Patient testimonials
I enthusiastically recommend Dr. Tomek. He gave me back my life! He is conscientious, caring, and brings topnotch surgical skills to the table. The entire staff is very calming, knowledgeable, and supportive, including the anesthesiologist. They are a well-oiled machine, with heart.
Elizabeth Chapin, Post Mills, Vermont
I had my hip replaced Monday morning, went home Tuesday afternoon, and I just wanted you to know that I was amazed and very pleased by how good the care was.
Happy Benson, Winooski, Vermont
I moved to Florida following my knee replacement. I did have to continue P/T down here, and I will be needing my other knee done in a year or so. After the wonderful service I got from Dr. Houde and the entire orthopedic team at APD, I will definitely be back to APD for knee #2!
Michelle Gerow-Decato, Key West, Florida
My knees are perfect! I have to point out my tiny scars to people when I tell them I had surgery. For me, joint school was a real high point. It was fun and light-hearted but very informative and helped answer all my questions about surgery and recovery.
Stephen Knipe, Bradford, Vermont
When I first met Ivan, I told him to call me Charlie, and he told me I should call him Ivan. That’s the kind of man he is. He and Sarah are like family to me. The entire APD orthopaedic department is such a caring team! They replaced both my knees and I am looking forward to getting back on my skis thanks to them.
Charlie Garipay, Hanover, New Hampshire
Dr. Houde and Rebecca explained the issues with my shoulder and knee very clearly. They were always pleasant and welcoming. Today, I often refer people to Dr. Houde. Thanks to APD orthopaedics, I am able to get back to caring for my own patients, without pain.
Marc Sinclair, DC Sinclair Chiropractic Clinic, Bradford, Vermont
Patient Story: Saying Goodbye to Trigger Finger
When her fingers became tender and painful, Patricia Plourde turned to APD Orthopaedics.
Patient Story: Extraordinary Nursing Care at APD
Tabitha Ferranti, RN, made sure a patient in the pain clinic received the care he needed.
Getting Back in the Boat: A World Champion Rower's Quest for Mobility
It takes a complicated set of actions, and just the right sequence, for a rower to scull a boat with power and grace: legs, hips, and arms….then arms, hips, legs…all in the matter of a few seconds, again and again. If any part of a rower’s body isn’t aligned during the sequence, their performance suffers.
For Dartmouth graduate and world champion rower Carin Reynolds, who remains active in the sport as a coach and athlete, (one of her boats finished first at the Head of the Charles in 2015), the importance of staying physically active is an absolute must. No stranger to bodily aches and pains, Carin began to experience unusual discomfort in the fall of 2012 when the pain in her hip threatened to keep her from the sport she cherished. She had just turned fifty years old and was facing the prospect of seeing her rowing days over.
Even so, the idea of surgery wasn’t exactly attractive to Carin. “With surgery, you always worry about complications or a long recovery,” she said. So she contacted her longtime friend and APD orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. John Houde, to ask what she should do.
“Dr. Houde and his physician assistant, Rebecca Van Dolah, spent an extensive amount of time discussing my options with me, showing me exactly what was happening to my hip using physical models I could manipulate, and answering every one of my questions completely,” Reynolds said. “It was incredibly assuring and I decided to move forward with hip replacement surgery,” she said.
Dr. Houde replaced Carin’s hip in January of 2013. She was back in her boat, rowing on the Connecticut River, within three months.
“I am grateful to the entire APD orthopaedic team for their kindness, care, and dedication to me as a patient. They treated me like a human being who just wanted to return to the activities I love. They simply got it; they understood exactly where I was coming from and where I wanted to go,” said Reynolds.
Today she is back on the water, helping to coach the Lebanon High School crew team as well as organizing the annual “Row the Prouty” in support of the Norris Cotton Cancer Care Pavilion Lebanon. Her motion is fluid again: legs, hips, and arms….then arms, hips, legs…all in the matter of a few seconds, again and again. Just another rower on the Connecticut River.