Mahmood Qoqandi, MD
Consultant Orthopaedic and Adult and Pediatric Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon
Complex Spine and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Fellow
McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences
Ontario, Canada
Home Institution: Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Member Since: 2024
How has the AAOS helped you throughout your career?
AAOS has been a trusted companion throughout my journey, from residency and spine fellowship training in Saudi Arabia to advanced sub-subspecialty training in Canada. It has strengthened my clinical judgment, kept me connected to evolving evidence, and allowed me to learn from a truly global orthopaedic community. Most importantly, AAOS has reinforced my belief that excellence in orthopaedics has no borders.
As an International Member, which AAOS resources do you use most and why?
I most frequently use JAAOS, ROCK, the Orthopaedic Video Theater, and content from the AAOS Annual Meeting. JAAOS keeps my practice grounded in current evidence, while the surgical videos allow me to examine operative techniques and refine the details that matter in the operating room. ROCK was especially valuable for structured and efficient knowledge review, although I unfortunately no longer have access to it. The Annual Meeting provides exposure to emerging ideas and the opportunity to connect with surgeons from different countries, cultures, and training systems.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from?
Two lessons from my mentors have stayed with me: “Never operate on an image. Operate on the patient, their goals, and the life they want to return to,” and, simply, “Less is more.” These principles continue to guide how I plan surgery, communicate risk, and practice shared decision-making.
What’s your go-to productivity trick?
I reduce every complex task to one clearly defined next step. For surgical planning, I create a one-page map of the problem: the diagnosis, the patient’s goals, the operative objectives, possible revision strategies, the major risks, and the bailout plan. Clarity is the best cure for complexity.
What’s one thing you’re currently trying to make a habit?
Deliberate daily growth, both personally and professionally. I aim to review one focused spine topic each day and record one clinical pearl and one teaching point to share with trainees. Small lessons, repeated consistently, create lasting expertise.
What hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
I enjoy strength training, traveling, video gaming, discovering distinctive coffee shops and local cuisine, and exploring visual design and branding. I am drawn to activities that combine precision, creativity, and attention to detail—the same qualities that first attracted me to spine surgery.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that not many people know.
My interest in orthopaedics and spine surgery began at a young age after watching my older brother experience a lumbar disc herniation. What began as childhood curiosity eventually became my life’s work.
In my spare time, I also enjoy sketching logos, developing visual identities, and making connections. To me, surgery and life in general share the same pursuit of balance, structure, function, and elegance.