About Us

Tesson Heights Orthopaedics was formed to help deliver quality orthopedic care to the South County area. Dr. Stephen Benz helped start the practice in 1991. Partnering doctors joined the practice over the years to form the current team, which strives to meet the same goal of providing high quality orthopedic care.

"We have grown in size but our quality mission has remained unchanged. We deliver state-of-the-art care on a daily basis," Dr. Benz says.

Partners Dr. David B. Fagan joined the practice in 1993, Dr. Robert I. Markenson in 1994 and Dr. Thomas K. Lee in 1999. Dr. Amy M. Zippay, who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation, joined the team in 2004.

Tesson Heights Orthopaedics provides various areas of orthopedic care, including orthopedic surgery, total joint replacement, sports medicine, orthopedic trauma, spine surgery, physical medicine, rehabilitation and fluoroscopy, as well as digital X-ray and an open MRI facility on site.

Stephen M. Benz, MD

Dr. Benz is a St. Louis native who completed his undergraduate degree at Washington University in St. Louis, his medical degree at St. Louis University School of Medicine and his orthopedic residency at the University of Kentucky. Prior to entering private practice at Tesson Heights Orthopaedics, Dr. Benz served in the U.S. Air Force as Chief of Flight Medicine and Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Carswell AFB in Fort Worth, Texas. He is also a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Dr. Benz has expertise in minimally invasive knee replacements and total joint replacements, Oxford® Partial Knee replacements, and hand and upper extremity surgery, in addition to sports medicine.

Dr. Benz has been practicing orthopedic surgery in the St. Louis area for over 20 years. During that time, Dr. Benz has worked with the St. Louis Ambush soccer team, University of Kentucky basketball team and the Texas Christian University football team. Dr. Benz currently works with the CBC High School athletic department.

In addition to his normal office hours, Dr. Benz is available for appointments on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Dr. Benz is currently accepting new patients, independent medical examinations (IMEs) and also treats workers' compensation patients. Dr. Benz is Board Certified through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the Missouri State Medical Association and the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Dr. Benz performs surgery at St. Anthony's Medical Center and Manchester Surgery Center.

David B. Fagan, MD

Dr. Fagan is a graduate of St. Louis University and the St. Louis University School of Medicine. His surgical internship was at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and his residency in orthopedic surgery was completed at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Fagan also gained additional orthopedic surgery training at Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee, WI.

Dr. Fagan returned to the St. Louis area and joined Tesson Heights Orthopaedics in 1993. In addition to general orthopedics, Dr. Fagan treats patients for sports medicine injuries and performs arthroscopic surgery.

Dr. Fagan is currently accepting new patients and also treats workers' compensation patients. Dr. Fagan is Board Certified through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of Missouri State Medical Association and Arthroscopy Association of North America.

Dr. Fagan performs surgery at St. Anthony's Medical Center and Manchester Surgery Center.

Thomas K. Lee, MD

Dr. Lee completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and received his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine. His orthopedic surgery residency was done at the Orthopedic Residency Training Program in Phoenix, AZ. He completed a fellowship in orthopedic research from the Harrington Arthritis Research Center in Phoenix, Az.

Dr. Lee has served as the Chairman of Orthopedic & Spine Surgery at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center. He began his private practice here in St. Louis in 1993 and joined Tesson Heights Orthopaedics in 1999. Dr. Lee specializes in cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine surgeries. (www.SpineMore.org)

Dr. Lee is currently accepting new patients, does independent medical examinations (IME) and also treats workers' compensation patients. Dr. Lee is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of North American Spine Society, Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery, St. Louis Orthopedic Society, and Missouri State Medical Association.

Dr. Lee performs surgery at St. Anthony's Medical Center, Missouri Baptist Medical Center, St. Clare Medical Center, Des Peres Hospital and St. Louis Spine & Orthopedic Surgery Center.

Amy M. Zippay, MD

Dr. Zippay was born and raised in St. Louis and completed her medical training at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She completed her residency at Washington University, Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis where she served as chief resident. Following residency, she joined Tesson Heights Orthopaedics in 2004.

Dr. Zippay's practice includes the management of nonsurgical patients experiencing lumbar and cervical pain, fluoroscopic procedures including hip and lumbar injections, patients experiencing difficulty with their post-operative rehabilitation, pain management and electro-diagnostics. She works with patients to develop a program for getting back their quality of life.

Dr. Zippay is currently accepting new patients. She is Board Certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the American Board of Pain Medicine. Dr. Zippay is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Academy of Electro-Diagnostic Medicine and Missouri State Medical Association.

Dr. Zippay and her staff enjoy providing a compassionate, team-oriented approach to providing exceptional patient care.

Robert I. Markenson, MD

Dr. Markenson is a graduate of Tulane University in New Orleans and earned his medical degree from Tulane Medical School. He served his orthopedic surgery residency at the Tulane Affiliated Hospitals.

Dr. Markenson returned to the St. Louis area in 1984, where he was in solo practice until joining Tesson Heights Orthopaedics in 1994. Dr. Markenson treats patients for joint replacement, arthroscopic surgery and orthopedic trauma.

Dr. Markenson is currently accepting new patients, accepts independent medical examinations and also treats workers' compensation patients. Dr. Markenson is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and is a member of the St. Louis Orthopaedic Society and Missouri State Medical Association.

Dr. Markenson performs surgery at St. Anthony's Medical Center and Sunset Hills Surgery Center.

Physicians Assistant Kathy J. Swindle PA-C, MMS, MT(ASCP)

Kathy Swindle graduated from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, IL (Chicago area) in 2003, where she earned her Master's in Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies. Kathy worked at St. Louis University Hospital as a physician assistant in orthopedic surgery from 2004 until 2010 when she joined Tesson Heights Orthopaedics. She assists in providing orthopedic care to patients alongside Dr. Fagan and Dr. Markenson in our office and in surgery. Kathy is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Illinois Academy of Physician Assistants and the Missouri Academy of Physician Assistants. She is also an associate member of the American Society for Clinical Pathologists.

Nurse Practitioner Susan M. Morris, MSN, RN, FNP-C

Susan M. Morris joined Tesson Heights Orthopaedics in 2002 and assists in providing orthopedic care with Dr. Lee in treating patients with cervical and lumbar injuries, problems and surgeries. She received her Family Nurse Practitioner license in 2008 and is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the St. Louis Nurses & Advanced Practice (SNAP).