Lawrence E. Holland, MD

I have had four shoulder surgeries so far and while the topic is not an easy one to deal with, I have always felt so comfortable with Dr. Holland. I was initially injured when I was 16 and almost immediately had a failed surgery to fix the problem. I moved on to a D1 college swimming program and had surgery with the resident shoulder ortho there; the problem was only made worse. Doctors recommended a shoulder replacement, but at the age of 19 I wasn’t ready. I left school, stopped swimming and crossed paths with Dr. Holland a few years later after the instability had effected my daily life. I have always wanted my information up front and very forward, which he does; injuries shouldn’t be sugar coated. I wanted to know exactly what his thoughts and plans were, and thats exactly what I heard. He took the time to call my previous surgeons and assisting doctors, read through post-​op notes and devised a plan. Since he wasn’t covered by my insurance, he and his office staff went out of there way to make sure as much of the surgery was covered. He understood it was a tough decision for me, but assured me I would swim again. Which I did! Rehab wasn’t easy, but he oversaw every step. When I needed a fourth surgery, Dr Holland and his team were amazing. He wouldn’t ever do surgery if he didn’t see how it would positively impact a patients life and has a great understanding of the joints. I have recommended a number of people to see him at different times and they are all thankful for his knowledge and expertise. I still talk to him whenever I am having issues or am scared that I have hurt it, and he always takes the time to look at whatever notes or MRI’s I send his way — he truly cares about his patients and his work. Joints and surgeries are difficult things to manage, but his reassurance and dedication to making me comfortable and able to do things again was a life changer!

TOP DOC for sure ! I am so very happy with the whole process of pre-​surgery, knee replacement, post surgery, etc that this outstanding doctor set up for me, at Swedish Ortho. Takes a while to get on schedule with Dr Holland, but well worth it! Could not have had a better, caring, knowledgeable surgeon! Looking forward to the other knee being replaced, in April 2014. NO fear whatsoever, knowing that he is so very caring, concerned that everything goes Perfect! I would give him 11 Stars. I am a 70+ year old woman and it takes a lot to impress me. I would send my precious 94yr old mother to him, if she needed surgery. I did a lot of research to find the perfect doctor and hospital. Indeed, I finally found the BEST with Dr Holland, who is very easy to communicate with. Had surgery Oct 2012 and hardly can see my scar, and no problems!

Dr. Holland did orthroscopic surgery on my meniscus for both of my knees. Awesome outcome.

I went to see Dr. Holland about pain in my knees that I have had for a long time. Like other reviewers, I was impressed by his credentials, and I was hopeful that he could help me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.
He took my medical history, did an exam, explained my injury, and then told me that I should learn to live with my condition (chronic knee pain) the rest of my life. He also told me to stay away from the activities that I love to do. As you can imagine, I was extremely disappointed. I was expecting him to go over my treatment options instead of just telling me to deal with it. (I spent an hour crying in the hospital parking lot because I was so upset that there was no help for me, and I thought I would have to deal with my pain for the rest of my life).
It wasn’t what he said, but it was the delivery. I didn’t feel like he cared about my problem, and he wasn’t apologetic. I felt like he was trying to get me out and move on to the next patient because my treatment/​surgery wasn’t one he was interested in doing. If there truly is no hope for me, it would help if he explained why he didn’t recommend moving forward with those treatments or procedures. If he wasn’t interested in performing them, perhaps he could have referred me to another doctor who would?
In his defense, he briefly spoke of possible treatment options, but it was clear that he had no interest in performing them. If I wanted to spend the next 50 or 60 years in pain, I wouldn’t have come to see him for help. Also, he wasn’t personable as the other reviewers described him. Maybe I saw him on a bad day? Maybe my experience would have been completely different if I needed a procedure that he prefers doing? Maybe he’s an excellent surgeon, but I think it’s important to feel comfortable with the person who may be performing surgery on you.
On a positive note, when I finally stopped crying, and made it back home, I found a great doctor who was actually willing to help me. My new doctor was very warm and friendly, spent a lot of time talking to me, and made me feel completely at ease. He did additional tests, and came up with a detailed plan (ranging from more conservative treatments to surgery) that we can take to get me some relief. It turns out that there is hope after all, my condition is very treatable, and I may not have to deal with this forever. Whether his plan works or not, at least I know that my new doctor is doing everything he possibly can to help me.

Yes, I also tore my ACL in 1980 when surgery meant deconstructing the entire knee. I hobbled along, my knee locking and popping, until 1996 when Dr. Holland cleaned it up with arthroscopic surgery. At the time he advised against ACL surgery and in fact, the knee was as good as new for many, many years. So, now 32+ years after the injury I am in need of a total knee replacement and am so glad he will be doing it. Two years ago he did the TKR surgery on my partner and it went extremely well. I have worked with him for 16 years and he doesn’t recommend surgery unless it’s needed. An added plus, he is kind and personable. I highly recommend him.

If, after a particularly brutal superhero crime fighting session, you realize you managed to tear your ACL and meniscus (or like me, in an extremely competitive game of professional Budgetball), you’re likely wanting to identify some of the best orthopedic surgeons in the area to repair your damaged limb. Thankfully, I’ve done the tedious research for you.
Dr. Holland recently reconstructed my ACL and repaired my damaged meniscus, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the entire experience (of course, I’m still doped up from the narcotics, but that did not influence this opinion). From my initial consultation, Dr. Holland took the time to explain the injury, explain my options (along with the benefits and considerations of each), and thoroughly answer all of my questions and concerns. While he balked at installing the bionic leg I was hoping for (fine, my insurance wasn’t going to pay for that anyway), the actual surgery went much better than I could have hoped. I know this because he provided me with a DVD of the procedure afterward. I am now well on the road to recovery and owe much gratitude to Dr. Holland for his skill and professionalism.
You want more? Check out these credentials:
Sports Affiliations:
Seattle Seahawks: Former Team Physician
Seattle Mariners: Former Team Physician
Seattle Supersonics: Former Assistant Team Physician
PGA: Volunteer Physician
Pre-​Medical Education:
B.S., M.S., Electrical Engineering, University of Southern California
Medical School:
University of California at Los Angeles
Residency:
University of Washington, Department of Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Board Certification:
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons