Orthopedic surgery in Vail

For Referring Physicians

How to refer a patient to Dr. Vidal.

For physicians

Referring a patient

Dr. Armando Vidal practices sports medicine at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. His clinical focus centers on complex knee pathology, including multi-ligament knee injuries, and his surgical practice includes ACL reconstruction, complex revisions, osteotomies, and articular cartilage restoration. He completed orthopaedic surgery residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, followed by fellowship training in sports medicine, shoulder, and knee surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

For a referring physician managing a patient with ligamentous knee instability spanning multiple structures, a prior reconstruction that has failed, or cartilage loss under consideration for restorative surgery, this training background and procedural scope are relevant to the referral decision. Background on Dr. Vidal's training and practice focus is available on his physician profile. Criteria for when a knee presentation warrants referral rather than continued conservative management are detailed in our guide for when to refer.

Dr. Vidal is accepting new patients.

Training and credentials

Education and training

Medical school at University of Miami. Residency at Hospital for Special Surgery, New York. Fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

FellowshipUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center
ResidencyHospital for Special Surgery, New YorkOrthopaedic surgery
Medical schoolUniversity of MiamiDoctor of Medicine
Board statusAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryBoard certified

For physicians

Which patients should I refer to Dr. Vidal?

Most patients with a multi-ligament knee injury, a knee reconstruction that has failed, or a joint that needs an osteotomy or articular cartilage restoration.

Dr. Vidal is fellowship-trained in Sports Medicine, Shoulder, and Knee at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and his practice at The Steadman Clinic centers on ACL reconstruction, complex revisions, osteotomies, and articular cartilage restoration, so these are the referrals best matched to his training rather than a routine knee complaint. A first-time ACL tear with no other ligament involvement can usually be managed locally; a multi-ligament injury, or a reconstruction that has already failed, is the clearer signal to send the patient on. More on his background and training is on his physician bio.

For physicians

What should I send with the referral?

Imaging, the operative report if a prior reconstruction was done, and a summary of conservative treatment to date.

For a multi-ligament knee, MRI findings paired with a clear exam note on which ligaments are involved move the first visit forward faster than a full chart export. If a prior ACL graft is suspected to have failed, the original operative note matters most, since graft type and tunnel placement shape what a revision needs to address.

For physicians

How do I reach the office to refer a patient?

Directly, by calling the office or sending the referral through the practice's usual channel.

The practice is currently accepting new patients from referring physicians. Full logistics, including what to include and how urgently to send it, are laid out in the practice's referral guide for physicians.

For physicians

What happens at my patient's first visit?

Dr. Vidal examines the patient personally at that first visit; he does not triage referred patients to another provider.

He reviews any imaging your office has already sent and orders an additional study only when the existing imaging does not answer the specific question in play, most often instability testing or cartilage status in a multi-ligament knee injury. His fellowship training in sports medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center shapes how that first exam is sequenced: ligamentous stability is assessed systematically before any surgical conversation starts, and a provisional plan, surgical or non-surgical, is typically discussed at that same visit rather than deferred to a second appointment.

For physicians

How do I receive the findings and the plan?

A written summary goes back to your office after the visit.

It covers the exam findings, the imaging interpretation, and the recommended course, whether that is continued non-surgical management, additional workup, or a specific procedure such as ACL reconstruction, osteotomy, or articular cartilage restoration. If a finding changes the urgency of the case, our office contacts you directly rather than waiting for the written summary to route through the usual channel.

For physicians

Who manages my patient's care once treatment starts, and does my practice stay involved?

Dr. Vidal's team manages the surgical and immediate post-operative period directly, including the staged rehabilitation that complex knee reconstruction and revision surgery require.

Your practice remains the record of first contact: once the patient reaches a defined recovery milestone, day-to-day management can transition back to your office, accompanied by a summary documenting what was done and what to monitor going forward. For how we define that handoff on straightforward versus complex cases, our when-to-refer guide lays out the thresholds we use on the surgical side.

This information is educational and is not a substitute for direct clinical evaluation of your patient.

3 locations