Our Physicians

Douglas F. Messina, MD

Dr. Messina is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee, as well as total joint replacements of the knee and hip. He is fellowship-trained in sports medicine and reconstructive surgery. He has been with CSM since 1997. An athlete himself, Dr. Messina takes great pride in helping athletes and active persons of all ages return to their pre-injury levels of activity. He has extensive experience treating athletes at the college and professional level and serves as team physician for several southeastern North Carolina high school athletic teams, including the 2014-2015 state football champion Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs. Dr. Messina competes in triathlons and is an avid tennis player and golfer. He is married and has three children.

Craig N. Lippe, MD

Dr. Lippe is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint replacements of the hip and knee. Fellowship-trained in adult reconstructive surgery, he performs total and partial joint replacements, as well as hip and knee revisions. He also performs minimally invasive surgery and computer-assisted techniques. Dr. Lippe is a racing enthusiast and spends his free time driving and building cars in BMW Club Racing. He is married and has four children.

Chad M Fortun, MD

Chad M Fortun, MD is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who provides comprehensive orthopaedic care from non-operative orthopaedic injuries to cutting edge joint replacement and minimally invasive surgery. Having spent an additional year of training in sports medicine, he enjoys taking care of athletes of all levels and ages and specializes in minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, hip, knee and ankle to optimize his patients’ level of function with less pain and a faster recovery. Additionally, Dr. Fortun brings specialized training and interest in hip preservation surgery through the use of surgical hip dislocation and hip arthroscopy.

Prior to attending medical school Dr. Fortun practiced as a licensed physical therapist. He believes that this experience provides him with a unique perspective in treating patients with non-operative conditions and understanding the post-operative needs of his surgical patients. After moving on from a successful physical therapy practice Dr. Fortun attended the prestigious Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He earned numerous accolades and scholarships, filled leadership and service roles and graduated in the top of his class. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.

After graduation, Dr. Fortun continued his education completing his orthopaedic surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University. He trained with world-renowned experts and published multiple articles in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. He received various awards for his research and his work was presented at numerous national and international conferences. While at Case Western, the hospital provided coverage for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as well as many high school and college athletes.

Dr. Fortun completed an additional year of specialized training in sports medicine, arthroscopy and reconstructive surgery at the world renowned Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI). He continued to be involved in research, publishing book chapters focusing on hip arthroscopy and articles on shoulder instability and rotator cuff repair. Working with athletes at all levels, he covered local high schools and colleges and cared for professional athletes in the NBA, NFL, MLB, and PGA.

Dr. Fortun, his wife Kate, and their two children are excited to settle in Wilmington. In addition to spending time with his family, Dr. Fortun enjoys traveling, church, golf, basketball, skiing/snowboarding, volleyball and following both collegiate and professional athletics.