Restoring Mobility, Redefining Choice

Summary

Living Your Legacy – Episode Summary
Episode: Restoring Mobility, Redefining Choice
Host: Jason Tyler (for Rudy Mawer)
Guest: Dr. Armin Hagabjanian
Release Date: July 17, 2026

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Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Dr. Armin Hagabjanian, distinguished foot and ankle surgeon and founder of the Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery, shares his journey from the Soviet Union to entrepreneurial success in the U.S. The discussion centers around the value of personal choice—especially in healthcare—the evolution of medical practice (including AI), the importance of patient-doctor relationships, and actionable insights for aspiring professionals. Dr. Hagabjanian offers candid stories from his career, practical advice, and hard-won lessons about legacy and excellence in medicine and life.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power and Importance of Choice

• Dr. Hagabjanian’s Background:

  • Raised in the Soviet Union, where individual choice was limited.
  • Chose to become a doctor at age 13 while caring for an ill grandfather.
  • Emigrated to America “to have the choice” (00:00, 04:56).
  • “I came to America to have the choice… I think the choice is the number one thing we have in this country.” (00:00)

• Advice to Patients and Athletes:

  • Urges people to thoroughly vet their doctors—research their backgrounds and experience rather than blindly accepting the first doctor or following company/team recommendations (02:55).
  • “When you buy a car, you at least visit seven dealerships before you commit, right? Why do you just simply not go to a couple more doctors?” (02:55)

• Navigating the System:

  • Warns that workers’ compensation and sports team contracts often limit patient choice, which can impact outcomes (04:56).

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Legacy, Success, and the Long Road of Mastery

• Path to Medicine:

  • Becoming a doctor takes lifelong dedication and is “not like in the movies… a lot of work, you have to learn a lot.” (06:16)
  • Emphasizes the necessity of learning from others’ mistakes and never stopping the pursuit of excellence.
  • “No great doctor can be great at the age of 20 because you need to do a lot of work to become great. You need to learn from mistakes of others.” (06:16)

• Continuous Learning:

  • Even experienced physicians should always be students.
  • “You always have to take classes to be on the top of the game. Even if you are teaching the class, you’re still learning from the students…” (07:49)

• Success Tips:

  • Success is rooted in passion and integrity, not chasing money.
  • “Do what you love and do the best. If you run for money, you will lose a lot of patience. Do the best for the patient and you will always make a lot of money that way.” (16:18)
  • Honesty with patients is crucial—never set unrealistic expectations (16:18).

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The Role—and Limits—of Technology and AI in Healthcare

• AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement:

  • Rapid integration in medicine: AI can read scans and analyze labs better than many specialists (10:23).
  • But human relationship, empathy, and decision-making remain irreplaceable.
  • “No artificial intelligence can replace your human relationship with the patient… it still needs to be a human decision.” (00:31, 10:23)
  • “You can never get artificial love. You can never get artificial compassion.” (09:51)

• Encouragement to Aspiring Medical Professionals:

  • Medicine is no longer about financial reward, but about “glory” and meaning (08:10).
  • “If you did the surgery and you did not get paid, at least you had fun.” (08:10, paraphrasing a humorous anecdote about how the government might start charging doctors if they think they’re enjoying it too much.)

• On Work-Life Balance:

  • Work overtakes personal life for doctors, who must be “constantly on call.” When patients are in pain, there is no such thing as off-hours (08:10).

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Operating Room Stories & the Value of Compassion

• Boring is Best in the OR:

  • Safe, uneventful surgeries mean better outcomes.
  • “You do not like your work in operating room to be exciting because it means there’s a problem with the patient.” (11:39)
  • Favorite “excitement” is seeing an attractive nurse (humorous moment, 12:21).

