After double knee replacement, Leslie came back stronger

Leslie grew up in a neighborhood where most of the kids were boys. “You either played with them or you didn’t play,” she said. Leslie chose to play -- baseball, football, riding bikes, and whatever else kept her active. “I don’t like to lose, so I would play as hard as they did.”

Year after year, he suffered near debilitation from the pain. Injections and other treatments provided little relief. It wasn’t until he underwent an intensive eight-hour surgery led by Juan Bartolomei, MD, a member of the neurosurgery team at Lawrence and Memorial Hospital, that Mark found relief.

“I had the surgery on a Wednesday,” he said. “I was home on Friday and by Sunday I was off the pain medication. Within a week, I was doing all kinds of stuff. I mean, Dr. Bartolomei just did a phenomenal job.”

Dr. Bartolomei acknowledged that Mark’s case was complex. “We look carefully at what type of care will best suit each individual patient,” he said. “Whenever possible, we incorporate minimally invasive techniques to spare trauma to the muscles and to expedite quicker recovery.”

And yes, he’s back flying airplanes. “I can’t think of anything I can’t do,” Mark said. “Dr. Bartolomei relieved my pain and he gave me the chance to keep my livelihood, too. I’m flying, I’m pain-free and life is good!”