On the Ice or in the O.R., Dr. Anthony Carter is a Contender
Jun 2009
His blades are razor sharp, his technique is near-flawless, and his fierce determination to be the best at his game has him approaching each new challenge with gusto.
One thing is certain—whether he is in the rink playing ice hockey or in the operating room performing a total hip replacement, Dr. Anthony Carter is in it to win it.
An orthopaedic surgeon with Hampton Roads Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Newport News since 1995, Carter’s special interests lie in sports medicine and minimally-invasive, tissue-sparing total joint replacements. The benefits of such techniques include less damage and trauma to tissue; less blood loss; less scarring; less pain; and a faster recovery and return to normal activities. Carter instructs nationally on total hip replacements using the muscle-sparing anterior (from the front) approach, and in March 2008, he performed the East Coast’s first anterior-access hip resurfacing procedure.
Carter was the first orthopaedic surgeon in Virginia to perform both of these surgeries, and he has been featured in both M.D. News and Outpatient Surgery for his work in these areas. In the summer of 2008, Hampton Roads Magazine recognized Carter as a “Top Doc” in orthopaedic surgery. This busy orthopaedic surgeon, family man and sports enthusiast spoke recently with The Health Journal about life as a “Top Doc.”
HJ: When did you first become interested in orthopaedics? What drew you toward becoming a surgeon in this field?
AC: Growing up in Boston, I was a huge sports fan and always active in sports. When considering a career, I thought I’d like to deal with athletes, and I like to fix things. I’ve always been kind of a tinkerer. Orthopaedics just made sense. Power tools and athletes—it doesn’t get any better than that.
HJ: When it comes to your work, what accomplishment are you most proud of?
AC: Being named a “Top Doc” in 2008 by Hampton Roads Magazine. That is voted on by your peers, and peer recognition is kind of special. It made me feel good. It made me feel validated for what I do.
HJ: Have you always had an internal push to succeed?
AC: I’ve always been an organizer and interested in learning how to do things better. These are exciting times in medicine. There is lots of stuff going on, lots of changes, lots we can do to help patients. I like to look for the next great thing. I have an open mind and am not happy with staying still. I always want to keep moving ahead.
HJ: You are an avid hockey player. When did you become interested in the sport?
AC: Hockey is one of my biggest passions. I like playing more than watching. I remember when I laced up my first pair of skates. I was a little guy, about six years old. Bobby Orr was big in Boston and I wanted to be Bobby Orr. I grew up skating on the ponds.
HJ: What three words do you think your wife and children would use in describing you?
AC: Nurturing, involved and excitable. I’m a lot like my dad. I get worked up over things that are important to me, and I use my hands a lot when I get excited about things.
HJ: If you weren’t an orthopaedic surgeon, what other career path do you think you would have chosen?
AC: I would have been a sports reporter or sports announcer. I would have been on ESPN doing my thing. Those late nights when I’m on call, it definitely crosses my mind now and again.