Problem: Right Shoulder, Patient: Ian Ayers, Age: 36

My name is Ian Ayers, and I just want to inform anyone looking into orthopedic care, they have found the right person, Dr. Stetson. Here's my story, 20 years ago in high school I developed popping in my right shoulder which followed up years later with extreme pain in the back of my right shoulder. I love to work out and play sports but the only thing that made my shoulder not hurt was to not work out. Since that was not an option I have been dealing with finding a fix to my shoulder issue for about 15 years or more. Over the past 15 years I have seen HMO doctors who only cared that I could move my arm above my head and sent me on my way, and I have seen PPO doctors who I researched thinking they would be the best because they were team doctors for most of the major league sporting teams we have here in Los Angeles. While seeing at least 10 or more doctors over the last 15 years, I've received 5 MRI's, multiple x-rays, nerve testing (including a nerve block which numb your entire arm and right side of face, yeah that was fun), multiple cortisone shots, and even a botox shot (not because my shoulder had wrinkles, but its actually a muscle relaxer, who knew), and numerous years of physical therapy and pill taking of anti-inflamatory stuff. None of it helped. And not one previous doctor knew what the problem was because none of the MRI's or X-rays revealed anything an exact problem.

Determined to continue to live, work out, play sports and be a father, I learned that the only thing that temporarily relieved my shoulder was to severely stretch the back of my shoulder muscles. After family members grew tired of standing on my shoulder to stretch it out, I went to Home Depot and created my own muscle stretcher which I had to use for at least 30 minutes after every work out or I wouldn't be able to move my arm for a week afterwards. After years of this self therapy the shoulder just kept getting worse and worse, so I tried to diagnose the injury myself through lots and lots of research. I thought that it sounded similar to an injury volleyball players get and at the same time I was reading this a coworker told me they had gone to Dr. Stetson for their shoulder. So I researched him and found out he was a professional volleyball player. So I booked an appointment. Now this is where is gets amazing!! I walk in without having any MRI's or X-Rays, he moves my arm around, asks me a few questions about how it feels and makes a diagnosis, a torn labrum. I was shocked, after seeing over 10 specialists multiple times over the last 15 years, no one had ever had a clue as to what the problem was. Although it wasn't the "volleyball injury" I thought it was, I didn't care, I was just elated that someone actually had an idea as to what the problem was. It actually seemed like a miracle. Although I was still skeptical that it was the right answer, I was just happy that someone actually diagnosed it. I booked the surgery for one week later, and as it turned out from the surgery he was exactly right with his diagnosis. During the surgery he actually taped the surgery process and showed me the large torn labrum ligament which is exactly what he thought it was. He fixed it up and sent me on my way, and within a month or so I was working out again with no pain. It's now about 10 months later and my life is completely different, I feel like a different person now that the constant daily pain is out of my life. I can even play with my son now without feeling the pain for days after.

Thanks Dr. Stetson, you've changed my life.

John Jacobsen :

Dear Dr. Stetson,

It has been a journey back to good health and to experience the joy of life since September 3, 2002. As you know, I am a very fortunate 57 year old guy who loves to watch and participate in sports. A series of events has enabled us to become friends, first because you became my trusted doctor. Of course there were prerequisites for this to happen.

Living as a kid in a 57 year old body is a start. I love activity and sports, but things happen along the way. First, there was a shoulder injury from high school football that was never treated. I was a macho kid who did not have the sense to know when I was hurt, so I let it go for years, aggravating the injury playing football, baseball, tennis, and ski falls.

In September 2002, I was involved in a horrific automobile accident on the freeway as I was plowed by an 18 wheeler on the 2 Freeway. The truck was traveling 55 miles an hour as I was moving 5 miles per hour. At the point of impact, I was knocked unconscious and was pushed 400 feet in a ball of flames crashing into 5 other cars. A passing motorist woke me up and saved my life. The car exploded seconds after my escape from the wreckage. As the picture tells the story, one can see why I feel so lucky to be alive and want to continue to live and love my family with my passion for sports activities included. Especially the fact I sustained only a concussion, 6 stitches in the back of my head, black and blue bruises covered my arms, legs, back, and chest including an awfully sore right hip. That’s when I met you….a referral from Dr. Edmund Lew. You gave me cortisone shot to alleviate the inflammation in my hip. At the time I was so impressed with your professionalism. Little did I know I would be seeing you within 6 months as a result of another injury?

