I was three minutes from home after a 2-hour weekend bike ride when I was struck by a car that didn’t see me at an intersection. I don’t remember the accident but the officer said that my head hit helmet first into the oncoming car’s front windshield, only one inch from the car’s solid roof-bar which otherwise would have ended things for me. 

I just want to tell everybody that Dr. Helfet is the best. I had an accident and broke my femur in 4 places. I had 5 surgeries before and the only one that worked was the one I had with Dr. Helfet. He saved my leg. I was told I could never walk again. He is the best in the whole world.

Patricia Valero
Cuernavaca, Mexico

While out jogging one morning in October 2015, I was involved in a hit and run. Emergency Medical Technicians took me to a local hospital where I was diagnosed with a shattered humerus. We decided we only wanted the best care for such a traumatic injury so we got in touch with Esther Shin at Dr. Helfet’s office. They could not have been any nicer and accommodating.

In mid-November, 2015, my son James suffered an avulsion fracture of his tibia trying out for his high school varsity basketball team. The local ER physician indicated that he would need surgery. At 6:30 the next morning, I reached out to Dr. Positano. He suggested that we see Dr. Brian Halpern, who saw James at 11 a.m. that morning.

After examining him, he thought James needed surgery. Dr Halpern immediately discussed the situation with Dr. Helfet, who made time to examine James and scheduled surgery for 4 p.m. the same afternoon. We were so impressed with the speed with which Dr. Helfet and his team were able to arrange for the MRI, CAT scan and blood work in time for the by 4 p.m.surgery.

I had a very serious accident in Israel this past summer where I broke both of my Patellas. After surgery in Israel and staying a week in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, it was recommended that I come back home to New York and see Dr. David Helfet at HSS. I was lucky enough to get an appointment for the morning after my arrival. Needless to say that it was an extremely stressful trip back home.

In June of 2013, I was hit by a car crossing the street with friends. I was taken to a local hospital where they treated my broken leg and then there were complications with the blood flow to my foot. After several surgeries, the doctors told my parents they would ultimately need to amputate my leg if there was no improvement in my condition. My parents needed a second opinion and had me transferred to NY Presbyterian where Dr. Helfet and a team of doctors took me into surgery and saved my leg.

I’m a 60 year old active male who loves slalom course water skiing, snow skiing and an avid cyclist. I’m considered a guy that always “goes for it.” I’ve been banged up a lot over the years, but always came back stronger. My long time orthopedist says I have big balls and no talent :).

Aug. 29th, 2014…Hit head on by a car going 40 mph while on my bicycle in Copake Lake, NY. I suffered a shattered left knee cap, pylon/trimellioar fracture of the right ankle, and a fractured right hand.

After a few years of hip pain and feeling like my hip popped out of joint, I consulted Dr. Thane Morgan, an orthopedic surgeon in Amarillo, TX who diagnosed a labral injury as well as hip dysplasia and impingement. He referred us to a hip specialist in Oklahoma City (Dr. Hal Martin, now at Baylor in Dallas, TX), who did the arthroscopic labral repair in March, 2012, when I was 16. He told us that I would likely need an osteotomy to correct the dysplasia if it “popped out” again.

On August 17th, 2013, I was hit by a motor vehicle in a parking lot. I was a pedestrian and 6 months pregnant at the time.

Because of the nature of my injuries (acetabular fracture, fractured pelvis, etc.) and the fact that I was pregnant (surgery, etc. had to be performed with me being awake), I was transferred to HSS, where I received excellent care through Dr. Helfet’s team.

I was in a car accident out of the country (the Caribbean) in May 2010, where I sustained a compound fracture of the left distal femur, simple midline fracture of the right femur and acetabular fracture of the right hip.

In the summer after my first collegiate cross-country track seasons, I was hit by a car while I was on a training run. Thankfully, my only major injury was a compound (open) fracture of my tibia and fibia – as it could have been much worse! However, the worst part of my injury was that it prevented me from doing the thing I loved most, running competitively.

