Post-operative patient testimonials: Results speak for themselves.
Dr. Rodriguez believes that the best thank-you he can receive is a positive response from his patients. Enclosed are patient testimonials. In their own words, Dr. Rodriguez' patients tell their own stories.
Casie H.
Hi, my name is Cassie. I am 12 years old and live in Northwest Indiana. I was born with extremely flat feet. My feet, legs and hips hurt me everyday. I could not play any sports because my feet were so flat. I had a hard time in gym class. I couldn't run like the other kids. My feet would get sore and I would get horrible cramps in my legs and hips. My mom and dad took me to a lot of doctors where we live and they would tell me that would I grow out of it or give me excercises to do. Some doctors made me wear hard plastic orthotics that made my feet hurt even more.
My mom found Dr. Rodriguez and made me an appointment to see him and I am so glad that she did. Dr. Rodriguez said he could help me and that I didn't have to suffer anymore. Dr. Rodriguez was right, I do not suffer anymore. He did surgery on both my feet and I am 100% better. I can do anything I want now because of Dr. Rodriguez.
Charles B.
My name is Charles B. I am a pastor in Gary, Indiana, currently in training for my first Church assignment.
I thought this information to be important because all that follows is true to the best of my remembrance. I have suffered from a chronic diabetic ulcer on the bottom of my right foot for the better part of 4 years. After years of treatments and surgeries, I developed Charcot in the foot which resulted in the wound not only staying chronic, but also enlarging to its largest measurement of about 6-1/2cm by 8cm. The Charcot also brought about major foot deformity resembling a club foot.
In February of 2006, I had my latest major infection take place in my foot and again was placed on intravenous antibiotics, and had many of my doctors tell me I was looking at being a prime candidate for below the knee amputation as a solution to years of frustration.
Being a man of faith, I was not ready to accept amputation as my only option so my wife began to scour the Internet for information about Charcot foot treatments, and she found the talented but humble Doctor Edgardo Rodriguez.
After journeying to his office, he thoroughly explained my options--amputation or the application of an External Fixator that would give me my best chance of saving my foot. So after a lot of prayer and researching all we could about the Fixator my wife and I agreed we wanted to try this treatment plan.
Having, as I said, read a lot of information about Charcot as well as External Fixators, we were looking for someone who had a lot of experience applying these formidable contraptions.
I thank God He led my wife and I to Dr. Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez had the experience we were seeking, a very gentle but strong presence in his demeanor, and like myself he also is a man of faith.
So, on May 23, 2006, Dr. Rodriguez applied an external fixator to my foot and leg, and as he said I was taking light steps the very next day with the support of a walker.
When you become sick and tire of being sick and tired, any inconvenience, any discomfort is acceptable and tolerable for the hope of being restored to an acceptable level of a quality life.
I believe God gave me a great wife, a great physician (Dr. Rodriguez) and many prayers were said on my behalf.
This month October 2006, my foot is healed, my ulcer gone, my foot alignment near perfect, and my level of life improved 100%. There are small hurdles yet to overcome, but I would recommend Dr. Rodriguez to anyone who has come to a point where their foot has impaired or hindered their level of life to unacceptable standards.
Dr. Rodriguez is one of God's heroes who love to help those in need of his skills with both passion and compassion.
I love you "Doc"
Pastor Charles B.
Diana J.
In October of 2005, I went to my primary care Doctor with pain and swelling in my left foot. She x-rayed it and diagnosed me with plantar fasciatis. Around December I went to physical therapy. It didn't help. In June 2006 when my Doctor sent me to an Orthopedic Dr. One year later, and several ankle braces, antinflammatory meds, and a few injections, I decided to get another opinion.
The reason that I decided to get another opinion was my husband and I were about to go to Belgium for 2 weeks.I wanted to be able to walk pain free on vacation. A co-worker of mine gave me the name of her foot Dr. so I called and got in right away. Dr. B started by taking x-rays, then a CT scan, and finally an MRI. The very day we were leaving for Belgium I was in his office getting a cast on my foot. I was diagnosed with AVN ( Avascular Necrosis ) of the talus bone. AVN is where the blood flow stops going to the other bones. Mine was crushing, so I spent my vacation in a wheelchair and on crutches.
After our trip Dr. B started me on a bone stimulator. This was to help get the blood flow back and try to restore my bone. It wasn't enough. By now it was December, Dr. B referred me to another doctor at Loyola. After he reviewed my CT, MRI, and x-rays, he told me I had a few options. He would do whatever I wanted, but he highly recommended amputation. He would do an ankle fusion but I would be about 2 inches shorter on my left side. About a week later, I went back to Dr. B and told him what the Doctor from Loyola said. So we decided to try another doctor.
