I had a bowleg deformity for as long as I could remember that was a source of knee pain, especially when running. I feared it would lead to arthritis and eventually the need for a knee replacement in addition to stopping me from running and cycling which is are important parts of my life.
I went to see Dr. Rozbruch at HSS who explained he could treat the condition with a less invasive surgery and properly align my legs. I underwent a bilateral osteotomy to straighten my bowlegs - the left leg in October of 2016 and the right leg 7 weeks later in December. With the consent and encouragement of Dr. Rozbruch and despite being on crutches, within 3 weeks of surgery I was in the pool. Four weeks after the second surgery I was on the spin bike.
I started physical therapy at HSS shortly after the second surgery and was treated by Julie Khan and Jeremy Bales. Julie and Jeremy did a great job showing me how to strengthen my legs and improve flexibility. I was cycling outdoors by May 2017, and running outdoors in June.
I completed a one day Rim to Rim hike of the Grand Canyon in September 2017 and ran my first race about 1 year after surgery, in December of 2017. The race was a half marathon and I was able to run at a 6:33 pace for 19th place overall. While it wasn’t a record time for me I had minimal discomfort and at this point I still had plates in my legs.
Dr. Rozbruch removed the plates in an outpatient procedure in mid-December 2017, and after a few weeks of rest, I resumed running and cycling. On 5/19/2018 I ran another half marathon at a 6:22 pace, with no discomfort. I look forward to continuing to train for running and cycling events in the future.
I am grateful to Dr Rozbruch and his team at HSS for the excellent care I received, pre- and post-surgery, and I’m looking forward to enjoying my legs for many years.