Orthopedist Dr. Laura Scordino: Skill and Compassion

Dr. Laura W. Scordino is an orthopaedic surgeon at OrthoNY, working primarily out of their Schenectady and Clifton Park offices, and she is affiliated with Ellis Hospital in Schenectady.

She attended Binghamton University, where she graduated summa cum laude with a BS in molecular biology. While in college, she was a Division 1 basketball player. She went on to earn her doctorate of medicine at the Upstate Medical University in Syracuse in 2009. She completed her residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Connecticut in 2014. Dr. Scordino then chose to specialize in the upper extremity and went on to Upstate Medical Center for fellowship.

Developing Skills
“I worked with a tremendous group of surgeons at Upstate Medical Center, including several hand and shoulder surgeons as well as a plastic surgeon. It was a great year during which I did a number of unique and complex surgeries as well as basic surgeries that built the foundation of what I do on a daily basis today,” she mentioned.

“I am an upper extremity specialist, which means while I manage common acute orthopaedic injuries a patient might present with to the emergency room when I’m on call, I am able to specialize in a certain part of orthopaedic surgery on a daily basis. This runs the gamut of arm surgery, from carpal tunnel surgery and fractures of the elbow to rotator cuff repair or shoulder replacements,” Dr. Scordino continued. “While I have a busy practice, I try to spend time with patients and really hear what is bothering them to make sure I am treating them appropriately and ensuring we are on the same page as we come up with a treatment plan.” A step-wise approach helps her focus on open communication and shared decision-making.

She credits her great clinical staff that provides care for patients in her OrthoNY offices, as well as her staff that works behind the scenes. Staff members work with patients to set up surgeries and ensure they have all they need to navigate the logistics of time off work and to answer questions they might have before or after surgery.

Ellis Hospital
Her introduction to Ellis Hospital occurred when she was visiting a family member admitted for cardiac issues. She was immediately impressed with the close-knit feel. “It is a large enough hospital where there’s a lot of activity and excitement and great medical care is being provided, yet it’s not so big that people feel lost. It is a very welcoming community.”

Her brother is also an orthopaedic surgeon practicing in Maine. She credits him for encouragement to look into it as a specialty when she was in medical school. She played basketball throughout her life and she’s a hands-on person, so the surgical field drew her in. She likes that orthopaedic surgery allows an opportunity to make a tangible difference in her patients’ lives.

Technological Improvements
With today’s continually advancing technology, many surgeries Dr. Scordino performs are less invasive. For example, carpal tunnel surgeries are many times done endoscopically through a small incision. Rotator cuff surgeries are often through small arthroscopic incisions.

“In the future, I think these changes will continue to make surgery easier to recover from,” she reiterated. “Biological advances are also being made every day, sometimes allowing surgeons to use donor grafts in nerve repair to avoid taking tissue from elsewhere on a patient.”

Excellent Field for Women
Dr. Scordino encourages young women who are looking to become doctors, and she feels fortunate that during her journey through medical training she rarely felt resistance despite being in a field in which women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, represent only 4.6 percent of orthopaedic surgeons. She affirms that both in training and in her current practice, she has felt welcomed and supported by her group of largely male colleagues. She advises young women to strive to do what they find interesting and understand they can do a great job if they put in the effort.

“Some people discourage women from surgical subspecialties due to the time commitment,” Dr. Scordino noted. “It is very time intensive, but I think with the correct support system and priorities it is possible to achieve a good life balance.”

She shares her knowledge as author of over a dozen orthopaedic textbook chapters, technique articles and manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. She has also presented her research at several orthopaedic conferences throughout the country. ■

For more information, visit ellismedicine.org/orthopedics or orthony.com.