So on Dec. 20th I think, we met Dr. Rodriguez. I left his office that day with such hope. Of course I had another MRI and x-rays. Dr. Rodriguez told me he would fix my foot. I would not have to be shorter on one side, and best of all I would be able to keep my foot.
On Feb. 29th this year Dr. Rodriguez performed a subtalar fusion and ankle distraction with an external fixator. He also tried something new with me, he used stem cells. I wore the fixator for 12 weeks. I was a nervous wreck. I was so worried that it would not heal and that I would have to amputate after all. But the fixator came off, and with physical therapy and hard work I am able to walk again without the pain and swelling. Don't get me wrong I still have days when I know I have done too much, but it keeps getting stronger everyday.
Thank you Dr. Rodriguez for all that you have done. My family and I are extremely grateful to you and your staff.
Diana J.
Elizabeth A.
Hi Dr. Rodriguez.
You are so right, one never knows what the outcome of a complicated surgery will be and even the most expert and gifted doctors will have disappointments. We are indeed grateful for Elizabeth's outcome, that all things worked towards her good. It still seems like a miracle.
I am attaching two pictures of Elizabeth in Switzerland during her weeks of treking the Haute Route in late August, almost exactly a year from the operation to remove her pins. I am sure they will make you smile.
Kathryn A. (Elizabeth's sister)
Dr. Rodriguez,
I wanted to write to let you know how much I appreciated the Ask Your Surgeon Post-Operative pain relief marcaine drip you gave me after my recent ankle surgery. I was able to walk only hours after my surgery. I was also able to sleep soundly the first night after my surgery. I took only one other pain pill that first night and after that, I didn't need any additional pain relief.
I flew on an airplane the next day and had to walk relatively long distances on hard floors through the airport. I had no trouble walking. I was also able to pass through airport security without much hassle; all the TSA agents did was swab the device to check for any explosive residues and then they let me through.
None of my friends even noticed the pain pump in its discreet waist pouch. The pump made me able to continue my life as normal just days after the surgery.
When the marcaine drip was finally finished, I was able to remove the catheters without any difficulty.
Thank you for prescribing one of these pain management devices for me.
Elizabeth A.
Hello AAC E-News,
I know it is not uncommon for climbers and mountaineers to break bones in their feet and ankles. What I didnít realize until it happened to me is how debilitating some foot injuries can be. After much research I found a seldom-used medical technique that can make the difference between climbing again and being crippled for life. I want to share this option with other climbers.
In May when I was guiding in Utah I landed on a ledge from a height of only twelve feet. I shattered my right heel, driving it up into my ankle, and broke three metatarsals. The first Orthopedic Surgeon I saw, an expert in heel fractures, told me I would never again walk on un-even terrain. He said the bone fragments were so small that he could not confidently screw them back together. He suggested just putting a cast on it and letting it heal as best it could. This would leave me with a deformed foot and one leg a half-inch shorter than the other. I talked to a friend who suffered the same break in 2003 and just put it in a cast. Three surgeries later she is still not walking without a cane.
I decided to research my options. I spent days reading articles from medical journals. They all gave the same grim outlook: people with heels broken like mine are never again pain-free and very few can even return to work.
I called Malcolm Daly to get his perspective. He broke his talus, the bone just above the heel, in 1999 in a climbing accident in Alaska. After many surgeries he realized he was going to be permanently crippled, so he decided to amputate his leg below the knee. I am a twenty-eight-year-old professional guide and want to avoid this drastic option if I can find another way to recover my active lifestyle.
Finally I found a medical journal article that gave me hope. A few doctors in the United States are using External Fixators to treat complex foot and ankle breaks. The fixator has several carbon fiber rings that encircle the foot and ankle and hold tensioned wires in place that run through the foot and out to the other side. These wires hold the bone fragments in the correct position while they heal.
I was treated with an External Fixator by Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez at the Chicago Foot and Ankle Deformity Correction Center. He was able to completely restore the anatomy of my foot. When the fixator is removed, no hardware will remain in my foot. I am starting Physical Therapy to regain my range of motion. My doctor and I are confident that I will climb and guide again.
Other doctors in the United States who do this procedure include George Vito at the Foot and Leg Centers of Georgia, Dror Paley at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and David Levine at the Hospital for Special Surgeries in New York.
