For over a year, Amy West didn’t leave her house. The rapid deterioration of her hip was unbearable, and the pain increased immensely. As her former doctor suggested losing weight as a solution, Amy lost 80 pounds. Despite working so hard to lose the weight, Amy felt incredibly defeated when her doctor told her she needed to lose more.
Feeling hopeless and futile, Amy’s physical therapist gave her the list of three names to obtain a second opinion. One name stood out.
Finally, Amy found a glimpse of hope when she met with Matthew Mangini, MD, an orthopedic surgeon with The Christ Hospital Physicians – Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.
After hearing Amy’s story and seeing the pain she was experiencing, Dr. Mangini suggested options like the posterior approach to hip replacement surgery, which in her case, proved to be the safest and most effective option. After surgery, Amy got the results she had longed for.
Being able to attend fun events with her church, driving, and becoming the independent woman she missed due to the pain was the most rewarding result of this procedure for Amy.
She says Dr. Mangini answered her prayers and brought light back into a life that once saw darkness. Find out exactly how Amy found joy in her own words.
Amy’s Story
Amy: I prayed to die. “God I can’t live this life with this pain. My family is taking care of me. This is no life.”
It was rapid deterioration of arthritis in my hip that was just increasing in pain. I had been going to a different network in the area and the doctor I had been going to said, “You need to lose weight.”
I lost 80 pounds. He said I needed to lose more weight. I was just feeling hopeless. I didn’t leave my house for a year.
My physical therapist said, “You need a second opinion.” He gave me a list of three different names. So, I met with Dr. Mangini at the beginning of December. He gave me some options like the posterior approach.
Dr. Mangini: I was lucky enough to have trained at a program where I learned all the different hip approaches.
For Amy’s case, I thought a posterior approach was great because it avoids those complications, gives good exposure, and ultimately lets us do the surgery in the safest way possible.
Amy: A month later, I had a new hip. I went into the hospital in a wheelchair, in pain, and left there. I had hope. I had joy.
My first outing after surgery, our church had a game night. When I walked in, all the people that knew me, it was just like they cheered.
Being able to see the people you love in person is different. I can drive. I can be an independent woman again.
Dr. Mangini: Giving patients the kind of freedom, the independence that they want, to live the life they want, there’s nothing more rewarding to me than that.
Amy: If I was the only one who needed this surgery, I feel like Dr. Mangini still would have done it. I said, “I feel like you were sent here just for me.”
I said, “You are an answer to my prayers.”