Nick Pafitis

I was born with fibular hemimelia, which caused mild discomfort throughout my childhood. When I was around 11, I injured my ankle while playing with friends. Looking back, I’m certain that injury caused additional damage that was never properly treated.

By age 13, I hadn’t grown from knee to ankle and developed a significant limb length discrepancy. I underwent Ilizarov limb-lengthening surgery, which went well, followed by a triple arthrodesis of my left ankle - which did not go well.

For the next 30 years, I continued to wear down that ankle, always knowing that one day I’d have no choice but to face the situation head‑on.

I’ve always been extremely active. I love sports, I love the gym, and my career keeps me on my feet, moving and working hard all day. But eventually, the pain became overwhelming. It began affecting every part of my life. After nearly 27 years, I finally saw a doctor - who told me there wasn’t much that could be done aside from bandaging the ankle to manage symptoms. I tried everything, but nothing helped.

Then in August 2022, I was in a motorcycle accident. The only injury I sustained was a completely shattered ankle — the same ankle that had been failing me for decades. I ended up with six screws and two plates. I knew things would get worse after that, but I couldn’t have imagined how much worse.

By January 2023, I was desperately searching for options. I was told I needed a full reconstruction that would require multiple surgeries over 2–3 years - with the first year being completely non‑weight‑bearing. As a father and a provider, that simply wasn’t possible. But I also couldn’t continue living with the pain. I was working 12–14 hour days, walking more than 20 miles a day at times, and every single step felt unbearable.

Then I found Dr. Jason Hoellwarth, and everything changed.

He offered a solution that sounded extreme to my friends and family - but from the moment I met him, I knew it was the right path for me. Between insurance approvals and my inability to take time off during our busy season, it took six months to schedule surgery. Those six months were some of the hardest of my life, but on July 7, 2023, it finally happened.

Dr. Hoellwarth and his team at HSS performed a below‑knee amputation with osseointegration - and it truly changed my life. The surgery went smoothly. The recovery went smoothly. And I took my first steps just six weeks later. From that moment, I never looked back.

Within weeks, I went from limping painfully — moving like “a monster in a horror movie,” as I used to joke - to walking completely naturally. Today, I train just as hard in the gym, squatting and deadlifting regularly. I’m able to perform my job, spending long days on my feet without pain.

I’ve traveled through the Mediterranean and swam in the sea. I spend as much time as possible on the beaches of Long Island. I walk my dogs. I live my life fully. I say yes to everything I want to do.

I went from having no hope and living in constant, excruciating pain… to living pain‑free.

Dr. Hoellwarth didn’t just fix my leg - he gave me my life back. And he continues to change the lives of others the same way he changed mine.