Lawrence Dorr, M.D. Honored by Operation Walk

Lawrence Dorr, M.D. will receive an award at the October 6, 2018 Operation Walk annual gala, the volunteer medical organization he founded in 1996 to perform free implant surgeries for needy patients in the U.S. and abroad.

According to Operation Walk, “Under Dr. Dorr’s leadership, Operation Walk has developed 17 surgical teams in the U.S., Canada and Ireland that have performed free surgeries for more than 10,000 people in 12 countries.”

“A resident of Pasadena, Dr. Dorr practices at USC Keck Hospital and is Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at USC Keck School of Medicine. He has led multiple breakthroughs in orthopedic surgery.”

“His latest contribution to the field is a long-sought discovery that determines the relationship of the spinopelvic structure to cup placement in hip implant surgery. He has authored 300 scientific articles and book chapters and has conducted research through the Dorr Arthritis Institute since 1994.”

Dr. Dorr told OTW, “I am humbled by the growth and meaning of Operation Walk throughout Orthopedics and the countries where it has operated, including our own country. The thousands of people it has touched, both the givers and the receivers, have better lives because of the good and goodness that is OPWALK.”

“It has grown beyond my expectations, and I now believe it will be my greatest legacy. No one person can create an organization of this importance without help and for me that is Jeri Ward and Mary Ellen Sieben who managed the initial trips of all new chapters, and my wife Marilyn who managed the money!”

“If you ask what this honor means to me the answer is not complex—I only have to see the face of one of the patients whose life we changed by dropping a miracle out of the sky. I only have to see the face of a doctor, and nurse, health care worker, and student who has just experienced the true romance of medicine. Then I realize that Operation Walk has exceeded far beyond the common!”

“OPWALK made its most important organizational move this year when AAHKS assumed national governance and appointed a board to give OPWALK national leadership. National organization will elevate the acceptance by other organizations and foundations.”

“This cohesiveness between chapters is critical for optimizing supplies and organization of missions and raising money. Each year there are one or two new chapters forming so the growth of OPWALK is insured.”

“The reason for growth is because the experience of each mission is so rewarding for the participants. Doctors and nurses—and most all people—want to help those in need. Operation Walk provides a perfect vehicle for doctors and healthcare workers to do this. That is why its future is bright!”