I want to get the word out to the climbing community so that others who suffer complex foot and ankle breaks will know about the External Fixation option. If I hadnít found Dr. Rodriguez in Chicago, I may have opted for amputation.
Elizabeth A.
Hanee
My name is Hanee and I am 24 years old from Rockford, IL. I have been dealing with Charcot Marie Tooth Type 2 for many years, but have refused to allow it slow me down when it comes to fulfilling my ambitions. By the time I saw Dr. Rodriguez for the first time my right foot was severe, with my entire foot and toes curled in. It had caused me much pain in my knee and hip, and I realized that it was affecting my quality of life.
In October 2008, Dr. Rodriguez operated on my foot, realigned everything, and applied an external fixator. Within three months I was walking on my foot with more stability and balance than I have ever known. The ball on the side of my foot from walking on it awkwardly for so many years disappeared, my knee no longer cracks and pops, and my hip hasn't hurt since the realignment of my foot.
When I walked into Dr. Rodriguez's office for the first time I didn't think there was much possible to be done for me after having had two muscle and tendon surgeries on my foot somewhere else without much success, but I moved forward with the surgery thinking I have to try anything to allow me to live my life as normal and productive as possible. My expectations from this surgery were by far surpassed as I can walk now with an almost perfectly aligned foot and the confidence that I will not fall by rolling my ankle on something as little as a pebble on the street like I did for many years before I was blessed to find Dr. Rodriguez!
Thank you Dr. Rodriguez for everything!
Hanee
Janet S.
I had been suffering from ankle pain since 2002 because a doctor had failed to correctly analyze an x-ray of the fracturing of my left talus. Subsequently, he insisted I could safely walk on my foot. Because of the pain, I finally consulted a rheumatologist who ordered an MRI. The MRI showed serious fracturing. By this time, I had been walking on the fracture for over six months. Next I was sent to a podiatrist, who immediately put me in a boot and arranged for a stimulator from EBI. I used it ten hours a day, as instructed, for four months. Sadly, too much time had passed walking on the fracture, and an ensuing x-ray showed that the talus was collapsing. A third podiatrist told me I had only two choices: fusion or a fixator. I choose the fixator.
In August of 2003 a fixator (shaped like a capital E) was bolted into the inside of my left leg and foot. I wore it for two months. Then a cast was put on my leg for two more months. Finally, I was allowed to walk again and I also attended physical therapy sessions for over two months. Subsequent x-rays showed that the talus had not fully healed. I needed a cane to walk, a wheelchair for distances, and continued to have swelling and pain in my foot.
Then I learned of a friend’s daughter who had shattered bones in her foot while on a wilderness trip. She emailed me photos of Elizabeth wearing circular fixators and related their experience with Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez in Chicago. I looked up his practice on the Internet and read about possible procedures. I decided to make an appointment to see him.
Dr. Rodriguez told me that my ankle, in its current condition, would not last long because the cartilage was gone and the tailus was dying. He believed it would be possible to improve my situation. The procedure he proposed for my avascular necrosis was subtalar joint fusion, talar resurfacing procedure with equine xenograft and ankle distraction with the use of an external fixator. He was very positive and gave me such confidence in his knowledge and skills that I decided I would try another fixator—but this time using advanced methods being employed by Dr. Rodriguez.
I had the surgery in October of 2006 to attach two circular fixators to my left foot. Dr. Rodriguez also fused the talus to the heel bone so it would benefit from that blood supply, made adjustments to the muscles so my foot would be straight again (having turned outward from the first fixator), and used horse heart lining to help replace the cartilage in my ankle. I spent only one night at the Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago. The next day I was quite surprised when Dr. Rodriguez had me stand on both legs and instructed me to actually walk with the fixator. I was given a tennis-size ball of medication that continually delivered pain medicine into my ankle through catheters. Dr. Rodriguez had also inserted bone powder into the space of the talus and gave me Fosamax treatments to strengthen the bone. Throughout this interval infection was prevented by daily use of iodine, Q-tips, tweezers, and gauze to clean all 14 pins and numerous stitches.
I had follow up appointments to monitor the ankle and readjust bolts on the fixator. In December Dr. Rodriguez removed the apparatus. Even though it was quite light in weight, what a great feeling it was to have the fixator and wires gone from my foot. Hurrah! Then I began physical therapy appointments to help my ankle regain flexibility and balance, although we only exercised my foot forward and backward at first. A few weeks later we included some movement from side to side and continued therapy for six weeks.
As I had not been very active since the original fracture in 2002, it took time for me to get strength back in the muscles of my leg as well as regain rotation in my ankle. The first year I could only walk very short distances, my foot tired easily, and I limped. Then I joined an exercise group and gradually strengthened my legs. Over time I improved a lot.
