Peter Foley

I was in a state of desperation. I lived with pain every waking minute. I love to play tennis and would play on Sunday and take a week to recover. I could hardly walk for the week after playing. Even when not doing any sports activity, the act of walking was painful. I had been to a number of doctors, some even hip specialists, who all said: "Here are some painkillers - see if that will help."

I heard from a close neurologist friend that the best hip specialist around was Dr. Thomas Sculco at Hospital for Special Surgery. I called from Bangkok, Thailand where I was working and living at the time. I got an appointment and flew halfway around the world to see Dr. Sculco. He looked at the x-rays and said: "You are bone on bone in both hips." "OK," I replied immediately, "I would like you to do a double hip replacement as soon as possible,"

Dr. Sculco urged me to consider carefully what I wanted to do and suggested that I could, for example, just do one hip at a time. I shook my head and said with all the conviction I could muster: "Sir, you are the best. I have done the research. I have flown halfway round the world. I have absolute confidence in you and I know that if you operate I will play tennis again."

Dr. Sculco gave me my new hips a month later. I have had five years of great living playing tennis and walking and running with no pain at all. I am constantly aware of the good fortune I have had thanks to the skill and dedication of Dr. Sculco. What a very great difference he has made in my life and, no doubt, the lives of hundreds of other.