Orthopedic surgery in Burlington Township

For Referring Physicians

How to refer a patient to Dr. McMillan.

For physicians

Referring a patient

Sean McMillan, DO, sees referred patients for low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and cervical radiculopathy at his Burlington Township practice, with epidural steroid injection and sports medicine as additional areas of focus. For spine-related referrals, the starting point is identifying which structure is generating the pain, discogenic, radicular, or facet-mediated, before a treatment path is chosen; many of these patients are appropriate for a staged nonoperative course rather than an immediate surgical workup. That course can include traditional or long-acting steroid injections, multi-modal pain management, and biologic injection options such as PRP, stem cell, or amnion, with surgery reserved for patients who do not respond.

Dr. McMillan completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the Peninsula Hospital Consortium, North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems, in Long Island, New York, and a fellowship in arthroscopic sports medicine of the shoulders, hips, knees, and elbows at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, Massachusetts. That training also underlies the shoulder, hip, and knee procedures he performs when operative care becomes the right next step, including reverse total shoulder replacement and arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, hip, and knee.

For the specific thresholds his office uses to triage low back, neck, and radicular referrals, see the when-to-refer criteria for his practice. Background on his training and clinical focus is on his physician profile. Dr. McMillan is accepting new patients.

Training and credentials

Education and training

Medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. Residency at Peninsula Hospital Consortium- North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems, Long Island, NY. Fellowship at University of Massachusetts, Worcester, MA.

FellowshipUniversity of Massachusetts, Worcester, MAArthroscopic Sports Medicine: Shoulders, Hips, Knees and Elbows
ResidencyPeninsula Hospital Consortium- North Shore Long Island Jewish Health Systems, Long Island, NYOrthopedic Surgery
Medical schoolPhiladelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia, PADO
Board statusAmerican Board of Orthopaedic SurgeryBoard certified

For physicians

Which patients with back or neck pain should I refer to Dr. McMillan?

Refer patients who have not improved after four to six weeks of documented conservative care, such as physical therapy, NSAIDs, or activity modification, or sooner if the patient has radicular leg or arm pain with a positive straight leg raise, a positive Spurling's test, or imaging showing nerve root or facet involvement (North American Spine Society, 2020).

This applies to low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, and cervical radiculopathy alike. Dr. McMillan's approach starts with identifying which spinal structure, disc, facet joint, or nerve root, is generating the pain, then treating that structure directly with targeted, image-guided injections, including long acting steroid injections, before surgery is discussed as an option. Full criteria and red-flag findings by urgency tier are set out in the practice's referral guide.

For physicians

What should I send with a referral to Dr. McMillan's office?

Send the records already in hand: the most recent imaging report, a summary of the conservative treatments tried and their duration, and the patient's current medication list.

A prior MRI or X-ray report lets the first visit focus on exam and treatment planning rather than repeat work-up, but a new study is not required before referring. Notes documenting a failed course of physical therapy or a prior epidural injection are particularly useful, since they let Dr. McMillan confirm the pain generator rather than re-run the same trial of care.

For physicians

How do I refer a patient to Dr. McMillan's office?

Call or fax the office directly; referrals are not routed through a general scheduling line.

Staff will confirm receipt with the referring office and coordinate scheduling directly with the patient. The practice, Dr. Sean McMillan Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Burlington Township, NJ, is accepting new patients, and background on Dr. McMillan's training is available on his physician profile for staff preparing a referral letter.

Yes, nearly always, the first visit is a complete diagnostic evaluation rather than a quick look. It includes review of the referral note and any imaging already sent, a focused history and physical examination, and same-day imaging if the exam calls for it. Dr. McMillan completed fellowship training in Arthroscopic Sports Medicine, covering shoulders, hips, knees and elbows, at the University of Massachusetts, Worcester, Massachusetts. For patients referred with low back pain, neck pain, sciatica, or cervical radiculopathy, that training shapes the visit: the goal is identifying which specific structure, a facet joint, a disc, a nerve root, is generating the pain, rather than treating the symptom broadly. Background on that training and approach is on his full physician bio.

You receive a written summary after the initial visit, and again after any procedure, not only at discharge. The note states the working diagnosis, the structures ruled in or ruled out on exam and imaging, and the specific plan, whether that is a long acting steroid injection, a course of multi-modal pain management, or a recommendation to continue conservative care under you. If a finding changes the diagnosis mid-course, that update is sent as its own note rather than folded into the next scheduled report.

Most patients come back to you once the diagnosis is confirmed and a plan is in motion. The typical role here is to pin down the source of the pain, start or perform the indicated treatment, and return the patient to your ongoing management. The exceptions are conditions that call for continued subspecialty follow-up, such as management of hip or knee osteoarthritis or recovery after an arthroscopic procedure of the shoulder, hip, or knee, where follow-up stays here until that course of care is complete.

This page is educational information for referring clinicians and does not replace independent clinical judgment or direct evaluation of the patient.

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