Mastering Medicine’s Spectrum
Story by Ann E. Butenas
Dr. C. Lan Fotopoulos treats everything from sports injuries to spinal fractures with expertise from four medical board certifications.
In the realm of medical specialists, interventional physiatrist Dr. C. Lan Fotopoulos stands out not only for his extensive medical expertise but also for his diverse interests and commitment to public service. Currently practicing with the Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance, Dr. Fotopoulos brings a unique combination of skills and experience to his practice, shaped by both his comprehensive medical training and his varied life experiences.
Dr. Fotopoulos’ medical journey began at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D. His pursuit of excellence led him through an impressive array of specialized training, including a general surgery internship at Creighton University School of Medicine, followed by residencies at both the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Kansas School of Medicine Program. His training encompassed both anesthesiology and physical medicine, providing a robust foundation for his future specializations. His education culminated in a prestigious fellowship in musculoskeletal medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the human body’s complexities.
What sets Dr. Fotopoulos apart is his remarkable achievement of holding four distinct board certifications: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Pain Medicine, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine, and Sports Medicine. This diverse range of expertise allows him to approach patient care from multiple angles, ensuring comprehensive treatment plans that address not just symptoms but underlying causes.One of Dr. Fotopoulos’s areas of specialty is vertebroplasty, a minimally invasive surgical procedure he has helped advance throughout his career. The procedure, which typically takes about 30 minutes under IV sedation, involves injecting acrylic bone cement into fractured vertebrae to stabilize the spine.
“Basically, we are creating a cast in the bone,” he explained. This procedure has proven particularly effective for patients suffering from vertebral compression fractures, whether caused by osteoporosis, trauma, or bone diseases.
The impact of vertebroplasty on patient care cannot be overstated.
“If you had a compression fracture forty years ago, you were basically put on bed rest,” Dr. Fotopoulos noted, adding that such limited treatment often led to further complications. Today, the procedure offers almost immediate pain relief and helps prevent future fractures—a crucial benefit given that patients with one osteoporotic fracture face a five-fold risk of developing another within a year.
Medicine runs deep in Dr. Fotopoulos’s family history. His parents met at Kansas City’s old General Hospital, where his mother served as head nurse of both the cardiac and OB floors while his father was Chief surgery resident. His father went on to become Chief of Surgery at North Kansas City Hospital and made his mark in the region by establishing the surgery program at the hospital at Lake of the Ozarks. The medical tradition continues throughout the family – his brother works as a hospitalist, his sister-in-law serves as a neo-natal nurse practitioner, and his wife holds a master’s degree in nursing. The next generation is carrying forward this impressive legacy, with his stepson pursuing a career in orthopedics and his niece entering the medical field.
Beyond his medical practice, Dr. Fotopoulos leads a remarkably active life that includes service as an officer with the Claycomo Police Department. He has also recently completed ground school training to become a private pilot, demonstrating his commitment to lifelong learning and new challenges. This diverse range of interests and experiences influences his approach to patient care, embodying his personal mantra of “never say never” in medicine.
His time serving in the U.S. Navy from 1997 to 2000 provided him with valuable experience in trauma and acute care medicine, further broadening his medical perspective. Since then, he has dedicated himself to advancing medical procedures and patient care specializing in the treatment of back and neck pain using minimally invasive procedures such as vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, sacroplasty, radiofrequency ablation, and spinal cord stimulators. His expertise extends across a comprehensive range of treatments, addressing not just spinal conditions but also various musculoskeletal conditions of the shoulder, hip, and knee.
Dr. Fotopoulos’s approach to patient care reflects both his extensive medical training and his diverse life experiences. He consistently strives to ensure patient satisfaction, particularly noting his satisfaction with vertebroplasty procedures due to their high success rate in improving patients’ quality of life. His comprehensive understanding of various medical disciplines, combined with his commitment to public service and continuous learning, makes him a unique figure in the medical community—one who brings both extensive expertise and a broad perspective to every patient interaction.
Don’t let pain control your life any longer. Dr. C. Lan Fotopoulos is ready to help, right here in Kansas City. To schedule a consultation, call 913-319-7678 ext. 3109 or visit his office at 3651 College Blvd. Take the first step toward relief today.
