A history of orthopedic surgery excellence. Innovation in all eight subspecialty areas of orthopedics.
Welcome to the Wellstar Kennestone Regional Medical Center Orthopedic Surgery Residency Program. Here you will find the resources and hospitals, operative, and office-based patient care affiliates supporting a clinical and academic department of orthopedics.
Our residency program supports a comprehensive learning environment for post-graduate education in orthopedic surgery, rehabilitation, and related basic and clinical sciences at both residency and fellowship levels. The program is institutionally sponsored by Wellstar in affiliation with and academically supported by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, The Hand and Upper Extremity Center and Emory University, as well as appropriate and necessary extramural resources and physicians.
The orthopedic program requirements are based upon the general and specific requirements stipulated in the publications of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), particularly the Graduate Medical Education Directory.
We pride ourselves in offering a comprehensive experience that will provide the resident with an exceptional basis for a career as a general orthopedist, orthopedic subspecialist or academic orthopedic surgeon.
The Wellstar orthopedic surgery residency has one of the oldest and most distinguished legacies of any residency program within the country. It started in 1918 when the first building pertaining to the residency was constructed under the direction of Dr. Michael Hoke, who specialized in the treatment of pediatric polio.
That building, which is now known as the Solarium, was the first orthopedic building constructed in the Southeast for the care of children afflicted with polio and in effect was the first building constructed for the care of orthopedic diseases.
This important facility still stands today and is the center of our graduating exercises every year, where residents who are finishing the program have their names inscribed into the brickwork of the walkway in front of this seminal building. In so doing, our residents’ names become permanently placed within the history of orthopedic surgery in America.
During the 57 years that the program has been formally graduating residents, we have placed a great deal of research into the orthopedic literature and have trained some of the most notable orthopedic surgeons in the southeast United States.
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Each program has their own research opportunities. The Orthopedic Surgery Residency will have an Anatomy/Arthroscopy Lab opening in November 2024. Residents will have access to cadavers for research, anatomic dissection and surgical skills training. The residency also has a VirtaMed arthroscopic simulator to train skills on hip, knee, shoulder and ankle arthroscopy.
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Perfectly positioned between the north Georgia mountains and the city of Atlanta, Marietta is the ideal place for young professionals and growing families. Equal parts hip and hometown, it’s a bustling city with a small-town feel.
Marietta’s historic downtown square is alive with activity, hosting regular farmers markets, concerts, and festivals. The Battery and Truist Park (home of the Atlanta Braves) provide entertainment for everyone in the Vinings neighborhood. Marietta is also a short drive to Downtown Atlanta and the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport.
Dr. Kane graduated from Baylor College of Medicine and completed a residency in orthopedic surgery with Carolinas Medical Center. From there, he completed a fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine and arthroscopy at Utah State University. His first academic position was as a full-time faculty at UTMB in Galveston. After several years at UTMB he was asked to join the orthopedic surgery faculty at the University of Missouri, where he served as chief of sports medicine at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He is currently the chair and program director for the orthopedic residency at Wellstar Kennestone.
Dr. Kane has served in many positions including president of faculty affairs for the University of Missouri, chair of peer review committee at both AMC and Wellstar Kennestone, medical director for the Atlanta public school systems, a team physician for three D1 university athletic departments as well as numerous high school programs and a test writer for the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He currently is an assistant professor at Mercer University and has research affiliations with Utah State University and Georgia State University.
Currently, Dr. Becher is a teaching faculty with the orthopedic trauma service at Wellstar. He covers multiple hospitals and has been the associate program director at Wellstar Kennestone. Dr. Becher is passionate about resident education and believes that being part of the process of graduate medical education is one of the highest callings a physician can have. It keeps him engaged and young working with the next generation of surgeons, and Dr. Becher is always proud of the graduates our program produces. Dr. Becher is a husband and a father, and family life takes up much of his remaining time outside of clinical and administrative duties. Once upon a time Dr. Becher was an avid skydiver and pilot, but the sky, while it always calls, will have to wait for a time.
Publications:
Spratt J, Adkins Z, Warda D, Smith M, Bruggers J, Weiss P, Becher S. Illicit drug and alcohol use and measures of musculoskeletal function and mental health in orthopedic trauma patients. OTA International. 6(2):e270, June 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/OI9.0000000000000270.
