Dr. Ast is chief medical innovation officer, chief of the knee service and director of ambulatory surgery center strategy at Hospital for Special Surgery, where he advances technology-enabled orthopedic care and scalable surgical pathways. He has spearheaded initiatives integrating robotics, data-driven decision-making and patient-specific solutions to improve outcomes and accelerate recovery in joint replacement. He pioneered joint replacement pathways implemented across more than 200 ambulatory surgery centers, expanding access while setting standards for safety, efficiency and recovery. A major focus of his work has been opioid-sparing pain management, with initiatives that significantly reduced opioid use in joint replacement patients while maintaining excellent outcomes. Dr. Ast collaborates with medical technology companies to design implants and tools now used globally, and serves as an educator for surgeons through trainings, webinars and international operating room observerships.
