orthohub stories: Andy Williams - what it’s really like to treat elite athletes and celebrities

Welcome to the latest edition of orthohub stories, where we explore the life stories and journeys of remarkable people.
In this episode we find out all about what its really like to treat elite professional athletes, celebrities and VIPs.
Our distinguished guest is Andy Williams.
Andy is an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in the management of sporting knee injuries. He has developed a unique practice and works with many elite sports teams across English Premier League football, Premiership Rugby and more.
He is also an Honorary Reader at Imperial College London where he undertakes research into knee injuries. Andy has published over 150 scientific articles and lectures internationally on knee surgery. He is a member of the prestigious ACL Study Group, the Herodicus Society and was lead editor for the 39th edition of Gray's Anatomy.
In this wide-ranging conversation we cover many different aspects of his life and career including:
his childhood and how medicine was not even considered an option growing up
and how being a builder was his fall-back option
his initial plans to become a GP (family doctor) and how he ended up in orthopaedic surgery instead
overcoming impostor syndrome
how he got into sports knee injuries and treating professional sportspeople
the pressures and challenges (and joys!) of treating this special group of individuals
managing stress and complications
how he handles pressure and coping mechanisms
the value of pre-operative planning and the power of visualisation
how do athletes differ from your non-elite athlete patients
ethical dilemmas in managing professional athletes
why physiotherapy / physical therapy and rehab is the magic ingredient
why he commits so much time to research, teaching and lecturing
key mentors who have directly and indirectly shaped his life and career
and poor behaviours he has seen within the medical profession
his work ethic and attention to detail
the impact on his family of his work and career
and what one thing would he change if he could do it all again
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[@martincoplestone8256]

An absolutely outstanding interview of a true legend, well done Orthohub. A Christmas highlight.

[@jakevenn7869]

Superb feature, Andrew has operated on my knee numerous times and without him I would have probably had a knee replacement many years ago. I am still managing to prolong the procedure over 20 years down the line.

[@orthohubxyz]

Wow great to hear! Hope the knees keep going ok!

[@MT-sw8rf]

What a down to earth personality with such an amazing work ethic - it makes me happy to see that these type of surgeons still exist! Hats off to you sir 👏

[@markdeakin9771]

Excellent interview, honest and insightful, thanks to all of you.

[@bigmaninthewoods]

Awesome Interview Orthohub...it's a privilage to be able to work alongside Mr Williams for nearly 10yrs now....Did he tell you his dad was a builder haha :)

[@MT-sw8rf]

Why does it matter what his father was? He seems to have extraordinary clinical skills, which nowadays are becoming very rare, because everyone would rather go for an MRI. I would be very honoured if I could learn from him !