Patient Success Stories

When you choose Columbia Orthopaedic Group, you're choosing a team of doctors and specialists who find motivation in making a difference. We search for the source of your pain and discomfort so we can help you feel better and get back to doing what matters to you.

Your success stories drive us. We're always seeking new ways to improve orthopedic treatments and provide a more precise diagnosis – so you can heal faster, with lasting results. Below are some of our inspiring patient treatment and recovery stories.

From Surgeon to Surgery Patient
From Surgeon to Surgery Patient

How did a young, active, and healthy plastic surgeon have unexplained total loss of knee cartilage? Andrea Martin's story is a perplexing one. She had no major injuries or a history of strenuous activity. She understood how to live a healthy lifestyle as a doctor herself. Yet she found herself in need of a double cartilage replacement shortly after graduating from medical school. Read More...

state winning athlete
From Debilitating Nerve Pain to Running Half Marathons: This Busy Mother of Three Shares Her Story

Everything was falling into place for Elizabeth Van Kort. She just landed her dream job as part of the paid media team for Ramsey Solutions. (Yes, the Dave Ramsey!). The position would move her family, including her three boys (ages one, four, and eight), to Nashville, TN. Read More...

Two Days After Surgery
Two Days After Surgery This Wrestling Coach Was Back on the Sidelines, Pain-Free!

When your mom is a physical education teacher and cheerleading coach and your dad is a wrestling coach, it makes sense to grow up like Dan Pieper did. You could find him crawling on the wrestling mats, riding scooters, and jumping on the trampoline at his mom’s high school gym, at age three. Read More...

Dancing with Joy
Dancing with Joy: How a Second Opinion Helped Maronica Get Her Life Back

She endured persistent back pain in 2021, despite undergoing surgery in 2017 to remedy her pain. Knowledge is power, so she poured over her detailed records in the patient portal. Amidst the medical jargon, she noticed something like a needle in a haystack. An x-ray report noting a loose screw. Read More...

state winning athlete
How Did This State-Winning Athlete Put An End To His Knee Pain?

It started with a football game. Colder Evans, who is now a freshman at Central Methodist University (CMU), was in the first game of the season of his senior football season. He went for a tackle and damaged more than the other team's odds of winning. Read More...

Knee Pain
Knee Pain? How a Few Shots and the Ongoing Support of Her Doctor Let Kate Powerlift Into Her 70s!

At 70 years old, most people are not still participating in rigorous activities. But most people are not like Kate Walker, the powerlifter. She holds numerous World Records and American Records in Power Lifting in her age group. In fact, at the International Competition in Malta last year, Kate claimed three World Records. Read More...

two neck surgeries
Twice as Nice: Two Neck Surgeries That Drove Away The Pain

Kathy Conley has ridden horses since age 14. In fact, riding horses has been a major part of her life. But it was also part of the problem when her neck pain began. "I had neck pain that got bad enough that I had to have a neck fusion. I had pain that went down into my shoulder and sometimes my fingers would get numb." Read More...

knees made for racing
Knees Are Made for Racing

How Active Can My New Knee Be? Many patients question how active they can be with a knee replacement. Don Prevost can answer that question. Don has led a very active life. Long before his knee problems he was significantly involved in running, hiking, playing handball, and motorcycle racing. That's right!! Racing, not just riding. Read More...

hip injury leads to weight loss
Nutrition management clinics: Critical component in care and clinical outcomes

Nutrition management clinics are designed to educate and advise people on their weight loss journey. When appropriate, weight loss can have an incredible impact on wellness and quality of life. It can remedy, improve, or prevent conditions like high blood pressure (hypertension), high LDL cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Read More...

You Won't Believe What This Guy Can Do on a Knee Replacement!
You Won't Believe What This Guy Can Do on a Knee Replacement!

Originally diagnosed with meniscus problems in his knee, Pastor Jeff Sutton wanted to get back to adventure racing. Adventure racing is typically a multi-disciplinary team sport involving navigation over an unmarked wilderness course lasting anywhere from two hours up to two weeks in length. It's not for the timid. It's not easy at all. Read More...

How Did a Deer Nearly End a Baseball Career?
How Did a Deer Nearly End a Baseball Career?

Blake Yelton is a 17-year-old who loves to play baseball. When the lefty broke his wrist in his car accident, he worried about his baseball career. "Since the injury was to my left arm, which is my throwing arm, I was afraid it would affect my ability to ever pitch again, especially since you use your wrist so much with pitching. I was just getting ready to start the summer baseball season, so I was pretty bummed." Read More...

This Hip Was Made for Hiking
This Hip Was Made for Hiking

In the summer of 2018, Jim Beattie and his wife planned a trip to the Grand Canyon for April of 2019. Their plan was to whitewater raft into the Grand Canyon. They would then participate in a hike out of the Grand Canyon. This hike would be a 10-mile hike with a 5000 foot elevation on the Bright Angel Trail from the bottom of the canyon up to the South Rim. So, when Jim started to have hip pain in 2018, he needed answers. "The discomfort got to be too much, and I knew I had to get it checked." Read More...

From a Torn ACL to Completing an Ironman Race
From a Torn ACL to Completing an Ironman Race...A True Success Story!

Back in 2004, Lise was leaving some trash at the City Dump. When she lifted her right leg to get into her truck, she felt significant pain in her right knee. She knew something was wrong. Read More...