Lauren L Smith, MD

Lauren L. Smith’s Approach to Care

Summit Orthopedics hand surgeon Lauren L Smith, MD, always knew she wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon. “I was born with bilateral metatarsus adductus, a condition similar to club foot. I had my first corrective surgery at age 5, followed by surgery on the other foot at age 12. I’ve wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since I was a kid,” she said.

Lauren L. Smith, M.D. background

“I’m a triple Gopher, which is not something many people can say,” Dr. Smith said. After earning her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, she attended medical school at the University of Minnesota School of Medicine, followed by residency training, also at the U. In college, she also swam for the university — her specialty was the backstroke, although she also swam butterfly. As an orthopedic surgeon, she combines her interest in medicine and athletics.

“When I was choosing an orthopedic specialty, I wanted to focus on an area in which I could take care of people across the spectrum: children as well as older adults, trauma as well as nontraumatic injury, and hand surgery was a perfect fit,” Dr. Smith said. “Hand surgery also includes minimally invasive surgical techniques, nerve surgery, and microsurgery, all of which were appealing to me.”

Lauren L. Smith, M.D. practice philosophy

After residency, Dr. Smith traveled to New York City to complete a hand surgery fellowship at New York University. “I feel very fortunate to have trained at the University of Minnesota for residency and then NYU for my fellowship, having the opportunity to spend a year in Manhattan learning and applying specialized techniques in hand surgery,” she said.

Dr. Smith looks forward to bringing what she has learned back to patients in Minnesota. “I love it here in the Twin Cities, and I’m so happy to be back. I am excited to be able to take care of my friends and family members, as well as giving back to the community,” Dr. Smith said.

Summit Orthopedics provides personalized hand and wrist expertise

The function of our hands is integrated through our wrists and arms to our shoulders; a problem anywhere along our arm may have a significant impact on hand function and quality of life. If you experience an injury or uncomfortable symptoms, our fellowship-trained hand and wrist surgeons are here to help. Summit physicians receive the highest levels of training and exclusively provide individualized care for conditions of the hand, wrist, and elbow.

Start your journey to better function and less pain. Find your hand expert, schedule an appointment online, or call us at (651) 968–5201 to schedule a consultation.

Summit has convenient locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We have state-of-the-art centers for comprehensive orthopedic care in Eagan, MN, Plymouth, MN, Vadnais Heights, MN, and Woodbury, MN, as well as additional community clinics throughout the metro and southern Minnesota.