Claudia Taboada

I suffered a compound fracture where I broke my tibia and fibula back in April 2015. I had immediate surgery and 7 months later my doctor said I wasn’t going to improve anymore and needed an ankle replacement or fusion. I spent the next year hoping he was wrong but my walking didn’t improve and it was very painful. I required crutches and/or a cane to get around. I visited the referred doctor in PA and I found that he was too eager to do an ankle replacement. Something didn’t sit right with me.

It’s a funny thing when you walk around with crutches, people talk to you about your condition. Everyone kept telling me about great experiences with HSS. I had to give it a shot because this decision was too big not to. I found Dr. Demetracopoulos. When I met with him, I instantly found a sense of calmness, that I was in good capable hands and I didn’t feel he was trying to push a procedure on me. Together after discussing the pros and cons, we decided to go with an ankle fusion. 

My surgery to fuse my ankle occurred in Feb 2017. After some PT, I was able to walk without pain and without a cane! I had two painful years but after my surgery with Dr. Demetracopoulos I am now able to walk everywhere. I’m a mom of three, work a full-time job, and I have my independence back!

Thank you HSS and Dr. Demetracopoulos!