Dr. Philippe Valenti, Director

Founder, Shoulder 3T

Director, Shoulder Unit, Paris Hand Institute

My career path is classic.  I was an intern in the “hôpitaux de Paris” in 1981, then headed up a clinic for 4 years.  I rapidly gravitated towards upper limb surgery, and in particular, reconstructive surgery.

With Professors MASQUELET and GILBERT as my mentors, I had to treat bone and cutaneous defects, as well as vascular and nerve lesions, which amounted to practicing microsurgery.

In 1991 I founded the Eastern Paris “Centre Privé SOS Main”, a clinic specialized in upper limb surgery and microsurgery. Three years later this clinic was one of the largest of its kind in Paris with 7-8 surgeons.

In 1987, during my time as Clinic Chief I wanted to perfect my skills in shoulder surgery and for the next two years I spent a day a week with Dr. Didier PATTE, founder of the “Société Européenne de Chirurgie de l’Epaule et du Coude”.  I also spent time at the Mayo Clinic in the US.

In 1995, I joined the “Institut de la Main”, founded by Messrs TUBIANA and GILBERT.  There, I began to specialize in shoulder disorders.

For the last 10 years, 90% of my activity has been focused on this domain.

Having spent two years as an intern and house surgeon in pediatrics and orthopedics, I continued pediatric, orthopedic upper limb surgery, and more specifically, surgery of the shoulder.

This is what led me in 1995, after a stint with Doctors Without Borders and Doctors of the World, to set up, with Alain DELOCHE and Eric CHEYSSON, “La Chaîne de l’Espoir” (The chain of hope), of which I am still Vice-President.

This humanitarian organization strives to treat children who do not have access to care, in France and in thirty-odd countries around the world.