Patient Alyssa Woemmel on Her ACL Surgery
Medical tourism is a growing industry within the medical field that brings patients from other states or countries to one’s practice for medical treatment. Alyssa Woemmel of St. Louis, Missouri, found Dr. Gruber through Instagram. “Ever since I started following Dr. Gruber, the highlight of my week is waiting for Tuesdays and Thursdays to watch the different surgeries he’s done,” said Woemmel. “After following him for a while, I noticed that he seems to do a lot of ACLs and specifically quite a few ACL revisions. I looked up his name and read many reviews. I was impressed with his education and background and knew this was the surgeon that I had to go with.” Alyssa has a long outstanding medical history with her knee.
Back in 2016, Alyssa tore her ACL. She had an ACL reconstruction back is Missouri and ended up with a staph infection and had to have several surgeries. This past June, Alyssa ended up having her sixth and final surgery with Dr. Gruber. She had an ACL reconstruction using her patellar tendon as well as an Antero-Lateral Ligament (ALL) augmentation.
ACL Consultation for Medical Tourist Patient
Prior to having surgery, Alyssa flew from St. Louis to sunny Phoenix, Arizona for a consultation. “Dr. Gruber went over all of my options with me regarding my injury. He knew exactly what the problem was and exactly how to fix it. He made me feel super comfortable and showed compassion from the second he walked into the room,” said Woemmel. Woemmel’s appointment was early in the morning but he stayed and spoke with her for as much time as she needed. “He makes you feel like you’re his only concern when he is meeting with you, which I think is a pretty unique thing that you don’t see as often as you would hope in this field. Dr. Gruber goes above and beyond just the job title of an Orthopedic Surgeon, and I recommend him to everyone I talk to,” said Woemmel.
ACL Surgery Experience In Arizona Exceeds Patient’s Expectations
After her initial consultation, Alyssa came back to Arizona for surgery. “My surgical experience went above and beyond my expectations” Woemmel explained. From the point of Check-In through to Anesthesia, Alyssa was pleased with Dr. Gruber’s team. “I was given instruction from a Sanus DME representative that Dr. Gruber works with. She instructed me how to use the CPM and ice machine. I was able to take them back to my hotel and the units helped me with my recovery,” said Woemmel. “I have had 5 previous knee surgeries elsewhere and never got any of this equipment. I truly believe this made a difference,” said Woemmel. Dr. Gruber’s bedside manner even extended to Alyssa’s mom. While Alyssa was coming out of anesthesia, Dr. Gruber went and spoke with her mother and explained everything. “Dr. Gruber really has a way of calming nerves for patients and their families,” said Woemmel.
ACL Post-Surgery Rehab with Integrated Orthopedics’ Physical Therapy Team
After surgery, Alyssa stayed in Arizona for three weeks. She started the road to recovery using the Integrated Orthopedics’ physical therapy team. “I had Todd as my Physical Therapist and really enjoyed working with him. He was able to answer all of my questions and he reassured me that everything was going well,” said Woemmel. Woemmel added that “physical therapy wasn’t the most comfortable thing she has ever done; however, Todd joked around and made me laugh a lot which made it more enjoyable”.
Alyssa is a college freshman studying Exercise Science for Pre-Physical Therapy. Her goal is to open her own outpatient physical therapy clinic. Alyssa’s surgical treatment experiences has given her the motivation to become a Physical Therapist. Here at IOA, we wish Alyssa all the best!
Medical Tourism for Orthopedic Surgery in Arizona
If you too live out of state or out of the country and are interested in learning more on how Dr. Gruber can assist you, please call 1-833-IOA-TOUR (1-833-462-8687).