Team Players
At Roxborough Memorial Hospital, Drs. Piotr Krecioch and Chandra Reddy combine their talents in different areas of specialty to enhance surgical outcomes for patients.
Piotr Krecioch, M.D., FACS, and Chandra S. Reddy, M.D., have much in common. Both chose to pursue careers in medicine because they wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives. Both were born overseas—Poland for Dr. Krecioch, India for Dr. Reddy—and have spent most of their lives in the United States. Both are board-certified surgeons at Roxborough Memorial Hospital, located in the close-knit Philadelphia neighborhood that shares its name.
While the doctors have different areas of specialty—general surgery and bariatric surgery for Dr. Krecioch, orthopedic surgery for Dr. Reddy—they sometimes work together on cases in which collaboration can improve outcomes for patients. Perhaps the most common example of their collaborative efforts involves patients who may need a hip or knee replacement but are not yet good candidates because they need to lose significant weight.
“There’s a high failure rate of surgery for people who need a knee or hip replaced when they have a body mass index over 40,” says Dr. Krecioch, who joined Roxborough Memorial Hospital in 2024. “Before the patient can have their surgery done, they need to lose weight and change their lifestyle. That’s why bariatric surgeons and orthopedic surgeons have such a close relationship. One hand helps the other.”
Gastric bypass and other forms of bariatric surgery procedures essentially modify the digestive system to regulate how much food a person can consume and absorb. These procedures also reduce the hunger signals that travel from the digestive system to the brain, thereby contributing to sustained weight loss and improved overall health over time.
Dr. Krecioch suggests that the patients who do best after bariatric surgery also adopt prescribed lifestyle changes—regular exercise, eating a diet rooted in good nutrition, etc.—to help them maintain their weight loss. After he performs bariatric surgery on one of Dr. Reddy’s orthopedic patients, the patient should have lost sufficient weight within a time frame of six to nine months. The patient will then be ready to have Dr. Reddy perform their knee or hip replacement.
“Orthopedic surgery can make a big difference in someone’s life,” Dr. Reddy adds. “I always try a nonoperative approach first, but sometimes surgery is the best option; it’s all about joint decision making. You want every surgical patient to be in the best possible position to succeed after surgery. For patients with a high BMI, bariatric surgery can help them lose weight so they can succeed when it comes time for [a knee or hip replacement].”
The collaborative environment at Roxborough Memorial Hospital extends beyond Drs. Krecioch and Reddy. Not only do the two surgeons share the same scheduler, but they also work with the same surgical physician assistant, Christen Sedlak, PA-C, described by both doctors as crucial to their practices.
“Roxborough [Memorial Hospital] is like a community,” Dr. Krecioch adds. “Most of the patients we see are relatively healthy, and I like the people I work with. It’s also small enough that I’ve gotten to know pretty much everyone in the hospital. It’s nice being in a place like this as opposed to some big hospital system, and I think our patients like it, too.”
Teaming Up
Dr. Reddy came to Roxborough Memorial Hospital by way of its sister hospital, Suburban Community Hospital in Norristown, which he joined in 2022 after many years with St. Luke’s Miners Hospital in Coaldale. His practice focuses on arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, knee, and ankle, though he offers operative and nonoperative care for a variety of orthopedic aliments, including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and various fractures. Besides his work as a surgeon, he takes pride in his role as an educator, as he likes to share his wisdom with the next generation of orthopedic surgeons.
Dr. Reddy came to Roxborough Memorial Hospital by way of its sister hospital, Suburban Community Hospital in Norristown, which he joined in 2022 after many years with St. Luke’s Miners Hospital in Coaldale. His practice focuses on arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, knee, and ankle, though he offers operative and nonoperative care for a variety of orthopedic aliments, including arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and various fractures. Besides his work as a surgeon, he takes pride in his role as an educator, as he likes to share his wisdom with the next generation of orthopedic surgeons.
Collaboration with fellow surgeons and care providers has been essential to Dr. Reddy’s 20-plus-year surgical career. For example, he has worked with vascular surgeons in cases that involve complex fractures; plastic surgeons and wound care specialists for cases that require reconstructive procedures and care to optimize the healing process; and general surgeons such as Dr. Krecioch on cases in which the patient has suffered damage to internal organs as a result of trauma.
Dr. Krecioch previously worked as a general and bariatric surgeon for Mercy Surgical Associates in Darby, and was a faculty member in the Department of Surgery at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia, and Nazareth Hospital, as well as Roxborough Memorial Hospital. In his general surgery practice, he performs everything from abdominal surgery, to hernia repair, to soft-tissue surgery; he performs his surgeries robotically whenever possible and appropriate, as patients who have robotic surgery tend to have smaller incisions, less postoperative pain and discomfort, and quicker recovery times.
While Dr. Krecioch loves every aspect of the work, he has a deep appreciation for how much bariatric surgery and weight management can alter patients’ lives. He also sees bariatric surgery as a gateway to lasting relationships with patients.
“Once a bariatric patient comes to my office, they tend to become my patient for life,” he says. “I’m also a general surgeon, so I’m happy to help them deal with other issues they may be having, like doing their gallbladder surgery or hernia surgery. I give out my cellphone number to all my patients; I want them to be in constant contact with me at all times.”
For anyone who may need nonemergent surgery, Drs. Krecioch and Reddy believe patients will do best when they have access to a team of skilled surgeons who possess different areas of expertise and have an aptitude for collaboration. Dr. Reddy suggests a multidisciplinary approach helps to ensure the most comprehensive care for patients.
“Dr. Krecioch is available 24/7 for me, and I’m available 24/7 for him,” Dr. Reddy says. “If I need general surgery help, he’s always there for me and my patients. If we work on a case together, we solve the problem and talk about it later so we can improve the planning process for next time. He’s very approachable and hardworking, and that’s critically important when you’re working together to solve problems and protect a patient’s well-being.”
Roxborough Memorial Hospital
5800 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19128
(610) 277-6131
roxboroughmemorial.com
5800 Ridge Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19128
(610) 277-6131
roxboroughmemorial.com
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, April 2025.
