Patient, 85, Grateful for Surgeon at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care Who Ended Her Years of Knee Pain

Carlyn Vanover-Hacker, 85, spent nearly 12 years with pain in a badly fractured leg, resulting in a lack of mobility that slowed her down considerably in retirement. A resident of Lehigh Acres in Florida, a community east of Fort Myers, Ms. Vanover-Hacker recalls falling and breaking both bones in her leg in March 2010, and then enduring the surgical implant of a titanium rod. Eight months later, she fell again at home.

“They said the titanium rod had broken and they would have to redo the surgery,” she said. “So, they redid the surgery. They put me in a wheelchair for four months. Then they said I could start walking. Well, that’s when the problems really began because my leg was crooked.”

The deformity that developed did not improve and non-surgical follow-ups didn’t help her condition. Her healthcare team at the time offered little hope.

Transcript:

- [Patient] March the 16th, 2010, I fell and broke both bones in my leg. Thanksgiving week of 2010, I fell in the living room, and so they said the titanium rod had broken and they would have to redo the surgery. So they redo the surgery, they put me in a wheelchair for four months, then they said I could start walking. Well, that's when the problems really began because my leg was crooked, and the doctor that did the last surgery said all the doctors in his office could not correct my leg. It was crooked and there was nothing to be done.

- [Dr. Charles Lawrie] Carlyn came to me with a fairly complex problem with her knee. She had a previous injury, a fracture of her tibial plateau, the bottom part of the knee joint, several years prior an undergone previous multiple surgeries to try to correct the fracture, and unfortunately what she was left with was a fairly deformed knee with pretty severe arthritis. It was really limiting her ability to do the activities that she enjoys in her life. For patients like Carlyn that have complex orthopedic problems, it's always a reasonable consideration to get second, third, fourth opinion at a very specialized orthopedic center like Baptist Health Orthopedic Care, where surgeons only focus on one or two things. So in my case only focusing on knee replacements and hip replacements. I'm able to offer patients solutions to problems that potentially other surgeons at smaller centers may not be willing to undertake.

- I just can't tell you what a miracle it is after 12 years of suffering, that the Lord has delivered me, sending me to Dr. Lawrie, who really performed a miracle on my leg. I wish everyone could have access to wonderful doctors like that. In these small communities, like where I live, that's not possible.

- It's been extremely rewarding to be able to change Carlyn's life. You know, she's been a very appreciative patient which is nice as well, but remembering seeing her in the office before surgery, but with a very crooked leg, using a walker telling me that she really couldn't do simple things like a walk around her house even, very debilitated, to the after surgery, seeing her come back with her legs straight, walking normally, no cane, no walker. I remember she was wearing a long dress and the medical assistants couldn't even tell which leg we'd operated on how well she was walking. So even though we had our masks on because of COVID you know, I told her I was smiling under the mask in the office because truly it gave me goosebumps to see how well she had done.

- Dr. Lawrie every day, all day, when I'm enjoying my new leg, I think of you and thank the Lord. I get up every morning and say, "Thank you, Lord, and Dr. Lawrie." I've got a new life and I'm loving every minute of it, and I'll be 85 my birthday, but I sure don't feel it.