Being active has always been the focus for Dr. O’Connor. As a runner and collegiate rower her interest in helping patients maintain activity initially brought her to a career in Physical Therapy. After two years working as a spinal cord injury physical therapist, the satisfaction of helping maintain independence and patients return to movement, she knew she could do more to help. Motivated, she went on to pursue a medical degree at the University of Rochester.
Now a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. O’Connor is able to blend the best of both worlds by being able to incorporate surgical and non-surgical treatments for patients. She works with patients to understand their goals and the activities they want to return to make a comprehensive treatment plan for each individual. Her focus is on all things foot and ankle from bunions, to ankle sprains, to complex deformity and revision surgeries. She has training in both open and minimally invasive techniques.
Dr. O’Connor comes to the Duke Orthopedic Department/North Carolina Orthopedic Clinic with 8 years of experience. After medical school she completed her Orthopedics Residency at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City and Foot & Ankle fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis. She was then an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Department of Orthopedics for 5 years. In that role she was engaged in Achilles tendonitis research, resident & fellow education, and managing tertiary referrals for complex foot and ankle pathologies. She then worked for 3 years at Medstar Montgomery Medical Center in a community setting providing the gamut of foot and ankle care for the community while also doing general orthopedics. She is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopedics Surgeons and American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society where she serves on a variety of committees.
Dr. O’Connor’s diverse experiences allow her to understand the most common and most complicated problems of the foot and ankle and the variety of ways they can be treated. Her goal is always to get people back to achieving their goals to be as active as possible. You can find Dr. O’Connor running and cycling around Durham with her 2 boys in her spare time.
External Relationships
This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies or institutions listed below. This information has been reported to the health system leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest: Corning Incorporated (GLW)