A Summer Surgery Success Story: Susan’s Road to Recovery
Susan knew that the range of motion in her shoulder wasn’t what it used to be, but she figured it would get better with some physiotherapy. The exercises were going well, but her physiotherapist still recommended that she should have it checked out. Susan followed her advice and, much to her surprise learned that she had a completely torn rotator cuff that needed to be repaired.
Her family doctor recommended Dr. Nathan Sacevich (Dr. Nate), reassuring her he was the best choice for this sort of surgery in Niagara. When Susan met Dr. Nate, she immediately had a lot of confidence in his ability. “He said that we could wait it out and do nothing but also pointed out that it could get worse,” remembers Susan. “He said it could get to a point where I would need shoulder replacement surgery, so to avoid that, I decided to go ahead and schedule the much smaller surgery for the repair.”
“From the volunteers who guide you when you first come in, to the technicians, the nurses… I felt like I was in very good hands.”
Within only a few weeks of her consultation with Dr. Nate, Susan was scheduled for surgery. “I was lucky because not a lot of people want to have their surgeries done in the summer, so I got my surgery date quickly, and I just have to say that everyone involved in my care was fantastic,” says Susan. “From the volunteers who guide you when you first come in, to the technicians, the nurses… I felt like I was in very good hands.”
When Susan went in for her pre-op appointment, she was grateful for the efficiency and professionalism of the team. “Everyone in the pre-op clinic was amazing. They were very knowledgeable and professional, and everything happened promptly. I was impressed.”
On the day of her surgery, Susan was once again surprised by how good her experience was. “It’s just that everybody cared. Everybody cared to make it a good experience,” explains Susan. Before the surgery itself started, Susan needed a nerve block. “The anesthesiologist was amazing; he showed me everything he was doing on the ultrasound. I was still awake at that point and able to watch. He eagerly answered my questions as he did the procedure. It’s great that we have all that specialized equipment at Niagara Health, and I had a really good experience with him.”
In terms of her recovery, Dr. Nate recommended an abduction sling, which made a big difference in Susan’s recovery. “Every follow-up appointment has been great, and things are improving all the time. I am three months post-op now, and there is still some muscle weakness from being in the sling for so long, but I am trying to be patient and do my exercises. I am well on my way back to 100%.”
“This is where we live! And we’re going to have health issues, so it makes sense to support our local hospitals in any way we can.”
Susan chose to share her experience with our donors because she knows that every piece of equipment involved in her care was there thanks to the generosity of donors. “This is where we live! And we’re going to have health issues, so it just makes sense to support our local hospitals in any way we can.” It’s been reassuring for Susan to learn that she doesn’t have to be concerned about going somewhere else for good healthcare but that it is right here in Niagara. “I’m sure most people go into healthcare because they want to help. And it was obvious from start to finish with everybody involved in my care. Considering how burnt out everybody must be right now – for them to still show up every day and be genuinely caregiving… it felt really good.”
A Summer Surgery Success Story: Susan’s Road to Recovery
Susan knew that the range of motion in her shoulder wasn’t what it used to be, but she figured it would get better with some physiotherapy. The exercises were going well, but her physiotherapist still recommended that she should have it checked out. Susan followed her advice and, much to her surprise learned that she had a completely torn rotator cuff that needed to be repaired.
Her family doctor recommended Dr. Nathan Sacevich (Dr. Nate), reassuring her he was the best choice for this sort of surgery in Niagara. When Susan met Dr. Nate, she immediately had a lot of confidence in his ability. “He said that we could wait it out and do nothing but also pointed out that it could get worse,” remembers Susan. “He said it could get to a point where I would need shoulder replacement surgery, so to avoid that, I decided to go ahead and schedule the much smaller surgery for the repair.”
“From the volunteers who guide you when you first come in, to the technicians, the nurses… I felt like I was in very good hands.”
Within only a few weeks of her consultation with Dr. Nate, Susan was scheduled for surgery. “I was lucky because not a lot of people want to have their surgeries done in the summer, so I got my surgery date quickly, and I just have to say that everyone involved in my care was fantastic,” says Susan. “From the volunteers who guide you when you first come in, to the technicians, the nurses… I felt like I was in very good hands.”
When Susan went in for her pre-op appointment, she was grateful for the efficiency and professionalism of the team. “Everyone in the pre-op clinic was amazing. They were very knowledgeable and professional, and everything happened promptly. I was impressed.”
On the day of her surgery, Susan was once again surprised by how good her experience was. “It’s just that everybody cared. Everybody cared to make it a good experience,” explains Susan. Before the surgery itself started, Susan needed a nerve block. “The anesthesiologist was amazing; he showed me everything he was doing on the ultrasound. I was still awake at that point and able to watch. He eagerly answered my questions as he did the procedure. It’s great that we have all that specialized equipment at Niagara Health, and I had a really good experience with him.”
In terms of her recovery, Dr. Nate recommended an abduction sling, which made a big difference in Susan’s recovery. “Every follow-up appointment has been great, and things are improving all the time. I am three months post-op now, and there is still some muscle weakness from being in the sling for so long, but I am trying to be patient and do my exercises. I am well on my way back to 100%.”
“This is where we live! And we’re going to have health issues, so it makes sense to support our local hospitals in any way we can.”
Susan chose to share her experience with our donors because she knows that every piece of equipment involved in her care was there thanks to the generosity of donors. “This is where we live! And we’re going to have health issues, so it just makes sense to support our local hospitals in any way we can.” It’s been reassuring for Susan to learn that she doesn’t have to be concerned about going somewhere else for good healthcare but that it is right here in Niagara. “I’m sure most people go into healthcare because they want to help. And it was obvious from start to finish with everybody involved in my care. Considering how burnt out everybody must be right now – for them to still show up every day and be genuinely caregiving… it felt really good.”
