As a lifelong athlete, Dr. Billy Thompson has experienced his share of sports-related injuries. Now as an orthopaedic surgeon at Samaritan Healthcare, he helps his patients return to their own active lifestyles.

Dr. Thompson sees patients for a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, varying from hip, knee, and shoulder joint replacement surgeries to rotator cuff repair and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. With a second fellowship in shoulder surgery, Dr. Thompson has 28 years of experience as a shoulder and upper arm extremity specialist.

Calling himself a “conservative surgeon,” Dr. Thompson always explores non-surgical options first whenever possible. No matter if a patient is an Olympic athlete or a weekend warrior, his empathetic approach to care ensures he fully understands a patient’s lifestyle and treatment goals.

After completing his medical education at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Dr. Thompson eventually returned to Florida as an orthopaedic surgeon for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, later, as the head orthopaedic surgeon for Florida State University. He has been at Samaritan Healthcare since August 2024.

When he isn’t helping patients return to their favorite activities, Thompson enjoys his own active adventures, including skiing, golf, running with his dogs, and even flying planes.