First Choice Medical Group’s Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi’s Experience With Sports Medicine Earned Firsthand

By  //  September 23, 2018

Graduate of the University of Notre Dame, which he attended with a hockey scholarship

ABOVE VIDEO: Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi of First Choice Medical Group talks with Space Coast Daily’s Alan Zlotorzynski about a revolutionary partial knee replacement surgery called a Makoplasty. Alan also speaks with a patient of Dr. DeLorenzi, who has two “Mako” procedures done on his knees. For more information call 321-725-2225 or log on to www.myfcmg.com

First Choice Medical Group’s Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi Specializes in Joint Resurfacing Using MAKOplasty Procedure

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi must have been born with an ice hockey stick in his hand, because by the time he was the ripe old age of two, he was already playing hockey in the frozen suburbs of Sault St. Marie in Ontario, Canada. He couldn’t have chosen a better place in which to practice.

“My dad used to build a rink in our backyard,” said DeLorenzi.

DeLorenzi can relate to the many athletes that seek his help as orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with First Choice Medical Group in Melbourne, for he has been there, done that, throughout his life, and he can relate to the aches and pains they are experiencing.

He played his first ice hockey game at age four and was doing the hockey travel circuits by the time he turned six. During his senior year in high school, he tore the meniscus, the cartilage that cushions and stabilizes the knee joint, but the accident turned out to be serendipitous for DeLorenzi, for it introduced him to an orthopedic specialist who would serve to define DeLorenzi’s career choice.

“He was a great role model who truly enjoyed seeing his athletes get better,” said DeLorenzi.

While DeLorenzi wanted to go pro in hockey, his parents recommended that he develop another plan that would offer a more stable and longer working life. He opted for medicine, but it wasn’t until he met his “meniscus healer” that he decided on the specific specialty.

Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi got his wish to play pro hockey with the Calgary Cowboys, later known as the Calgary Flames, of the World Hockey Association during the 1970s and even had a “Hollywood moment,” above, with a role in “Slapshot,” the 1977 hockey cult film that starred Paul Newman.

DeLorenzi earned his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Notre Dame, which he attended with a hockey scholarship.

He got his wish to play pro hockey with the Calgary Cowboys, later known as the Calgary Flames, of the World Hockey Association during the 1970s and even had a “Hollywood moment” with a role in “Slapshot,” the 1977 hockey cult film that starred Paul Newman.

To this day, DeLorenzi travels to Tampa on a monthly basis to get back on the ice for a friendly game with his old hockey buddies.

In the end, however, medicine triumphed over hockey and he received his medical degree at Indiana University School of Medicine, graduating in the top three percent of his class.

His internship and residency were completed at Jackson Memorial Hospital and other affiliated hospitals of the University of Miami, where he also served as assistant professor.

He is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery.
He has hospital privileges at Melbourne Regional Medical Center, formerly Wuesthoff Medical Center, and at Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center and Health First Viera Hospital.

He additionally has staff privileges at Melbourne Same Day Surgery Center and SCA Melbourne Surgery Center.

Although highly proficient in all aspects of orthopaedics, DeLorenzi concentrates on arthroscopic knee and shoulder surgery, general orthopaedic practice and sports medicine.

A sports medicine specialist such as DeLorenzi routinely treats the majority of injuries and conditions associated with sports of physical activity, such as ACL tears, fractures, groin pulls, strained hamstrings, tennis elbow and shin splints, among others.

ABOVE AND BELOW VIDEOS: First Choice Medical Group patients Annette Sanders, above, and Vicki Saucier talk about the outstanding care they received from Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi and the First Choice staff.

For more information call 321-725-2225 or log on to www.myfcmg.com

The field has experienced tremendous progress since the time DeLorenzi finished his residency in 1987.

“In the past, knee and shoulder injuries were essentially career limiting for athletes,” said DeLorenzi.

“Today, with new technology and techniques even the most catastrophic injuries can be treated. The rehabilitation can take three to six months or as much as a year, but the athletes will get back on the field.”

Among DeLorenzi’s specialties is joint resurfacing using the MAKOplasty surgical procedure, which uses robotic-arm technology to precisely perform surgery through an incision much smaller than traditional surgery.

With joint resurfacing, only the diseased part of the joint is replaced. The procedure is less traumatic and invasive and requires minimal hospitalization and less recovery time, yet MAKOplasty is often more effective than conventional replacement.

The bone and tissue sparing and accurate implant positioning results in a more ideal joint function. Joint resurfacing is indicated for individuals suffering from conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, rotator cuff or instability arthropathy and post-traumatic arthritis.

First Choice Medical Group Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi Discusses Makoplasty Knee ReplacementRelated Story:
First Choice Medical Group Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi Discusses Makoplasty Knee Replacement

DeLorenzi’s sports medicine patients, who range from teens to seniors in their 90s, typically play sports at the highest level. They travel from as far as Daytona, Vero Beach and Orlando to seek his expert help.

“A lot of my patients are very motivated,” he said. “They do not want to be sedentary.”

Practicing in Brevard since 1999, DeLorenzi joined First Choice Medical Group in 2016, attracted by the office’s unique working environment, which allows physicians to concentrate on healing rather than on paperwork, since the non-physician-owned center handles all billing, purchasing, compliance and other non-medical issues.

“The business of medicine has become so complex that physicians need to take a different approach,” said DeLorenzi. “That’s the great advantage of joining First Choice.”

Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi accepts new patients at First Choice Medical Group, 709 S. Harbor City Boulevard, Suite 100, in Melbourne, Florida. For more information, call 321-802-5850 or visit myfcmg.com

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ABOVE MAP: First Choice Medical Group is located at 709 S. Harbor City Boulevard, Suite 100, in Melbourne, Florida.

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Dr. Raymond DeLorenzi is a member of the First Choice Medical Group powerhouse team of Musculoskeletal experts in a “one-stop” setting where patients can conveniently access both diagnostic and therapeutic services. In addition to Dr. DeLorenzi, First Choice Medical Group physicians include Dr. Anthony Lombardo, Dr. Richard Harrison, Dr. Kenneth Sands and Dr. Donald Vliegenthart.

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