I tore the ACL in my left knee over 10 years ago. Dr. Lawson was my surgeon who used a hamstring graft to replace my damaged ACL. I recently tore the ACL in my right knee and I am currently looking for a capable surgeon to perform this surgery. I am finding that the reviews regarding orthopedic surgeons in my area are sparse and that I am doing a disservice to those who might need a similar surgery by not sharing my experience. I live a couple hours away from Lincoln now, otherwise I would unquestionably return back to Dr. Lawson to do this surgery. I still might. If you are going under the knife, please help others by leaving a review of your experience so others can make an informed decision about their care.
Again, this is a review from my experience 10 years ago, so please keep that in mind.

I went to Dr. Keith Lawson because he was visiting physician who would make a weekly trip down to the small town hospital I lived near. So, it was really a choice made out of convenience but my primary care physician at the time ensured me and my mother that he was a reputable surgeon. I don't remember much about his staff or his punctuality, so it must not have been terrible. I found him capable, confident, and willing to answer my and my mother's questions regarding my injury and upcoming surgery. The strongest impression I got was his bedside manner. He was goofy, funny which might turn some people off from a health professional, but I found that refreshing and helped to alleviate much of the stress I was feeling. I had never had surgery before, so his humor relieved some of that.

Dr. Lawson decided to use a hamstring graft to replace my ACL because I'm a woman and he stated that when the patellar tendon was used, it could open me up to even more knee injuries in the future, women already being inclined to knee problems. I will say that he did warn me that I might have some nerve damage in my leg. He mentioned that to do the surgery he would have to work around a nerve (I can't remember which one). I must say that I do still have some numbness in the front face of my shin, but it isn't anything that bothers me today at all and it affects only a small area of my leg. Having surgery, even if it arthroscopic, is serious and I'm happy that I was able to survive it without more serious side effects. I do not count it against his skills much.

Submitted Feb. 25, 2017

My wife had a very bad break in her wrist after falling on ice. We were referred to Dr Lawson, because of the complex break. Dr Lawson examined the x-rays and discussed his diagnosis. He was up front with us, and said that it was certainly a bad break, but that he thought there was a good chance that he could fix her wrist so that she would get most of her mobility back in her wrist. He explained a little bit about the extensiveness of the injury. The staff involved with all steps of the surgery were both friendly and professional. They explained everything they did in their part. After the surgery, Dr Lawson visited with us, and discussed the surgery. He said the break was what he was expecting, and that he elected to perform the less intrusive surgery. He did say that he was very happy with the results of the surgery, and thought the results were as good as we could have hoped for. Overall, we are both very pleased with Dr Lawson and his staff for the procedure.

Submitted Jan. 21, 2010