To your point, and for people considering a joint replacement - find a surgeon in his/her mid 30s to mid 40s with a solid pedigree - medical school, place of residency, or both. It's ideal if they are part of a well known facility, or associated with a medical college for research.

These surgeons are young enough to be up to speed on current best practices, they are young and ambitious, and they are old enough to have already performed hundreds of replacements.