Connor Coulter describes himself as extremely active. He loves to surf, skateboard, play soccer, and ride bikes. But these hobbies are only part of Connor’s active lifestyle—he also works full-time as a mason, an occupation that is highly labor intensive and requires significant heavy lifting and bending on a daily basis.

When Connor fully tore his hamstring, the first thought that ran through his mind was how it would affect his physically demanding lifestyle. He also worried about how it was going to affect him financially. He knew he would need to take time off from his masonry work, which was his sole source of income, particularly if he required surgery.

Finding the Right Surgeon

To further his stress post-injury, Connor did not have a good experience during his first orthopaedic consult. So, Connor went online to do more research and get a second opinion. This is how he discovered the experts at UOA. Connor was pleased to get an appointment relatively quickly with Dr. Patrick S. Buckley, especially considering that his injury occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My experience with Dr. Buckley was extremely good,” Connor says. “When I came into his office, he had already seen my MRI, so he knew from the get-go what the situation was and how he was gonna tackle it.”

Choosing a Treatment Plan

Dr. Buckley presented Connor with more than one treatment plan for his torn hamstring, including a surgery called a proximal hamstring repair. At the end of the day, for Connor to keep up his active lifestyle, surgery was his best option. However, Connor notes it was good to have a non-surgical, physical therapy-based option, as well.

“It didn’t seem like he was just gonna put me under the knife right away, which was very nice and very comforting,” Connor says.

 

Leading up to his surgery, Connor was pleased with Dr. Buckley’s communication style. After surgery, Dr. Buckley was still very hands-on. “He was willing to see me whenever I needed it and answer any questions I had,” Connor says. “Everyone at UOA was extremely nice and very welcoming. I enjoyed every aspect of going in there, which is not something people usually feel going into a doctor’s office, especially if they’re requiring surgery.”

 

Recovering From Surgery

Connor notes that after his surgery, he had a great experience with physical therapy.

“They really listened to me, and they were very attentive to my needs and wants with the recovery,” he says. He felt really good at the four-month mark, but he followed the restrictions and guidance until six months, when he returned to his full activity level.

Since the surgery, things have been going extremely well for Connor.

“I haven’t had any pain since my surgery,” he says. “Dr. Buckley and the physical therapist did a phenomenal job. Dr. Buckley was an amazing doctor and surgeon. I can’t thank him enough for how well the surgery went.”

Connor is now fully recovered and back to working out and doing everything that he enjoyed doing prior to his injury, including competitive soccer, full-time masonry, surfing, skateboarding and running.

If you have suffered an orthopaedic injury like Connor, contact the sports medicine specialists at University Orthopaedic Associates (UOA) today to learn about your safe and effective treatment options.