection, loosening, dislocations/instability, painful stiff knee replacement, periprosthetic fractures, as well as mechanical failure of the implants). Minimally invasive surgery, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing, total and partial knee replacement. Surgical navigation (computer assisted surgery) for hip and knee replacements. 

Adult non-arthroplasty reconstructive and reparative procedures including osteotomies for hip and knee deformities, bone grafting for avascular necrosis, and arthroscopy.

Awards

2002: Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica Research Award
2004: The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Career Development Award
2005: The Hip Society "Sir John Charnley" Award
2007: Nicholas Andry Award of the American Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons
2012: Team Science Award in Translational Science of American Federation of Medical Research

Affiliations

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie
Argentine Orthopedic Association
Argentine Hip and Knee Society

Languages

English, Spanish

Education

MD, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1992

Internship

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, General Surgery, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1993

Residency

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Orthopaedics, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1997

Fellowship

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Hip Surgery, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1998
Hospital for Special Surgery, Research Hip and Knee, New York, 1999
Hospital for Special Surgery, Hip and Knee, New York, 2002-2004

Certification

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Argentine Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Argentine Board of Hip and Knee Surgery

State Licensure

New York  

Alejandro Gonzalez Della Valle, MD has contributed to the following articles on HSS.edu:

Selected Publications

Malik A, Salas AP, Ben Ari J, Ma Y, Gonzalez Della Valle A. Range of motion and function are similar in patients undergoing posterior stabilized total knee arthroplasty with conventional and high flexion polyethylene inserts.  Int Orthop 2010;34:965–972

Memtsoudis SG, Gonzalez Della Valle A, Besculides MC, Esposito M, MacKenzie R, Koulouvaris P, Salvati EA. Risk factors for perioperative mortality after lower extremity arthroplasty: a population-based study of 6,901,324 patient discharges. J of Arthroplasty 2010;25(1):19-26.

Su E, Su S, Gonzalez Della Valle A. The stiff knee: Exposure and Management. Techniques in Orthopaedics 2010;26(2):105-110. 

Memtsoudis SG, Ma Y, Chiu YL,  Poultsides L, Gonzalez Della Valle A, Mazumdar M. Bilateral total knee arthroplasty: Risk factors for major morbidity and mortality. Anesth Analg 2011;113(4):784-90.

Ghomrawi HMK, Franco Ferrando N, Mandl L, Do H, Noor N, Gonzalez Della Valle A. How often are patient and surgeon recovery expectations for total joint arthroplasty aligned? Results of a pilot study. HSS Journal 2011;7:229-234.

Poultsides L, Gonzalez Della Valle A, Memtsoudis S, Ma Yan, Roberts T, Sharrock N, Salvati E. Meta-analysis of cause of death following elective Total Hip and Knee Arthroplasty utilizing different thromboprophylaxis regimens. J Bone Joint Surg [Br] 2012;94(1):113–21.

 

For more publications, please see the PubMed listing.  

Research Description

Dr. Alejandro González Della Valle is currently pursuing research into factors affecting speed of recovery.

Clinical Trials

• Biomarkers in Spondyloarthropathies: A Case Control Study
• Saphenous (Adductor Canal) Nerve Block vs. Femoral Nerve Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Novel Approach for Postoperative Analgesia
• Saphenous Nerve Block vs. Femoral Nerve Block for Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Comparative Effectiveness Study in Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients
• The Center for Hip Preservation Outcomes Registry
• The Effect of Ischemic Preconditioning on Systemic Inflammatory Markers after Total Knee Arthroplasty
• The Genetic Factor: Identifying Patients at High Risk for Developing Pulmonary Embolism (PE) After Orthopedic Surgery (Upper Extremity, Spine, THR, TKR) Using A Molecular Screening Test

 

Dear Patients, Family, and Friends

Welcome to my website. Below you will find the necessary information to make an appointment. In addition, you will find extensive information on the hip and knee conditions that I treat, on hip and knee replacement surgery and arthroscopic knee surgery. You will be able to access the written information that I give to my patients based on their individual needs. This content is for your information only – It should not be used for patient care unless specifically instructed by me.

Instructions for Antibiotic Prophylaxis After Hip and Knee Replacement

Instructions to Prevent Traveler's Thrombosis

Alejandro González Della Valle, MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon - Hospital for Special Surgery
Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery - Weill Cornell Medical College