PATIENT STORIES

We love our patients, and we especially love seeing them back in motion and hearing their stories. Here, Cary Orthopaedics patients share their journey of treatment and recovery.

Mike-Bodnar
John Steigerwald
Takeo Shakur

Mike Bodnar, Total Knee Replacement Patient

John Steigerwald, Orthopaedic Surgery Patient

Takeo Shakur, Sports Medicine Patient

“I had been dealing with pain and numbness in my left knee, ankle and foot. I did physical therapy but only found slight relief. As the pain persisted, I knew I needed a full knee replacement.
 “A couple of years ago I had a bad fall, tearing the quad muscle in my right leg. The ER doctor connected me with Dr. Miles. His scheduler was outstanding and completely understood my anxiousness to get started.

“I’m a senior at Athens Drive High school, and this is me at the first game this season. I suffered a partial ACL last year and Cary Ortho treated me very well.

Prior to my consultation with Dr. Economedes, I read his bio and discovered he had done his undergraduate at Penn State, my alma mater. During my consultation, I found him to be very straightforward, knowledgeable and extremely professional. He knew exactly what was needed to build doctor-patient trust. I didn’t feel like I was just another patient, he heard my concerns and genuinely showed empathy while providing me with the confidence I needed to proceed. When I left, I felt confident and at ease. I knew I could put all of my trust in him for this major surgery. After attending a pre-op/post-op seminar and talking with the PA, Kyle Spinrad, all my questions were answered in detail.
The coordination efforts by Dr. Economedes and his staff were amazing. I was sincerely treated as a person. By the second week of recovery, I was walking using only a cane. By the fourth week, the cane was gone. Now, four months later, I have been returning to most of my normal activities and planning my annual fishing trips for this summer. To Dr. Economedes and his staff at Cary Ortho, I give my sincere thanks for all their compassion, help and support during my knee surgery and recovery.”

They booked my appointment to see him the next day. Dr. Miles was upbeat about my prognosis while being patient to explain the issues, surgical plans and expected recovery path. It was such a relief to see his enthusiasm and to have a clear understanding of the next steps.

As we tried to get the surgery scheduled, Dr. Miles’ schedule was completely booked. To my eternal gratitude, he offered to come in early on an off-day to perform my surgery. Had he stuck to his schedule, it would have been another five days of waiting, and when one is incapacitated, waiting is terrible. The surgery went smoothly and everything that Dr. Miles had laid out came to pass. He also made sure I had great physical therapists at Cary Ortho.

Right on schedule, I was able to increase my activity level, and within several months I was back to all the activities I was doing before the accident: working out, golfing, bike rides and long walks with my dog. Dr. Miles has been wonderful to have as my surgeon. He is always positive, explains things very clearly, and establishes goals and limits that speed recovery. In all my follow-ups, he treated me extraordinarily well, always remembering exactly what had happened and my treatment plans. He has been a delight to work with and I very highly recommend him.”

I was able to escape surgery, but I was very impressed by Dr. Armour, his expertise and the technology he used to assess my injuries and make his report. I now look forward to a future in teaching or physical therapy.”