Glenn, a recent patient at Burke Rehabilitation®, suffered from the progression of osteoarthritis in his right hip, which made it difficult for him to care for himself, move around his home, and participate in everyday activities such as getting in and out of his chair.
A candidate for a hip replacement, the 58-year-old Chestnut Ridge NY resident underwent surgery in June at Montefiore Nyack Hospital.
“At Nyack, I was able to get out of bed and move about 30 feet with a walker, but it was painful,” said Glenn. He soon discovered that he needed rehabilitative therapy to recover more fully, which is why he chose to come to Burke.
“I knew of Burke’s expertise, and thought, if I am going to do it, then I want to do it with the best.”
At Burke, his care involved a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, and therapists who created a care plan to help him achieve maximum recovery. Glenn set personal benchmarks: one was to return in two weeks to the summer camp where he had worked for years, and another was to resume his teaching job at a local school district in the fall.
“I set a goal for myself to walk out of Burke with a cane,” he said. “And eventually, to be fully mobile and independent enough to traverse my world.” Glenn was aware he would face challenges, having had a left hip replacement eight years ago with the same surgeon, Barry Kraushaar, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Montefiore Nyack Hospital.
“95% of patients have a good to excellent outcome,” said Dr. Kraushaar. “I removed the arthritic portion of Glenn’s hip joint and replaced it with an artificial prosthetic.”
Dr. Kraushaar recommended rehabilitation for Glenn due to his underlying cardiac condition.
“He progressed a little more slowly compared to other patients, which supported the need for rehabilitation,” commented Dr. Kraushaar. “I knew he would improve, and the rehabilitation would provide the emotional encouragement he needed to succeed.”
Improving quality of life is a key reason patients choose rehabilitation. At Burke, Glenn received three hours of intensive physical and occupational therapy five days a week.
Malav Shah, M.D., Director of Inpatient Orthopedic and Limb Loss Rehabilitation at Burke observed his progression. “The therapy at Burke is significantly more intensive than what is available through other options. Admission to Burke allowed Glenn to identify and achieve his goals efficiently while remaining in a safe environment.”
Glenn spent approximately 10 days at Burke, where he initially used a rolling walker and progressed to walking independently with forearm crutches for approximately 200 feet, even walking outdoors during therapy sessions.
“I arrived in a lot of pain, and the physicians were very caring; they listened to my concerns. I couldn’t have gone to a better place or achieved better results,” he said. “All the therapists, especially Grace, were the perfect combination of taskmaster and guardian angel.”
Dr. Shah remarked, “Glenn maintained a remarkably upbeat attitude throughout his stay, adhered to the program, pushed through discomfort, and placed complete trust in his medical and therapy teams.”
Throughout his journey, Glenn received daily visits from family members who traveled from Rockland County to the main campus in White Plains.
Glenn’s success continues at home. He participates in outpatient physical therapy at the Burke West Nyack Outpatient Therapy location, where he builds on the significant progress he made in the hospital by improving his strength. He is back at camp and ready to head back to the classroom – without using a cane.
