About Me

Greetings! I hope the day is doing well for you. This is a handshake to welcome you to my Web page. My name is Dr. Roberto U. Velasco and my specialty is orthopedic surgery.

Biography

I am originally from the Philippines and immigrated to the United States in 1976 to pursue further training in orthopedic surgery. I chose orthopedic surgery because I think orthopedic surgeons are probably the happiest among all the surgical specialists, and the work is interesting, innovative, and progressive. About 70 percent of what I do now in 2007 did not exist when I was in medical school. In 1970, I got my MD from University of the Philippines College of Medicine in Manila, and in 1976, I completed my orthopedic surgery residency at the Philippine General Hospital. The next year, I did my fellowship training at the University of Minnesota program in St. Paul, and in 1979, I completed a second fellowship in the Harvard program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. I did my U.S. orthopedic residency at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

About my practice

I have been a staff orthopedic surgeon at the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Bellflower from 1982 to the present. I practice in a group of 14 other orthopedic surgeons, and since 1996, over 90 percent of my practice is total hip and total knee replacements, with the rest consisting of knee arthroscopic surgery and fracture surgery from trauma. Our team includes nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, the operating room orthopedic team, and office support staff. All are essential to giving you the best possible results. My practice philosophy: I treat my patients like my family, so all of my discussion is in plain language with no "doctor talk." And I will always try to do my best.

How I thrive

Most important in my life: family and relationships. Most satisfying moments in my work: helping patients get better and relieving joint deformities and pain, and helping them achieve independent, useful, and productive activities. Most difficult moments in my work: when complications occur. Other activities outside of Kaiser Permanente: running, walking, and biking (I bike to work at least once a week). Fun stuff: travel to other places and doing as the locals do. Giving back: yearly volunteer medical/surgical work in rural areas of the Philippines.