Robison W, Grau-Cruz, Emilio E, Bruggers J, Becher S. Bone Graft Volume by Reamer Head Size Using the RIA 2. Techniques in Orthopaedics. February 08, 2022. doi: 10.1097/BTO.0000000000000574
Shofoloue A, Bruggers J, Becher S. Anterior Intrapelvic Plating of the Sacroiliac Joint – A Cadaveric Quantification of Visualized Area with Case Series. J Orthop Trauma. 2022 Jan 1;36(1):e35. PMID: 34620778
Donahue J, Bruggers J, Schrader T, Becher S. Intraoperative Monitoring of Femoral Head Perfusion in Adult Femoral Neck Fractures. OTA International. 4(3):e144, September 2021. PMID: 34746675
Donahue J, Shofoluwe A, et al, Becher S. Quantification and Comparison of Talar Exposure Utilizing a Posteromedial Approach and Medial Malleolar Osteotomy. Foot and Ankle Orthopedics. 6(2):e1-5, April 2021. PMID: 35097447
Dmchowski J, Wendell C, Bruggers J, Becher S. Skeletal Survey utility in Obtunded Trauma Patients. OTA International. 2(4):e022, December 2019. PMID: 33937657
Becher S, Oskouei S. PET Imaging in Sarcoma. Orthop Clin North Am. 2015 Jul;46(3):409-15, xi. PMID: 26043054
Becher S, Smith M, Ziran B. Depression in Orthopedic Trauma Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study. J Orthop Trauma. 2014 Oct;28(10):e242-6. PMID: 24736695
Ziran B, Becher S. Radiographic Predictors of Compartment Syndrome in Tibial Plateau Fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2013 Nov;27(11):612-5. PMID: 23454859
Becher S, Ziran B. Retrograde Nailing of Open Femur Fractures: A Retrospective Case Series. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012 Mar;72(3):696-8. PMID: 22491555
Saurabh Khakharia, MD, is a fellowship trained, board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Wellstar Orthopedics & Sports Medicine. Dr. Khakharia specializes in joint replacements, sports medicine and arthroscopic procedures, limb lengthening/deformity correction, and joint preservation.
He completed his training/advanced fellowships at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, (ranked No. 1 hospital in orthopedics in the country), Virginia Commonwealth University Medical College and Insall Scott Kelly Institute (ISK Institute)/Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and American Academy of Hip and Knee Society. He has presented his work at various national and international orthopedic meetings and has authored articles in medical journals and book chapters in orthopedics. He is a member of several national and international medical societies and serves on the prestigious AAOS Knee Committee and Medical Malpractice Committee at the national level.
Dr. Khakharia’s goal is to combine cutting-edge technology and techniques to provide patients with the best orthopedic care possible. He aims to meet patients’ individual needs through comprehensive evaluation and treatment designed to help them achieve an active, pain-free lifestyle.
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Medical school: George Washington University
Clinical interests: Too early to tell
Personal interests & hobbies: I love everything sports—playing, watching and talking about them.
Why orthopedic surgery? It has the coolest procedures, immediate impact in patient’s lives and a varied patient population.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? It chose it because of the great group of people, that it was a blue-collar program with emphasis on operative experience and for the surgical autonomy.
Hometown: Wheaton, Illinois
Medical school: University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Clinical interests: Sports, deformity correction, hip preservation, pediatrics, military health care, general ortho and healthcare disparities
Personal interests & hobbies: My wife and kid, piloting, piano and viola, FCS Football, my seven siblings
Why orthopedic surgery? Ortho provides a chance to help people do what they love by caring for musculoskeletal pathology in the OR.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? Atlanta was a great fit for me and my family. The community practice exposure and high trauma volume were ideal for setting me up to practice with the Air Force as a generalist.
Hometown: Weston, Florida
Medical school: Medical College of Georgia
Clinical interests: Spine, shoulder
Personal interests & hobbies: Racing drones and sci-fi novels
Why orthopedic surgery? Among all specialties, orthopedics most tangibly involves the application of mechanical engineering to medicine.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? I wanted to stay in Atlanta and Wellstar has a phenomenal program with excellent training.
Hometown: Perry, Florida
Medical school: University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Clinical interests: Orthopedic oncology and orthopedic trauma
Personal interests & hobbies: Collecting vinyl records, rock climbing, fishing, hiking and playing music
Why orthopedic surgery? My orthopedic rotations were by far the most fun during medical school. I fell in love with the challenge of using a wide range of surgical techniques to tackle difficult fracture patterns or complex oncologic cases and getting those patients on the road to recovery. I couldn’t imagine anything more professionally rewarding than seeing the progress our patients can make. The constantly evolving world of orthopedic technology keeps the field exciting, and we are always getting new ways to tackle difficult situations.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? I wanted to be at a program that prioritized and facilitated heavy, early operative volume as well as fostered close relationships between the residents and the attendings we work with. I loved my rotation, and it was obvious that the chiefs were comfortable and safe surgeons. Couple that with living in a city like Atlanta which has great food, sports and access to the outdoors, and it was an easy decision.
