Patient Testimonials

Robert Anthony Mlaka, Lynchburg, VA — knee surgery
I have had 12 surgeries on my right leg since 2007. Between infections, complications and the surgeries not being done correctly, I suffered for 5 years and lost my job and my home.

In March of 2011, I went to HSS and met Dr. Mathias Bostrom who, in my opinion, created a miracle when he operated on my right knee. I now am able to walk and stand on my leg without pain like before. I will always be indebted to him and have him in my prayers. He fixed something that three other surgeons from various hospitals couldn't. He is truly a miraculous surgeon working in a miraculous hospital. Thank you, Dr. Bostrom, for giving me my life back and letting me enjoy my granddaughters. more

Robert Anthony Mlaka, Lynchburg, VA — knee surgery
I have had 12 surgeries on my right leg since 2007. Between infections, complications and the surgeries not being done correctly, I suffered for 5 years and lost my job and my home.

In March of 2011, I went to HSS and met Dr. Mathias Bostrom who, in my opinion, created a miracle when he operated on my right knee. I now am able to walk and stand on my leg without pain like before. I will always be indebted to him and have him in my prayers. He fixed something that three other surgeons from various hospitals couldn't. He is truly a miraculous surgeon working in a miraculous hospital. Thank you, Dr. Bostrom, for giving me my life back and letting me enjoy my granddaughters. less

Here's my full story: I fell off a ladder in August of 2006. I went to the local emergency room and was told that I tore something in my right knee. I saw an orthopedic surgeon where I live in Lynchburg, Virginia. I underwent arthroscopic surgery in November of 2006. When I awoke in the recovery room, my wife Lida said, "the surgeon said your knee needs to be replaced it was a lot worse than he thought." I had that surgeon replace my right knee in March of 2007. My physical therapy was so painful that, twice, I passed out. The surgeon blamed my lack of healing on me not doing my physical therapy correctly. My knee was swollen hot red and the pain was unbearable. He manipulated my knee in June of 2007. I went straight back to therapy and still, my knee was no better. I went to see my family doctor for my blood pressure check. I told him about my pain. He looked at my knee and immediately made me an appointment to see a doctor at the University of Virginia Hospital.

I went to UVA and was given a simple blood test that showed my right knee was infected. In September of 2007, they removed my knee prosthesis and put in an antibiotic spacer. I went with that spacer until December of 2007 when they replaced my knee. I rehabbed it for all of 2008 and returned to work in January of 2009. The knee still hurt and I couldn’t bend it or straighten it well, but at least I could work and try to get out of debt.

In July of 2009, my knee gave out and I fell and broke my right ankle. I underwent ankle surgery. In August of 2009, they removed a screw that was holding things together in my ankle. They stitched the opening, but after going to work, the stitches would break and the wound was open for about a month. Then, in December of 2009, I slipped in my backyard on my way to my wife’s car and broke my right hip. I underwent hip surgery to fix that break. I went to a rehab center for a month where my hip and my knee started to hurt very badly. My right hip started to catch and release with a snapping noise. I went to UVA in March of 2010 and I was told my right knee was infected again so they removed the prosthesis. I also asked to have my hip checked because I was told that a lock nail that was put in had backed out and was catching and cutting a tendon. I begged the surgeon to do both things at once but he refused. He told me, "When we clear the infection and put your knee back in, we will take the nail out." June came and the pain in my hip was so bad he agreed to take it out. Three days later I slipped and bumped my vanity in my bathroom and shattered my hip. They rushed me back to UVA where, three days after removing the nail, they replaced my right hip. My knee was put back in in August of 2010.

I had a lot of pain in therapy and I developed a cracking and crunching bending it. I went back for my checkup and the surgeon said it was scar tissue in my knee causing the noise. He arranged for arthoscopic surgery. When I went for my pre-op in January of 2011 I asked if the noise and pain would be gone. He said that the pain was something different and that the surgery would not take care of that. He consulted with another surgeon and cancelled my surgery and opted to give me an injection in my leg between the knee and hip which would tell him where the pain was coming from. He said for me to go home and call him in two weeks and let him know if and how long the shot helped. I called in two weeks and said to his nurse that the injection helped for a week and now the pain was back. She said she would tell him and see what he says. I waited two weeks and there was no return call, so I called back and his nurse said she told him what I said but in her exact words, "He threw up his hands looked up at the sky and said he had no clue." I asked to talk to him but he refused. I waited two more months and still no return call.

This is where I thought God helped me. My nephew from New Jersey said to me that his best friend, who I know well, is married to Penny, Dr. Sculco’s nurse from HSS. She called me and asked if I could send her my most recent x-rays and bone scans. I did and she showed them to Dr. Sculco. She said he thought they could help me and she made me an appointment to see Dr. Mathias Bostrom. Dr. Bostrom told me to get new x-rays and a new bone scan in Lynchburg and send them to him. I did so and at my appointment on March 12th, 2011, he told me that my implant was in on a slope, too big, the knee cap wasn’t being taken care of, and that the surgery the other surgeon wanted to do wouldn’t help. He said the knee would be a challenge and he could do it, but he could only guarantee moderate results. He said that the hip was also in need of redoing but it would be an easy surgery to replace the total hip.

I had the surgery on May 12th, 2011 and when I woke up, I thought I had gone to heaven and God gave me a new knee. I got out of bed the next morning with a walker and had my leg flat on the ground and knew that this was very different from all my other surgeries. I knew right away that he had done something miraculous. Yes, he said it was just another one of his surgeries. But why couldn’t three other surgeons do this? It’s because he is a dedicated and very gifted surgeon who cares about quality and not quantity. I will forever be in his debt and once this heals, I’ll have him fix my hip. You have a miraculous hospital and a very gifted surgeon in Dr. Bostrom. I wish everyone could read my story so they can know of the miraculous gifts of your hospital and surgeons. Thanks for listening to my story.