Procedure: Achilles Tendon Reconstruction
In April of 2011 I partially tore my Achilles tendon. I began doctoring at my local clinic. For several months I tried physical therapy and was in either a boot or a cast and was non-weight bearing the majority of the time. In August of that same year he finally did surgery to repair the tear, which was much worse by the time they did the surgery! The rehab for this surgery was approximately 6-8 months much of this time was spent in a boot or cast again.
Exactly one year to the day of the surgery, the pain returned! My local Dr. had me have another MRI and said that there was no tear and that it was just tendonitis. So he put me back in a boot and had physical therapy yet again. The pain continued to get worse. I asked my Dr. to refer me to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He sent the referral, but I was denied an appointment as I didn’t meet their requirements (whatever that means). So in November of 2012 I had my second surgery this time to lengthen the Achilles tendon and release some pressure to see if that would help.
I did get some relief from the surgery, but in April 2013 it started to flare up again, and by June I was having a lot of pain again. So I went to my local doctor again and he put me in a boot and said it was tendonitis again and reminded me that this was a long process and would take time. That was the last time I saw him.
I tried to get into Mayo Clinic, Rochester yet again, but received the same letter. So I decided it was time to get on the computer and find a new Dr. So I Googled “Achilles tendon specialist” and Dr. Lance Silverman popped up. So I called the next day and was able to get in the same week.
So in July of 2013 off we drove to Burnsville, (100 miles) with high hopes that after over two years of putting up with the pain and feeling like everyone thought it was in my head, that Dr. Silverman would be able to help me. Well guess what?
He didn’t let me down!
First one of his assistants took some x-rays, then he came in the room. He took time to listen to me and then looked at the x-rays. He came back in the room and told me that he knew what the problem was and understood why I was in pain. I thought “Finally!” Then he brought in an ultrasound machine and showed me what bad shape the tendon was in and explained that it needed to be removed. I panicked for a minute, thinking I need that tendon. Then he explained that he would remove the bad portion of the tendon and replace it with a tendon from my big toe! Sounded crazy to me but if it meant it would take care of the problem and the pain for good, I was game.
September 3, 2013 was my 3rd and final surgery (1 and only with Dr. Silverman). The surgery went great. I received great care from Dr. Silverman’s staff, the hospital staff and of course Dr. Silverman himself. My recovery went great from the start it was the best and easiest of the 3 surgeries. Every follow up visit has been great, the ladies in the office are always so friendly and helpful. Which also reflects on the kind of person Dr. Silverman is. He is a very caring doctor who is willing to listen to you and answer any questions you may have. He is great explaining everything in a way so that it’s easy to understand.
I truly can’t say enough good things about him. He has helped to feel so much better. I am now able to get out, walk, and exercise and I have even started to lose some of the weight I gained over the 2 ½ years of being either in a boot or cast.
I highly recommend Dr. Silverman. My only regret is that I didn’t Google him sooner!
Thanks Dr. Silverman for giving me back my life!
Wendy W.
Disclaimer: Results may vary from person to person