General Orthopaedic Surgery

Originally from Baltimore, Dr. Wheeless completed his undergraduate degree at Princeton University in 1988 and attended medical school at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Upon graduation in 1992, he began residency training at Duke University Medical Center, where, for his honors thesis, he began work on 'Wheeless' Online Textbook of Orthopaedics,' a publication widely accepted today as the "best illustrated, cross-referenced and organized" online resource for orthopedic information (quote from the "Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery"). Dr. Wheeless donated the rights to the over 11,000-page book, described as "excellent" and given five stars by the American Academy of Orthopaedics, to Duke University in 2004. He remains Chief Editor of the site, which is updated daily. The most comprehensive and dynamic site of its kind, it attracts over half a million visitors a month and can be viewed at www.wheelessonline.com. Well suited to write the most referenced text on Orthopedics, Dr. Wheeless scored within the top three percent in the nation on his medical board exams. He continues to stay informed and involved in the daily advancements made in his field as well as those concerning all areas of medicine. Most recently, he has become a recognized leader and expert on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a virulent infection of concern to all surgeons and potential surgical patients. His lecture on the topic, presented at the request of Health Management Associates (HMA, a medical corporation that owns and operates over 40 health care facilities in the Southeast), is available for viewing online at www.wheelessonline.com. Dr. Wheeless enjoys and performs all types of orthopedic surgery but is renowned for his expertise in shoulder, hip, and knee replacements, shoulder, hip, and knee revisions, as well as complex joint infections. He founded Orthopaedic Specialists of North Carolina in 2001 and is affiliated with Granville Medical Center, Duke Raleigh Hospital, and OrthoNC Ambulatory Surgery Center. Outside of his practice, textbook editing, publishing, and lecturing, Dr. Wheeless relishes spending time at home with his wife Carol and their two sons on their horse farm. With help, the family raises a variety of animals in addition to horses, including cows, goats, chickens, and guinea hens.