On September 21, 2023 the weather was great, and I decided to take a bike ride before dinner. That casual stroll turned into a life changing event as I hit loose gravel and landed in a ditch. I had a severe leg trauma, and the dream team of Drs. Ashworth and Feaker took care of me. I am very grateful for their expertise and positive bedside manner. Thanks to them I am able to walk again. As a kindergarten teacher, I give them an A+.

Dear Dr. Feaker, We wanted to send our endless appreciation to you and your team for the coordinated and strategic care you provided Shawn for his rotator cuff surgery. You were prepared and ensured Shawn had the appropriate pre-op consults with the PACE Clinic to bridge his blood thinners. It is clear to us this procedure was a little less than routine, and your ability to make the right decision inter-operatively was a game changer. The outcome has been better than expected and we are so grateful for your skills and what you did/have done to ensure a great result. Thanks so much to you and your team for your deep appreciation of people and patients. We need more physicians like you. We are very grateful and want others to know you are a skilled and reliable surgeon who is also patient focused. Our endless thanks! Best-

Dr Arnold performed a hip revision surgery and repaired my broken pelvis, after a previous hip replacement from another Dr had left me with broken pelvis and hip replacement had came loose and the ball of the hip joint had broken off!! I went to two other surgeons previous to him that turned me away, but Dr Arnold scheduled me for surgery within 72 hours of my first visit with him. He's a very skilled surgeon I highly recommend him!

Dr. Arnold was great. The surgery and recovery can't be better. Dr. Arnold is very kind and respectful of his patients. He is a very nice person. My wife and I both really like him.

I had called the after hours number over a weekend to ask about some pain I was experiencing. Dr. Feaker called me back very quickly and was SOOO kind. He took his time with me to answer my questions and was in no rush to get off the phone with me. I appreciated so much his kindness and patience.

My story starts with a serious work injury in 1986. After over 60 surgeries on foot and ankle it kept getting worse. For past 5 years I've been in massive pain living on opiates and not walking. I decided I'd try one more Dr to see if they'd amputate my lower leg. Thankfully I met Dr. Hanna and he performed the LBKA. I've never looked back!! After a few months I was completely off opiates! I've had my prosthetic leg now for a little over 6 weeks and I'm loving my new freedom and free of pain!! Now I can keep up with my 2 year old grandson!!! Thank you FWO!!

I had shoulder surgery with Dr. Hicks a month ago. Today (Friday 13th) I had a lot of pain and they went out of their way to call in medicine for me. I want to thank Kay, Kathy, Robin and Dr. Hicks! They don't treat you like a number. They treat you like family! FWO is the best!

Good morning. I had carpal tunnel and trigger release surgery with Doctor Penny. He is a fine doctor. I went for stitches removal and part of the wound stayed open. A new bandage method was prescribed. I came back to OrthoStat Warsaw with what I thought was infection, in reality it was just new skin renewal. Courtney, Dr. Penny’s Nurse Practitioner, looked at it and then she said she was going to “phone a friend” Kristen Leffel another NP. The moment Kristen walked in the room she made the scene calming and wonderful. She encouraged me to come back and have her check the wound as I was leaving on vacation in two days. Courtney was equally wonderful, I just had the opportunity to see Kristen more as she was at OrthoStat. Kristen was never in a hurry and answered every one of my questions and then gave me wound healing information to look up online to better educate myself. She is top notch. Please pass this along to the powers that be to recognize her caring, informative and professional manner.

I hope this finds its way to Dr. Ian Nelson. He knew I was scared about having surgery but he was supportive, comforting and encouraging. Now I can't wait to put in the work to recover and heal so I can reach my goals. Now I'm super pumped. Thank you Dr. Nelson so much.

I would like to take the time to commend Dr. Adam Hall for his surgical excellence. Dr. Hall removed the contracture in my Left Hand (LH) pinky finger, which was at ~90 degrees contracted. One month post surgery, and my LH is at 7 degrees! Scar tissue is healing nicely as well.

I recently had the same procedure done on my RH pinky, which was at about 55 degrees contracted. Pre-therapy / home exercises, it is currently at 15 degrees. I plan to get it to 7 degrees as well in the next 4 weeks.

A HUGE shout out and Thank You to Dr. Adam Hall and all the staff at Ortho Hospital and FWO!

On December 17^th, 2019 I had a total knee replacement done by Dr. Jason Hanna and his team at FWO in Auburn. I wanted to take the time to commend Dr. Hanna and the people of Dekalb Health for the fantastic care I had during this procedure.

1. Prior to the replacement I had several consultations with Dr. Hanna about the procedure and the activities I needed to complete pre-surgery and post-surgery. Dr. Hanna was very helpful in explaining exactly what to expect, how the procedure would be done and what to expect after the procedure.
2. I attended a knee ‘boot’ camp where many people from Dekalb Health, Indiana Physical Therapy and FWO explained what I was to expect with regard to the procedure. This camp was very helpful.
3. Everyone at Dekalb Health and FWO were very professional, courteous, kind and helpful before during and after this procedure.

In closing I would just like to say that I would recommend FWO, Dekalb Health and Dr. Jason Hanna to anyone looking for orthopedic surgery. I did not want my knee replaced and even up to the day before I was contemplating cancelling the procedure. I knew that it would hurt and Dr. Hanna was very informative as to what to expect and more importantly told me how to prepare myself so that I would have a minimum amount of post-operative pain and the best change of an ‘easier’ recovery. I took his advice and couldn’t be happier. This has turned out to be a very good decision and I am glad I went through with the surgery. Again, I would like to thank Fort Wayne Orthopedics, Dr. Hanna and his entire staff and the staff at Dekalb Health for making this surgery as comfortable and easy as it could be.

Was referred to Dr. Rahn for a back issue. I actually saw his Nurse Practitioner, Abbey. I was really impressed by her. She is very professional and has a 'let's get on with it' attitude, but is also very personable. She is working with me on my issue, but what impressed me the most was her listening to an issue my husband is having with his knees. He now has an appointment with Dr. Manalo of FWO to see if anything can be done for him. I just really appreciated her attitude and her listening to me.

It was July 2014 and I was in tip-top shape. I had just completed one of my best performances in ultramarathon cycling since I first began doing the events a decade earlier. Ultramarathon cycling is a sport in which endurance is built up over thousands of miles and years of training and racing. My first significant accomplishment came in 2008 when my performance at the Sebring 24-Hour qualified me for the pinnacle of ultramarathon racing - the 3,000-mile Race Across America (RAAM). Then, the following year I set a World UltraCycling Association point to point record traversing 436 miles across Illinois from north to south. In early summer of 2014, it felt like things were coming together again as I prepared to set a second point to point record. Then, I fell.

We were on vacation. I was cross-training to help maintain my fitness. As soon as I fell, I knew it was unlike any other injury I had experienced before - and having been cycling competitively for over 20 years, I had had a few. This was bad.

Returning from vacation, I made an appointment with Fort Wayne Orthopedics. We began with therapy. However, after a few weeks trying to resolve the symptoms I was experiencing, nothing improved. My MRI revealed a potentially debilitating lateral meniscus tear in my right knee. I was 38 at the time and not a prime candidate for a repair. Having it removed was not something I was remotely interested in either. Despite the injury, I still had plans for riding and racing my bicycle. My physician tried to remain optimistic but was pragmatic about the situation. I knew he had my best long-term interest in mind.

Dr. Kolettis and I built a trust during this whole process which made my decision for surgery an easier one. He explained to me that during surgery if the meniscus looked viable and the tear was reasonable, he would reattach it; otherwise he would remove it. During pre-op, I told him to be cocky and make it look good as he stitched it back in place. But as they rolled me into surgery, I didn’t know what the outcome would be.

Post-surgery was pure relief when Dr. Kolettis informed me he was able to reattach the meniscus. The road to healing would be long, but worth it.

It took time to heal and regain strength since having surgery in 2015. However, the last two years have been outstanding for me. Not only have I resumed normal day to day and athletic function, in May 2018 I qualified for RAAM again by riding over 409 miles in 24 hours. Later that summer, I set another World Record - covering the entire length of Indiana (south to north) in 16 hours and 38 minutes. My crew and I beat a 20-year-old record by over 45 minutes. In 2019, I placed 3rd overall at the National 24-Hour Challenge riding just over 416 miles. I plan to set another World UltraCycling Record in September 2019. This next record attempt will be a double cross of Indiana, north to south to north and will cover 600 miles. It is my hope this next successful record attempt will pave the way for a solo attempt at RAAM in 2020, riding 3,000 miles coast to coast across the U.S. in less than 12 days.

I was seen by Dr. DeTommaso yesterday to assess my right heel spur. He was beyond professional, informative and had amazing bedside manner. He provided me with an injection to alleviate my pain, an alternate to surgery. By late this morning my pain was completely gone. He gave sound advice as to what shoes to wear. The staff coming and going were beyond professional. Thank you, FWO!

I developed a severe case of plantar fibroma in both of my feet at the same time. I put it off until I could no longer bear the pain from them in my feet. I contacted FWO and they were courteous and very kind and set me up with an appointment right away. I was introduced to a wonderful Doctor, Dr. Gauge Caudell. My tumors were so large - he immediately told me with all honesty that surgery was my only option which usually he tried to avoid and opted for therapy and steroid and pain meds, but my condition was severe. He explained everything very clearly and was very kind and compassionate along with the nursing staff whom all remembered me from the first appointment largely because of the size of my tumors made me famous. Anyway, Dr. Caudell did a wonderful job and his staff and receptionists were very kind and professional. A1 service, I highly recommend them to anyone needing medical attention that falls in their field of expertise.

Because of the onset of sudden, unexpected pain in my left foot, I self-treated for about a week. I finally took my wife’s advice and went to Fort Wayne Orthopedic’s OrthoStat walk-in clinic.

I was greeted professionally by your staff, and the paperwork went very smoothly. I was first seen by a sports medicine assistant—a very nice young lady who courteously took all of my information. I had a prompt X-ray of my left foot—three views. I was then promptly seen by Matthew Bohren, Physician Assistant. His examination was thorough, and his diagnosis was appropriate. I was given appropriate pain medication to address the soft tissue issue. We talked about his enthusiasm working with the FWO team for patient care.

I wanted you to know what a fine staff you have. This is exactly the model for efficient, thorough healthcare which our community needs. I congratulate Fort Wayne Orthopedics for the fine work you are doing.

Dr. Eddy–

I just have to write and thank you again for doing the surgery on my right hand on March 14^th. And how quick it healed. Within one month I had full use, with about 40% pain. Within two months, about 10% pain. Now there is NO PAIN, just a little numbness on the two fingers, which you told me to expect.

Unlike my left hand, which I had surgery on in Feb 2016 in Indianapolis and still have slight pain most of the time and over three months before full use.

I appreciate so much, your compassion, understanding, and patience to talk to me and explain the procedure and what to expect. You are a very special young man. I have already recommended you to several friends and will continue to do so.

I wish I would have known you 2 years ago. I would not have waited so long to have the right hand done.

Bobby Gregory’s knees had bothered him for years. But the 70-year-old Kosciusko county farmer was hesitant to go through surgery – until the pain interrupted his favorite activities. “I do a lot of hunting at night, out in the woods,” says Bobby. “After awhile my knees got so bad that was afraid I couldn’t get myself back out of the woods. I’d be back there by myself, and they’d start hurting bad.”

He’d heard of Fort Wayne Orthopedics through friends. “I really didn’t know of any [orthopedic doctors], but heard The Orthopedic Hospital was a great place to go.” He called FWO and they set him up with an appointment with Dr. Kolettis.

“When I talked with him, I felt really comfortable,” Bobby says. Dr. Kolettis told him that he needed a knee replacement on both knees. “He looked at my knees and told me that it was bone on bone,” he recalls. Dr. Kolettis offered the option of doing both surgeries at the same time, but Bobby decided to schedule surgery on the right knee and consider the left later.

“It used to be I’d walk a ½ mile down the road and I’d have to stop about four times, because they hurt so bad. Now I can go a mile without stopping.”

“It worked out great,” he says. “Dr. Kolettis did a great job.” Within weeks, he was hunting again, and that’s when he noticed how much his left knee still bothered him. “After my first surgery, I got about a mile back in the woods and it was hurting really bad. I knew I had to get the other one done.”

Bobby had a second knee replacement on his left knee in December 2014. He says the second surgery was easier than the first. “It seemed like it recovered faster. I worked at it. If I’m not walking a lot during the day, I do my therapy.” After his second surgery, he met all his physical therapy goals in four weeks.

Thanks to successful surgeries and diligent therapy, Bobby feels renewed. “Both knees are doing really good. I’m walking at least ¾ mile day now, and they don’t hurt. It used to be I’d walk a ½ mile down the road and I’d have to stop about four times, because they hurt so bad. Now I can go a mile without stopping.”

Even Bobby’s wife Roberta was impressed. She’d injured her knee nearly 10 years ago and struggled with pain ever since. She decided to consult Dr. Kolettis and also underwent a knee replacement – with great results.

“I was in so much pain before and in 12 weeks I was pain free,” she says. “I work as a housekeeper at a nursing home, and the whole nursing staff was amazed that I was able to go back to work so soon. Especially since I’m on my feet, walking around all day. They were really impressed.”

“I was in so much pain before and in 12 weeks I was pain free. I work at a nursing home, and the whole nursing staff was amazed that I was able to go back so soon after my surgery.”

The Gregorys grateful for FWO and Dr. Kolettis’ expertise. “We really appreciate the fact that we found a surgeon that went the extra mile for us,” says Roberta. She knows she’ll need surgery on her other knee eventually – but she knows where to turn when the time comes. “People ask us where we went, and we always tell them about Dr. Kolettis and Fort Wayne Orthopedics.”

(from a letter to the editor of the dekalb star newspaper)

On June 25, 2013 I had outpatient surgery on my hand. During the surgery, my heart started doing some funny things and I had to be admitted for observation. Dr. Niles Schwartz is a great hand surgeon, and he explained just what was wrong and how it would be fixed. Thank you, Dr. Schwartz. I often hear complaints about health care and I thought it’s time to say thank you to the people who give so much of themselves for us.

“I thought it’s time to say thank you to the people who give so much of themselves for us.”

After previous family experiences with Fort Wayne Orthopedics, it was only natural for Sharon Lovell to bring her 78-year-old mother Nell Tays to Fort Wayne from Alabama when she needed back surgery in early 2012. Nell had undergone back surgery four years earlier, but was enduring debilitating pain as her condition deteriorated. It affected her mobility and her quality of life. She would decline invitations to go places or attend her granddaughter’s activities because the pain was just too great.

In addition to deterioration of her spine since her previous surgery, Nell had bone spurs in her back and a curve in her spine. Dr. Rahn performed a procedure that removed the bone spurs and fused her vertebrae from L2 to L5. But as soon as Nell awoke from surgery, she knew something wasn’t right. She had pain in her right side and down her right leg.

“...She was enjoying mobility that she hadn’t experienced in years.”

Over the next six weeks, as Nell recovered from her surgery and the pain did not abate, Dr. Rahn ordered tests to pinpoint the cause. He determined that her nerve was being irritated at the L5 vertebrae, the tailbone, and recommended additional surgery to fuse the L5. “Dr. Rahn was so conscientious about finding out exactly where Mother’s pain was coming from, and then figuring out what he could do to help her,” says Sharon. “It seems like sometimes doctors try one thing and then another to see what will help. Dr. Rahn didn’t do that. He was careful to pinpoint exactly what was going on with Mother, and then made the decision to do surgery to correct it.”

When she awoke from her second surgery, Nell felt immediate relief from the leg pain. Six months later and back in Alabama, she was enjoying mobility that she hadn’t experienced in years. And she even attended Grandparents Day at her granddaughter’s school!

“Through this whole experience, Courtney and the other nurses were so helpful and understanding,” says Sharon. “This was the first time I had gone through something so traumatic with my mother, and they were just so patient with her and with me. They were always so kind and so understanding and helpful. I want them to know how much I appreciated all of their kindness.”

Linda Honegger came to a gradual realization that she would need a hip transplant. “About 3 years ago, I started noticing that I couldn’t move my legs apart as far as I used to,” says the Bluffton native. Surprisingly, she never experienced pain in her hips or back… only in her thigh muscles. “As time went on, my thighs started hurting, and it got the point where I could hardly sleep at night because my legs hurt so badly. I’d sleep a couple hours, then get up and watch TV because my legs just ached. I rubbed my legs a lot.”

Linda is a charter pilot, and sitting in the confined quarters of a small cockpit became more and more challenging. There was very little opportunity there to reposition her legs and get comfortable. “You get to the point where you hurt so badly that you’ll do anything to make it stop,” she says.