Feeling rather invincible after my new lease on life, on March 9, 2003, I was skiing Mammoth in the snowboard park with the brats. I shattered my right femur in 6 places as I biffed on the side of a jump hitting solid ice. Again, I was very fortunate to be in good hands as Dr. Steven Banner operated and inserted a titanium rod in the shaft of my femur at the hospital in Mammoth. Returning home, it was you Dr. Stetson who came to my need as you were my doctor who treated and rehabbed my leg for months to come. It took many months of hard work as your team encouraged me to continue to never give up my passion to ski and get back to the sports I love.

The next ski season I was back on the slopes! The leg was not quite as strong as I wanted and believed it to be. I had problems in the steeps not able to hold an edge turning right as I could not initiate the proper angle and pressure needed. My left ski just did not bite as it used to. The alignment of my left leg was also slightly tweaked to the outside making it even more difficult to set an inside edge. As a result, not able to complete a turn, I fell backwards, doing a number on my right shoulder. Actually, this was the finish of my shoulder, an accumulated history of athletic abuse tearing the 4 rotator cuffs. Back to you, Dr. Stetson, my trusted sports medicine man! On June 1, 2004, you repaired my shoulder, something I should have done many years earlier. But, of course I am glad I waited. Your skills and improved technique certainly worked in my favor.

Record snowfall in 2006! Not quite the edge control I used to have in the avalanche chutes and steeps? Probably not, but I was not thinking that in February 2006. I took a slider and my shoulder chose to stay planted on the slope as the rest of my body went for a ride, meaning I ripped my labium and rear rotator cuff again. I know because I have the video featuring Dr. Stetson’s surgical repair dated July 13, 2006. Matter a fact, as you know, these surgeries inspired our mutual friend, Andy Aitken and me to record a spoof UCLA medical training video posing as doctors. We had so much fun! I am really committed not to get injured again. The timing gets too complicated. There is work, harassment from friends, not being able to drive my manual transmission car, other sports, sleeping with a sling, and the list goes on. Not to leave out pain and suffering. I have zero tolerance for ski falls!

My right shoulder and left leg are strong once again, thanks to you Dr. Stetson. You have become my friend. Professionally I will recommend you to everyone I come across who is in need of orthopedic care. Especially to people who have the passion to return to the activities and sports they truly love. You are the best and I thank you for your care.

Best regards,

John Jacobsen

Debbie Munsey :

In 2002, a bouldering accident at Joshua Tree rendered me unable to walk or to put any weight on my right leg. After an emergency room misdiagnosis, I made an appointment to see Dr. Stetson who knew almost immediately what the true problem was: a torn ACL. He outlined the treatment options—both surgical and non-surgical. I felt that he was very thorough and straightforward about the advantages and disadvantages of each choice, so I was able to make a well-informed decision that was right for me.

In my case, I wanted to continue to hike and backpack for many years, to be as strong as possible, so I opted for surgery. In all phases of the process, from preparation for the operation to recovery and physical therapy, Dr. Stetson managed my case beautifully and I always knew what to expect. The only nasty surprise in the whole process was the initial accident itself!

As the mother of an active six-year-old, getting back on my feet fast was important. Under Dr. Stetson's care, I returned to my normal activities quickly. The following year, I day-hiked Mt. Whitney (22 miles and about 6,000 feet of elevation gain) without knee pain (see above). Not bad for an over-forty mom with two screws in her knee, and I owe it to the skill, knowledge and guidance of Dr. Stetson.

Helen W.:

Dear Dr. Stetson,

Humanity is so blessed to have your presence as a part of it! The work that you do enables human beings (like me for instance) to live life to the fullest (again)!!!

From the bottom of my heart I thank you, I only wish that words could express the greatness which you give to humanity!

Sincerely,

Helen W.
Age 16

Patti Paniccia and Jeff Mailes:

As a former top ranked professional surfer and now, an avid recreational surfer, I've spent decades pushing my shoulders beyond what most people can imagine. The shoulder endurance is demanded not while riding a wave, but when paddling through giant breaking waves to reach the outside lineup.

When I reached my 50s, it seemed that my shoulders were falling apart. I thought there was no coming back, but Dr. Stetson surgically repaired a torn and weakened rotator cuff. No more pain, no more living on ibuprophen, and no more icing my shoulder after a good day surfing with my family.

He also operated on my husband Jeff, a news photographer who carries a very heavy camera on his shoulder. We both highly recommend him.

Patti Paniccia

Patti Paniccia, above, was featured in 2004 by the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum as part of its exhibit on "Legendary Surfer Women." She was also honored at the Roxy Pro Women's Banquet in Hawaii, which kicked off the 2005-2006 women's world pro surfing tour, as one of twenty women who represent fifty years of women's competitive surfing.

