Regaining an Active Lifestyle

Dr. LaButti is known throughout the country for his surgical skills with hip and knee replacements.

Al Rouch is grateful to Dr. Ronald LaButti for the hip replacement that allowed him to regain his active lifestyle.

 in the left hip. Al Rouch, an avid runner and jogger, thought he had just overdone it. Give it a little time and the soreness will go away.

Instead, the soreness progressed to pain. Over-the-counter medications were no help, as it became more and more difficult for Al to pull on his left sock or tie his left shoe. Many times his wife had to perform these simple tasks.

That began a long series of appointments with physicians and chiropractors who thought he was dealing with a muscle or tendon problem. There were more medications and finally, cortisone injections. Nothing worked.

At that point, Al realized his condition was not going to get better. And he was very tired of not being able to enjoy the active life he had always led.

He decided to see an orthopedic surgeon, whose recommendation was a hip replacement. That’s not what Al wanted to hear. He had never been hospitalized, and it was an experience he wanted to live without. But he had to do something.

Still not totally convinced that surgery was the right solution, the physiology instructor at Oklahoma Osteopathic Medical College began doing serious homework of his own. Al researched the different types of hip replacements, surgical methods and technology behind them. If he was going to undergo surgery, he wanted to learn all about it. He also wanted the best surgeon he could find.

The name Ronald LaButti kept recurring in Al’s research. Dr. LaButti was known throughout the country for his surgical skills with hip and knee replacements. His office happened to be right in Tulsa, near 65th and Yale.

A visit with Dr. LaButti convinced the avid runner, jogger and golfer that a hip replacement was the way to go. “There was no pressure,” Al recalls. “Dr. LaButti thoroughly explained all the options, which included a regimen of pain medications if I still wanted to avoid surgery. He answered all my questions and gave me even more literature to help me make the best decision.”

On the big day in December of 2009, Al remembers feeling anxious, but totally confident in Dr. LaButti and his team. They had provided him with a clear understanding of what to expect with surgery. A physical therapist and occupational therapist helped prepare him for recovery ahead.  

“The whole process was amazingly short,” he says. Al’s surgery was on Thursday. He was home on Sunday. In approximately six weeks, the rehabilitation program was over and Al was well on his way to regaining his normal life.

In May, he was back on the golf course. Although he does not want to brag on himself, Al says he played some of his best golf ever this past summer. He also works out regularly on an elliptical machine. “The hip replacement improved my quality of life significantly,” says Al. “The benefits gained far outweigh the concerns I had.”

As Al learned from experience, surgery is the answer for a lot of people. “There is no need to suffer. When pain and discomfort keep you from doing the normal everyday activities you enjoy, go see Dr. LaButti,” he says. Visit www.hipandkneedoc.com for more information.

For more information, contact

Dr. Ronald S. LaButti

www.hipandkneedoc.com

About Author Deanna Rebro

Deanna Rebro has worked in the publishing industry 30+ years, including eight years writing for Value News. She has also worked in real estate for the past six years. Deanna graduated from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio with a B.A. in Journalism. Outside of work, she serves as Vice President on the Board of Directors for Pet Adoption League. “Every story I write is a learning experience,” she said.