Living with debilitating hip pain
For thirty years, Jeff VanDreel worked long hours on concrete. That time, in addition to being an active person, took a toll on his body.
“I’m always on my feet,” says Jeff, who is in his late 60s.
About a year ago, however, pain in his hip became so bad he could barely walk.
“Some days were worse than others, but I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t work in my garage like I’m used to doing… I could only be on my feet for about a half hour before I had to take a break,” Jeffrey says. “I wasn’t used to that.”
Jeff has been retired for two years.
He saw his doctor who did an X-ray and then referred him to Dr. Kirk Dimitris, orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedics and Sports Medicine BayCare Clinic in Green Bay.
“He told me right away I’d need a replacement,” Jeff says. “It was bone on bone and that’s why it was causing me so much pain.”
Dr. Dimitris performed a total left hip arthroplasty. The surgery replaces parts of the hip joint with artificial implants.
“I didn’t have any problems, everything went fine,” he says.
Jeff’s fast recovery from hip surgery
Jeff went home the same day, and “healed pretty quickly,” he says.
“In just a few weeks I was back at it, and even doing exercises. It came around really (well),” he says.
He can’t say enough good things about Dr. Dimitris and his team.
“I was told before I even went to see him that he was a really good doctor, and they were absolutely right,” Jeff says. “(His entire team) was really nice to me.”
Today, Jeff is enjoying his retirement and back to doing everything he used to do.
“It’s very good – absolutely perfect,” he says.
“I work in my garage, I ride my motorcycle, I go play cards, I fish,” he says happily. “I am able to do just about everything a retired guy would do."