With a passion for restoring mobility and improving quality of life, Saul Fredrickson, MD, enhances UTMB’s Orthopedics team with cutting-edge techniques and patient-centered care.
Dr. Fredrickson’s path to medicine began with a love for athletics and a desire to help others. After completing his undergraduate and medical degrees at The Ohio State University, he pursued orthopedic surgery for its unique ability to make a tangible difference in patients’ lives.
“I really like surgery because of the ability to directly impact people's lives through your physical work. And there's nothing better than orthopedics for that,” he says.
“You get people back to walking after a broken bone. For someone who’s had painful hip and knee arthritis for years, you're able to do a hip or knee replacement and get them back to activity, whether that's walking, hiking, pickleball – whatever they enjoy.”
Dr. Fredrickson focuses on hip and knee replacements, including complex revision surgeries. He completed fellowship training in Adult Reconstruction at OrthoCincy Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he performed hundreds of complex hip and knee replacements using robotic and minimally invasive techniques.
His fellowship training emphasized direct anterior hip replacement, an approach for primary total hip replacements that uses a small incision at the front of the hip, sparing muscles by working between them rather than cutting through them.
“Patients have a faster recovery; they are out of the hospital sooner, have a faster return to work, and then reduced risk of dislocations,” he says.
Dr. Fredrickson notes that adoption of this technique has increased significantly over the past several years and continues to grow. He is proud to bring this advanced approach to UTMB.
One of Dr. Fredrickson’s priorities is expanding same-day joint replacement surgeries, a care model he gained extensive experience with during his fellowship in Cincinnati. He notes that this approach minimizes hospital stays and accelerates recovery.
He emphasizes the importance of optimizing health before surgery. For a hip or knee replacement, patients should have a BMI under 40, controlled diabetes (A1C < 8), and stop smoking. He encourages open dialogue between the patient and the physician to address these items.
“I don't think there should be a closed door between a patient and orthopedic surgeon to talk about a joint replacement. I may say, ‘You may not be a candidate right now, but let's work on some things.’ When you take ownership of a patient’s care, they’re more likely to come back to you,” he says.
He is committed to building relationships with primary care providers and community physicians to ensure seamless care.
He also welcomes referrals for revision surgeries – replacing a failed or problematic artificial joint due to infection, loosening, wear, instability, or fracture – and second opinions for patients experiencing persistent pain after prior joint replacements.
“There is an open door for second opinions and referrals,” he says. “If a patient has a painful hip or knee, they shouldn't feel obligated to sit on that.”
 | Saul Fredrickson, MD, performs surgeries at the UTMB Health League City Campus. He sees patients at the UTMB Health Orthopedics clinics in Clear Lake, League City, and Galveston (Primary Care Pavilion). Learn more about Orthopedics at UTMB. |