Hometown: Greenville, South Carolina
Medical school: University of South Carolina—Greenville
Clinical interests: Adult reconstruction and hip preservation
Personal interests & hobbies: Love working on home projects and hanging out with friends and family
Why orthopedic surgery? Orthopedics is a very rewarding specialty with unique technical challenges that will keep me stimulated throughout my career.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? The people. Who I work with really makes the time spent here worthwhile.
Hometown: Saginaw, Michigan
Medical school: Wayne State University School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Joints, hand, and foot and ankle
Personal interests & hobbies: Tennis, working out, creative writing and playing guitar
Why orthopedic surgery? As a medical student, I was fortunate to get early exposure to orthopedic surgery and quickly fell in love with the ability to restore function and quality of life in patients. I truly enjoy learning and implementing orthopedic knowledge in the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions. The level of creativity and innovation in the field makes each case more engaging than the last, and I feel fulfilled knowing that I can make a tangible difference in the lives of my patients.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? When I first visited the program, I was immediately impressed by the camaraderie amongst residents and faculty as well as the confidence and knowledge base of the residents I worked with. Even early on, it felt like I was being welcomed into a family of peers who kept each other not only accountable but challenged academically and surgically. It truly has been the perfect program for me—both then and now.
Hometown: Snellville
Medical school: Medical College of Georgia
Clinical interests: Sports medicine
Personal interests & hobbies: Soccer (playing and watching), video games, snowboarding, water sports, Georgia football, trying new restaurants and traveling
Why orthopedic surgery? I grew up playing and watching sports, so orthopedics and the musculoskeletal system has always been of interest to me. I also have a cousin who is an orthopedic surgeon. Seeing the difference he’s made in patients’ quality of life and returning them to their normal functioning and desired activities really appealed to me.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? This program uniquely offers early and high-volume operative experience, graduated autonomy and a great mentorship model between attendings and residents. The facilities and support are amongst the best in the country. Residents in each class are very close with each other and there is a lot of inter-class friendship and hanging out outside of the hospital, which speaks to the culture and how much we enjoy spending time with each other.
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1996 – 2010); Atlanta (2010 – present)
Medical school: Medical College of Georgia
Clinical interests: Hand and upper extremity, foot and ankle, and adult reconstruction
Personal interests & hobbies: Tennis, film, exploring restaurants and bars around Atlanta, Phillies, Sixers, Eagles and Alabama football
Why orthopedic surgery? It has concrete problems that often have definitive solutions, and I liked the ability to restore function and improve quality of life coupled with the constantly evolving technology, implants and life-long learning. Also, it is by far the most fun specialty.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? For the early operative exposure, exposure to both hospital-based and private practice models, working with some of the top specialty orthopods in Atlanta, opportunities for autonomy early in residency and the close-knit group of residents.
Hometown: Dacula
Medical School: Mercer University School of Medicine
Clinical Interests: Sports, biochemical applications in orthopedics and serving underserved communities
Personal Interests & hobbies: UGA football (go Dawgs!), snowboarding, water sports, cinema and metal/hardcore music
Why orthopedic surgery? I chose orthopedic surgery due to early exposure to the field as an athlete growing up and seeing the life-changing outcomes my father had from his multiple joint replacements. I enjoy working with my hands and the ability to restore quality of life for our patients.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? Wellstar was my top choice for residency mainly due to relationships amongst the residents and faculty, early operative experience and the growing network of local surgeons. I feel our program offers a mixed experience of private, academic and community practices and early operative autonomy that will help prepare me for my future career.
Hometown: McDonough
Medical school: Mercer University School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Sports medicine, shoulder and elbow, trauma
Personal interests & hobbies: Golf, breweries and navigating the Atlanta food scene
Why orthopedic surgery? I enjoy solving problems that get people back to activities that make life worth living. Orthopedics has a unique nature where almost every problem has a definite solution or algorithm for treatment, and it adapts as new technology and techniques are developed. I find a lot of fulfillment in being able to help solve those problems.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? I had several alumni and mentors from my medical school that trained here, and I knew that this program has the reputation of producing well-rounded surgeons with early operative autonomy. We always have one person who is either military or decides to be a generalist and that wouldn’t be possible without our operative culture here. I also wanted to be close to family considering both sides still live in Georgia.
Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina
Medical school: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Hip and knee arthroplasty
Personal interests & hobbies: Soccer, snowboarding, travel and spending time with my family
Why orthopedic surgery? Orthopedics allows you to have an immediate and lasting impact on your patients’ lives.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? For the exposure to both private practice orthopedics and a large hospital system, and because of the significant volume of orthopedic trauma that will allow me to feel comfortable taking trauma calls as an attending.
