Walter Liptak, 83, who has completed 14 marathons over the years and loves to play golf, was in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, looking forward to a trip to his Florida home. He and his wife were organized, packed, and getting ready to head to the airport. That’s when the plan went awry.
“I didn’t notice my luggage in the dark and I tripped right over it,” Liptak explains. “I landed on my hip.” He managed to get to the airport, and after the plane was delayed for an hour, it was canceled. So, he decided to go to a local hospital for an X-ray.
After imaging at the local emergency department showed a chip on a portion of his hip bone, a doctor encouraged him to go home and take it easy.
However, taking it easy didn’t work.
“Just a few weeks later, I bent over, and my hip gave out and I fell on it again, causing severe pain,” Liptak said. “I managed to get to my phone and called my son and sister for a lift to the hospital. They came but couldn’t move me because of the pain.”
Connecting to the right specialist
Once again in the emergency room, Liptak underwent another series of X-rays. This time, the imaging showed a significant fracture in the same hip. His local hospital wanted to perform a partial hip replacement, but Liptak preferred to be treated by the top-ranked orthopedic group in the state, Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH. His wife called RUSH in the middle of the night and was assured that her husband would be able to get treatment right away. The attending physician connected Liptak with Dr. Omar Behery, a Midwest Orthopaedics at RUSH joint replacement specialist, who recommended a full hip replacement given his functional level and pre-existing degenerative hip disease. He arranged for Liptak’s admittance and surgery at Elmhurst Hospital that same day.
“Dr. Behery was attentive, kind, and a good communicator. “I liked him right away and he eased me through this traumatic experience." - Walter Liptak.
Everything went very smoothly from the minute I met him. Before surgery, we met with the anesthesiologist and discovered mutual Polish roots, setting my mind at ease,” said Liptak.
“It was absolutely important to get a good understanding of where he was in terms of function and activity level, and what he wished to be able to do in the future,” Dr. Behery explained. “We had a detailed discussion regarding his surgical options and were able to arrive at the best one for him. Fortunately, we were able to perform his surgery in a very timely manner, using a minimally invasive approach, to maximize his chances of a quicker recovery.”
Home soon after surgery
On the same day of surgery, Liptak was able to stand up in his hospital room and return home the next day. “I didn’t do any dancing, but I was happy to go home so quickly and safely.”
Although he was sent home with pain medication, Liptak says he never used it and got by with over-the-counter Tylenol.
“Through resilience and motivation, Mr. Liptak excelled in his recovery,” Dr. Behery explained.
Back to beach walking and golf
Just four months out from his total hip replacement now, Liptak is wrapping up his physical therapy. He is easily walking up steps and walking a mile along the Florida beach near his home. He has played golf twice and is looking forward to getting back to the links two to three times a week.
“I feel that this whole experience was God-directed, and I will be eternally grateful to Dr. Behery and his team,” Liptak said.
If you would like to schedule a visit with Dr. Omar Behery at his Naperville or Joliet, Illinois offices, to discuss your hip or knee pain, schedule directly online here or please call 877-MD-BONES.
