L. Andrew Koman, MD, tenured professor and chair emeritus of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, has a legacy of outstanding patient care, creative discovery and a passion for learning. Born in Winchester, Va., he received AB and MD degrees from Duke University, where he also completed seven years of residency and fellowship training.
As one of the most senior orthopaedic academic leaders in North Carolina, Andy joined Wake Forest University School of Medicine in 1981 after serving on the faculty at Duke for 18 months. He serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Pediatrics, the Department of Vascular Surgery and the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicin, and is a faculty member of Wake Forest’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
"Dr. Andy Koman embodies the pillars of academic medicine. He manages some of the most complex conditions in adults and children, and his groundbreaking research redefined standards of care in hand surgery and cerebral palsy. His commitment to education spans from innovative training programs for physician scientists to the education of experienced surgeons across the world. He is truly one of a kind, and it has been a privilege to train under him and work with him as a partner, mentor and sponsor."
– Cynthia L. Emory, MD, MBA
Professor and Chair
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
While department chair, Andy coordinated 85 clinical faculty, five PhD faculty, two residency programs (orthopaedic surgery and podiatric surgery), a physician-scientist postdoctoral program and five fellowship programs. He has trained more than 250 residents and fellows, initiated the Wake Forest hand fellowship and created the physician-scientist program. Andy has participated in hundreds of continuing medical education meetings nationally and internationally and given more than 2,000 presentations, in addition to serving as president of seven educational organizations.
Clinically, Andy is internationally recognized in hand surgery and pediatric orthopaedic surgery, pioneering musculoskeletal uses of botulinum toxins and becoming the first in the world to use them in the treatment of cerebral palsy. He also developed and refined techniques in upper extremity vascular disorders and congenital hand surgery.
"Dr. Andy Koman has been a guiding light for orthopedics for the last 40 years and instrumental in treating some of our most vulnerable children with cerebral palsy. He is an astute businessman and negotiator, and faculty, trainees, and colleagues around the world recognize him as a respected leader, especially for his tremendous contributions in transforming treatment of cerebral palsy as well as his work in hand surgery."
– Gary G. Poehling, MD
Professor and former Chair (1989-2007)
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation
His research has received over $5 million in support and produced more than 250 scientific articles and book chapters, four books and three patents. His contributions have been acknowledged through multiple awards, including the Clinical Research Award, the highest honor in orthopaedic surgery presented by the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, in both 1999 and 2019.
He has been married to and supported by his wife, Leigh, for 50 years. They have two children, Amy and spouse Lannon and Alex and spouse Kristen; and three grandchildren, Zell, Flynn and Nicholas.