Darren Skinner

In January 2016, my life dramatically changed for the better thanks to the best HSS surgical team assembled to correct a severely painful, arthritic ankle and misaligned lower leg. Dr. Demetracopoulos is a highly skilled surgeon who performed a total ankle replacement (TAR) on my left ankle. In conjunction with the TAR, I was also the recipient of a much needed osteotomy to align my lower leg to the ankle implant so that my foot would point forward again and perfectly contact the ground in a level position to improve my gait.

Dr. Fragomen was a major contributor to these surgical procedures and I cannot thank him enough as well for helping. Just 3-1/2 years earlier in 2012, Dr. Fragomen performed a procedure on this same troubled ankle called arthrodiastasis in an attempt to allow my joint relief from bone-on-bone pain with distraction using external fixation for over 5 months. Unfortunately, arthrodiastasis only provided relatively short-term relief and some pain reduction. After a couple of years, my left ankle would again become painful and need a correction in the form of total reconstruction if I ever wanted long-term relief from pain and a return to a normal walking motion without a limp. Dr. Fragomen referred me to Dr. Demetracopoulos, the TAR specialist extraordinaire! Dr. "D" (easier to say) gave me my second opinion at HSS, since the first TAR surgeon with whom I consulted recommended two separate surgeries over the course of a year - first, to correct the lower leg alignment, then, after that healed, to do the ankle replacement. But then I visited Dr. D - he was like Superman to the rescue when he stated his confidence in accomplishing the same positive results performing both corrective procedures in ONE surgery! With one surgery I would only be subjected to one recovery period to heal from both procedures. I am blessed to have been introduced to such a miracle worker!

Dr. Demetracopoulos is one of the most experienced ankle surgeons in the world and has done hundreds of TAR surgeries with consistent successful results. I am approaching eight months since my miracle surgery and I am experiencing absolutely wonderful results - NO PAIN, minimal swelling, no limp, improved range of motion, increased calf strength, and perfect leg/joint/foot alignment. I came to Dr. D with a history of an active lifestyle; an avid athlete - basketball, tennis, racquetball, golf, walking, swimming, sprint triathlons, cycling, and running. Although I am now in my 50's I have returned to walking, swimming, cycling, and golf with no pain. I am confident I will be ready to play tennis next year. Nevertheless, my goal is to preserve my new ankle as long as possible to maximize its expected lifespan (10-15 years). If you are reading this testimonial and are in a similar situation as I was contemplating ankle replacement, I cannot impress upon you enough that Dr. D is the best choice to get you back in the game! He saved my life. I would hesitate to use anyone else to fix such a critical and vital joint. DR. DEMETRACOPOULOS is the BEST IN THE BUSINESS!