Ryan Vellinga, MD, is an Orthopedic Surgeon at Skagit Regional Health specializing in Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy and Reconstructive Surgery. His practice focuses on minimally invasive (arthroscopic) surgery of the shoulder, knee, hip and ankle, as well as total joint replacements of the shoulder. He also treats general orthopedic trauma, including dislocations and fracture care.
Dr. Vellinga is a specialist in all shoulder arthroscopic procedures, including rotator cuff repair, instability surgery and complex reconstructive surgery such as superior capsular reconstruction and dermal allograft augmentation and reconstruction. In patients with advanced shoulder arthritis that may not be improved with arthroscopic surgery, Dr. Vellinga utilizes patient-specific technology and computer navigation guidance to perform a shoulder replacement tailored to each patient's unique anatomy and needs. Dr. Vellinga also treats knee injuries, such as ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and other ligamentous injuries, as well as meniscus surgery and cartilage restoration. For all of these surgeries, he employs minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery as well, whenever possible.
For patients with conditions that can be treated with a minimally invasive approach, Dr. Vellinga specializes in procedures such as hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement and labral tears of the hip, as well as ankle and subtalar arthroscopy for cartilage restoration, instability and impingement of the ankle.
Dr. Vellinga graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology and Developmental Biology from Brigham Young University. He then completed medical school at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in New York as a Doctor of Medicine, then completed orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center-Hamot in Pennsylvania. During residency he covered multiple high school teams as the team physician.
Dr. Vellinga trained at the prestigious Sports, Arthroscopy and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI) in Los Angeles, California where he trained to become expert in Arthroscopy and Reconstructive Surgery. While at SCOI he participated in the care of athletes of all levels and was the team physician for several high school and college teams. He has an active interest in advancing the field of Sports Orthopedic Surgery and has multiple scientific publications.