Now in November of 2008 the outcome is really quite amazing, especially considering all that had occurred before finding Dr. Rodriguez. I would be headed for a wheelchair before long had we not found him. His approach to my problem was multi-faceted and comprehensive. Dr. Rodriguez did not just attach a fixator, but he utilized bone supplements, horse heart lining, corrected the muscles, distracted for cartilage space, ordered physical therapy, etc. He was available anytime I contacted him with worries or questions. Dr. Rodriguez made it possible for me to walk now and into the future.
Janet S.
Jolene G.
I came to visit Dr. Rodriguez in the mid year of 2003, to see if there was anything he could do with my left foot. I have flat feet and the past year I started having problems, pain in my legs if I walked or stood too long and my foot seemed to be falling in more. I had seen a doctor prior to Dr. Rodriguez and had two different surgeries.
The first was to reattach a tendon and remove a calcium deposit on the inside of my foot. After six weeks, my foot had fallen in even more. The second surgery involved reconstructing my foot and inserting a screw through the heel to keep the foot straight. After 12 weeks (6 weeks in a cast) this surgery was not a success either. Because my foot was not correct, I started having problems with my knee and back. I decided to see another doctor and he recommended Dr. Rodriguez, very highly I might add.
On my first visit with Dr. Rodriguez, he had explained that because of the two failed surgeries and the fact that I was having other problems, he was very concerned with my ankle. I was actually walking on the inside of my foot. There was no other option but to perform a Triple Arthodesis. He explained the procedure with the External Ring Fixator versus a cast. A cast would be non-weight bearing but with the fixator, I was able to apply weight after a short period of time. With this, the healing time is almost half the time vs. the cast. There would also be no screws, plates or anything like that in my foot and the full healing process is about a year and a half.
My decision was to have Dr. Rodriguez perform the Triple Arthodesis, which was done on October 17, 2003. The top ring was removed on December 2nd, and the last two rings were removed on December 19th. I continued with crutches and started with a walking boot and by New Year's Eve, I was walking with just the boot. With therapy and hard work, by June of 2005, I was doing the things I enjoyed doing. My foot is straight and I have had no problems with my knee or my back.
Dr. Rodriguez is definitely one of the finest doctors I have met and he is very dedicated to his work. I am so very grateful for everything he has done for me, my life would not have been the same if it weren't for Dr. Rodriguez.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Jolene G.
Jill M.
My name is Jill and I am 31 years old. I moved to Chicago in 2008 and was referred to Dr. Rodriguez by my prior podiatrist. I had very painful bunions that I wanted corrected. However, I was told by my prior podiatrist that a bunionectomy wouldn’t correct my problem. My feet were very flat and caved in. If I had a bunionectomy, the bunions would come right back because of other issues I had with my feet. Then I moved to Chicago and met Dr. Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez concurred with my prior podiatrist and determined that along with the issue of my bunions, my alignment was off and he had me take a nerve test that reflected much nerve damage that happened over time because of my flat feet. That also explained why my legs would hurt and my calves would cramp up daily. Dr. Rodriguez did reconstructive surgery on my right foot in 2008 and reconstructive surgery on my left foot in 2009. He realigned my feet, fixed the damaged nerves, released my achilles tendon and gave me an arch all of which included putting 3 plates in each foot. By re-aligning my feet, my bunions straightened out. My first surgery was quite painful and I ended up spending the night in the hospital. There was much trial and error in finding a useful toe spacer, ankle brace and shoes that didn’t rub on my plates. The second surgery went much better and I was able to go home the same day. I recently finished with physical therapy on my left foot. Now that everything is done, I am walking straight without any limp and only limited pain from the plates. I will be back to see Dr. Rodriguez this summer to arrange for surgery to remove the plates and screws from each foot as they continue to cause me pain.
Thank you Dr. Rodriguez for correcting my feet which saved me from a lifetime of pain and other potential leg, hip and back problems. You and Carmen are the greatest!
Joaquin M.
I would like to take a few moments of your time to tell you “Thank You”. I could not have been more surprised when I called your office looking for another doctor’s phone number when Carmen, your secretary, had said to me "you need to come see Dr. Rodriguez". She informed me that you do these kinds of surgeries all the time and that in fact, this is your specialty. So after us visiting five different doctors in Indiana who couldn’t help, we made the appointment to come see you in the fall of 2007.