Hometown: Granite Falls, North Carolina
Medical school: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Sport and shoulder/upper extremity
Personal interests & hobbies: Trying out local breweries and food
Why orthopedic surgery? I wanted a career that would allow me to help people return to hobbies and activities were sources of joy and fulfillment in their lives.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? I chose this residency because the sense of cohesiveness between the residents was evident even virtually and the opportunities that the outside rotations provided were remarkable.
Hometown: Temple, Texas
Medical school: McGovern Medical School
Clinical interests: General orthopedics in rural settings
Personal interests & hobbies: Bourbon hunting, actual hunting, fishing and hanging out with my kids
Why orthopedic surgery? I have wanted to do this since I was 12 years old. Ortho is the only specialty worth going into in medicine.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? Because of the early operating, resident-led cases and involved attendings
Hometown: Atlanta
Medical school: Florida State University
Clinical interests: Oncology, bone health and metabolism
Personal interests & hobbies: Marathon running, hiking, cooking and piano
Why orthopedic surgery? I love being able to provide a tangible solution for patients from all walks of life.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? For the hard-working culture, early experience and exposure to all the orthopedic subspecialties. Plus, I was born in Atlanta.
Hometown: Montgomery County, Maryland
Medical school: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Hand & upper extremity, trauma
Personal interests & hobbies: Yoga, basketball, photography and plants
Why orthopedic surgery? I’ve been obsessed with musculoskeletal anatomy ever since tearing my meniscus in high school. I love that orthopedics focuses on restoring function to the human body to improve quality of life.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? Atlanta Medical Center is an important hospital taking care of an underserved population in downtown Atlanta and I wanted to train where I would get a ton of operative experience and have a meaningful impact on the local community.
Hometown: Baghdad, Iraq
Medical school: New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
Clinical interests: Hand surgery
Personal interests & hobbies: Watching American football, drawing and architecture
Why orthopedic surgery? It was something that I wanted to do since a very early age.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? For the hard-working culture, early surgical experience and exposure to all the orthopedic subspecialties.
Hometown: Akron, Ohio
Medical school: University of Toledo College of Medicine
Clinical interests: Sports medicine
Personal interests & hobbies: Golf, spikeball, walking my dog, traveling and trying new restaurants
Why orthopedic surgery? I want to restore function to my patients.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? The close family feel and team mentality amongst our residents
Spine Fellowship
Swedish Neuroscience Institute
Issaquah, Washington
General Orthopedics
Optim Orthopedics
Dublin, Georgia
Hand Surgery Fellowship
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, Illinois
Adult Reconstruction Fellowship
University of Colorado
Denver, Colorado
Hand Surgery Fellowship
University of Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi
Hometown: Atlanta
Medical school: Georgetown University School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Hand surgery
Personal interests & hobbies: Woodworking and running marathons
Why orthopedic surgery? Orthopedic surgery interests me in particular because of the immediate impact orthopedic surgeons can have on their patients. From my own injuries and treating injuries of others, I know that loss of function can be devastating for one’s livelihood and sense of self-worth, and it is incredibly rewarding to have the skills to restore patients to a state where they can thrive.
Hometown: Macon
Medical school: Mercer University School of Medicine
Clinical interests: Hand surgery
Personal interests & hobbies: Basketball, pickleball and playing guitar
Why orthopedic surgery? From my first day in an operating room, I knew I would one day become a surgeon. I cherish the idea of a profession where I can work with both my mind and my hands.
Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
Clinical interests: Foot and ankle
Personal Interests & hobbies: Golf, Packers, Brewers, Marquette hoops, breweries, bourbon, our dogs and Lake Hartwell
Why orthopedic surgery? I chose orthopedics because I was interested in the musculoskeletal system early on and love the gratification that comes with orthopedic procedures. I also love that I’m able to work with athletes on a regular basis.
Why did you choose Wellstar for your residency? I chose Wellstar orthopedics for residency because the residents here are truly family and I couldn’t see myself anywhere else.
Marietta Square | Truist Park | The Battery | Gone With the Wind Museum | Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre | New Theatre in the Square | Ghosts of Marietta Tour | Marietta Square Farmers Market | Hilton Atlanta-Marietta Hotel & Conference Center | Cobb Galleria Centre
Cycling is a popular form of transportation in Marietta. The area is also served by the CobbLinc bus service that connects to MARTA — Atlanta’s light rail and bus network. Drivers also have quick access to I-75 and I-285 to get anywhere they need.
Cobb Transportation Info
