Meet Dr Anton Julyan

Dr Anton Julyan is an orthopaedic surgeon in Pretoria who treats problems of the shoulder, hand and upper limb. Many patients arrive worried that seeing a surgeon means an operation is inevitable. It isn’t. His first job is to listen, examine carefully, and explain what’s actually going on — in plain language — so you can make the decision that’s right for you.

A great deal of shoulder and hand trouble settles with the right non-surgical care, and he’ll always talk through those options first. When surgery genuinely is the best way forward, he takes the time to explain why, what it involves, and what recovery really looks like — so you go in informed and supported, not rushed.

He qualified at the University of Pretoria (MBChB 1996, MMed Orth 2006) and has been in private practice at Netcare Pretoria East since 2008, after early years in the upper-limb unit at 1 Military Hospital under Prof Theo le Roux. Over that time his focus has settled firmly on the shoulder and upper limb, from rotator cuff and arthroscopic surgery to joint replacement.

Where it helps, he uses modern tools such as MAKO robotic assistance and ARVIS augmented-reality guidance to plan and carry out joint replacement accurately. He also teaches newly qualified surgeons, and currently serves as President of the South African Orthopaedic Association — work he views as a responsibility to the profession rather than a headline.