• Unusual Cases:

  • All anatomical differences and healing styles are seen as “variants,” not “weird” (13:17).
  • Shares stories ranging from a drumming patient with a nearly severed foot (who just wanted to know if he could still drum), to an 82-year-old pilot who broke his ankle—not by falling from the sky, but off his grounded plane (13:17-15:51).
  • “Every person, regardless of their anatomical complexity or simplicity, is a human being and we approach it the same way.” (14:21)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Choice:

  • “The choice is the number one thing we have in this country. I was born and raised in the Soviet Union. When we did not have a choice, I came to America to have the choice.” — Dr. Hagabjanian (00:00; 04:56)

• On Picking a Doctor:

  • “When you buy a car, you at least visit seven dealerships before you commit, right? And why do you just simply not go to a couple more doctors to see if this is the right choice for you?” — Dr. Hagabjanian (02:55)

• On Life as a Doctor:

  • “No great doctor can be great at the age of 20 because you need to do a lot of work to become great. You need to learn from mistakes of others.” — Dr. Hagabjanian (06:16)

• On AI in Medicine:

  • “No artificial intelligence can replace your relationship, your human relationship with the patient… Use it as a tool, but never rely on that artificial intelligence to make the decision what needs to be done for the patient. It still needs to be a human decision.” — Dr. Hagabjanian (00:31; 10:23)

• On Patient Variations:

  • “We don’t call it weird, we call it just different variant… Every person, regardless of their anatomical complexity or simplicity, is a human being and we approach it the same way.” — Dr. Hagabjanian (13:17)

• On Motivation and Financial Rewards:

  • “We don’t do surgery for money anymore, we do it for glory… Do what you love and do the best.” — Dr. Hagabjanian (08:10, 16:18)

• Humorous Moments:

  • “I think I want to have the biggest excitement operating room, if I see a better looking nurse, that’s all.” (12:21)
  • On doc’s demanding job: “Be careful. If the government learns that you’re having fun operating on their patients, they may start charging you for doing the work.” (08:10, recounting a senior colleague’s joke)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• The Value of Choice & Background – 00:00, 04:56
• Choosing the Right Doctor – 02:55
• Challenges for Athletes & Workers’ Comp – 04:56
• Origins—Becoming a Doctor – 06:16
• The Endless Journey of Learning – 07:49
• Advice to Medical Aspirants – 08:10
• Work-Life (Im)Balance in Medicine – 08:10
• AI in Medicine: Pros and Cons – 00:31, 09:51, 10:23
• Operating Room Stories – 11:39, 13:17
• Defining Success – 16:18
• Dr. Hagabjanian’s Clinics & Contact – 17:03

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Further Information

• Dr. Armin Hagabjanian’s practice:
  Website: newankle.com – features 5 clinics, work in 6 hospitals, 7 surgery centers, and international partnerships (17:03).

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This episode delivers witty, straightforward, and heartfelt guidance for anyone committed to excellence in healthcare, entrepreneurship, or life—emphasizing that legacy is built day by day, through meaningful choices, compassion, and relentless pursuit of growth.

Transcript

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

I think the choice is the number one thing we have in this country. Becoming a doctor was a decision I made at the age of 13. I was born and raised in the Soviet Union. When we did not have a choice, I came to America to have the choice.

[Narrator/Announcer]

Dr. Armin Hagabjanian is a foot and ankle surgeon, educator, and the founder and CEO of the Los Angeles Institute of Foot and Ankle Surgery. He helps patients restore mobility and quality of life through advanced reconstructive procedures, while training surgeons to perform some of the most complex foot and ankle surgeries in the field.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

No artificial intelligence can replace your relationship, your human relationship with the patient. That's what my approach to it. Use it as a tool. Let artificial intelligence gather some database, pull up some information, help you to be a better doctor. But never rely on that artificial intelligence to make the decision what needs to be done for the patient. It still needs to be a human decision.

[Jason Tyler]

People who want to get into the medical field right now, today, in 2026, what is your biggest piece of advice for them?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

My advice to you guys is to.

[Podcast Intro/Promo Voice]

It spans the globe like a super high cold Internet. Elvis Preston, five for free. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone. It's not over until I win. The Living youg Legacy podcast for those who live to leave a legacy that's extraordinary. The impossible. Oh, that is sensational. Jordan Open Chicago with the league. You said Paul is the fastest man on the planet. You can live your dream.

[Jason Tyler]

Welcome back, everybody, to another episode of the Living your Legacy podcast. I'm your host for today, Jason Tyler. And I am joined by Dr. Armin Hagopjanian. I got the pronunciation right on.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

You got it so right.

[Jason Tyler]

Yes.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

You're almost like an Armenian.

[Jason Tyler]

Well, we're not there yet, but I'll get there eventually. But arming or Dr. Armen, how are you feeling today?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

I'm feeling great. Thank you for asking.

