TO THE EDITOR:
I read "Commentary. Responding to Change" (80-A: 601-603, April 1998), by Sarmiento, with pleasure. I agree with Dr. Sarmiento that orthopaedic surgeons and the Academy have gotten way off course as a result of their focus on operative treatment. In my practice, I function as a primary-care musculoskeletal-medicine physician. While I continue to perform operations, they are not the focus of my practice. This approach has kept me very busy over the last several years.
Unfortunately, I recently have been unable to use the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons as a major resource for my education. I have had to seek out other organizations, such as the American Association of Orthopaedic Medicine, for information on the appropriate treatment of musculoskeletal problems. I am hopeful that the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons will modify its focus away from operative treatment of every affliction in the musculoskeletal system. However, I do not believe that this change will come easily or soon enough.
Again, I applaud Dr. Sarmiento for his honesty and courage.
Mitchell L. Goldflies, M.D.: 6445 North Central Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60646