Mitchell Eichen

I am now one-year post op- this post is long overdue. I was originally diagnosed with arthritis in my right hip in the summer of 2006 when I was 49 years old. I delayed surgery for as long as I could through a combination of physical therapy, synovial fluid injections and various NSAIDs. Along the way I developed an ever-increasing limp, which distorted my gait and caused me serious knee and back problems. My activity level gradually decreased as first I gave up tennis, walking hilly terrain, and then golf, but the last straw was when I could no longer ski.

Dr. Vijay Vad, a sports medicine physician at HSS who kept me functional for 9 years, originally referred me to Dr. Nawabi for an anterior hip replacement. During our first meeting in December 2014, Dr. Nawabi spent some 45 minutes with me, clearly explaining the pros and cons of the various procedures and answering all my questions. He could not have been nicer and more patient. But I was still functioning and not yet ready to take the plunge.

I again visited Dr. Nawabi in late May 2015 after spending the winter in Florida. Dr. Nawabi opened by informing me that he proactively studied my prior x-rays in advance of this meeting and, after careful review, he did not think I was a good candidate for an anterior procedure. Since he would have to use a posterior approach, he suggested that I consider a resurfacing based on my age and desired activity level. We spent most of that meeting discussing the additional risks and benefits of this procedure. Both my wife and I left well informed and feeling that the resurfacing was the right procedure for me.

After deciding that it was pointless to delay the inevitable any further, in late July I finally decided to have the procedure, and he was able to schedule the procedure for the end of August 2015. On the day of the surgery, Dr. Nawabi spent time with my wife and I before the procedure, answering our last minute questions and made himself available throughout my hospital stay. Once I returned home, Dr. Nawabi promptly responded to my neurotic emails.

Starting three months post op, I began to spin and do yoga three times a week; two activities I never even tried before the surgery. Today my hip feels great, and as ancillary benefits, my knee is functioning at 95% and I have not had a recurrence of my prior back problems. I am ready to resume golf and tennis and look forward to getting back on the ski slopes this winter.

In short, Dr. Nawabi is a throwback to medicine the way it was practiced in years gone by. In addition to possessing excellent training and outstanding technical skills, he has a warm personality and a very caring approach. He makes himself appropriately available and spends the time necessary to answer questions and make his patients comfortable. Now at age 59, I have Dr. Nawabi to thank for making me feel ten years younger.