Asif Ilyas, MD, MBA, FACS

Associate Dean of Clinical Research; Academic Vice Chair of Orthopedic Surgery; Adjunct Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Pediatrics

Department: Orthopaedic Surgery, Pediatrics

Research &
Academics
Background
Media/Publications/
Presentations
Patient
Care

Education

BS in Biology - Wilkes University (1997)
MD - Drexel University College of Medicine (2001)
MBA - Brown University (2020)

Awards & Honors

Distinguished Service Award, Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society (2024)
Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society Best Paper Award (2021)
Orthopedics Blue Ribbon Awards (2020, 2021)
John J. Gartland Award, Jefferson University (2019)
Sumner L. Koch Award, Chicago Society for Surgery of Hand (2019)

Memberships / Professional Affiliations

American College of Surgeons
American Orthopaedic Association
American Orthopaedic Association – Emerging Leaders Program
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
American Association for Hand Surgery
- Member, Board of Directors, January 2024-December 2025
Orthopaedic Trauma Association
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
AO North America
MGH Hand Club
Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society

Asif Ilyas, MD, MBA, FACS, is a practicing orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand, upper extremity, and orthopedic trauma surgery as a member of the Rothman Institute at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Bryn Mawr Hospital.

Named "Top Doctor" by Philadelphia magazine (2024)

Internships

General Surgery - Temple University Hospital (2002)

Residencies

Orthopaedic Surgery - Temple University Hospital (2006)

Fellowships

Hand, Upper Extremity and Microsurgery - Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital (2007)

Affiliated Hospitals

Rothman Orthopaedic Institute

Asif M. Ilyas, MD ’01, MBA, FACS, is associate dean of clinical research at Drexel University College of Medicine. Dr. Ilyas is charged with growing clinical research at the College, especially among our regional campuses and clinical affiliates. He will be focused on improving MD student access to research opportunities, increasing faculty engagement with clinical research, and supporting submissions and presentations at local, national and international scientific meetings. He will also encourage publication in peer-reviewed journals and applications for grant funding. The overall mission of this new role is to grow the reputation of the College’s clinical research efforts on the regional and national stage.

After earning his medical degree from Drexel in 2001, Dr. Ilyas completed residency training in general and orthopedic surgery at Temple, followed by a fellowship in hand, upper extremity and microsurgery at Harvard. He is currently a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Thomas Jefferson University and a surgeon at the Rothman Institute. He also serves as president of the Rothman Opioid Foundation and is a past president of the Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Society. Dr. Ilyas has a history of serving Drexel, as evidenced by his tenure on the College of Medicine’s Alumni Association Board of Directors and his mentorship of Drexel medical students for years.

Beyond his clinical and teaching roles, Dr. Ilyas also serves as the consulting hand surgeon for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Research

A prolific researcher, Dr. Ilyas has been funded by the PA Department of Health, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Rothman Opioid Foundation and the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand for projects pertaining to upper extremity surgery, surgical pain management and combatting the opioid crisis. He has co-authored over 200 publications in academic journals and authored or co-authored over 20 book chapters. He is a sought-after speaker on orthopedic injuries, pain management, medical cannabis and wide-awake hand surgery, among many others.

Dr. Ilyas holds numerous editorial positions, including as consultant reviewer for Bone & Joint Surgery and the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He serves as section editor for the Journal of Medical Insight, and most recently has launched the journal SurgiColl.

In the Media

“Xylazine: the latest drug to join the opioid crisis”
WPHL-TV (PHL-17) (December 10, 2024)

“Xylazine is a new threat that demands swift action using lessons from the past | Opinion”
Penn Live (October 7, 2024)

“Study Reveals Simple Video Can Cut Opioid Use After Knee Surgery”
MyChesCo (July 18, 2024)

“Medical Cannabis Gains Ground as Alternative for Chronic Pain Relief”
MyChesCo (July 18, 2024)

“Drexel University College of Medicine Faculty Named Philadelphia Magazine Top Doctors™ for 2024”
(April 22, 2024)

Additional articles...

“This is a call to action to address the danger of leftover opioids in too many homes | Opinion”
Penn Live (April 20, 2024)

“Asif Ilyas: An unrecognized source of the opioid crisis”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (October 20, 2023)

"Dr. Asif Ilyas: Education needed for opioid prescribing in Appalachia"
TribLive (July 24, 2023)

Asif Ilyas, MD, associate dean of clinical research at the College of Medicine, wrote an April 30 Triblive letter to the editor about Pittsburgh grappling with a surge in overdoses related to the misuse of xylazine, a veterinary sedative.

The $1 billion settlement is important, but the opioid addiction crisis continues | Opinion
PennLive, March 1, 2022

"This new law on opioid prescribing will save lives | Opinion"
Penn Live, November 6, 2018

"Sixer’s Shake Milton out after undergoing surgery on hand fractured"
Philadelphia Inquirer, February 12, 2019

"Sixer’s Covington undergoes successful surgery on damaged tendon in hand"
Philly Voice, May 17, 2018

"Here’s something that curbs opioid use: Pre-Surgical counseling"
Philadelphia Inquirer, March 31, 2017

"Going Under the Knife, With Eyes and Ears Wide Open"
New York Times, March 25, 2017

"Volunteering: One Surgeon’s Dedication and Enthusiasm"
Orthopedics This Week, January 26, 2017

