So how can what I write adequately reflect the impact that my husband's HSS hip and knee surgeon and his staff have had on our family? I truly don’t think it is possible. I’m going to try though because if even one person can benefit from knowing the right orthopedic surgeon to go to, then I have begun my journey to “pay it forward”.
After suffering mysterious symptoms that no doctor from any discipline seemed to be able to diagnose, my husband was literally dying in front of my eyes. It had started with pain in his knee and by the time we found my surgeon, it had turned into a failure of my husband’s entire system. He couldn’t even move his arms to scratch his nose.
I was frantic. Then we were referred to HSS. My surgeon listened intently and said that, although he could be wrong, and we would continue with other tests so that we lost no time, he thought my husband had a septic knee and that as a result, his body in fighting that infection was slowly being drained of all its resources. He immediately hospitalized him, stabilized him, and then operated on him. He was 100% correct and because of that, not 6 months later, my husband is back on his bowling team and if it were warmer, would be golfing!!!!
What separates my surgeon from all the other doctors/surgeons was that he listened intently to everything we told him and had absolutely no ego about it. By listening so carefully, he was able to put all the symptoms into context and evaluate my husband within the perspective of understanding my husband’s “normal”. As a result, his hypothesis as to the cause of the problem was 100% spot on correct and my husband’s life was saved – by his HSS surgeon. Just writing this now is making me choke up.
His surgeon's approach to medicine is that watching him is like watching a world class anything (athlete, entrepreneur, business person, etc.) versus watching only a competent version of any of those. World-class people think differently. Their minds are open, their ego is absent, and they are relentless in their quest for the right answer. They don’t worry about being right. They just get it right.
To Arthur's surgeon, here are not sufficient words to convey to you what you mean to us. We wake up grateful every morning that we found you. Thank you doesn’t begin to cover it. And Viviane, make no mistake, this all started with you and if it hadn’t been for you, we might not have my husband here today. All our love – always!
Written by Alison Malkin (wife)
All by Physician