Sean Bak, M.D., FAOA

Sean Bak, MD, FAOA has been serving patients in Metro Detroit since 2005. A Detroit native, Dr. Bak was recruited to play baseball at Wayne State University, where his own athletic injuries first sparked his interest in orthopaedics. After his playing career was cut short, he turned his focus fully to medicine, graduating from Wayne State University School of Medicine with High Distinction and election to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He went on to graduate from one of the nation’s highest-volume orthopaedic surgery residencies before completing the prestigious Charles S. Neer Fellowship in Shoulder and Elbow Reconstruction at Columbia University in New York City.

Dr. Bak is Board-Certified in Orthopaedic Surgery with subspecialty fellowship training in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. In 2021, he was elected Medical Staff President of Henry Ford Providence Hospitals in Novi and Southfield, after previously serving as Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery. In recognition of his contributions to orthopedics, Dr. Bak has been inducted into several of the field’s selective professional societies, including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA). One of Michigan’s highest-volume shoulder replacement surgeons, Dr. Bak is also among the Midwest’s most experienced experts in rare and complex shoulder disorders. He has pioneered several innovative surgical techniques, including rotator cuff–sparing shoulder replacement, hybrid Tommy John reconstruction, and internal brace stabilization of the sternoclavicular joint. In collaboration with a national research consortium, he continues to refine and optimize outcomes in reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

Beyond his surgical expertise, Dr. Bak serves as Team Physician for Novi High School and the United Shore Professional Baseball League, and he is an independent consultant for athletes from Major League Baseball and the National Football League. His firsthand understanding of athletic competition informs his approach to care—balancing the urgency of returning athletes safely to peak performance with the long-term health of their joints. He employs the full range of both nonsurgical and surgical techniques to help his patients achieve optimal recovery and sustained success.

Dr. Bak has authored multiple book chapters and peer-reviewed research publications in leading orthopaedic and sports medicine journals. He also serves as a reviewer for the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. A lifelong learner and leader, he completed a nine-month program in Healthcare Management at Harvard Business School in 2014. He has served as President of the Detroit Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chair of Orthopaedics for the St. John Providence Health System, and on the Board of the Novi Bone and Joint Surgery Center. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Bak travels nationally and internationally several times a year, teaching advanced shoulder and elbow techniques to other orthopaedic surgeons.

Areas of Expertise Include:

• Primary and Complex Shoulder Replacement including Reverse and Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
• Elbow Ligament Reconstruction and Repair including Tommy John surgery
• Revision Shoulder Replacement Surgery
• Complex Shoulder instability
• Allograft reconstruction of the Shoulder
• Elbow Arthroscopy
• Robotic Shoulder Replacement
• Shoulder Arthroscopy including Labral and Rotator Cuff repair
• Treatment of Frozen Shoulder
• Rotator Cuff Repair and Reconstruction
• Tendon transfers for Shoulder Dysfunction
• Scapular Winging
• Biceps tendon repair
• Sternoclavicular Joint Repair
• Sports and Athletic Injuries

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