Our Orthopedic Patients Say It Best

Jan 30, 2018 Reporting from Niles, MI

Consult, Surgery, and Rehabilitation – All Within Five Miles of Home - Peter Toth

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Jan 30, 2018

Jan 30, 2018

SpectrumHealth Lakeland

Orthopedic surgeons are specially trained to help patients manage certain conditions, relieve pain, restore mobility and independence, or return to work and other daily activities. To find an orthopedic surgeon near you, contact us.

Consult, Surgery, and Rehabilitation – All Within Five Miles of Home - Peter Toth

SpectrumHealth Lakeland

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Consult, Surgery, and Rehabilitation – All Within Five Miles of Home - Peter Toth

Jan, 2018

Physicians: Jeffrey Postma, DO

Orthopedic surgeons are specially trained to help patients manage certain conditions, relieve pain, restore mobility and independence, or return to work and other daily activities. To find an orthopedic surgeon near you, contact us.

As the owner of a distributing company, Pete was on his feet for hours at a time – lifting boxes, loading and unloading his truck, and walking in and out of the businesses along his delivery route. Although he delivered each package with a smile, the pain he was experiencing in his knees told a different story.

A healthy knee contains cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between bones and stabilizes joints by evenly distributing the load. For Pete, both his knees had become bone-on-bone. For over 10 years he spent each day in pain.

“I wasn’t as physically active as I used to be,” said Pete. “Most days it was all I could do to get through work before coming home to prop my legs up because the pain was so bad.”

When one of his clients recommended he see orthopedic surgeon, Jeffrey Postma, DO, Pete began looking into his options. Although he needed to have both of his knees replaced, as a one-person operation, Pete knew he couldn’t afford to be off work for any length of time. He decided to undergo surgery one knee at a time.

“Dr. Postma was understanding of my situation and was willing to work with me,” said Pete. “The relationship I formed with him seemed more like a friendship than doctor to patient. He took the time to explain how the surgery works and what I could expect. You could tell he genuinely cares about his patients.”

After undergoing knee replacement surgery on his right knee in November 2016, Pete said the pain went from "100 percent down to just 10 percent." He was back to performing office duties within two weeks and back on his route three weeks after surgery.

“While the pain had decreased drastically, my other knee was still bone-on-bone and I knew I would need to have another surgery to get where I wanted to be,” he said.

In December 2017 Pete had a second surgery – this time on his left knee. During the year long journey fixing both knees, Pete valued being able to remain close to home.

“As a businessman from Coloma with a busy schedule, I knew I wanted to receive care close to home,” said Pete. “Dr. Postma’s office, the hospital where I had my surgery, and the physical therapy clinic were all within five miles of my house.”

Now in place of the pain he once felt, Pete said he has gained his quality of life back.

“Once you finish rehabilitation the pain is gone – if I would have simply put the surgery off even longer the pain would have never gone away,” said Pete. “I had great outcomes both times and would recommend Dr. Postma to anyone.”

Not only is he back to a job he loves, Pete is also able to take walks with his family, and he is looking forward to picking up bowling again, now that he’s able to put his full weight on his knees.