AAHKS is saddened to share that Harlan C. Amstutz, MD, passed away on May 18, 2021. Born on July 17, 1931, Dr. Amstutz was a nationally and internationally recognized joint replacement surgeon and innovator of hip resurfacing technology. A leader in the field, Dr. Amstutz had given more than 1000 national or international presentations and earned 90 visiting professorships and named lectureships. He authored or co-authored over 335 scientific publications and 500 abstracts, including Hip Resurfacing: Principals, Indications, Operative Technique, and Results, and was the Editor of Current Status of Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing. He was a member of 27 national and international societies and an AAHKS Member since 2006. At AAHKS Annual Meetings, Dr. Amstatz would take time for visits with former patients who lived in Dallas, some up to 10-15 years following their surgeries. We remember this leader and all those whose lives he touched.
I was saddened to learn of Dr.Amstatz’s passing.
I found Dr.Amstatz online in ’98 having suffered from extreme hip pain for a number of years and not looking forward to a sedentary old age. At the time I was residing in Colorado and if you can’t hike and fish in the summer and ski in the winter there’s no reason for living there. Yes, the summer’s are great but…
I flew out to California to be evaluated and in February ’99 scheduled surgery. It wasn’t my first surgery but I was apprehensive having heard so many stories of post op problems and failures leading to revision. Dr. Amstatz was such a confident man and a real straight shooter that I felt at ease. Three days post op I got on a plane to return to Colorado. I had two planes to catch and it turned out, thanks to the doctor and staff, to be a
difficult but manageable trip. I returned to work within three weeks.
The rest is history. Dr. Amstatz gave me my life back at age 58 and here I am at age 82 living the good life in Puerto Rico on a hip that’s about to be 24 years old and still doing fine.
Whenever he gave notice that he would be in Colorado doing a clinic I would accept the invite to see him. I always remember the only greeting he would give me, “How’s my skier doing? Still at it I hope.” Me “Yes but laying off the bumps.” Doctor “Lay off the hard ones but go after some of the others.”
Last time I saw him in Colorado it was after his accident and he told me it had left him diminished and unable to operate but that he was busy keeping tabs on his patients. There were always a large group of residents and surgeons at his clinics and I always wondered if any of them would turn out as competent as him.