Sandy L.
I wanted to thank Dr. Scalise and Nick for all your great care you gave me in such a wonderful way. Thank you for your wonderful work and caring ways. Nick's wonderful smile and cheery face made it so easy for me to put my fears behind and get better.
This world is a much better place because of Dr. Scalise and Nick Zastrow.
Chris S.
I got lucky…
My wife had worked in the medical field for 18 years before we were in a car accident and needed a surgeon. She knew how to talk to the people in the industry to find the best. That means very competent surgeons who are also very human. In fact, all of The CORE Institute is composed of competent people who also truly like people and enjoy working for The CORE Institute.
Earl Ferguson
When Earl Ferguson was deciding whether to pursue a surgical solution to his crippling knee pain, it had been 80 years since he’d seen the inside of an operating room. And, truth be told, he wasn’t particularly eager to get another glimpse. In fact, he readily admits, that he was flat-out against having surgery of any kind. But when the 92-year-old Sun City resident took a tour of Sun Health’s orthopedic operating room with Dr. David Jacofsky, the state-of-the-art facility helped trigger a state-of-mind reversal.
“What I saw was the most modern OR this side of the Mississippi. You know, I hadn’t been operated on my entire life—well, since a tonsillectomy I had when I was 11 years old. I admit that I was scared. But, when I toured the OR, I felt like I was walking into the 25th century,” Earl said. “Seeing how advanced the facility was set my mind at ease.”
And the surgery, a total replacement of the right knee performed in May of 2005, set his knee pain at ease once and for all.
“My knee had been bothering me for years. I tried the Synvisc injections because I didn’t want to have the surgery, but they didn’t really help—they couldn’t at that point.”
According to Dr. Jacofsky, nothing short of a total replacement could have helped Earl at that point. Years of hard work building railroads had worn the cartilage in his knee down to nothing, and every time he moved, bone rubbed against bone, causing debilitating pain.
Oddly enough, it was a shredded Achilles tendon in his left foot that finally set him on the road to a total knee implant. The foot injury, sustained in December 2004, combined with the ongoing knee pain, made it pretty much impossible for Earl to do anything, so his wife began seeking solutions. A volunteer at the local hospital, Janice Ferguson had heard through the medical grapevine about the recent arrival to Sun Health of Dr. Jacofsky, and the high-tech facility in which he performed his surgeries. Earl had a consult with the doctor, toured the OR and made his decision.
“I really liked all the orthopedic doctors at Sun Health. They just all seemed so intelligent and modern. And today, I’ve got to say that I’m completely satisfied. I can’t praise Dr. Jacofsky enough—my knee is perfect!”
So perfect, in fact, that Earl is not only back on the golf course, but back on the dance floor as well.
“In April, Florence and I went dancing for the first time in years,” said the jubilant Earl. “There’s no way I would have been able to do that before the surgery.”