Having coped with a damaged knee for 25 years, I always knew the day would come to have it…read morereplaced, so that I could not just continue, but up my game, as a roadie cyclist. I'm going to write a short book here, because it seems to be the only way to communicate how much I appreciate Dr. Hanson, and why.
Over the years, I had met with nearly a dozen orthopaedists, gotten relief from various injections, looked at all manner of edge-therapies, had three conservative surgeries on the knee, lived with the outcomes, and eventually was advised to go ahead and get the replacement. Along the way, I observed the bedside manner of all of these doctors, noting that joint-replacement specialists, like many specialists, are, perhaps because of their training and lofty intellect, not as interested in patient communication as are most GP's. Some of them, I think, interact best with patients who are... unconscious.
After doing a good deal of asking around, I was lucky to be referred to Dr. Peter Hanson at Grossmont Orthopaedic. His credentials were unbeatable, and his ratings on Yelp and elsewhere were remarkable. So, I timed my appointment with him to also satisfy my desire for a second opinion. My experience with Dr. Hanson at that appointment was so excellent that, although he truly intended only to offer a second opinion, I was nearly ready to ask him to perform the procedure himself.
For a leading medical specialist, Dr. Hanson is astonishingly low-key and patient. Very approachable yes, but it's more than that. He's more like my trusted old friend taking care of me.
Anyway, after yet another rushed, slightly contentious session with my other (busy, up-and-coming rockstar) specialist, I had had enough and scheduled my surgery instead with Dr. Hanson in January. On surgery day, he was a comfort both before and after the procedure.
Now in my 6th week of recovery, I am delighted that I chose Dr. Hanson to perform my surgery. Although the recovery requires substantial effort, physical therapy, and some pain tolerance, my knee gets better each day.
In closing, if you are lucky enough to get Peter Hanson as your joint replacement surgeon, you are in exceptionally fine hands. I cannot recommend him to you highly enough.