Everything you need to know
before you book.

ExpertMD is an online platform that connects patients with fellowship-trained orthopedic specialists for educational and informational reviews of their surgical cases. We specialize in orthopedic second opinions — joint replacement, spine surgery, sports medicine, and trauma — with a focus on patients who are either considering surgery or dealing with complications after surgery. Our specialists are senior attending surgeons with 15 or more years of active practice who have trained at and worked in leading academic medical centers.

Most second opinion platforms use general board-certified physicians, take 5-7 business days, and charge 50-400 for brief reviews. ExpertMD focuses exclusively on orthopedics and spine, uses only fellowship-trained subspecialists with deep expertise in your specific procedure type, and delivers a comprehensive written report within 4 business days. Our reviewers are the surgeons other surgeons refer their hardest cases to — not generalists covering any case that comes through. We also cover post-surgical complications specifically, which most platforms do not address well.

No. ExpertMD provides educational and informational services only. Engaging our platform does not create a physician-patient relationship, does not constitute the practice of medicine, and does not replace the clinical responsibility of your treating physician. Our reports are designed to help you ask better questions, understand your options, and make more informed decisions — but the responsibility for your clinical care remains with your treating physician. You should review any ExpertMD report with your doctor before making treatment decisions.

Yes. Because our services are educational and informational in nature, they are accessible from any US state as well as internationally. You can receive a written review or virtual consultation from our specialists regardless of where you are located. This is particularly valuable for patients in countries where access to subspecialty orthopedic expertise is limited.

ExpertMD covers four specialty areas: (1) Joint Replacement — total knee replacement, total hip replacement, hip resurfacing, unicompartmental knee, revision surgery, and failed joint replacement; (2) Spine — lumbar and cervical surgery, spinal fusion, discectomy, adjacent segment disease, hardware complications, and deformity; (3) Sports Medicine & Trauma — ACL, rotator cuff, meniscus, labral pathology, and fracture management; (4) Other Orthopedic — shoulder replacement, foot and ankle, hand and wrist, and general musculoskeletal conditions. If your case falls outside these areas, we will tell you clearly before charging you anything.

The process has four steps. First, you select your review type and pay securely through Stripe on our website. Second, you receive an automated email within minutes with a secure, HIPAA-compliant link to upload your records through our patient portal. Third, a fellowship-trained specialist reviews your complete case — your imaging, records, surgical recommendation, and history. Fourth, your written report is delivered securely within 4 business days. If you selected the virtual consult tier, you also schedule a 20-minute video call with the reviewing specialist after the written report is completed.

For a pre-surgical second opinion, you need: your relevant imaging studies (MRI, X-ray, CT — available as files from your patient portal), the written recommendation or notes from your current physician, and any prior surgical history relevant to the condition. For a post-surgical case, add your operative report, discharge summary, and any subsequent imaging. You do not need your complete medical history — only the records specific to the condition being reviewed. After you book, we send you a detailed checklist of exactly what to gather.

Most patients can retrieve records and imaging directly from their hospital or practice patient portal — MyChart, Epic, Athena, and similar systems all allow you to download clinical notes and imaging studies as PDF or DICOM files. If your records are not available through a patient portal, you have the right under federal law (21st Century Cures Act) to request your complete record at no cost. After you book, we walk you through exactly how to retrieve and upload your specific records.

Your written report is a structured educational document covering: (1) a summary of your case as presented; (2) an assessment of your imaging and clinical findings; (3) whether the recommended surgery or current diagnosis appears appropriate for your specific situation; (4) whether the timing and approach are appropriate; (5) whether you appear to be seeing the right type of subspecialist; (6) what additional workup, if any, would be informative; and (7) specific questions you should ask your treating physician before proceeding. For post-surgical cases, it addresses what may have occurred, what the differential diagnosis is, and what options are generally available. The report does not constitute a formal diagnosis or treatment plan — it is an educational and informational document intended to help you make better-informed decisions.

