Kyle Warendorf

December 2017:

When I crashed my bike and broke my shoulder I sensed there was more to it than the broken bone. As an HSS alum I knew there was only one place to go to investigate the rest of the injury once the bone healed. Dr. Joshua Dines quickly identified the issues to be a torn labrum and torn biceps tendon. As we looked at the MRI images he pointed to the tears and said "I can fix that." He explained all of my options, but the decision was left to me. Having been faced with similar choices before I quickly said "Fix it."

I was impressed with his relaxed, matter of fact manner. There was no need to wrestle with all of the possibilities and associated outcomes. We agreed that if something could be fixed that it should be fixed. I was also impressed with those people who support his practice. As my surgery approached a scheduling complication arose on Dr. Dines' end. As we looked for a new date the office worked hard to accommodate scheduling complications on my end.

It's been 10 weeks since my SLAP repair and I'm almost ready to get back on my bike! My progress has been great and my range of motion is nearly fully restored. On a day to day basis I sometimes forget I had surgery. With continued PT I have no doubt that come spring my bike crash will be a faded memory.

June 2016:

I suppose I'm sort of a frequent flyer at HSS. 7 years ago, at 49, osteoarthritis in my left hip made walking 25 feet a very painful experience. I found my way to Dr. David Mayman's office. The first meeting was great. He listened to me. When I was finished, he explained all of the possible treatment avenues. His focus was on getting me back to my life as soon as possible and we agreed that hip resurfacing was the best path to that end. Before and after the surgery Dr. Mayman patiently answered all of my questions and eased all of my anxieties. I have not had problems with my resurfaced hip.

This past February my right hip began to show the same signs of trouble that my left hip had. My first and only call was to Dr. Mayman. X-rays confirmed that osteoarthritis was the cause of my discomfort. Again we had a two way conversation about the treatment options. Knowing that your doctor is actually listening to you takes a huge amount of anxiety out of a stressful process. This time we agreed that Total Hip Replacement was the best way forward. I have multiple sclerosis and was concerned about how the condition itself, and the medications used to treat it, would impact the surgery. He told me that MS itself would not play a role, and that it would be better from an anesthesia point of view if the surgery happened at the end of my medication cycle. So surgery was scheduled for May 19. Dr. Mayman suggested that a cortisone injection might help bridge the time. It did!

Today is Day 24 Post-Op and I am doing really, really well. I have been walking a mile outside since Day 14 and the last 5 days have done so without the use of any walking assist device. Today I drove myself to the barber and got a haircut. My pain level is virtually non-existent and my incision is healing beautifully. I have been fending for my successfully for the past week, including life's more mundane things like laundry and litter box changing.

I have been doing a bit of Total Hip Replacement internet forum reading since I got home and this is where Dr. Mayman and HSS really shine. There are countless tales of femur fractures, 1 week post-op revisions, infections...a cornucopia of nightmares. Worse still are stories of surgeons who are indifferent to patient concerns before and after surgery. I just read and smile. These stories are 180 degrees from my experience.

Dr. Mayman's willingness to listen and, based on my recovery both 7 years ago and now, his surgical skills are unparalleled! The attentiveness of everyone on his staff has made the entire process as seamless as possible. My experience during my hospital stay, across the board, turned the Day 1 horrifying possibility of going home Day 3 into a welcome reality. Not 4 weeks post-op I'm well on my way to having my life back. I can't thank Dr. Mayman, his staff and everyone at HSS enough.

Sincerely,

Kyle Warendorf