The Florida Orthopaedic Institute family mourns the passing of Thomas Lane Bernasek, MD, on August 9, 2026. 

Dr. Thomas Bernasek was a founding member of Florida Orthopaedic Institute and a nationally recognized orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee replacement. After coming to Tampa in 1987, he helped shape the vision that became FOI and dedicated nearly four decades to advancing patient care, innovation, education, and research. 

Renowned both nationally and internationally for his expertise in joint replacement, Dr. Bernasek contributed to the development of implants and technologies that improved the lives of countless patients. Throughout his career, he remained deeply fascinated by the science, mechanics, and artistry of joint replacement surgery, continually seeking ways to improve outcomes and enhance patient care. 

Teaching was equally central to his life’s work. As Director of the FOI Adult Reconstruction Fellowship and a professor at the University of South Florida, Dr. Bernasek mentored generations of residents and fellows. His influence lives on in the many surgeons across the country who learned not only surgical technique from him, but also the judgment, discipline, and commitment to excellence that defined his career. 

His dedication to Tampa General Hospital was equally enduring. He served as Chief of Staff, spent 11 years on the hospital’s Board of Directors, and was Medical Director of its Bloodless Medicine and Surgery Program. He believed physicians have a responsibility not only to care for patients but also to help build, strengthen, and lead the institutions that make that care possible. 

Dr. Bernasek leaves an enduring mark on Florida Orthopaedic Institute, the orthopaedic community, and the countless lives he touched throughout his distinguished career. His legacy will continue through the patients he cared for, the surgeons he trained, and the institution he helped build. 

The measure of a surgeon’s life cannot be found solely in titles, publications, or curriculum vitae. It is found in the patients whose lives were restored through his care, the surgeons who became better because of his teaching, the institutions strengthened by his leadership, and the colleagues and friends whose lives were richer because they knew him. 

He will be deeply missed. 

August 12, 2026