I was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital and a steel rod and screws were inserted into my bone to heal the fracture. At my follow-up appointment, the doctor informed me that my bone was not going to heal and that I would probably need a bone graft. At the age of 19, the words “bone graft” were very scary.

I had total hip replacement on 12/4/12. All went well and I was back to work pain free in 2 weeks. I am a home improvement contractor and climbing ladders and measuring roofs are what I do every day. I was back up on the house measuring roofs in 6 weeks.

My story is a bit different than most regular surgical stories out there, but one thing is for certain: I made the best decision of my life by going to HSS. The moment my family and I walked in there we knew that the doctors and nurses were going to do everything possible to help change my life.

I was born with a condition called Hip Dysplasia, and anteversion as well as patella dislocation and a few other long medical terms that most won’t understand so to shorten it up, my left leg was causing me extreme pain in both the hip and knee area due to the fact that my hip bone was incorrectly rotated causing my entire bone structure to twist inward leading to muscle tears, bone deterioration and patella dislocations as well as other painful issues.

Having a rather unusual medical history, with a tendency to swell a great deal, Dr. Leon Root noted how swollen and hard my calf was (Dr. Joseph Lane amputated my right leg a year ago/infection) Dr. Root ordered an Ultrasound and MRI to rule out DVT and infection.

My leg continued to swell, and Dr. David Helfet had looked at my leg, immediately rushed me to the OR and did a 4 compartment release saving my only leg!

I came to HSS after being injured in an ATV accident where I broke Tib/Fib on both legs and Femur on left. The hospital on Long Island saved my life, but said I would never be able to use my left leg again; it was beyond repair. Dr. Helfet and his team put me back together over 12 surgeries, and not only promised me I would be able to walk, but I would be able to return to my passion, which was skiing big mountains. 2 years later I was skiing the mountains of my dreams in Alaska.

Tim DiPietro
Mill Neck, NY

I arrived at HSS after being recommended by my doctors in Lima. After a femur fracture on June 2013, I underwent surgery in Lima. Two months later, I developed an infection. Doctors here treated me with antibiotics, but could not perform another surgery as the bone was not yet cured.

After 5 months, in Nov. 2013, my doctors recommended HSS. I was first seen by Dr. David Helfet, who performed surgery the next day. Miraculously, after a good “car wash”, he and his staff were able to take away the hardware and discovered the bone was cured.

Maxime Heinsbroek is an 18-year-old university student in Amsterdam who has already gone through more than anyone should ever have to experience.

Even at her young age, Maxime has always had a passion for living life to the fullest. While on vacation with her family in France, Maxime was out one evening on her scooter when she had a terrible accident. To this day she doesn’t remember anything about the crash itself. She just remembers waking up in the hospital confused. It took her worried mother much of the next day to find her.

Accidents can be a blessing if all we go through is mostly fear, spared from pain and long-term physical damages; and surely, for those of us who required orthopedic surgery, how blessed have we been to receive our medical care at HSS! The level of expertise and care is beyond imagination.

I fell and broke my ankle during hurricane Irene while upstate. We were stranded by the flood and I was evacuated by Army helicopter on Monday after the storm to a local hospital where they operated on part of my ankle on Tuesday. I transferred to HSS on Friday where I met with Dr. David Helfet and his team. The first thing they said to me after reviewing my X-rays was “you need us and we will fix this.”

July 4, 1990 on a nice sunny day is when I took a ride on my nephew’s motorcycle and was cut off and ran into a fire hydrant about 50 MPH. My right leg took the impact and there were multiple compound fractures of my femur, tibia, fibular and I serrated my femoral artery. I was rushed to RWJ hospital in NJ where I almost died from blood loss.

Luckily, there was a fantastic surgeon on call that day and my leg was put back together and in a few years it was time to look further for other solutions for my chronic pain and discomfort which brought me to HSS. I first met with the hospital’s trauma head Dr. David Helfet who treated me for various infections through a few years.