Conditions + Treatments
Hip Dysplasia
Hip Labral Tear
I am from Moscow, Idaho and I have been an ICU nurse for more than 12 years. My husband and I both enjoy rock climbing in our spare time. We love to do all kinds of climbing: bouldering, with a harness, you name it, we do it.
Back in 2020, I had some hip pain, and it was pretty benign at first, but then my pain got worse and was more frequent. I had surgery with my local surgeon in September of 2020. He performed a hip arthroscopy and fixed a labral tear and a ligamentum teres tear. I initially felt so much better after the surgery but as soon as I could get off crutches, I had pain again.
I did physical therapy for 4 months and the pain never got better. At 6 months post-op, my surgeon got another MRI but didn't see anything alarming. He sent me to another physical therapist, and I worked with her for a while with no improvement.
My physical therapist recommended I consider Andrews Sports Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama. I researched the practice’s website and determined Dr. Michael Ryan would be a good fit for me to see.
My husband and I flew to Birmingham in June of 2021 for my initial appointment with Dr. Ryan. After a physical exam and diagnostics, Dr. Ryan diagnosed me with both hip dysplasia and a cartilage tear. In August of 2021, I had PAO surgery and open surgical hip dislocation on my left hip. My right hip had been bothering me too and I knew I would probably have to have surgery again. In February of 2022, I had PAO surgery on my right hip.
Dr. Ryan has been amazing! He has been so caring and always candidly answers all my questions. Dr. Ryan is an athlete himself so it was nice that he could relate to me and my pain. He told me he would get me back to my sport in no time. I appreciated how he approached everything and that he understood my concerns.
His clinical coordinator, Hannah, is great as well. She calls me back immediately and answers any questions I have. The surgeries were so worth it and truly saved my life! Hannah and Dr. Ryan were always available to help with anything that came up and always made sure I had the knowledge and resources I needed when I needed them. This was invaluable to me during my recovery. Compared to other healthcare experiences I have had; Andrews Sports Medicine definitely goes above and beyond and provides exceptional care.
Following both of my surgeries, my recovery process was really hard. I felt like it would have been easier if I was younger because my bones healed slowly. However, I am so glad I experienced this because my hips are now stable, and I can now climb and hike better than before.
I didn’t climb in between the 2 surgeries I had but after the second surgery, I was so much stronger! I am 1 year out from surgery, and it is still hard at times, but I am getting so much better. Before my surgeries, it was so debilitating. I had to limp over, and I would climb, then I would limp over to my car and take some pain medicine, and then limp back.
It wasn’t worth having to do that all the time. I am so thankful I had this done. I am back to climbing and enjoying it pain free!
I definitely recommend Andrews Sports Medicine! It was well worth traveling across the country to experience the top-notch care I’ve always heard about. Thank you, Dr. Ryan and Andrews Sports Medicine, for getting me back to the sport that I love!
