Denise Thorson came to Gillette, Wyoming in 1976 from North Dakota. Always
an active person, Denise loves water skiing, bow hunting and Telemark
skiing, along with working with the horses on her property north of Rozet, Wyoming.
She had her first orthopedic experience with
Powder River Orthopedics & Spine surgeon
Dr. Hans Kisochos, and chose
Dr. Stanford Israelsen at PROS when she needed knee replacement surgery a year ago.
“Dr. Israelsen really listened to me and made sure I got my questions
answered,” said Denise. “It makes a big difference in the
confidence you have in a surgeon.”
Denise actually began her
rehab before she had her knee replacement to strengthen her knee as much as
possible prior to surgery.
“I don’t know if that made the difference, but I was able to leave
CCMH the same day I had the surgery,” said Denise.
When Denise began to have shoulder problems last fall, she returned to
PROS and to Dr. Israelsen. She had a left shoulder Bankart repair with
Acromioplasty, which is a procedure to restore stability and relieve pain
in the shoulder.
Denise’s left arm controlled her accuracy as a bow hunter, and she
was eager to have the procedure so she could go back to bow hunting for
bear in the spring and elk in the fall. Denise says she was ‘religious’
about her completing her physical therapy, and was released 12 weeks after
her procedure.
“I have no patience for sitting still,” said Denise. “The
look on Dr. Israelsen’s face was priceless when I asked him when
I could go back to Telemarking,” For those who don’t know,
Telemarking is a skiing technique that uses a specialized type of equipment
that fixes only the toe of the ski boot to the ski. Denise also appreciated
the little things that made her surgery experience more comfortable.
“They gave me a waterproof-type bandage wrap for my shoulder,”
she said. “I didn’t need as much help to take a shower, and
you really appreciate the comfort of a hot shower when you’re hurting.”
Denise has some advice for readers when it comes to having surgery: “Some
people have unrealistic expectations about the outcome,” she said.
“You really need to ask questions about everything, and be prepared
to commit to rehab after surgery and keep doing it. Some people say not
to have surgery done here, but I found Dr. Israelsen intelligent and capable—I
had great experiences with both of my surgeries.”
Expert Orthopedic & Spine Care In Gillette, Wyoming
Dr. Stanford Israelsen is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at
Powder River Orthopedics & Spine. The physicians at PROS take an innovative and comprehensive approach
to the treatment of acute and chronic orthopedic pain. Have your surgery
in our modern
operating rooms at Campbell County Memorial Hospital or
Powder River Surgery Center. See the PROS for:
- General orthopedic surgery
- Joint replacement surgery: shoulder, hip, knee and ankle
- Shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Spine surgery and injections, including minimally invasive procedures
- Bunions and great toe arthritis procedures
- Foot and ankle surgery
- Trauma and fracture care
- Workplace injuries
For a consultation, call 307.686.1413 or visit
www.cchwyo.org/PROS.
PROS is a Campbell County Medical Group Clinic with Campbell County Health.