Carol Morris, MD, MS

I love being a surgeon and especially caring for children, adolescents, and young adults. My surgical philosophy is guided by precision medicine. To me, this means identifying the right operation for the right patient, based on their individual traits and needs. The “right treatment” looks different for each patient. For example, the surgical approach that is best for a child will often not be the one that is best for an adult, even if the tumors are caused by the same condition. There is no one-size-fits-all approach in orthopedic surgery. One of the most gratifying parts of my job is working with people to understand what they want to accomplish through treatment and taking creative approaches to make their goals their realities.

Although the safe removal of these tumors is our top priority, it is not our only priority. We provide treatment that focuses not only on removing the cancer, but also on supporting the health of the musculoskeletal system which can be affected by cancer treatment. Maintaining and restoring bone and muscle function as well as quality of life is critical to our treatment mission — addressing the tumor is just the first step in carrying out this mission.

Often, people with musculoskeletal tumors are concerned about losing a limb. In the current era, most tumors can be removed without amputation. I am an expert in limb salvage surgery, an approach that helps preserve the limb by removing the diseased bone and some surrounding tissue. Sometimes, we can replace bone that has been removed with bone from another part of the body or a metallic implant. We have developed replacements that are more durable and functional than those that were previously available. I also have extensive experience in a unique procedure called rotationplasty, an innovative way to treat tumors around the knee that might otherwise require amputation above the knee. With rotationplasty, patients usually return to a very active lifestyle.

The trifold mission of MSK is my professional north star—clinical care, education, and research. I am committed to maintaining the best outcomes for our orthopedic patients; mentoring faculty and fellows to realize their potential; and advancing our knowledge of orthopedic cancer through scholarship and collaboration. I am fortunate to work at an institution that understands the importance of weaving these priorities together to care for the whole person and cure cancer, and in that order.