Written reviews are delivered within 4 business days of complete record submission. Virtual consult reviews are prioritized at 2 business days. Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding federal holidays. The clock starts when all requested records have been received — not at the time of payment. If your submission is incomplete, we contact you within 24 hours to let you know what is missing.

Every case is reviewed by a fellowship-trained specialist with subspecialty expertise in your specific procedure type — not a generalist covering all cases. Your case is matched to a reviewer whose fellowship training and clinical focus align with your exact condition. When you receive your report, it will include the name and credentials of the specialist who reviewed your case. No anonymous reviews. No junior reviewers.

The virtual consult tier ($1,950) includes everything in the written review plus a 20-minute one-on-one video call with the reviewing specialist, and priority 2 business day turnaround. The video call is particularly valuable for complex cases, post-complication cases, patients with many questions, and situations where verbal discussion would help clarify the written report's findings. We strongly recommend the virtual consult tier for revision surgery cases and failed surgery situations where the stakes and complexity are highest.

No. ExpertMD's services are classified as educational and informational rather than medical treatment or medical advice. Because of this classification, health insurance does not cover them — and you do not need a referral, pre-authorization, or your current physician's permission to use our platform. Payment is entirely out-of-pocket at the time of booking.

There are two service tiers. The Written Review is $1,250 and includes a complete written report delivered within 4 business days. The Written Review + Virtual Consult is $1,950 and includes everything in the written review plus a 20-minute video call with the reviewing specialist, with priority 2 business day turnaround. Payment is made at time of booking via secure Stripe checkout. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

If you cancel before uploading any records, a full refund is available within 48 hours of payment. Once your records have been submitted and review has begun, no refund is available. If ExpertMD is unable to complete your review — for example, if your case falls outside our covered specialties — a full refund is issued. Virtual consult appointments that are missed by the patient are not refunded. If the specialist misses the appointment, you may request a reschedule or full refund.

In many cases, yes. HSA and FSA funds can generally be used for medical expenses including second medical opinions. ExpertMD provides a receipt upon payment that you can submit to your HSA/FSA administrator. We recommend confirming with your specific plan administrator, as eligibility rules vary.

No — and you do not need their permission. We will never contact your current physician or send them any of your records or reports unless you explicitly request this. Your review is entirely confidential and does not appear in any shared medical records, insurance claims, or healthcare databases.

All records are transmitted and stored through HIPAA-compliant, encrypted infrastructure. We have Business Associate Agreements in place with every vendor that handles protected health information. Your records are never sold, shared with third parties, or used for any purpose other than your review. Records are stored securely and can be deleted upon request by contacting privacy@expertmd.health.

Yes. ExpertMD uses commercially reasonable measures to maintain the confidentiality of your information to the standards required by HIPAA, including encrypted transmission, encrypted storage, and Business Associate Agreements with all vendors handling protected health information. Our patient portal is a HIPAA-compliant platform designed for healthcare data.

No. ExpertMD is a cash-pay, private service. We do not submit claims to insurance, we do not communicate with insurance companies, and our records are not shared with payers. Your ExpertMD consultation does not appear in your insurance claims history and cannot affect your coverage or premiums.

No. Pain that has not significantly improved by 6 months warrants evaluation, not reassurance that more time will help. Persistent pain at 8 months has specific causes — component malalignment, aseptic loosening, low-grade periprosthetic infection, overstuffing, referred pain, or other identifiable problems. These are not resolved by waiting. A fellowship arthroplasty specialist can review your imaging and records to identify the most likely cause and guide next steps.

Periprosthetic joint infection is a serious diagnosis that should be confirmed through proper diagnostic workup — ESR, CRP, and ideally joint aspiration with culture before any surgical intervention. If you are being told you have an infection, or if you have persistent unexplained pain after joint replacement, it is important that the diagnosis is confirmed and that the treatment plan is appropriate. Treatment options vary significantly based on the timing of infection and the organism identified, and involve tradeoffs that a fellowship arthroplasty specialist is best positioned to explain.

