Marga Torres

I am a woman and will be 55 years old this year. I am relatively healthy, thin and very energetic. Two of my favorite things are dancing and walking the streets of New York. It happened all of a sudden. I sat down on my kitchen stoop to tie my granddaughter’s shoelaces. When I stood up, I felt a pop and a sharp pain on my left knee. This episode started me on a year and a half long ordeal that brought to my life debilitating pain, as my knee joint progressive deteriorated, to the point that I was unable to walk anymore.

I went to a highly recommended NJ doctor that performed an unsuccessful arthroscopic meniscus repair surgery on me that turned out to cause me more pain and suffering than what I went in with.

I endured months of painful physical therapy, I had numerous cortisone and natural injections, I wore a special custom fitted knee brace. All those things gave me only temporary, if any, relief.

The site of the meniscus repair operation was purple and wasn't healing. My knee would swell and be drained only to swell up again. Walking became excruciatingly painful. I couldn't walk, dance, go up or down the stairs, couldn't sit or stand for long periods of time, and for the first time ever, I wasn't able to go pumpkin picking with my 5 year old grandchild. That was when I knew I had to do something.

I was afraid of knee replacement surgery because I did not want to endure the pain that the failed meniscus surgery had caused me, but my knee had deteriorated to the point that I could only walk with crutches or a wheel chair. I went from loving life to hating my existence and being miserable all the time.

I decided to go to Hospital for Special Surgery looking for someone to help me. I found my new doctor, Dr. Danyal Nawabi.

After some initial x-rays, Dr. Nawabi immediately told me that I was a good candidate for a partial knee replacement instead of a total, which my doctor in NJ had suggested.

He told me the partial knee surgery would take around 2 hours, and that I would be walking out of the hospital and that I would be able to go out with my granddaughter again and dance! <span style="line-height: 1.6471;">I told Dr. Nawabi that I wanted to dance by Christmas Eve!</span>

<span style="line-height: 1.6471;">On December 4, 2014 at 4:30 PM, I had the partial knee replacement at Hospital for Special Surgery. I went from the operating room to the recovery area. By 10:30 a.m. the next morning I was up, walking, and yes, PAIN FREE.</span>

My husband picked me up and by lunch time I was back in NJ at my favorite diner having breakfast. That’s less than 24 hours later.

Dr. Nawabi and his staff were so kind, such professionals as the doctor explained what he did and gave me all the information I had to follow for my physical therapy in NJ.

I am completely pain free since the day of the surgery and YES I DID WHAT I WANTED TO DO, I DANCED WITH MY GRANDDAUGHTER ON CHRISTMAS EVE.

Thank you Dr. Nawabi for giving me my LIFE BACK and allowing me to dance again!