OUR SPECIALISTS
Dr. Darius Viskontas
SPECIALIZATION: KNEE, TOTAL JOINT (KNEE & HIP), UNI KNEE
Dr. Darius Viskontas developed an interest in orthopaedic surgery after an operation on his shoulder in high school. That experience left him fascinated by the practice of orthopaedic surgery and the satisfying result underscored the impact that this specialty has on the quality of life of its patients.
Dr Viskontas completed his Bachelor of Science at the University of Toronto with a Silver Medal for academic performance in 1996 and subsequently matriculated at the University of Ottawa's medical program. Throughout his core medical training, he asserted his interest in orthopaedic surgery via research projects, orthopaedic rotations and a summer elective in Lithuania. With the highest standing in surgery in his class, he graduated in 2000 and began a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Western Ontario. During residency, he developed a particular interest in the biomechanics and injuries of the pelvis and lower extremities. This interest is reflected by his choice of research projects, and his subspecialty in trauma and lower extremity surgery. In 2005, he completed his residency and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He then pursued his subspecialty interests internationally. He first spent six months in a sport medicine fellowship at the Adidas Sport Medicine Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, followed by a second six-month fellowship in knee sport and joint replacement surgery at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, Australia. He returned to North America to spend a year at the world-renowned Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington in Seattle, where he completed a fellowship in orthopaedic trauma surgery.
Dr. Viskontas' subspecialty, academic interests and love for the outdoors led him to settle in Vancouver. He practices at the Royal Columbian and Eagle Ridge hospitals. His current professional interests include orthopaedic trauma and surgery of the lower extremity. He has a specific interest in athletic injuries of the knee meniscus, ligament and cartilage and degenerative conditions. He also holds an appointment at the University of British Columbia as Clinical Assistant Professor and is actively involved in medical student and orthopaedic resident education. Recognized as an excellent teacher, he was awarded the University of British Columbia Orthopaedic Resident Teaching Award in 2010. He is an active member of the Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society, participates in research at the local and national levels, has numerous research publications, acts as a reviewer for the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma and the American Journal of Sports Medicine and is often invited to speak about the management of lower extremity injuries at international conferences.
Outside of Orthopaedics, he is an avid skier, cyclist, runner and kayaker. His athletic interests help him empathize with and treat his patients, ultimately enabling them to return to an active lifestyle. He lives with his wife who is an architect and two young children.