Eugene Wong

I tore my ACL playing Ice Hockey in Nov. 2016. I lead an active lifestyle and I wanted to make sure my ACL was repaired properly. After doing some research, I concluded that going to a center that does a high volume of ACL surgeries was important, but this was not available in my home country. A doctor friend of mine recommend HSS since it specializes in orthopedics. On HSS' website, I read about Dr. DiFelice's innovative work in ACL preservation surgery in which he reattaches your ACL back onto the bone. The combination of not needing to harvest my patella tendon/hamstring for ACL reconstruction (longer rehab time), and not having to use cadaver tissue (which has a high failure rate) convinced me to choose Dr. DiFelice's ACL preservation method.

I live in Asia so I had to overcome some hurdles to have the surgery in New York. My MRIs were done in my home country and emailed to Dr. DiFelice's office. I also had to schedule the initial consultation at the beginning of the week and the surgery later in the week. And I could not fly for a week after the surgery. HSS' International Center helped me coordinate a lot of these logistics. Another concern was that I tore my ACL in November and I could not do the surgery until January. Fortunately my (detached) ACL was still in good condition to do the reconstruction despite the two month delay.

Dr. DiFelice and his team did an excellent job with my operation. My recovery time was very short. I have continued to play ice hockey and ski. I have no issues with proprioception or muscle strength or any "catching" within the joint. I lift heavy squats and deadlifts with no problem (~300lbs). I actually play ice hockey at a higher level now than before my ACL surgery due to a new found interest in training! I have no doubt this was the right choice for me and I would do it again. I hope more patients (including athletes) discover this option for the ACL surgery.