On our first visit, you were very confident that you could fix my son’s foot. I loved the way that you spoke to Dr. Overman and was teaching him while you were looking at my son. I liked how Dr. Overman concreted everything that you said. He was very good at explaining everything to me. We had a lot of questions and worries that Dr. Overman and you were able to put at ease.
On the day of Joaquin’s surgery, I was very nervous. To be honest with you, the hospital conditions had me concerned. That morning you could tell that there was something bothering me and you came up, put your arm around me, and asked me what my concerns were? I told you "this hospital is so old, it just scares me." You told me "this hospital has more babies than any other hospital in Chicago; “I will take care of Joaquin like if he is my own son." So from there, off to surgery you and Joaquin went. I want you to know, the hospital, the nurse’s, the overall care that my son received was the BEST! We had a great hospital stay! Turned out, I worried for nothing.
When we first saw Joaquin’s fixator after his surgery, a new feeling of worry set in. The idea of Joaquin actually walking with this device the same day after his surgery was amazing. At first, the fixator itself was shocking to see on my son’s leg. But once you showed us how to care and protect it, it wasn’t so bad. In fact it became, for a short while, just another part of life. Before we knew it, we were going back to the hospital to get the fixator removed.
Then the day came for Joaquin to walk in front of you at your office without crutches. I could tell you we were very pleased with the outcome of your work. Joaquin is walking so much better not. At first, Joaquin was reluctant to agree with the need of the procedure, especially following the surgery. But, now he is very grateful for all the hard work you and yours staff have done to make his life better. He can run without tiring as easily and his limp is getting better everyday. We cannot express enough how thankful we are to have landed in your care.
I would like to especially thank Carmen for helping me through this process and making this adventure as painless as possible. Dr. Overman, thank you for all of your kindness and care for my son. Your explanation and presentation really helped us to further understand what was going on. Dr. Rodriguez, thank you again for helping Joaquin. May God continue to bless you with the knowledge, compassion, and the ability to change positively people’s lives!
Joaquin M. and Family
Joseph M.
For a number of years I have had pain and discomfort in my right ankle. I have had it scoped a couple of times and have had numerous injections of cortisone.  In the Spring of 2006 I finally realized that non of these procedures were improving the condition of the ankle, the pain was increasing, the ankle was swelling on a daily basis and I was having difficulty walking. Having recently moved from a town 40 miles away from my current residence, I decided to find a foot and ankle doctor and get his opinion on options to improve my ankle.
Upon the review of Dr. Wood, he said he only sees an ankle in such poor condition once a year. He felt it would probably need to fused but, since he has only done a few of these procedures, he reffered me to Dr. Rodriguez. Upon the review Dr. Rodriguez said that he would like to try a procedure that would repair the current condition of the ankle and allow movement of the ankle. Fusion would not have allowed this flexibility.  I must admit the procedure has been much more involved than I thought it would be, but the result has been wonderful.  After the procedure I was in the hospital for 23 hours of observation and went home with a newly constructed ankle and a mechanism from mid-calf to my ankle that included quite a few wires inserted into the bones of my leg and ankle. It was cumbersome for the six weeks I was required to wear this mechanism and could not put much weight on my foot so I required a walker, but I didn't not have much pain. At Six weeks the mechanism was removed and the ligaments in my ankle were repaired. I could then progress to a can and therapy. Although therapy could be painful at times, I could quickly see the improvement in flexibility in my ankle. Immediatly I noticed an improvement to the flexibility of my ankle pre-surgery, but now, after five weeks of therapy and walking on the ankle it has improved such that I have very little pain walking and the ankle is more flexible than it has been in ten years.
I am very thankful that this procedure was done instead of fusing the ankle because I still have flexibility, which I would not have had if the ankle had been fused.  As for Dr. Rodriguez and his Staff, they followed my progress closely and were always available to answer questions, to set up appointments and therapy at my convienience. Dr. Rodriguez is very competent in this procedure and you always leave appointments with him with confident feelings that you are improving and that you have received all the information that you need from Dr. Rodriguez to continue to improve. I would Recommend Dr. Rodriguez and this procedure to anyone who is thinking that fusion is their only option left to repair their ankle. They would find, as I have, how great it is to have the use if your ankle again.
Joseph M.
Judy S.
On May 15, 2004 I injured my right foot in a fall on the basement steps of my home. Our local DPM diagnosed it as an over extended foot and continued with standard treatment practices. Later, a rather large knot appeared on my foot. When I asked him what it was, he replied that he did not know. The foot was now starting to curve to the outside and was rolling inward. It was becoming painful to walk and more impossible to get into a shoe. By this time he was advocating possible reconstructive surgery.
