Success Stories

Linda Erlenbach first learned about the Center For Orthopedics after her mother fell, broke her hip and needed emergency surgery. Dr. Robert Berkowitz had been the doctor on call. She and her mother had a great experience during that trying time, so, when Linda’s hip bursitis got too painful for cortisone shots to work, she called up CFO and was referred to Dr. Robert Zanotti.

Dr. Zanotti did an Xray and continued non surgical treatments, but when Linda rescheduled an appointment earlier than her usual follow up, due to a drastic increase in pain, he ordered an MRI. The MRI showed that Linda was suffering from Avascular Necrosis of the Hip, which is a known complication in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -- condition Linda is also being treated for elsewhere.

Linda says, “The MRI showed that I needed to get the replacement as soon as possible since the bone was deteriorating. In fact, I was worried there wouldn’t be enough good bone to support the implant, but Dr. Zanotti said when he opened me up he saw I had good bones.”

The procedure went so well that Linda says, “If ever need this done again, I’d go right back to CFO and Dr. Zanotti.”

Part of the reason Linda was so pleased with The Center for Orthopedics was because the entire staff was consistently kind and helpful. In fact, Pam, Dr. Zanotti’s secretary spend hours on the phone making sure Linda’s insurance pre-approved the procedure and Pam made sure Linda got clearance from her cardiologist -- a clearance that unfortunately was last minute.

“I tried and tried to get the clearance sent in time, says Linda. “Pam called and called and finally got a hold of someone and got the clearance at 6:00 the night before the surgery. I was so relieved.”

Recovery has been a relief for Linda too. She had her surgery on April 23rd and was home on the 25th. Originally, Linda asked to have the surgery at her local hospital, bt Dr. Zanotti encouraged her to go to the UH Elyria Medical Center because of their specialized unit for joint replacement.

Linda says, “He told me, ‘You won’t regret doing this at UH’ and boy was he right. Every staff member in that unit was so in tune with joint replacement. I cannot tell you how surprised I was. I never had to push the button for pain or ice. I never had to ask for anything. They anticipated every need. And the therapists did an excellent job. They get you to do things you don’t think you can do and that’s a good thing.”

Linda has been home and doing physical therapy out of her house several times a week, but was just discharged from formal physical therapy appointments. A little over two weeks since surgery Linda was getting around on a walker and going out to lunch and over to visit her mother in the nursing home.

“On my last visit to CFO, I told them how wonderful everyone at UH Elryia had been along with Dr. Zanotti and his secretary and whole staff. I would recommend anyone use Dr. Zanotti and go CFO. It runs like a top! In fact, I have already referred someone to Dr. Zanotti.”

Thanks for the referral, Linda, and thank you for sharing your story with us! If you’re experiencing hip pain and decreased mobility, don’t delay. Schedule an appointment with a specialist at Center for Orthopedics. Call 440-329-2800.