Fellowship-Trained and Board-Certified Hand, Wrist, Elbow, and Shoulder Surgeon
Specialties:
Fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopaedic surgeon Dr. James Watt specializes in hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder surgery and is also a sports medicine, arthroscopy, and general orthopaedic expert. He joined Orthopaedic Associates in September 2012.
Dr. Watt received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Des Moines University in Des Moines, Iowa. He then completed an orthopaedic surgery internship and residency at Ohio University in Columbus, Ohio. After his residency, Dr. Watt received additional subspecialty training through a hand and upper extremity fellowship at the Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa, Florida.
Highly skilled in advanced treatments for the upper extremity, Dr. Watt specializes in both surgical and nonsurgical advanced treatment techniques. He is also the only fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon in the area who offers total shoulder replacement on an outpatient basis at Surgical Specialists, ASC.
Among other treatment approaches, Dr. Watt specializes in performing:
- Mini-open carpal tunnel release
- Carpal tunnel release using Sonex Health UltraGuideCTR and real-time ultrasound guidance
- Large and small joint replacement of the upper extremity
- Shoulder, elbow, and wrist arthroscopy
- Tendon transfers, repairs, and reconstruction surgeries, fractures of the upper extremity
- Primary anatomic total shoulder replacement
- Reverse total shoulder replacement
- XIAFLEX® and steroid injections
- Splinting
Dr. Watt diagnoses and treats a wide array of hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries and conditions, including but not limited to:
- AC (acromioclavicular) joint arthritis
- Basal joint osteoarthritis
- Biceps tendonitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
- Dislocations of the shoulder, elbow, and hand
- Dupuytren’s contracture
- Elbow pain
- Elbow trauma
- Fractures of the hand, fingers, shoulder blade
- Frozen shoulder
- Ganglion cysts
- Hand pain
- Hand trauma
- Hyperextension of the elbow
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow)
- SLAP tears
- Rheumatoid arthritis of the hand
- Rotator cuff tears
- Shoulder pain
- Shoulder trauma
- Sprains and strains of the upper extremity
- Throwing injuries
- Trauma to the hand
- Wrist pain
- Wrist trauma
When Dr. Watt is not seeing patients, he enjoys running, cycling, spending time on the water, and spending time with his wife and kids. He also enjoys serving as team doctor for South Walton High School.
Dr. Watt is available to see patients at our locations in Crestview, Destin, Fort Walton Beach, and Niceville.
Education
- Bachelor of Arts in Biology/Biomedical: University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, 2002
- Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine: Des Moines University, Des Moines, IA, 2006
Surgical Training
- Orthopaedic Surgery Internship: Ohio University, Columbus, OH, 2006 – 2007
- Orthopaedic Surgery Residency: Ohio University, Columbus, OH, 2007 – 2011
- Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship: Florida Orthopaedic Institute, Tampa, FL 2011 – 2012
Surgical Interests
- Arthritis and Joint Replacement Surgery
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Arthroscopic Surgery
- Deformity Correction
- Osteoporosis
- Sports Medicine
- Trauma/Fractures
- Tendon Transfers
- Tenex (Minimally Invasive Tendon Treatment)
- Congenital Deformity
- Pediatric Orthopaedics
Professional Affiliations
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- American Association for Hand Surgery
- American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
- American Osteopathic Association
- Florida Medical Association
- Florida Orthopaedic Society
- Emerald Coast Health Alliance
- Fort Walton Beach, Destin, and Niceville Chambers of Commerce
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand