John Slauch is a no-nonsense kind of guy. The couple’s father and grandpa of two tell us that he’s “relatively healthy even for an old man.” But a total hip replacement is a major issue, even for a person who is healthy like John (who at the age of 60 isn’t old at all). And when the time came to undergo the procedure again in November 2014., there was absolutely no doubt in his mind who would carry out the procedure or the exact location it would be performed the surgeon would be Dr. Christopher Lyons, Orthopaedic Surgeon at Chester County Hospital.
John has been a patient with Dr. Lyons for more than 20 years. “He’s performed surgery on my shoulder 3 times as well as on my Achilles tendon in previous years,” John told us just following his hip replacement. “My encounter with him was absolutely amazing for all of these surgeries.”
John is the Chief of Police for the Borough of Oxford and has been working in law enforcement for more than 40 years. The job takes its toll on the body as he acknowledges. “I was a police officer right out of college as an officer during the summer at Avalon, New Jersey,” John declares. He is now a resident of Quarryville in Lancaster County, where there are several other hospitals near both his home and work However, in the case of John, Chester County Hospital was the only choice. “I am just going to believe in the hospital. I like the fact that it’s big and is affiliated with Penn.”
The issue John suffered with his hip began some time ago and was becoming more severe. He was experiencing difficulty walking or standing, and also driving, which created physical difficulties when it came to his police work. The pain was becoming too severe, he says it was uncomfortable to support the additional burden of the gun belt. “My hip pain hindered my ability to wear uniform as it is an essential aspect of my job,” the man describes.
After determining that the hip replacement procedure was required John consulted the doctor. Lyons explained the various options for surgery and they decided to go with the least invasive option. John claims his doctor. Lyons explained that there was no cut of muscle and that the time to recover was quicker. In actual fact, John was up and walking about the next morning following surgery.
The recovery from the hip replacement was “remarkable and didn’t really hurt,” John says. “Of course the moment I woke, I was prescribed painkillers however, I didn’t feel discomfort. The physical therapist-assisted me in getting to the nursing station, and it was only two doors down from my bedroom,” John said. “I was so relaxed that I was able to walk across the entire area of the wing.”
After the surgery, the pain that the patient was feeling in his hips as well as his lower back has gone away. He’s thankful to Dr. Lyons for that.
“When you need to undergo procedures to the point that they replace the parts of your body, you need to be able to trust in the surgeon performing the procedure and I believe with Doctor. Lyons. He wanted to ensure I was prepared for the procedure. I’ve followed his advice with all the joint pain issues I’ve faced. I’ve put my trust in him.”
For John had to be in the same boat as his doctor is crucial in the event of getting major surgery. In actual fact at the time of this review, John was scheduled for another operation in conjunction with Dr. Lyons – a knee replacement. Being connected to Dr. Lyons helped him decide on the best time for the replacement of his arthritic knee. “I’ve endured this knee for a decade until now,” he said. “I am grateful for the fact that Doctor. Lyons is conservative,” he added. “He said to me, ‘Have patience until you are able to with this knee, then inform me when you’re at the point of being ready.’ That’s exactly my plan.” One of the things he talked about and discussed with Dr. Lyons is that the knee surgery would require some time off from work than the hip he had.
When asked how he felt about this, John demurred for just one second. “Well, it’s tough. I’m the boss and I’m used to working out in the field,” he said. “I have waited for as long as I could due to the fact that the doctor. Lyons told me that it could take some time before I’ll be able to get back to work. However, he is familiar with my situation well and knows that we’ll be negotiating about that. Once I’m able to move my knees, I’ll go back to work.”
