Omar H. Akhtar, MD, FAAOS, FAAHKS

Omar H. Akhtar

Contact Information

PCI Medical Pavilion 1

202 10th Street SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52403
Driving directions

Specialties

Special Interests

About

Education

  • Undergraduate - BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
  • Graduate - MS Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
  • MD - Rutgers - New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ

Residency

  • Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

Fellowship

  • Fellowship in Adult Reconstruction Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA

Certification

  • American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Associations

  • Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • Fellow, American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
  • American Orthopaedic Association

Patient/Provider Philosophy

I put the patient needs and desires first before all else. Your trust is a responsibility I take personally and very seriously. I use shared decision making by incorporating your needs and desires along with my experience to help you to arrive at a treatment plan that will enable you to reach your mobility and lifestyle goals. Not everyone needs an operation and I use surgical intervention as a last resort and only when it is the best course of action.

More about Dr. Akhtar

I am an experienced, board-certified orthopedic surgeon and I evaluate and treat all conditions of the musculoskeletal system. My expertise is in the evaluation and treatment of hip and knee problems. When surgical treatment is beneficial, I perform:

Joint Replacement Surgery, which includes:

I am an expert at utilizing robotics and computer-guided surgical tools in order to customize the fit and position of the implant in order to improve outcomes and lessen the risk of complications.

Prior to coming to Cedar Rapids, I was in private practice in Austin, Texas, as well as a clinical assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Texas- Dell Medical School where I was involved with educating the next generation of surgeons. I continue to teach surgical techniques around the country as part of my role as a consultant to Stryker Corporation. Prior to my medical career I was a practicing engineer and spent time working at AT&T Bell Labs and Intel.

surgeons
Dr. Akhtar teaching the direct anterior hip approach surgical technique.
Teaching surgery
Dr. Omar Akhtar, Mako Stryker Robotics trainer, and Dr. Drake White, orthopedic surgeon at Memorial Hospital in Carthage, Illinois. Dr. Akhtar travels to various Midwestern hospitals to train other orthopedic surgeons on highly advanced Mako smart  robots used in the operating room.

Year Joined PCI

September 2021

Personal Interests

Photography, hiking, fitness


Patient Success Gallery

Videos and photos of patients with successful total joint surgeries performed by Dr. Akhtar:

A PCI patient climbs a mountain after knee replacement surgery.
Here’s a patient who hiked a 14,000 foot peak six months after robotic-assisted total knee replacement.

Dr. Omar Akhtar patient walks just two weeks after double hip replacement surgery. Prior to surgery, the patient's pain was so intense he needed a walker.

Patient walks just two weeks after direct anterior hip replacement.

Patient walks without a cane just 2 weeks after simultaneous double knee replacement.

calf-roping
Dr. Akhtar patient riding a horse and calf roping after two hip replacement surgeries.
hip-patient
Dr. Akhtar patient, who is a municipal water worker, squatting in a manhole after two direct anterior hip replacement surgeries.
hiker
Dr. Akhtar patient on a hiking trip three months after total knee replacement surgery.
walker
Dr. Akhtar patient on a three-mile walk two months after robotic-assisted total knee replacement surgery.
water-skier
Dr. Akhtar patient water skiing after two total hip replacement surgeries.
patient at work
Dr. Akhtar hip replacement patient behind the counter at the store she owns.
Two patients have knee replacements
Here are two patients 4 weeks after knee replacement. One fellow is a physical therapist. Both gentlemen had their knees replaced by Dr. Akhtar. One was a “do-over” knee (originally replaced elsewhere) and the other was a regular knee replacement. They are having a good time switching roles!

patient with fish
A recent patient hunting and fishing in the wilderness five months after direct anterior hip replacement.
patient swims
Here is a patient going swimming 5 weeks after her robotic-assisted direct anterior hip replacement performed by Dr. Akhtar.