Absolutely. Revision joint replacement carries significantly higher risk than primary replacement and should only be performed when the cause of failure is clearly identified and the proposed revision is likely to correct that specific cause. Getting an expert second opinion before revision surgery is one of the highest-value uses of our service. Many patients referred for revision have unidentified causes of failure, or are being offered revision when non-operative management or a less invasive intervention would be more appropriate.

Spinal fusion is among the most overperformed surgical procedures in the US, with geographic variation in rates of 7-fold between regions. Before proceeding, you should confirm that (1) the source of your pain has been clearly identified and correlated with your imaging findings, (2) you have tried appropriate non-operative treatments including physical therapy and injections with documented failure, (3) your symptoms are caused by a condition that is known to respond to fusion, and (4) you are seeing a subspecialist with fellowship training in spine rather than a general orthopedic surgeon. An ExpertMD spine specialist review addresses all of these questions directly.

Yes, this is possible. Hardware failure — screw loosening, rod fracture, or cage migration — typically presents as new-onset back pain after an initial period of improvement. Standard X-rays may appear normal; CT scan is the appropriate imaging modality to evaluate hardware integrity and fusion mass development. If you have recurrent pain after spine surgery and your physician has not ordered CT imaging, this is worth addressing. A fellowship spine specialist can review what imaging is appropriate and interpret your existing studies.

Failed Back Surgery Syndrome (FBSS) is a term describing persistent or recurrent pain after technically successful spine surgery. It is not a single diagnosis but a description of outcome. It affects approximately 40% of lumbar fusion patients to varying degrees. FBSS does not mean the surgeon made an error — it often means that the structural problem was corrected but the pain generator was something else, or that the patient had factors predicting poor surgical outcome that were not adequately addressed. An expert spine second opinion can help determine whether there is a correctable structural cause of your ongoing pain, or whether non-operative management is the more appropriate path.

Yes. International patients are welcome and regularly use ExpertMD. Because our services are educational and informational in nature, they are available from any country — no US-based referral, no travel, and no local physician permission required. We work with patients from the Gulf countries, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia, India, and beyond. If you have received a surgical recommendation from a local physician and want a US fellowship-trained orthopedic expert's perspective, ExpertMD was built for exactly that.

US fellowship-trained orthopedic subspecialists represent the highest level of subspecialty training available anywhere in the world. Fellowship training — additional subspecialty education after residency — is a standard part of US orthopedic training that does not exist in most other healthcare systems. International patients who have historically traveled to institutions like Hospital for Special Surgery, Mayo Clinic, or Mass General Brigham to obtain orthopedic expert opinions can now access the same level of subspecialty expertise through ExpertMD without the cost and logistics of international travel. A consultation trip to New York for an orthopedic second opinion typically costs $8,000–15,000 in travel and fees. ExpertMD starts at $1$1,250.

Medical imaging (MRI, CT, X-ray) is produced in DICOM format internationally and is compatible with our review process. Most imaging centers globally can provide you with your images on a CD or USB, or increasingly via a digital download link. Operative reports and clinical notes can be sent as PDF scans. Reports do not need to be in English — if your records are in another language, note this when you submit and we will advise on translation. After you book, we send you a detailed guide on how to retrieve and submit your specific records.

We currently serve patients in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru), Europe and the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Singapore, South Korea, and most other countries with access to international credit card payment. If you are unsure whether your country is supported, email support@expertmd.health and we will confirm within one business day.

Payment is processed through Stripe, which accepts all major international credit and debit cards including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. The fee is charged in US dollars. Stripe handles currency conversion automatically — your card will be charged the equivalent of $1$1,250 or $1$1,950 USD in your local currency at the prevailing exchange rate.

Yes, in most cases. Our written reports are structured clinical documents that assess the appropriateness of a recommended procedure, review imaging findings, and provide evidence-based guidance on surgical decisions. They are written in clear medical English that any physician can understand. Many international patients share their ExpertMD report with their local doctor to facilitate an informed conversation about their treatment plan. The report does not replace your local physician's judgment — it provides an additional expert perspective to help guide the decision.