Dr. Michael M Wasylik, MD

Jan 2001 I thought I had sprained my ankle it was a little swollen but being in sports for many years I didn't think much of it. A week or so later I ended up stepping forward and my foot didn't follow, I ended up tripping and felt much more pain but figured I had agitated my sprained ankle.



A week later my shoes were not fitting on my right foot and the swelling was now close to purple. I went to Emergency room and was told I shattered my ankle and I needed surgery ASAP. I called my primary care doctor and he referred me to Dr. Wasylik.



At my first visit he explained I need to have surgery immediately. My xrays showed my injury was in need of a plate and screws and crushed bone removal to repair the damage. I had small broken pieces of bone that had shattered in my right ankle. Dr. Wasylik showed me the parts he would use to repair my ankle. The plate was about 4 inches long about 3/8 thick and a little over an inch wide, both plate and screws made of titanium.



I was scheduled at the hospital for surgery and was told, because of my injury I may never walk correctly or even run again. I was 34yrs old and in good health and was a personal fitness trainer at the time. My goal was to get my leg repaired first and worry about the recovery later. I was told Dr. Wasylik was one of the top Orthopaedic Surgeon's for my joint injury, that helped relieve my stress of having surgery.



After I got out of surgery I was in the hospital for 2 more days then released with a cast up to my knee and was told to stay off the leg and use my crutches and come back in a week to take more xrays and see how things are healing. Over about the next 12 weeks I was in about every other week or so to get xrays & replace the cast and verify the plate and screws and bone were all healing without any negative reaction from my body or infection.



Dr. Wasylik scheduled me to come in after he felt the cast needed to be removed and me to start my rehab. He told me I would need to use the crutches and not to expect much and be happy everything had healed and maybe by September I would be able to walk. I told him I would bring my tennis shoes to the appointment and walk out of his office without the crutches I went in for my cast removal and I did walk out with my tennis shoes on and carried my crutches out in my hand. (it was a little painful with a limp, but worth every step)



By my next follow up appointment I was walking fairly normal, with a little limp from the pain and limited range of motion, but doing all my own rehab. By August of 2001 I had full range of motion and the equal strength of my left leg was able to sprint and walk as I had prior to my injury.



It has been over 12 years since I had surgery and the only way anyone would know that I had been injured is the light scar on the outside of my right leg and the other scar on my inside of my ankle where Dr. Wasylik also sewed up my R inside ankle tendons that had stretched from my original injury.



From the damage I had done to my ankle and the fear of me not being able to walk, run or have full range of motion was overwhelming to me at the time. I am happy to say, I am glad Dr. Wasylik was my surgeon and want to thank him for doing a great job on getting me literally back on my feet.