[Jason Tyler]

Thank you for joining us on the show. Now, you just got finished recording your episode for America's Best Doctors. First of all, how are you feeling now on the other side of it, Is it like relief?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

No, I think it's actually more work because after the finishing of the story, both of the guys who were filming me asked me to see look at their ankles because they both had some problems. And so I think they called me here for the reason to be treated for free.

[Jason Tyler]

Well, we're going to make it three because I have a bad ankle on this side, too. I used to be.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

It's a good thing I'm the Ur. I'm not the urologist. You know, this is a good thing.

[Jason Tyler]

I actually, I used to be a skateboarder, so I've broken this ankle, like three times, so this one's right up my alley. Kind of. Kind of wonky, but we'll get. We'll get there eventually. But I would. I want to ask you, for the people out there in the audience that are going to be viewing your episode, what's like the number one lesson you want people to learn from your story?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

I think check on your doctor. The most important part, we touched base about it in the interview, and many of the patients that come to me were operated on by somebody else in the past. And I always asked them, I said, well, how did you choose your doctor? And they said, well, it was the very first doctor I saw, and I decided to go with it. And they said, listen, I mean, when you. When you buy a car, you at least visit seven dealerships before you commit, right? And why do you just simply not go to a couple of more doctors to see if this is the right choice for you? I think the most important part is to check on the background of your doctor. What's the experience, how many patients is done. There's a public record about how many legal cases against a doctor. So choose your doctor very carefully, and you will be in better hands to

[Jason Tyler]

piggyback off of that. So I've did. I've done work with a couple of different guys from the NBA, a couple of different ballplayers, and one of my good buddies is Victor Oladipo. So Victor had. He tore his ACL meniscus in Indiana, had had a surgery from a doctor that was recommended to him by the team in Indiana. And then when he got traded here to Miami, he basically got an MRI on his knee. And they were like, whoever did that surgery did not do a great job. And we're gonna. You're gonna tear it again. They told the exact quote that they gave him was, you're basically running a Formula one race in a used Toyota Camry. And so his whole thing was he didn't get to choose his doctor on that first surgery. And then he went, found a great physician down here in Miami, got to redo the surgery, and now he's back up to being able to play again. But I wanted to get kind of your take, especially for. I don't know if you work too much with athletes, but we do. What is your take on, like, when you work in an organization, in a sports organization, and the organization has like, a relationship with a particular physician or particular surgeon. How do you recommend for athletes out there to be able to still have a say in who's giving them treatment?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

I think the choice is the number one thing we have in this country. I was born and raised in the Soviet Union. When we did not have a choice, I came to America to have the choice. And it doesn't matter whether your team or your boss or your company is telling you who to see. I think the person, a basketball player, a simple gardener, or I know a regular employee should have a choice. We have a lot of workers, comp patients that are actually stuck in the system because they really cannot go anywhere they want to. They're stuck in a system with a doctor who needs to provide care because he has a contract with one or the other company. So I'm sure if that basketball player flew now treated to Los Angeles, Los Angeles surgeons will do a much better job even than the doctors in Miami. Because I'm from Los Angeles, not from Miami.

[Jason Tyler]

There's a little bit of bias there. All right, I see it. I see it.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

And plus, we have a more. More trophies in Los Angeles than in Miami. That's why.

[Jason Tyler]

I mean, I can't argue that. I can't argue that. And you. I mean, I'm a huge basketball guy. The Lakers are like one of my favorite teams of all time, so. Well, I'll give it to you guys. You guys have me on that. Talk to me a little bit about your journey to becoming a doctor. What was it like going through? I mean, obviously coming to America, but what was it like kind of going through that system?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

You know, becoming a doctor was a decision I made at the age of 13. I was caring for my very sick grandfather and seeing him going through a lot of trouble breathing and walking. It was kind of difficult thing to see. And when I saw that he couldn't get anywhere with the treatment he was provided that time, I decided to become a doctor. But it's not like in the movies. You just decided to become a doctor. The next thing, you are wearing this white coat and you're doing a great job. It's a lot of work. You have to learn a lot. You have to have a great experience. Like no great director is born at the age of 17. You have to have some kind of a life experience before you become a great director. No great doctor can be great at the age of 20 because you need to do a lot of work to become great. You need to learn from mistakes of others. You need learn from experience of others. So it's a very long journey and the journey continues. You can never be at the top of the game and stay there. You have to continuously improve yourself. The life change. Absolutely, absolutely.

