When 70-year-old Barbara Meyer fell while getting into a pool nearly three years ago, she suffered a fracture dislocation of her shoulder. To repair it, Richard Savino, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Long Island Bone & Joint, a division of Orlin & Cohen, working at Mather Hospital, put several pins in her joint, and although the fracture healed well, the joint was badly damaged.
The damaged joint started to cause issues about a year ago, limiting her range of motion. Even everyday tasks like carrying a laundry basket, grocery shopping and brushing her hair had to be adjusted to using the non-injured shoulder. But favoring the other shoulder can be problematic, too, since it increases risk of overuse injury.
Dr. Savino suggested shoulder replacement surgery, which would alleviate her pain and hopefully restore proper function. By the time she had surgery in June 2020 — the procedure was delayed by early COVID-19 restrictions — the pain and immobility had become impossible to ignore.
“What I appreciated was that Dr. Savino was very calm, he explained everything so I knew what to expect, which is comforting when you’re in pain,” said Ms. Meyer.
Dr. Savino is one of the surgeons who helped launch Mather Hospital’s Joint Replacement Program more than 10 years ago, and he appreciates the program’s focus on dedicated teams and a patient-centric approach.
“At Mather, you have a personalized experience,” he said. “I take my time with each patient to ensure they feel comfortable and happy, and that they’re getting the best possible outcome.”
In addition to surgery, that means a strong emphasis on recovery. Ms. Meyer found that part fairly easy, even pleasant. After physical therapy for six weeks following the procedure, she’s continued to exercise and feels that her progress is excellent.
“I’m just so relieved to be able to live without pain and do everything I want to do,” she said. “I have probably 90 percent of my movement back. If I had to do it over again, I wouldn’t change a thing.”