Steven Saba

I've been a competitive athlete for my entire life and was lucky enough to avoid any serious injuries. After graduating from college, I wanted to continue playing sports and decided to try Rugby. Of all the sports I've played, nothing can come close to the competitiveness, physicality and team-oriented nature of Rugby, and I immediately fell in love. In a match last year, I made a tackle and an opposing player drove into my back while I was still on the ground. I felt an immediate discomfort while lying on the ground, but after a basic shoulder examination from the attending physical trainer, my shoulder checked out and I continued playing. Not a couple minutes later, when raising my arm to direct the defensive line, my shoulder dislocated and I knew there was a serious problem.

Dr. DiFelice was recommended to me by a teammate who had been successfully treated by him before. With that recommendation, and the well-known prestige of HSS, I wasted no time in going to see Dr. DiFelice. From the moment he walked into the waiting room, I knew I was in good hands. A former Rugby player himself, Dr. DiFelice made me feel comfortable in the sense that I knew he would do everything within his power to repair my injury; however, if there was any doubt that my Rugby career was in jeopardy, I would rather have that news come from somebody who’s been in my shoes and understands the mind of an athlete.

I tend to ask a lot of questions and want to know every detail when it comes to medical treatments, and Dr. DiFelice fully satisfied my thirst for information by explaining every detail of the proposed repair. On the day of the procedure, the bedside manner of Dr. DiFelice and HSS staff put me completely at ease and I went into the operating room with full confidence. When Dr. DiFelice met me in the recovery room, he smiled and told me in no uncertain terms that I had really done a number on my shoulder. After describing the damage, which included a torn labrum (200 out of 360) degrees, a fractured shoulder socket, as well as tears in the biceps tendon and rotator cuff, Dr. DiFelice stated that he was able to complete a successful repair and clean up any floating fragments resulting from the damage.

My speedy recovery was a clear reflection of the amazing job Dr. DiFelice did with the procedure. I was completing range of motion exercises within 6 weeks and was able to go swimming in 8 weeks. My recovery continued at that pace and I was back on the Rugby pitch in 5 months competing at the same level as before the procedure.

Thanks to Dr. DiFelice, my life as an athlete was saved.