Orthopaedics
Ilya Voloshin, MD
Dr. Voloshin hates to see people missing out on life. Fortunately, as a trailblazing surgeon in shoulder and elbow reconstructive surgery and sports medicine he’s able to do something about it.
Dr. Voloshin’s goal is to restore each patient’s ability to live to the fullest, using the most minimally invasive techniques available. "There are very few problems in the shoulder, elbow and knee that cannot be attended arthroscopically or through smaller, less invasive open approaches," he says. "Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and I’ve seen some complex shoulder and elbow problems that looked quite bleak. In those cases, extensive reconstruction surgery is the answer and, with today’s techniques, I can help people regain an impressive level of function."
Dr. Voloshin has brought several new surgical approaches to treating shoulder and elbow injuries to the Rochester area, including reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (an extensive surgery offered to patients with no function in their shoulder) and arthroscopic tennis-elbow surgery (a minimally invasive procedure to a very common problem which sometimes requires surgical intervention). With those and many other procedures in his surgical arsenal, he’s been able to help patients who have exhausted all other means of repair for degenerated joints and tendons. "I’ve seen people with large tears in their rotator cuff and severe arthritis living with pain so debilitating they can’t even lift their arms," he says. "It’s a really good feeling to know that, in most cases, I can fix it for them."
Colleagues describe Dr. Voloshin as dedicated, focused and extremely gifted. His patients see him the same way. "I think I come across as quite serious," he muses, "but that’s because I want to be fully present for my patients. I don’t want any distractions to interfere with our ability to communicate. I need to understand their perspective because their goals have to become my goals. And I need to clearly explain their options so they can make informed decisions."
Dr. Voloshin’s own shoulders, elbows and knees are constantly being tested. He’s an avid squash player and can regularly be found on the courts at the Genesee Valley Club and University of Rochester. As an active athlete himself, he can identify with his pro-athlete and weekend warrior patients alike. He’s served as the head physician for the US Open Squash Tournament and currently takes care of the Rochester Knighthawks and the Rochester Rattlers.
Whatever he does, he makes a complete commitment to it. While his primary clinical interest is in the subspecialties of shoulder and elbow reconstruction and sports medicine, he’s adept in many facets of orthopaedics. It’s the challenge of the difficult-to-do that energizes him. You can see it in his meticulous preoperative planning, the exacting standards he demands in surgery and the time he devotes to research, seeking new knowledge that will translate into better treatments in the future.
Dr. Voloshin heads the University for Rochester Medical Center Shoulder and Elbow Service and is also part of URMC University Sports Medicine. He came to the University of Rochester Medical Center from Boston University Medical Center. Nationally recognized for pioneering the treatment of tendonitis and focal cartilage damage, he specializes in minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, elbow and knee joints, as well as complex reconstruction in the shoulder and elbow. He’s taught surgical courses at numerous shoulder, elbow and sports medicine meetings nationally and internationally.
Dr. Voloshin received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Rochester Medical Center. He continued his training at Columbia University, where he completed a shoulder and elbow fellowship at its Center for Shoulder, Elbow and Sports Medicine, one of the oldest and most renowned places in the U.S. for shoulder surgery training. This was followed by a mini-fellowship in elbow surgery at the Mayo Clinic.
His clinical and academic interests are in the management of rotator cuff disease, shoulder instability, and arthritis of the shoulder and elbow. He is currently leading multiple research projects and has authored numerous book chapters and scientific articles in the field of shoulder, elbow, and sports medicine. When he’s not in the clinic or the operating room, Dr. Voloshin cherishes the time he can spend with his wife and two children.