Dr. John McCrosson during a knee replacement procedure

Treatments & Conditions

An orthopedic surgeon's career of helping patients smile and move again

October 19, 2026 5 Minute Read Time

About Dr. John McCrosson’s influential career as a top orthopedic surgeon
The importance of prioritizing patient goals and needs when helping them get back to enjoying life with their families free of pain
About the legacy Dr. McCrosson leaves behind, including the hip and knee doctors he helped to recruit and train that will now continue to uphold the same high standards of care

Dr. John McCrosson stepped outside Roper St. Francis Mount Pleasant Hospital on a recent day and thought back on the patient he had just seen in clinic – one of thousands he had helped during more than 25 years as a nationally recognized orthopedic surgeon.

The patient, an 85-year-old woman who underwent a total knee replacement last year, had smiled and laughed with her surgeon and his team. Dr. McCrosson’s interaction with his final patient before retirement in October 2026 embodied what he enjoyed most about his career: helping people with pain to move around and enjoy life again. It was the kind of patient outcome that serves as a source of pride for orthopedic surgeons throughout Roper St. Francis Healthcare, a top destination in South Carolina for total joint replacements and orthopedics.

“I just love seeing the smile on their face when their recovery is in sight or their healing is complete, and they can go back to enjoying activities with their families and being out of pain,” Dr. McCrosson said. “Those are the moments that motivated me. Those are the moments I’ll carry with me forever.”

John McCrosson His expertise in minimally invasive hip and knee replacements touched many lives throughout South Carolina and the region, with nearly 16,000 total joint replacements completed since 2000, primarily at Roper St. Francis Healthcare facilities. Dr. McCrosson’s work as Medical Director of Roper St. Francis Healthcare's Total Joint Program helped build the not-for-profit system's team of renowned experts in orthopedic procedures and techniques that help restore their patients’ quality of life.

Putting orthopedic patients first

Dr. McCrosson completed medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina. After a residency at MUSC and a fellowship in adult reconstructive at the Insall Scott Kelly Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, he began in private practice with privileges at Roper Hospital and other local hospitals. He became the first orthopedic surgeon employed by Roper St. Francis Healthcare in 2007, during a time when many in his field remained in private practice.

That role with the system helped propel the growth and advancement of orthopedic surgery in the Lowcountry. Roper St. Francis Physician Partners Orthopaedics added more surgeons and specialties over the years since then. Dr. McCrosson considered himself an advocate for removing barriers to care – from making that first appointment to navigating the facility, scheduling surgery and recovering afterward

The patient comes first, so I would picture myself as the patient, and I wanted to resolve any dilemma they may encounter to make it the best possible experience,” he said. “We’ve always aimed to help people who are sick and hurting to make it easier for them to get the care they need – and get that smile along their healing journey.

– John McCrosson, MD, Orthopedic

His patients spanned generations, from a 17-year-old who needed two hip replacements to a 104-year-old who had a fractured hip replaced. In some families, Dr. McCrosson treated grandparents, their children and eventually their grandchildren.

He took pride in employing advancements in multimodal pain management, durable implants, robotic-assisted surgery and other techniques that have shortened recovery times, greatly reduced the need for surgical revisions and eased patients’ anxiety about extended healing.

“Patients are pleasantly surprised by the effective management of their pain throughout the process,” he added.

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Dr. John Graham, the Medical Director for the Orthopaedics Integrated Practice Network (IPN) at Roper St. Francis Healthcare, noted the high number of patients who have returned to Dr. McCrosson for additional replacements and other hip and knee concerns.

“He has relentlessly pursued quality care and excellent patient outcomes,” Graham said. “With an emphasis on process improvement and clinical standardization, he has helped to establish new standards for total hip and knee arthroplasty in our region.”

Building on a legacy of excellence in hip and knee surgery

Dr. McCrosson also helped recruit and mentor fellowship-trained total joint surgeons to Roper St. Francis Healthcare, building a foundation for the Total Joint Program's continued growth, said Carter Crawford, Administrator for the Orthopaedics IPN.

“Dr. McCrosson’s relentless drive and commitment to excellence consistently challenged Roper St. Francis Healthcare to strive for the highest standards,” Crawford said. “We are fortunate that his legacy will continue through the physicians he recruited and mentored.”

Dr. McCrosson thanked many physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses and other clinical teammates who he said were central to his and the orthopedic program’s achievements over the last quarter century. In his final years at Mount Pleasant Hospital, he conducted 24 knee or hip replacements weekly – totaling more than 9,000 procedures at that facility alone.

The program now extends across the system, with orthopedic surgery at Berkeley Hospital, Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital and Mount Pleasant Hospital with clinic locations throughout the Lowcountry and more on the way.

“The Roper St. Francis Healthcare program is in great shape,” Dr. McCrosson said. “We have excellent teams who have contributed to this success.”

The next chapter

On that recent day – as Dr. McCrosson walked out of Mount Pleasant Hospital, the uplifting encounter with his last patient still on his mind – he felt a little like he did after graduating from high school or college: One chapter was ending, with another waiting to be written.

He hopes to nurture his creative side while continuing to positively influence those around him. He has moved to a 28-acre former horse farm in Camden, just northeast of Columbia, where his wife tends to his aging mother-in-law. He won’t do much farming, he acknowledged, but he’ll cut plenty of grass, play with his four dogs, and go hunting and fishing.

The serene property will give him time to reflect on life, which he enjoys capturing in song. He often types poetry on his phone that he’ll use as lyrics for the tunes he strums on a guitar – telling relatable stories in the style of '70s and '80s country and rock.

“I like to write emotional stories about moments in my life that other people can relate to,” he said. “I like telling the truth about life.”

And maybe, just as he did as a surgeon, those songs will bring a smile to Dr. McCrosson and the people around him.