We had a consultation with a orthopedic surgeon, in Peoria, Illinois who indicated that the condition was from a ruptured tendon and too much time had been lost to repair it. He did say that he could straighten the foot. However at this time I was in kidney failure due to unknown causes, the surgery was scheduled for May 14, 2005. The surgery was of the conventional practice of the installation of reinforcing plate and screws. The surgery had no effect on stopping the twisting of the foot, in fact by November of 2005 it was impossible to walk for more than a two hour period and I was in the widest men's shoes available, and it was becoming impossible to get into. Special soft orthotics were ordered to support and cushion my foot. I was told there were 128 bones in the foot and was being discouraged from attempting a second surgery. I was told that when it became impossible to wear a shoe, Hangers in Peoria would make a mold of my deformed foot and a special shoe would be made. I wondered at this point how long this could go on. At age 59, the future seemed bleak.
I decided to get a second opinion and check on my options. I consulted another physician in Hamilton, Illinois. I was told that if I continued walking on the foot that I would be in a wheel chair in 5 to 10 years and that if the bone I was walking on ulcerated, I would lose the foot. It became obvious to us at this time that conventional type surgery would probably be of little or no effect. He told us about Dr. Rodriguez in Chicago, Illinois and said that it was the only place he would recommend. After researching all available information online we asked him to make an appointment for an initial consultation to discuss our options and possible treatment. We met with Dr. Rodriguez on February 20, 2006. After discussing the surgery and healing options, surgery was scheduled for March 29, 2006. The surgery and recovery went as explained by Dr. Rodriguez. I wore an external fixator until May 22, 2006. The external fixator allowed me to bear weight on the foot and leg right out of surgery making it possible for me to walk and be mobile. With the conventional surgery I was off my foot for 14 weeks, what a difference that makes.
There were unforeseen complications. On a follow up office visit Dr. Rodriguez noticed the foot was starting to turn at a point past the foot fusion, due to a tendon pulling more on one side than the other. A second surgery was performed on July 17, 2006 to relocate the tendon. As of this date, November 6, 20006, it has remained straight, I have no pain, and I am now wearing a normal shoe. Thanks to Dr. Rodriguez I was able to dance with my son at his wedding reception in October. Without Dr. Rodriguez help I am sure this would not have happened.
Thank You Dr. Rodriguez for giving me back my quality of life, you are a true miracle worker. May God bless you to continue your work.
Judy S.
Nellie P.
I walked a mile today.
That may not seem like such an accomplishment, but a year ago I couldn’t walk 10 feet without pain. I wasn’t able to live an everyday life. I couldn’t take care of my home, play with my grandchildren, shop. I was housebound if we had any measurable snow because my foot would turn and I would fall.
Then I found Dr. Rodriguez. Dr. Rodriguez was referred to me by my podiatric doctor. His specialty is reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. He is professional with a warm, compassionate personality. (It doesn’t hurt that he is good to look at, too.) Carmen, his office manager, is wonderful -- friendly and professional at the same time. They work well together as a team and they both make you feel welcome and comfortable but confident you are in excellent hands.
I had reconstructive surgery on my left foot in March 2009. My foot was put into an external fixater. I had a lot of pain for about 10 days, but Dr. Rodriguez made sure I had medication for that. The foot would swell and be uncomfortable; I’d have to elevate it. Cleaning the post sites every day was difficult, but it was necessary because otherwise, the drainage would dry up and cement the posts to my skin, which was very painful. At night, I would cover the drainage sites with Band-Aids and Neosporin so I could sleep.
I was kept on 10% weight-bearing for about 6 weeks; I used a walker and my office chair to get around my apartment. But, since I live in an older building, the bathroom is small and the door is narrow, so I had to master the art of the sideways hop to get into and out of the bathroom. I got pretty good at that! Bathing was a problem too. We got a new shower head with the hand-held feature and I would stand in the shower with my knee on the side of the tub to get clean. I also used the sprayer on the shower to keep my foot clean.
After a couple of weeks, I felt good enough to go back to work. I convinced Dr. Rodriguez and my work that I could do it. I rented a knee-walker scooter type thingy and off I went. Boy, was I in for an eye-opening experience. I learned first hand how absolutely impossible it is for a person who can’t walk to get around in the city. First of all, public transportation, no matter how much they say so, is NOT accessible. The trains and buses may be outfitted to accommodate wheelchairs, but getting to the station and navigating the streets is next to impossible. Not all of the stations have elevators, so I would have to go out of my way to go to one that I could use. The streets are uneven and cracked and the knee-walker would get away from me. It took me three times as long to commute each way and I was exhausted. I lasted 3 days. Believe me, when the doctor says you’re off work for 6 weeks to 2 months, don’t argue. What an ordeal! If it hadn’t been for my wonderful husband, I’d never have made it those 3 days!
