Valeh Levy

Words cannot express the gratitude I feel for Dr. Alexander McLawhorn and the team at HSS Orthopedics with Stamford Health for restoring my mobility. The ability to walk, skip, hop, squat, climb stairs, hike mountains, ride a bicycle, haul loads of landscaping materials, carry any amount of weight, and live a normal life, free of pain are among the gifts that I received from this awesome medical team.

Always a very sporty outdoorswoman, I spent most of my leisure time running, biking, surfing, playing tennis, skiing, and doing massive amounts of landscaping, including the grounds of my children’s barren elementary school. In my early fifties, I developed bilateral hip osteoarthritis, which I tried to heal using every natural, non-pharmaceutical method out there. The decade long battle left me losing one sporty and physical activity after another, until at the age of 62, I was requiring hiking poles to simply walk anywhere without a horrible gait and limp and could not bend down to put on my socks. I took up painting to maintain my sanity.

Consulting a brusque local orthopedic surgeon left me frightened and very uneasy so I just kept trying to get better on my own.

My occupation as a radiologist was not helping me as I’ve read many x-rays of joint replacements, and have studied all the outcomes, good and bad, which left me dreading the thought of one day requiring bilateral hip replacements. But I needed help, so, I searched online for the best orthopedic hospital and most experienced surgical team. This led me to HSS with its outstanding reputation in orthopedic health care delivery. When I watched and listened to an HSS video panel discussion on joint replacement with several HSS orthopedic surgeons, it was Dr. McLawhorn’s discussion that finally put my mind at ease. Maybe it was his calm demeanor during the talk that gave me the gut instinct to set up an appointment for an evaluation. I and my husband, also a radiologist, traveled from Florida to HSS in New York to meet with Dr. McLawhorn. I was immediately put at ease with his calm and patient bedside manner while he answered all of my nervous and fearful questions thoughtfully and non-judgmentally. I felt very confident that I was in the presence of an excellent surgeon who simply told me that surgery could offer me relief, no grandiose promises. All of my fears were lifted and hope was restored. My husband, while listening thoughtfully to Dr.McLawhorn, was also impressed by his demeanor, and expressed that if he ever needed a joint replacement, he would choose Dr. McLawhorn without hesitation.

HSS Orthopedics with Stamford Health was the facility we chose for both of my hip replacement surgeries.

My HSS patient experience was very positive. It was a well organized, well communicated, patient-centered, streamlined approach from the scheduling communications, to pre-op testing, to surgery, to post-op care, and follow up appointments. Having worked in many hospital systems, and now having been a patient, I feel my patient experience at HSS is the gold standard of orthopedic care for others to model.

The surgical and nursing teams were exceptional, as were all of the staff at HSS.

What really helped me heal those hip replacements after discharge was the guidance of a detailed “post-op instruction manual” that Dr. McLawhorn prepared for his patients. This was my post op bible! It is very detailed and clearly written, with guidelines to help patients pace their activity levels to ensure that their bones and new joint materials have a chance to grow strong and permanent bonds together. Following these guidelines, along with adhering to a very healthy diet and strict daily ice therapy for several months, helped my body respond wonderfully to both hip replacements, which were spaced two years apart.

For patients who may want an extra boost to heal their hips post op, and prepare for surgery pre op, I used a pool hip physical therapy program taught in a book titled “Heal Your Hips”, written by an HSS trained orthopedic surgeon, Robert Klapper, MD, and his pool workout therapy coauthor, Linda Huey.

I performed the workout program for 8 weeks prior to both surgeries and resumed the pool workouts at six weeks post op, when the risk of infection was negligible, and only when Dr. McLawhorn deemed entering a pool safe again. I will continue to do this pool hip healing workout program for the rest of my life.

At the age of 65, I no longer have hip pain, and have once again been able to share many joyful sporty and travel adventures with my husband and adult children.

With every pain free and normal step I take, I give gratitude to Dr. McLawhorn for the dedication he gives to his surgical career, and the excellent care he provides for his patients.

I would like to reassure anyone needing a joint replacement to consider choosing an HSS physician who resonates with them. As a patient having had two surgeries in the HSS hospital system, and as a physician, I can state with confidence, that the system at HSS is the gold standard of care for orthopedic surgery.