Jeff Mailes, below, is an Emmy award winning CBS news photographer.

Kris Krise:

I have played baseball since I was 5 and have been a pitcher since I was 9.  I always dreamed of playing in the Major Leagues.  When I was 14 the high school football coach asked me to play football.  My parents didn’t want me to, but told me it was my choice.  I decided to play.  After all, lots of kids play more than one sport in high school. 

It was September 26, 1998, the third game of the season and we were winning with less then 2 minutes left in the game.  I went to sack the quarterback when I felt a terrible pain in my elbow.  My pitching elbow.   My own teammate had hit the back of my elbow with his face mask, hyper-extending my arm. The ulna bone broke off and lodged into my dislocated elbow, taking the ligaments and tendons with it.  I couldn’t feel the last three fingers on my right hand, which I later found out was because I had shredded the nerve on both ends.  All I could think about while riding to the hospital in the ambulance was that I would never throw a ball again.  No more baseball.  No more dream.

Todd Siemering

I was a patient of Dr. Stetson's in 1999-2000. I had chronic dislocation of my right shoulder. He operated to put it back together, basically, and he did an excellent job!

Dr. Stetson also wrote a letter of confidence to the Army for me so I could get in. With his help, I was able to succeed in the Army for four years. It was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and it will pave the way to what seems to be a promising future.

Robin Noll :

had been suffering from very painful "tennis elbow" for several months. It happened at a very inopportune time as I was scheduled to participate in the translocation of endangered peninsular pronghorn antelope in the Vizcaino Desert in Baja, California.

Several weeks prior to the departure date I seriously did not think I would be able to go. I could not pick up a cup of coffee without pain let alone a pronghorn!

Jonathan Bowman:

I have been very active in sports all my life: gymnastics, rock climbing and now endurance horse racing. This entails racing horses cross-country for 50, 75 and 100 miles. My horse and I have been to the Pan American Championships and have been ranked in the top 4 in our weight division on the West Coast for 6 years. We can't afford to be slowed down much by a broken leg...

In mid-February, I broke my leg and Dr Stetson had to install a plate and 6 screws to hold me together. Because of his excellent work, I have retained my flexibility and the strength is quickly returning. I am racing again, having completed a 50-mile race in mid-May, after short 3-month layoff.

This picture was taken at an endurance race called the Tevis Cup in the Lake Tahoe area.

Thank you Dr. Stetson.

Tony Esteban:

Thanks Dr. Stetson for getting me back to handball!

Laura K. Russo:

My name is Laura, and I’m 7½ years old. I was playing in a softball league, on the advice of my primary care physician, who felt the exercise would be good for me. Oops! I ran to get the ball and was running back with it when I slipped. I didn’t want to let go of the ball in my left hand, so I fell fully onto my right outstretched arm and hand.

Mommy took me to an emergency room where the x-rays showed a broken, displaced distal radius and they splinted it. The next day, we went to an orthopedic hospital to get a cast placed. It was a horrible, painful experience. I was very frightened and didn’t want to have to go to a doctor again for my arm.

Fortunately, Grandma is Dr. Stetson's transcriptionist. She told me how nice "Dr. Bill" is and assured me that he would not hurt me, and she took me and Mommy to see him.

Doug Garwood:

My name is Doug Garwood and I'm a professional golfer on the Nationwide Tour. Now golf doesn't sound like a dangerous game...and it's not. But, injuries do occur and when they do they can be just as dehabilitating as in the rougher sports.

I hurt my hand in 2002 and that led to my making compensatory moves in my swing and that led to my shoulder problems which in turn led me to Dr. Stetson.

Lt Col Trevor Kleineahlbrandt :

I was originally referred to Dr. Stetson from the military medical system two years after I was injured on duty in 2001.

Having endured two years of liberal narcotic prescriptions and worthless cortisone injections, I was finally afforded the opportunity to consult with Dr. Stetson regarding my right shoulder.

He immediately made a correct diagnosis and recommended surgery. The surgery itself was trouble free and went well.

I'll add that the entire process of being under Dr Stetson's care was easy and my treatment was first-rate.

Kailey Heiman:

My name is Kailey. I started gymnastics when I was nine. When I was 11, I injured my elbow and was referred to Dr. Stetson.

In Jan. 2002, he performed elbow surgery on me to remove a piece of broken cartilage. I was out of gymnastics for two months and missed one competition season, but was ultimately able to return.

