Ashley DeNegre

Having injured my hand in a rock climbing accident earlier that day, I spent July 4, 2015 in the ER instead of at a BBQ. The ER doctor who treated me ruled out a break, and recommended a local hand specialist for me to visit later in the week, "just in case." I would later learn that the ulnar collateral ligament in my right hand was completely ruptured, requiring surgery.

After waiting 2+ weeks for the hand specialist to return my calls re; the results of the MRI he had ordered, I became concerned about the quality of care I would receive during and after the surgical procedure. Meanwhile, my brother, an HSS executive, insisted that I visit HSS for a second opinion, and recommended Dr. Aaron Daluiski. During my initial consult, Dr. Daluiski confirmed that surgery was necessary to repair the ligament, and scheduled the procedure for two days later. The speed with which the surgery was scheduled was a pleasant surprise to me, but Dr. Daluiski indicated that the procedure should have been done much sooner, as the relatively simple repair becomes more complicated as the time between injury and surgery increases.

I'm now 3 months post-op and can confidently say that my experience at HSS was excellent. From the ease with which my surgery was scheduled, to the date of surgery itself, the care I received at HSS was impressive! I'm grateful to Dr. Daluiski and his staff for ensuring that I could return to my active lifestyle so quickly: I've started to climb and practice yoga again, and I'm looking forward to testing out my repaired "skier's thumb" during the coming ski season. Thanks again to all of you for getting me back in the game!