Publications

How Patients Dispose of Unused Prescription Opioids: A Survey of over 300 Postoperative Patients
Talebi R, Miller C, Abboudi J, Brahmabhatt S, Emper W, Lonner J, Kistler J, Mazur D, Pedowitz D, Ilyas AM.
Cureus. 2022 Aug 17;14(8):e28111. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28111. eCollection 2022 Aug.PMID: 36134102

Trends in Opioid Prescribing Following Pennsylvania Statewide Implementation of a Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
Miller C, Ilyas AM
Cureus. 2022 Aug 11;14(8):e27879. doi: 10.7759/cureus.27879. eCollection 2022 Aug.PMID: 36110459

Perspectives of Orthopedic Patients on Medical Cannabis: A Survey of More Than 2500 Patients
Townsend CB, Liss F, Langman C, Mazur D, Stache SA, Sharma S, Stolzenberg DS, Srinivasan M, Pedowitz D, Namdari S, Wang ML, Greis AC, Ilyas AM
Orthopedics. 2022 Sep 13:1-6. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20220907-05. Online ahead of print.PMID: 36098574

Scaphoid Nonunion: A Review of Surgical Strategies
Van Nest D, Ilyas AM
Orthopedics. 2022 Sep-Oct;45(5):e235-e242. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20220608-03. Epub 2022 Jun 13.PMID: 35700430

Use of Triggers to Detect Adverse Events After Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery at a Single Ambulatory Surgery Center
Calem DB, Horan DP, Taylor MT, McEntee RM, Pedowitz DI, Emper WD, Ilyas AM
Orthopedics. 2022 Mar-Apr;45(2):116-121. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20220105-07. Epub 2022 Jan 12.PMID: 35021026

Additional publications...

Baseball Injuries of the Hand and Wrist
Gallant GG, Tulipan JE, Rivlin M, Ilyas AM
J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2021 Aug 1;29(15):648-658. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-20-00101.PMID: 34037556

Polyethylene Glycol Fusion of Nerve Injuries: Review of the Technique and Clinical Applicability
Van Nest DS, Kahan DM, Ilyas AM
J Hand Microsurg. 2021 Apr;13(2):49-54. doi: 10.1055/s-0040-1718651. Epub 2020 Dec 10.PMID: 33867761

The Effect of Preoperative Opioid Education on Opioid Consumption After Outpatient Orthopedic Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Trial
Ilyas AM, Chapman T, Zmistowski B, Sandrowski K, Graham J, Hammoud S
Orthopedics. 2021 Mar-Apr;44(2):123-127. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20210201-07. Epub 2021 Feb 10.PMID: 33561870

Wide-Awake Surgery With Local Anesthesia and Epinephrine Is Safe
Ilyas AM, Jennings JD, Banner L, Matzon JL
Orthopedics. 2020 Nov 1;43(6):e529-e532. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20200827-03. Epub 2020 Sep 3.PMID: 32882049

Diagnosis and Management of Common Hand Infections
Bilolikar VK, Seigerman DA, Ilyas AM
JBJS Rev. 2020 Apr;8(4):e0188. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.19.00188.PMID: 32304499

Radial Nerve Palsy Recovery With Fractures of the Humerus: An Updated Systematic Review
Ilyas AM, Mangan JJ, Graham J
J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2020 Mar 15;28(6):e263-e269. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-18-00142.PMID: 31714418

Sensory Outcomes in Digital Nerve Repair Techniques: An Updated Meta-analysis and Systematic Review
Herman ZJ, Ilyas AM
Hand (NY). 2020 Mar;15(2):157-164. doi: 10.1177/1558944719844346. Epub 2019 May 1.PMID: 31043071

A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blinded Trial Comparing Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, and Oxycodone for Pain Management After Hand Surgery
Ilyas AM, Miller AJ, Graham JG, Matzon J
Orthopedics. 2019 Mar 1;42(2):110-115. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20190221-02. Epub 2019 Feb 27.PMID: 30810754

Wide-Awake Hand Surgery: Principles and Techniques
Warrender WJ, Lucasti CJ, Ilyas AM
JBJS Rev. 2018 May;6(5):e8. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.RVW.17.00142.PMID: 29787451

A Prospective Evaluation of Opioid Utilization After Upper-Extremity Surgical Procedures: Identifying Consumption Patterns and Determining Prescribing Guidelines
Kim N, Matzon JL, Abboudi J, Jones C, Kirkpatrick W, Leinberry CF, Liss FE, Lutsky KF, Wang ML, Maltenfort M, Ilyas AM
J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2016 Oct 19;98(20):e89. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.15.00614.PMID: 27869630

Open Fractures of the Hand: Review of Pathogenesis and Introduction of a New Classification System
Tulipan JE, Ilyas AM
Orthop Clin North Am. 2016 Jan;47(1):245-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ocl.2015.08.021.PMID: 26614938

Emerging multidrug resistance of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in hand infections
Tosti R, Samuelsen BT, Bender S, Fowler JR, Gaughan J, Schaffer AA, Ilyas AM
J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2014 Sep 17;96(18):1535-40. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.M.01159.PMID: 25232077

Prospective evaluation of pronator quadratus repair following volar plate fixation of distal radius fractures
Tosti R, Ilyas AM
J Hand Surg Am. 2013 Sep;38(9):1678-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2013.06.006. Epub 2013 Aug 2.PMID: 23916193

Radiocarpal fracture-dislocations
Ilyas AM, Mudgal CS
J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2008 Nov;16(11):647-55. doi: 10.5435/00124635-200811000-00005.PMID: 18978287

* This physician's clinical practice is independent of Drexel University.

Contact Information

Rothman Institute
925 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 610.755.3711