Alan Rhoades Swayze, M.D., a well-loved orthopedic surgeon, died on May 4, 2022, at the age of 55. He suffered from multiple system atrophy, a rare neurodegenerative disease for which there is no known cure.
Orthopedic Surgeon Alan Swayze Dies At 55
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Dr. Swayze will be remembered most for his big heart and his skill as a surgeon. When he was in his senior year of his orthopedic residency at the University of Mississippi, he was awarded the Donald Imrie award from most outstanding performance in Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Swayze had a private practice first in Alexander City, Alabama, and then in McComb, Mississippi. In 2003, he joined his brother, Scott, at Pinnacle Orthopaedics in Canton, Georgia.
He practiced at Northside Cherokee Hospital for 12 years until he was forced to retire in August 2016 because of the multiple system atrophy. The hospital dedicated Operating Room #4 in his honor.
“Alan Swayze cared about his patients,” said Dr. Carl Capelouto of Georgia Urology and past chief of staff at Northside Hospital Cherokee said at the time of the dedication. “This essential quality, combined with great surgical skill, a kind and gentle nature, and finally his deep humility, endeared him to his colleagues and staff at Northside Hospital Cherokee.”
Dr. Swayze was born on April 2, 1967, in Jackson, Mississippi, to Orrin H. Swayze, Jr. and JoLynne Rhoades Swayze. He was their fourth child.
He attended Jackson Preparatory School and the University of Mississippi, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1989. He then received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson. He completed his orthopedic surgery also at the University of Mississippi in 1998.
He married Rhonda Bennett, daughter of Frank and Joanne Bennett of Magnolia, Mississippi in 1992. They have four sons.
In his obituary his family wrote, “Alan loved to laugh; his smile and sense of humor would light up the room. He was an extraordinary surgeon, beloved by his many patients, staff and fellow physicians.”
Swayze is survived by his wife, Rhonda, and sons, Aden, Ben, Logan, and Jacob, as well as his parents and his sister and two brothers and their families.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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