[Jason Tyler]

Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm a big proponent of that. And you know, my dad is a, he's a psychologist and he's what we call in my family a forever student. In that he will, he's always, he's never stopped taking college courses. Even now at the age of like 65, he's still taking courses for no reason really, because his practice is doing.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

No, there is a reason. There is a reason because you always have to take classes to be on the top of the game. Even if you are teaching the class, you're still learning from the students who ask you, ask you the question.

[Jason Tyler]

Very true.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

Absolutely.

[Jason Tyler]

Very true. What do you have to say for aspiring people who want to get into the medical field right now, today, in 2026? What is your biggest piece of advice for them?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

I actually mentioned it in my interview. I was given a lecture to a group of young surgeons and I told them, with all the changes in medicine and less and less money being contributed to the practice of medicine or to the doctors, my advice to you guys is to do a good job. We don't do surgery for money anymore, we do it for glory. So when you do the surgery, just have fun. Because if you did the surgery and you did not get paid for, at least you had fun. And one of the older doctors raised the hand, said, Dr. Akovgenen, be careful. If the government learns that you're having fun operating on their patients, they may start charging you for doing the work. Okay, so my advice is do medicine and go into medicine not because you expect a better lifestyle. There's no better lifestyle in medicine because you're constantly on call. There is always this new talk about life, to work, balance, work, life, balance. A doctor, there is no a good balance towards life. There is more balance towards work because you're dealing with human beings and when they're in pain, when they're in need, they're going to call you and you have to answer. You cannot just say, listen, it's five o', clock, I'm done with my work. Call me tomorrow at seven when I'm back.

[Jason Tyler]

Yeah, you're dealing with emergency situations. You're dealing with people who need a problem solved right now and not in a few hours.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

That is correct.

[Jason Tyler]

Yeah, I think, you know, with there's so much change happening around us constantly, especially nowadays Things are, there's new technology, there's new this, that, the third. Everything is, you know, expanding very rapidly in society now.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

We shouldn't, we shouldn't lose ourselves in that technology. We should not just rely on artificial intelligence. That is very popular right now. You can never get artificial love. You can never get artificial compassion. You always have to have that compassion in yourself. No artificial intelligence can replace your relationship, your human relationship with the patient.

[Jason Tyler]

How is artificial intelligence kind of being integrated into the medical system nowadays? I'm not really up on the information of how like they're utilizing AI in that space.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

It's very rapid, rapid change like everywhere else. Right. In the music industry, it can write a music in. I know in medicine, it can actually read the x rays and MRIs better than most radiologists can do in the endocrinology. It can pull out all the laboratory results, get a better analysis. But at the same time, it's just a tool that doctors should use. We should not rely on artificial intelligence making a decision. That's what my approach to it. Use it as a tool. Let artificial intelligence gather some database, pull up some information, help you to be a better doctor, but never rely on that artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence to make the decision what needs to be done for the patient. It still needs to be a human decision.

[Jason Tyler]

I, I love that take. I really think that kind of sums up the, this whole AI craze perfectly. It's a tool and we need to be able to utilize it as such without allowing it to influence our better decision making. Right. When you're in, if you have any, you know, memories that jump out at you of times in the operating room that were really impactful to you, what's. What would you say is like one of your most impactful operation room stories?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

Every story, Every operation is an interesting story by itself. You do not like your work in operating room to be exciting because it means there's a problem with the patient. You want it to be as boring as possible.

[Jason Tyler]

Routine.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

Absolutely.

[Jason Tyler]

I know exactly what that is.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

Exactly.

[Jason Tyler]

Okay.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

When it becomes exciting, it means there is something is going on wrong. So you have to, you have to readjust your plan. You have to make a decision on the spot. And you need to make sure that you're either saving a patient's life or a patient's leg. So you do not want to be exciting in the operating room.

[Jason Tyler]

Yep. You want it to be just a kind of routine Monday process.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

I think I, I think I want to have the biggest excitement operating room. If I see a better looking nurse, that's all.

