Vanessa Vela

I had a complete tear of the ACL after a skiing accident in Vermont. I contacted multiple physicians in Vermont, New Hampshire and New York and the only one who personally called me back was Dr. Schairer. After that phone call, I immediately knew I had to see him to assess me and perform surgery if necessary. When he asked about my level of activity and what I aim to do for physical activity, I said I wanted to still run and climb mountains. Dr. Schairer was confident I would get back to myself once I had the surgery and physical therapy. The actual surgery was seamless! I felt so at ease with all the practitioners in the OR. The surgery was a great experience, and people are often caught aback when I mention it because surgeries are usually uncomfortable and drive anxiety. I did my physical therapy at HSS with Joe and I couldn’t even lift my leg at the time. Joe trained me back into shape and was always there when I had questions. The people at HSS, from the door greeters to the doctors, have been some of the best people to help me cope through my injury.