My story will be a long one, so if you don't have time to read, feel free to move on to the next…read morereview.
I will start off by saying; Dr. Potts and his team of professionals have been the best to work with- ever. I don't say that lightly as I have seen my share of medical professionals over the years.
I am a 50 yr old female with a long history of chronic low back issues. I have a condition called "Foot Drop" which means I have to always wear an AFO (ankle foot orthotic) in order to walk without a pronounced limp. After 4 years of taxing my body with my gait being off, my right hip started bothering me. Within a 12 month period my hip degenerated to a point where it incapacitated me. Now, mind you, I am a physically active adult and have always been
The pain got worse. It got so bad that after sitting in the car for more than an hour, I had a difficult time getting out of the car and when I finally did manage to stand up strait my right leg would lock itself into a 90º angle and it would take about 20-30 seconds to work its way back down to standing.
I had received a recommendation for Dr. Potts from another Orthopedic Surgeon.
I was a little unsure of Dr. Potts given his age and I felt like I needed a more experienced doctor. However, once he sat me down and showed me what my hip looked like through computer generation, I couldn't believe my eyes. He was very confident in his ability to repair my hip and get me up and running pain free.
Dr. Potts is one of three doctors in the state of GA that repairs labral tears or replacement. He had to take a cadaver tendon and replace part of my labrum in order for me to have full function of my hip...just the thought of that...yuck, but ok...if it helps me walk like a normal human again, I'll do it.
My surgery took quite some time as it ended up be more extensive than he/we anticipated.
The first 6 weeks after the surgery...omg...the pain. Oh it was horrible.
Physical Therapy. This is a MUST. Don't skip it, and do extra work if you are able. The very BEST PT office I've ever been-is called Sportscare Physical Therapy in Johns Creek and Duluth, GA. The owner, Jeff Lewandowski- is brilliant and comes with every PT certification known to man.
It has taken me 6 months to recover. Dr. Potts will tell you this right up front, that hip reconstruction take time to heal. It's usually anywhere between 3-6 months. I think it took me a little longer due to my chronic low back issue and foot drop.
omg...during my 3-6 month period, my hip would "talk to me". It let me know exactly what it didn't like. There were times when I would tweak it in just the wrong way, and it would hurt like CRAZY, but the pain went away as fast as it came. There one second, gone the next. Then there were days where I couldn't do much at all, so all I would do is rest.
Whenever I would call the office about all of my "zings and zangs", they would reassure me that this was normal and would go away over time.
It did.
Its been 6.5 months since my surgery and I feel GREAT! The hip pain is 98% gone, I am able to walk normally, and it does't get stuck in a 90º angle anymore after sitting for too long. During my last check up with Dr. Potts I told him how well I was doing, and he was, of course very happy to hear the good report. He recommended that I continue to listen to my body, respect the area, so to speak. Now, I experience those "zings and zangs" only when I push myself too hard and it's time to take a rest.
My opinion is that Dr. Potts is an excellent surgeon and he comes highly recommended by me. He and his office staff are amazing, the are all very patient and knowledgeable in their field. They treated me with the upmost respect whenever I needed anything, which is hard to come by these days. Good Luck to you!