[Jason Tyler]

Well, wouldn't it be an exciting, an exciting scenario in the operating room to have like, I, I always, I watch a lot of like fights, I watch a lot of ufc, boxing, things like that. And there's a, there's a fighter named Yoel Romero and there's a story about he had his, he had his orbital bone fractured and they sent him to these doctors out in Europe and the doctors called back and they were like, where did you find this guy? Because his orbital has already started the healing process and it hasn't even been 72 hours since it was injured. And they were like finding him to be like he had like some sort of super superhuman musculature structure around his orbital and like that. To me I was like, that sounds exciting, but I'm sure like that doesn't happen too, too often in the field, right?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

No, we get some weird anatomy and weird healing process on, on a reg basis, but we don't call it weird, we call it just different variant. It's kind of difficult to say to a three year old kid that he's weird because he has seven toes on his foot. Okay. No, it's just a variant. It's hard to say that you're healing too slow or healing too fast is a weird stuff. No, it's just a variant and we have to deal with it. So every person, regardless of their anatomical complexity or simplicity, is a human being and we approach it the same way. It's a fighter. Yeah, fighters have different healing processes. Athletes have different healing processes. Their injuries are a little bit more complex. But we also deal with traumas that are coming from the suiciders who jump off the roofs. We do with people who get into the horrific accidents and they lose parts of their bodies. So I can tell you one of my weirdest stories was when they called me from the emergency room and said, listen, come and see the patient. He just fell off the plane. I said, if you fell off the plane, you mean to call the priest, not me. He said, no, no, come in, you're needed here. So I go there and the story is an 82 year old retired pilot who was flying a private plane with his friend and the engine malfunctioned, so he had to land his plane somewhere else, not on the airport. So he lands it somewhere in the forest. And when he was trying to get off the plane, he actually fell off the plane and broke his ankle. What was it when he was in the air? Another exciting part about they called me, they said, you need to Come. And this is a sex, drugs on rock and roll story. So I go and I see the patient who just had a motorcycle accident, and it was one of the most horrific accidents you can imagine. The car in front of him stopped and he tried to pull away from that car. And his motorcycle actually went to the right, but his left foot got caught between his motorcycle and the foot. So when I brought him in, his foot was laying next to him, not with him, but it was like hanging by the thread. And why is the story of the sex, drugs and rock and roll? Because he was so high, he did not feel any pain. He had three girlfriends next to him calming him down. And he was a drummer. And the very first question he asked me said, can I still drum? After the surgery, I put his foot together. He's still drumming. He prob change his girlfriends. I hope. I hope he's not riding the motorcycle now.

[Jason Tyler]

So these are just kind of the regular goings on in la, I guess.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

Yeah, it's a regular basis. How are I with the groups?

[Jason Tyler]

You know, we're here at Inside Success, and one of my favorite questions to ask anybody that comes on the show is, what would you say are your number one tips for success for our audience out there? They're very entrepreneurial, they're super business minded. What would you say are your number one tips for success?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

The tip to success is to do what you love and do the best. I was telling my doctors, do not run for money. If you run for money, you will lose a lot of patience. Do the best for the patient and you will always make a lot of money that way. I think the patients appreciate your work. Patients appreciate your honesty, what you can and cannot do. Do not give unrealistic expectations to anybody who walks into your room because they will remind you about it later on. Do what you love and do the best.

[Jason Tyler]

Very poignant, Doc. It has been an incredible pleasure having you here on the show.

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

Pleasure is mine.

[Jason Tyler]

Where can people find you on social media, on your website? Where's. Where's your practice located?

[Dr. Armin Hagabjanian]

The website is very simple. It's new ankle.com we have five clinics. We serve people in six hospitals and seven surgery centers. We do international work. So new ankle.com is the place to go. So where they can find us, connect with us, send us emails, and we will do the best to connect back with them.

[Jason Tyler]

I will be there. I will [e-mail] shortly. I need to get this bad boy updated. There we go. But, guys, if you're still tuned in at this point of the episode. I want to make sure that you check out Dr. Armand's episode of America's Best Doctor, America's Best Doctors, coming out shortly after this podcast episode airs. So make sure you stay tuned for that. You're going to get a full deep dive on his story, how he became a doctor, how he came to the States. But, Doc, it has been an incredible joy having you here on the show, guys. We will catch you in the next one.