STATEN ISLAND UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL’S DIRECTOR OF JOINT RECONSTRUCTION AND PASSIONATE ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON, DR. YEVGENIY KORSHUNOV, EXPLAINS HOW STEADY, ONGOING IMPROVEMENTS ARE LEADING TO A PARADIGM SHIFT IN JOINT REPLACEMENT SURGERY, RESTORING PATIENTS’ MOBILITY AND HELPING THEM RECLAIM THE LIVES THEY LOVE

BY AMANDA McCOY PHOTOS BY AMESSE PHOTOGRAPHY

When Yevgeniy Korshunov, MD, was officially appointed director of Joint Reconstruction at Staten Island University Hospital in April 2024, the orthopedic surgeon stepped into a role shaped by years of collaboration and shared vision. He was succeeding the role of his teacher, mentor, and friend, David Drucker, MD, whom Dr. Korshunov had worked closely alongside for several years to bring their vision of establishing SIUH as an Advanced Center of Excellence for Joint Replacement to fruition. The initiative was launched as a five-year plan in 2019, but only two years later, the hospital was designated a Center of Excellence, then awarded the prestigious Advanced Center of Excellence designation in 2022. It was a milestone moment for SIUH’s orthopedics program and the community of Staten Island, bringing true world-class joint reconstruction services to New York’s southernmost borough.

“Dr. Drucker is an incredible leader and left enormous shoes to f ill,” said Dr. Korshunov, who had spent the previous decade in private practice while splitting surgeries between SIUH and Lenox Hill in Manhattan. While he had worked closely with Dr. Drucker in building SIUH’s Joint Replacement Center at the Prince’s Bay campus, the appointment was his first corporate leadership role, and his primary objective was to not lose the designation and caliber of care that his predecessor worked so tirelessly to achieve. Bolstered by the “tremendous amount of support” he received from the hospital’s leadership and medical teams, Dr. Korshunov said navigating the transition was seamless.

“There is such an outstanding, enthusiastic team at SIUH,” noted Dr. Korshunov, a Staten Island resident himself. “It’s a close-knit professional family of people who truly care and love what they do, and patients can feel that too.”

The majority of Dr. Korshunov’s practice treats patients through all stages of osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease a condition caused by the gradual breakdown of cartilage that leads to pain, stiffness, and reduced joint function. Some patients respond well to conservative treatments like medications, physical therapy, or lifestyle changes, while others benefit from hip or knee replacement surgery. These procedures aim to relieve pain, improve mobility, and enhance quality of life, helping patients return to the activities they love.

With a warm sense of humor, Dr. Korshunov gently reminds patients to keep their expectations realistic: “If you couldn’t play the violin before surgery, you won’t be able to after,” he joked. But for those who previously ran marathons or hit the slopes every winter, he’s optimistic. “There’s a road to getting back there again,” he said. “The best predictor for how you’ll do after surgery is how you do before.”

Dr. Korshunov said his field has seen meaningful advancements over the last decade not through flashy new technology, but through steady, behind-the-scenes progress. “It’s not about a new robot or fancy device,” he said. “It’s the baby steps integrated teams, standardized protocols that have quietly raised the bar. Pain control is better, infection rates are lower, and the quality of care keeps improving.” That steady progress, he added, is what drew him to Northwell: a system committed to leading those changes.

Looking ahead, one of Dr. Korshunov’s goals is to expand outpatient joint replace ment surgery – a shift that gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. “After COVID, we realized it was safe for many patients to recover at home the same day,” he said. In fact, his own father recently had an outpatient hip replacement and was resting comfortably at home just five hours after surgery.

Dr. Korshunov is also working to incorporate robotics into the program, though he’s careful to set realistic expectations. “Robotics can enhance precision,” he said, “but a successful surgery depends on much more like achieving the right ligament balance. It’s never one-size-fits all.”

He added that the real transformation in joint care is happening through smaller, everyday improvements, such as pre-surgical questionnaires that help predict patient outcomes. “It’s a step that’s already making a difference, and it’s going to benefit patients for generations to come,” he said. As a former runner and boxer, Dr.

Korshunov said he has a great amount of empathy and understanding for his patients as they navigate this oft-complex and emotional road. He describes joint replacement procedures as quality-of-life surgeries, and he shares the same ultimate goal with his patients: to help them reclaim their mobility.

Every patient is unique,” he said. “You can read from statistics and numbers all day long, but the person sitting in front of you is thinking, ‘I only have one left knee, there is no take two, and I’m scared.’ I strive to drive home that my patients can be fully honest and open with me; I’m here to listen and be an ally.”

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Suite 1A, Staten Island 718.727.6945 / siuh.northwell.edu/orthopedics