The fixater was removed surgically in early June and I had six more weeks of gradually increasing weight bearing. Dr. Rodriguez prescribed this really cool (literally) machine that used ice water and a compression wrap to help with the swelling, then I moved on to another machine that helped get the foot and ankle moving again. I returned to work in the beginning of August, in a walking cast and a cane, but my recuperation wasn’t over. I was fitted for an AFO (ankle-foot orthotic) and I went to physical therapy twice a week for the next four months, then I moved into an Arizona-type short brace and now I use a soft brace. Over time, I have increased my strength and stamina to walk longer and longer. Now, almost a year after the first surgery, I am getting around better than I did in many years. My foot is still tender if I overwork it and it swells up a little every now and then, but I’m looking forward to a happy, active summer with my grandchildren.
Thank you, Dr. Rodriguez, for everything. You have given me back my life.
Steve B.
It is hard to express how much I appreciate the effort you made on my behalf pushing this surgery through the red tape of government. I know it took perserverance on your part to achieve this for me.
I would like to say that the results have been perfect, but it's not quite,(Yet!!!!) The bone structure is perfect, I believe. I am walking very straight side to side. My only problem, as we discussed yesterday, is the two tendens that were stretched, and my not learning early that I had to retrain myself to walk properly, with the whole foot, and not just on the heel. I have been making a lot more effort for the last week to walk on the whole foot, including the ball of the foot, and the tendens have not bothered nearly as much, and I can tell that they are strenghtening.
I had surgery on my right ankle for Distraction and realigment with a circular fixator on 7-10-08. It is now 12-02-08. As soon as the external fixator device was removed I was able to tell that the bones were extremely better. To any future patients, I would like to say that I would do this again in a heartbeat. The only trouble I have had is from problems I created for myself. Also the fact that my left knee is totally junk, plays a very large part in my aches and pain; (mostly aches).
I know now that if I had made myself walk correctly, useing the whole foot, I would be almost completely healed. I am working now to strengthen my leg muscles and tendens. When that is done, I will have very little in the way of aches. Dr. Rodriguez did a fabulous job repairing the structures which were damaged. Now it is up to me to strenthen the weak tendons and muscles, and I have learned in the last 2 weeks that I can do this by walking on the ball of the foot as much as possible, and by keeping the weight off of the heel as much as possible. I am already better than I have been for most of my adult life, and feel younger than I did before the surgery.
My sincerest gratitude to all who helped me through this, and gave a chance for a much better quality of life.
Thank you especially to Dr. Al & Dr. Rodriguez and staff.
Steve B.
Vince S.
In Regards to the Treatment From Dr. Rodriguez:
January 12, 2008
I was working in the basement at my job putting a box on a skid when I made a freaskish move and fractured my ankle in several spots. No one was around, so I had to crawl upstairs to get to a phone to call my girlfriend to pick me up with her car. I wanted to go home because I though it was sprained very severely.
January 13, 2008
Six A.M. the next morning I was off to the hospital to get the ankle taken care of because the pain was tremendous. I went to triage unit of the E.R., answered some questions, and had a seat to be looked at later that hour.
Once the E.R. doc looked at my ankle and took X-Rays they said the ankle was fractured in several spots and called the Orthopedic Intern to take care of the ankle.
It was horribly disfigured and it took over six hours and three tries by the orthopedist to straighten the ankle out. The orthopedic surgeon gave me the number to Dr. Rodriguez and said he could do no more for me that what he did on that day, he did an excellent job. I could not ask anything more of him.
January 22, 2008
I went to Dr. Rodriguez one week later and at the time he said all would need to do is put a few screws to correct the problem and I would be walking like a champ after a little healing and rehab.
Then the Insurance Company said; there where some discrepancies about how this whole thing happened and could not give Dr. Rodriguez permission to do the surgery. Meanwhile my ankle had gotten profressively worse while being in a cast. The bones around my ankle were moving causing harm to the muscles around it and extreme pain. I could hardly take it for two months until they called Dr. Rodriguez’s office and said to proceed with the surgery.
