After three surgeries from two doctors in this group, I'm fully qualified to review their practice…read more
My first surgery was by Dr. Tingle, who repaired a torn (shredded) rotator cuff. I saw several other orthopedic doctors over the years who misdiagnosed the problem. Rehab only made it worse. When I was referred to Dr. Tingle, he did a CAT Scan and saw a small tear. We scheduled the surgery, and he found the tendon had completely torn off the shoulder. Their surgeries are done in the Outpatient Surgical Center at Northwest Community Hospital.
The recovery from this kind of surgery is long and painful. It's been over seven years, and I almost have full motion back to that arm. In fairness, I was very flexible, so I have better than 100% of a normal range of motion, but I can't quite reach where I used to be.
I started having problems with my feet a couple of years ago. Bunions were growing on both feet. They were tolerable until they were not. Dr. Abraham works on feet, and I saw him at the beginning of 2022. I had surgery on my left foot in March. He warned me that the big toe was very arthritic, and he wasn't sure how much ligament was left. If it was bad, he said he might need to fuse the toe. If not, he would ease arthritis and correct the bunion. He suggested that if he felt the fusion was needed during the surgery, he would stop so we could discuss it. I did not want two surgeries on the same foot, so I told him to fuse it if it had to be fused. That's what happened. After I had two days of pain, then another. Six weeks in a boot with the ability to start driving again in two weeks was amazing.
Two weeks after not using the boot, I went on an active trip to Ireland, which involved walking, hiking, claiming, and bicycling. and more. Aside from some expected swelling, I had no pain. It was great.
When we returned, we scheduled the right foot in October. This was my dominant foot and my driving foot, so this would be personally problematic. The surgery went very well, and fusion wasn't needed. This time, a full eight weeks in the boot, plus two more just in case. I was able to drive at six weeks,
What I find best about this practice are two things: (1) everyone on their staff is nice, attentive, and caring - from the front desk staff to the nurses and doctors, and even billing. (2) Their aftercare is second to none. Both Doctors always had time to talk, to see me if needed, and to ensure we had appointments scheduled until I would be released.
While I hope I'll never have to revisit them, it is only since I hope I never need orthopedic surgery again. After a lifetime of activity and osteoarthritis, I'll likely return.
After being released this morning, I learned that Dr. Abraham is retiring. He's giving up his practice to work full-time at the VA Hospital. What a mensch!
