From the sidelines of the SEC championship game, where he worked with the University of Alabama football team, to professional sports that run the gamut from baseball to professional wrestling, he has seen patients from all across the country seeking his expertise as a surgical fellow at the renown Andrews Sports Medicine Clinic in Birmingham, AL.

Originally from New Orleans, he attended the University of Virginia on a Jefferson Scholarship before pursuing his medical education back in his native Louisiana. After receiving his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine as well as a public health degree from Tulane, he spent his residency in Boston, where he learned with orthopedic trauma guru and upcoming American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons President Paul Tornetta. His experience up north also included time seeing patients and operating at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital.

His extensive experience has made him a gifted surgeon specializing in shoulder, elbow, hip and knee arthroscopy, reconstruction, and transplants.

“My training was in sports – everything from the neck down, basically,” he said. “In sports medicine, you are working with high-demand patients from every background – in a hurry to get better so they can get back on the field or participate in that upcoming family trip. As a sports surgeon, we can not only help them achieve their goals through surgery, but we coach them through the recovery process.” This is particularly relevant when working with the throwing athlete, a group that Dr. Shahien enjoys working with and returning to play. This interest has led to biomechanical research exploring alternatives to Tommy John reconstruction that could return players to the field sooner.

Having brought his considerable talents to Optim Orthopedics, he will help support the practice’s long-standing commitment to local athletics, starting with Georgia Southern University. He and his wife come to the area with four children in tow. “When I’m not operating, I’m running around with my crew,” he said. “My passions include sports and all things outdoors – hunting, fishing, even wildlife photography – I’m excited to introduce my children to many of the opportunities that make this part of the country so special.”

And when he is operating, he is doing so with practiced expertise and extensive knowledge gained on the field and in the operating room with some of the biggest names in orthopedic medicine and sports. “The whole point of sports medicine is helping patients who need to get over their injuries as soon as possible with lasting results,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”