Chad Fortun, MD, MS, FAAOS

Chad Fortun, MD, MS, FAAOS

Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Sports Medicine

This provider is accepting new patients.
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.82 out of 5 - View Rating
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Biography

Chad M. Fortun, MD, FAAOS is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who provides comprehensive orthopaedic care from non-operative orthopaedic injuries to cutting edge joint replacement and minimally invasive surgery. Having spent an additional year of training in sports medicine, he enjoys taking care of athletes of all levels and ages and specializes in minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle to optimize his patients’ level of function with less pain and a faster recovery. Additionally, Dr. Fortun brings specialized training and interest in hip preservation surgery through the use of surgical hip dislocation and hip arthroscopy. Wilmington Health’s Ambulatory Surgery Center is also the first in our region to offer Hip Arthroscopy.

Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Fortun practiced as a licensed physical therapist.  He believes that this experience provides him with a unique perspective in treating patients with non-operative conditions and understanding the post-operative needs of his surgical patients. After moving on from a successful physical therapy practice Dr. Fortun attended the prestigious Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He earned numerous accolades and scholarships, filled leadership and service roles and graduated at the top of his class. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.  After graduation, Dr. Fortun continued his education completing his orthopaedic surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University. He trained with world-renowned experts and published multiple articles in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. He received various awards for his research and his work was presented at numerous national and international conferences. While at Case Western, the hospital provided coverage for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as well as many high school and college athletes.

Dr. Fortun went on to complete an additional year of specialized training in sports medicine, arthroscopy, and reconstructive surgery at the world-renowned Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI). He continued to be involved in research, publishing book chapters focusing on hip arthroscopy and articles on shoulder instability and rotator cuff repair. Working with athletes at all levels; he covered local high schools and colleges and cared for professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA.

Dr. Fortun continues to be involved in research and education. He has recently published a book chapter on hip arthroscopy and peer reviewed articles on shoulder surgery.  Dr. Fortun is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor for the University of North Carolina’s School of Medicine and has recently taught at the 2019 Fellows course on techniques in arthroscopy. In 2022, Dr. Chad Fortun was a speaker at the 27th Annual North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference providing valuable education to all attendees and healthcare providers on the “Variability in Outcomes Following Rotator Cuff Surgery.” This education will support successful surgical outcomes for patients across the state of North Carolina.

Dr. Fortun is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy and local organizations such as the North Carolina Medical Society and the New Hanover-Pender County Medical Society.

Dr. Fortun, his wife Kate, and their two children have greatly enjoyed becoming part of the Wilmington community. Kate is heavily involved in the kid’s school as the PTA president and continues to do work on the side as a licensed speech pathologist.  In addition to spending time with his family, Dr. Fortun enjoys traveling, church, golf, basketball, skiing/snowboarding, tennis and following both collegiate and professional athletics.

Dr. Fortun is excited to continue to serve the community for all their orthopaedic needs.  For appointments with Dr. Fortun please call 910-341-3455

FAAOS Badge

Articles & Interviews

Dr. Fortun has been featured in some of the local magazines. Get to know Dr. Fortun and what he does by clicking the links.

Plantation Life Magazine- August 2019

Port City Life Magazine- June 2019

Wilmington Magazine- September/October 2019

Health Watch: Dealing With Sports Injuries

Reviews

Dr. Fortun has been serving the Wilmington community for the past four years.  See what his patients have to say. Click here to read their reviews.

Videos

Clinical Interests

Hip arthroscopy (hip preservation surgery)
Comprehensive shoulder surgery (arthroscopic and total shoulder replacement)
Minimally invasive surgery (arthroscopy) of the knee and ankle

Professional Associations

Dr. Fortun is certified and/or associated with the following Orthopedic associations:

Patient Satisfaction

Our patient satisfaction surveys help us identify areas of improvement to work toward providing you with the best healthcare in the area. Patient satisfaction, along with increasing the quality of care delivered and reducing healthcare costs, are the three organizational objectives we focus on each and every day.

How does Chad Fortun compare?

  • How would you rate how well this provider communicates? (easy to understand, listens carefully to you, shows respect for what you had to say, sensitivity, friendliness)

    4.82 out of 5

  • Using a number from 1 to 5, where 5 is the best provider possible and 1 is the worst provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?

    4.82 out of 5

Locations

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"After putting off surgery on my shoulder hoping it would improve with PT, rest, time, etc., I finally turned to Dr. Fortun for arthroscopic surgery. I was impressed by his clear explanation of what to expect from my surgery and his detailed review of the post-surgery results. I highly recommend him to anyone suffering shoulder (or other joint) pain."

Bob

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“Dr Fortun is really good at what he does. He makes you feel comfortable and he is great at keeping things as pain free as possible. I am very pleased with him as my Doctor. He has won my trust.”

Deborah E.

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“Dr. Fortun's diagnosis/recommendations felt carefully considered and more reliable than other ortho providers I’ve seen in the past, who seemed a bit too eager to recommend surgery. Nothing felt rushed. fantastic bedside manner. Everyone in the office was friendly. Thanks!”

Larry W.

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“Dr. Fortun is very knowledgeable and thorough. I liked we tried conservative treatment before a surgery recommendation, and the fact that he also was a physical therapist gives him a better holistic understanding of what may work and may not for individual patients.”

Meghann C.

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“I don’t like doctors at all but Dr Fortun is wonderful. He is very kind and patient, he takes his time explaining everything that is going on and talking through treatment options. He listens and takes your opinions and perspective seriously. A very nice and knowledgeable doctor.”

Jenny B.

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“Quick and confident. He made the process very easy for me to understand, handle and heal. I was holding off surgery for sometime and still was not sure I was going to go through with it but after meeting DR. Chad and going through the steps I’m glad I did. Been 6 months and I feel great.”

Chris M.

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“Dr. Fortun has recognized issues with my hip on my imaging that other doctors did not. He has taken steps to get me back to a pain free life. I'm optimistic now for the first time in awhile.”

Tamela R.

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“Dr. Fortun and Arynne are a great team, they cover your appointment throughly. Dr. Fortun completed ACL hamstring reconstruction on my 17 year old son with fabulous results. They make this already hard process as smooth as possible, you will always be called back at appointment time and seen by Dr. Fortun very promptly.”

Elizabeth P.

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"I had the best Dr. explained everything I was at ease bc it’s a joint so I will admit that I was nervous. We meet and in great detail he explained what, how how much they were going to be cutting into. He was pleasant and he had a great bedside manner’s. If you have had as many surgeries as I have I will say I was scared to death bc I was afraid my walk was going to be a sight for sore eyes. I recovered from the first one and immediately scheduled another one for the other side. Highly recommend. He listened to my concerns addressed and he generally cares about them. I thank goodness for he helped he made in my life."

Vanessa M.

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"Dr. Fortun is one of the best orthopedic surgeons in the area. He's cleaned up both my shoulders (impingement, rotator cuff tears) and gotten me back to full activity quickly. Offered a very measured approach with conservative treatment before resorting to surgery. I trust him completely."

Liam P.

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"After many disappointing appointments with other doctors, finding Dr Fortun (and Erin!) were a breath of fresh air. I left his office feeling heard and hopeful of a pain free future! Thank you!!!"

Ashley M.