Reading about her symptoms online, she came to realize that the pain in her thighs was typical of hip deterioration. Through her research and the recommendations of others, she sought out Dr. Fisher’s expertise, and he confirmed that she needed her hips replaced. To cut down on hospital expenses and time off from work, he performed a double hip replacement in July 2010.

"I haven’t felt like this since I was 18."

Four weeks after her procedure, Linda was back in the cockpit, enjoying a freedom and mobility she hadn’t experienced in decades. “I had a wonderful experience with Dr. Fisher and Fort Wayne Orthopedics, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” says Linda. “I can’t say enough good about Dr. Fisher.”

“At my six-week check-up, I told Dr. Fisher that I was disappointed because he had lied to me. He had told me I would be at about 90% mobility after the surgery, but I feel like I’m at 200% mobility! He was pretty pleased with that.”

“It’s been over two years now, and I haven’t felt like this since I was 18,” says Linda. “We have a cabin that we’re rehabbing up in Wisconsin, and I never have any pain related to my hips. What Dr. Fisher gave me… there just aren’t words. If it weren’t for him, I know I’d be in a wheelchair. I’m so thankful.”

“After I finally had my surgery, I thought, ‘Why did I wait so long?!’” Ellen Mock of Peru, Ind., had been suffering the effects of spinal stenosis – neck pain, accompanied by weakness and numbness in her arms – for years. At the end of the day, wiped out, she would return home from work totally depleted, with no energy to tend to her home or enjoy other activities.

“Everything they told me about the spinal surgery and my recovery was right on target,” Ellen recalls. “I had to take it easy for a couple weeks, but by the third week I came back to work for half days, and then full time by the fourth week.” She now has full, pain-free mobility in her neck and shoulders and is enjoying life again.

"Now I have the energy to do the things I love!"

“The thing that’s been such a joy this summer has been working in my flower beds, sweeping off my deck and enjoying my gardening again. Now I have the energy to do the things I love!”

Ellen is a believer in the doctors and staff at Fort Wayne Orthopedics. After her son’s recent injury in a bicycle-to-auto collision, she made sure he got it checked out at FWO, where Dr. Cooper is taking care of his shoulder injury. “I talk to people all the time about the great experience I had with Dr. Rahn, and I wouldn’t go anywhere else but Fort Wayne Orthopedics,” she says.

For Colleen Mankey, surgery was the only real option. Her rotator cuff was torn and not repairable and this had caused her shoulder to wear out. This left her in pain and unable to accomplish simple tasks, so she opted for a reverse shoulder implant (a unique treatment for a difficult problem).

"If someone wants an opinion about surgery with Fort Wayne Orthopedics," without hesitation Coleen says, "Go!"

After just one night in the hospital, she came home, and the following morning took a shower and washed her own hair. “I just did really, really well,” Colleen says. About nine months after the surgery, and after four weeks of physical therapy, she reports almost full range of motion in her shoulder.

If someone wants an opinion about surgery with Fort Wayne Orthopedics, without hesitation Coleen says, “Go! I would recommend Dr. Snyder to anyone. I had already had both knees replaced by Dr. Fisher, and I got along really well with that too. I feel very fortunate.”

Dr. Jack Dyer struggled with back pain and knee problems for years. A longtime Fort Wayne physician and FWO patient, Dyer tried several back pain treatments and underwent arthroplasty procedures on both knees.

When his back and spinal pain worsened several years ago, he turned to FWO for emergency surgery. “They scheduled surgery right after the MRI,” he says “The pain down my legs came very suddenly, so they worked me up quickly.” FWO physician Dr. Kevin Rahn performed a spinal fusion and nerve decompression, and Dyer noticed immediate relief following the procedure. “I returned for injections a few times after the surgery,” he says “but I haven’t had any problems since 2006.”

“I haven’t had any problems since and I’m still very active at 73 years old.”

A few years later, Dyer decided to address his chronic knee pain with a more long-term solution. Dyer again consulted FWO and underwent a double knee replacement. Despite having the procedure done on both knees, he had a remarkably smooth recovery. “It was a very pleasant recovery,” he says “I expected a lot more difficulty, but I was back to work within four to five weeks.” The knee replacements gave him renewed energy and mobility. “Now I jokingly say they’re my two best parts!”

With both surgeries behind him, Dyer credits FWO and his physicians with playing an important role in his continued good health. “Both surgeries were super,” he says. “I haven’t had any problems since and I’m still very active at 73 years old.”