Dwight Ham:

I am 54 and lead an active life. I enjoy being outdoors playing tennis, golf or just working out in the gym. My job keeps me very busy so time spent exercising is very important to me. But one day I over did it and as a result, was injured playing tennis with an acute tendinitis in my right shoulder and arm. At the same time, I managed to injure my knee with a minor muscle tear. At first I was very discouraged with the injury because it meant curtailed activity and long recuperation. Dr. Stetson however, took the time to explain the injury and reassured me that I would be back playing tennis again. I appreciated the manner in which Dr. Stetson handled my case including giving me the confidence that I would return to active sports. After weeks of physical therapy and two visits with Dr. Stetson I have returned to the tennis courts smashing that tennis ball, playing some golf and back at the gym.

Heather Hamasaki:

When I tore my ACL the summer before my sophomore year at Glendale High, I was devastated. I didn't know what would happen and I had no idea what it would mean for my softball career.

When Coach Kohlmeier referred me to Dr. Stetson, that was the turning point of my career. Dr. Stetson and his staff were extremely helpful and ensured a speedy recovery. Five months after my surgery, I was back on the mound, and I couldn't have been happier. Soon thereafter, I was in better shape than I had ever been, pitching at a higher level than ever before. This served as a valuable learning experience for me, knowing that with a little hard work and support from people like Dr. Stetson, giving up never has to be an option. I even wrote about this experience for my college application essay.

Greg Colley:

After running track and cross country in High School and College my competitive interests turned a bit more extreme.

Unfortunately my experience in extreme sports has not been without injury. In August 2002 I fractured my pelvis in five places when I came up short on a big double jump while racing motocross. In July 2004 I crashed on my mountain bike and fractured my right shoulder.

Carol Ferris:

I have been extremely active all of my life. Participating in ice-skating, classical ballet and horseback riding. For the past 12 years I have been very successful in competitive racewalking, winning many races from 1500 meters to half-marathons.

At the tender age of 66 I needed a new challenge, so why not the 2002 Los Angeles Marathon? During my training I developed knee pain. Nothing too severe, but I could not ignore it.

A friend recommended Dr. Stetson and luckily the x-rays were “clean”. The culprit turned out to be an ITB that needed stretching! Good news indeed. Even better news, I finished the Marathon in 5:57, just a tad under my goal of 6:00 hours, placing first in the 60+ (female) racewalk division.

Dean Mizdal:

As a professional motorcycle racer, I had injured my shoulder several times over a 10-year period, and I was in constant pain.

The doctor I saw before Dr. Stetson didn’t do much more for me than shoot me up with cortisone and recommend I quit racing.

As a life time tennis player and a California Free Diving Spear Fishing record holder, it was very hard to loose this important part of my life due to an elbow injury (tennis elbow).

I lost almost 2 years of my active sports life (especially tennis and free diving) due to tennis elbow. Tennis elbow does not sound like a very severe injury, but I let it get to the point that I could not hold a cup of coffee or brush my teeth in the mornings.

After several doctor visits, x-rays, physical therapy, cortisone shots and countless sleepless nights due to the pain, I elected to have surgery.

Thank god I was referred to Dr. Stetson for a second opinion. I remember he was very conservative prior to proceeding with surgery.

Carol St. John:

I had the very good fortune to be referred to Dr. Stetson for a repetitive strain injury after being misdiagnosed, denied treatment by my HMO, investigated by the worker’s compensation insurance carrier, blamed by my boss, shunned by my co-workers, and given physical therapy exercises that further damaged my elbows.

When I finally met Dr. Stetson, I was feeling extremely stressed by my struggle to continue working with the pain of my injury, and anxious about the possibility of becoming permanently disabled by the delays in finding adequate treatment.

After eight months of chaos, it was a great relief to meet a doctor who was not only experienced and knowledgeable but also genuinely concerned for me as a human being. The best thing about Dr. Stetson is that he actively listens to his patients and engages them in all decisions regarding treatment.

To Karen, Fred & Melissa

Twas the night of the party, and I had my dress. Larry searched through his closet so to look his best. Pants, socks, belt and shoes were no problem for him, but choices of shirts was rather slim. It was Karen’s party and not to be missed, Boy oh boy was Larry p..... Shoulder surgery really slowed him down, You’ll miss him but please, please don’t frown. He wanted to be here, really it’s true, But his choice of clothes made him blue. So in spirit he is here with all of his might, wishing you a Merry Christmas and a wonderful night!

Christmas 2006