Thomas J. Utset-Ward, MD, has joined the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedic, Sports Medicine & Spine Institute as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon specializing in pediatric orthopedic oncology. His focus is the surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the bone and soft tissues, such as sarcoma, as well as complex limb-sparing reconstructions. Additionally, he specializes in pediatric arthroplasty for children and teens in need of joint replacement surgery.
“Nicklaus Children’s is one of only a few hospitals in the nation to offer patients the services of a dedicated, pediatric-specific orthopedic oncologist,” said Dr. Craig Spurdle, chief of Orthopedic Surgery with the Orthopedic, Sports Medicine & Spine Institute. “Currently, there are only seven of these specialists nationwide. The addition of Dr. Utset-Ward to our orthopedic surgical team is a reflection of our commitment to innovation and providing leading-edge specialty care for children,” he added.
Advancements in pediatric orthopedic oncology are transforming care for patients and reducing the need for limb amputations. Increasingly, limbs can be spared following resection of the cancer, through use of metal implants, bone grafts, or even bone transport instead of amputation.
Dr. Utset-Ward routinely employs these limb-salvage methods, working with engineers to create custom-made implants, some which can grow non-invasively using magnets along with the natural growth of the child. He specializes in these evolving techniques with the goal of optimizing outcomes and quality of life for patients and in many cases the children are walking the same day as surgery. In cases that do require amputation, Dr. Utset-Ward offers rotationplasty, in which the patient’s ankle is used to create a new knee as well as targeted muscle reinnervation, whereby nerves are rewired to reduce pain and even control bionic prostheses.
Clinicians at the Orthopedic, Sports Medicine & Spine Institute collaborate with colleagues at the Nicklaus Children’s Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute to offer the most advanced treatments and surgical interventions, with a focus on enhancing patient outcomes and quality of life that addresses both the immediate and long-term challenges associated with pediatric oncology care.
“Fighting cancer is a team effort,” said Dr. Maggie Fader, oncologist and director of the Sarcoma and Solid Tumor Program at the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute. “To build the best team, we knew that among our experts we needed an orthopedic oncologist who could focus full-time on the unique surgical challenges of treating children with sarcomas. No other hospital in the state can provide this level of comprehensive sarcoma care for children,” she said.
Dr. Utset-Ward was born and raised in South Florida, was a Nicklaus Children’s patient and is natively bilingual in both English and Spanish. He earned his medical degree at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a master’s degree in business administration from the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Business in Nashville, Tennessee. He completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago and then pursued a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Utset-Ward then furthered his training with an additional fellowship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as the nation’s first-ever fellow in pediatric-specific orthopedic oncology.
In addition to his surgical role, Dr. Utset-Ward will also serve as director of Surgical Innovation, leading the Nicklaus Children’s 3D Printing and Modeling Program and championing the development and adoption of the latest advances in patient-specific surgical technology. This program uses virtual reality, augmented reality, virtual surgical planning, life-size 3D printed models and patient-specific surgical guides to increase surgical precision and tackle complex cases.
“The new, beautiful orthopedic institute clinic space at Nicklaus Children’s main campus is equipped with the most cutting-edge technology and imaging tools to provide the best in limb-lengthening, reconstruction and complex orthopedic care,” said Dr. Utset-Ward. “Our newly opened Kenneth C. Griffin Surgical Tower was built with the operating rooms of the future. These state-of-the-art ORs will see many world firsts as we leverage the latest technologies and take on life-saving surgeries that would not have been possible, just a few years ago.”
Dr. Utset-Ward is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, American Association of Latino Orthopedic Surgeons and American Orthopedic Association’s Emerging Leaders Program. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, written chapters for medical textbooks, presented at medical conferences and serves as a reviewer for orthopedic peer-reviewed journals.