March 24, 2008
At last the day was here. My own personal D-Day with Dr. Rodriguez and his Staff, to fix this ankle once and for all. After the blood tests and X-Ra;ys and other procedures it was time for surgery. During this time Dr. Rodriguez was trying to
conger up an idea so he could do the surgery without having to fuse the ankle completely. For this I will soon be greatful for.
The surgery took six and a half hours to complete. Dr. Rodriguez and two Interns had their hands full trying to put my ankle back together so it could possibly work properly so I can walk again.
When I woke up groggy from the drugs they gave me to put me asleep, I noticed what liked a cage on my ankle , and I did not enjoy the site, and was P.O.E.D. but if it was to fix my ankle, and I could walk again, I have to deal with it.
Now the healing part starts which was not a good feeling for the first two months of office visits and using the Fixator to strengthen the ankle. Thru movement via the Fixator and threaded rod with 10 mm nuts attached lengthened the Fibula bones for the ankle to heal properly.
Needlessly to say treatment was slow but sure. But I could not wait to get out the Fixator that fixed me and then some. Thru further treatment which took one months and a half later it was time to take the Fixator off and see if there was movement in the ankle. They worked to take it off and Dr. Rodriguez said moved very well and it looked sweet.
Afterwards, I was put in a walking cast with the aid of crutches to start putting weight on the area of the ankle so it can strengthen the muscles for the process of healing and to get rid of the crutches that I depended on for walking. Though more treatment Dr. Rodriguez said it was time for total rehab and had to go get therapy to stretch and strengthen the muscle area of the ankle & lower foot.
For those who been through this next step know it hurts like hell, but you go to do it if you want the ankle to work right. Though it’s been a terrible ordeal I have to really work hart to make the ankle more flexible to move like it should when I walk that is the most important step in this process.
If you should have to meet up with Dr. Rodriguez he will do everything in his abilities as a doctor to think of a way to make you walk again. I recommend him to anyone in the type of situation I was in period.
Yours truly,
Vince S.
Yvonne M.
Dear Dr. Rodriguez,
During my early childhood, I remember growing tired during walks and resting on park benches. I was never especially athletic and remember having a particularly hard time in ballet class. At age 9, I had an accident for the ER requested foot x-rays. These images showed that nothing serious had happened, but allowed the physician to see a bone bridge in the calcareal and navicular portion of my foot. This would explain my unstable footing and frequently twisted ankles. Soon after, I had surgery on both feet, six months apart. I wore a cast for five to six weeks, then continued walking with crutches for a couple more weeks, and continued ankle rotations as part of my physical therapy. My right foot was more successful than the left, but I essentially forgot about this condition in the following years.
Taken by a sudden urge at age 25, I started jogging for an hour and a half and continued without a days rest for months. I associated pain with a weak condition and charged up and down hills and cobblestone streets until the pain was intolerable. It even bothered me while walking. I tried to go to the gym, but the step aerobics classes they offered provoked too much pain. I resigned to the weight room where I started a monotonous routine that consisted of a stationary bike, an upper arm "bike," and an rowing machine. I tried many times, but treadmills were impossible for me. This discomfort infringed on my work as a teacher and tour guide - standing and walking on irregular surfaces for hours at a time.
Two and a half years ago, I approached an orthopedic surgeon who advised me to delay surgery and work on my reflexibility with a wobble board. Furthermore, he prescribed a soft insert for my shoes. They did little to nothing. A year later, I turned to Dr. Rodriguez who suggested plastic inserts which offered more support. They did not, however, help me during long tours or in rainy weather - my feet grew tired and the arthritis flared up. Furthermore, I could increasingly feel the pressure on my hips and back.
Last June, Dr. Rodriguez chose to perform bilateral nerve sections and calcareal-navicular resections. I was in bed with a bandage and gradually grew comfortable on crutches and a walking boot. The first surgery was notable more draining with a slower recovery. I should mention, though, that two weeks after the surgury I was working long days at a large campus due to a short-term fellowship. The next surgery followed six weeks after first. I was relatively lighter, aided by closer care, my young daughter's presence and cheer, as well as acupuncture treatments. I believe all three elements contributed positively to my second recovery.
After three weeks, I was travelling again, for pleasure. Although tiring, I was visiting Manhattan museums and working around the rented apartment in the evenings. A full three months after I abandoned my crutches, my left foot is still stronger than my right foot. I still get worn down after 12-hour days or in the rain. On the other hand, I am walking intensely - essential for someone living in a historical center. I live in a tall tower which obliges me to climb many stairs daily. I can confidently go about my daily business and work. As a whole, I feel unbelievably better.
Clearly, THANK YOU!!!
A presto!
Yvonne M.