For years, Lenny was having trouble with constant pain in his shoulders. A truck driver for 15 years with UPS, it didn’t help that his job required him to lift packages and pull pallets.
Lenny took medication to help alleviate the pain, but it was soon apparent that the damage to his shoulder after years of wear and tear and taken its toll. “My quality of life just reached new lows and I had trouble sleeping through the night,” Lenny remembers. A radiologist who examined Lenny’s x-rays referred him to Dr. Ducey, who informed him he would need shoulder replacement surgery, a procedure that replaces the degenerative shoulder joint with titanium and plastic parts.
Life-Changing Surgery
Lenny underwent surgery for his right shoulder and remembers how Dr. Ducey’s caring bedside manner helped calm his apprehensions. During his recuperation, which included outpatient therapy three times a week for six months at a local physical therapy center, Lenny began to feel so much better that he decided to have his left shoulder joint replaced also.
“I had such a good experience with Dr. Ducey that I was not as apprehensive going in the second time,” Lenny said, adding that it was “definitely worth it.” “I felt very confident in Dr. Ducey’s skills, and would highly recommend him.”
Lenny’s surgery on his left shoulder took place several months later and the 63 year-old truck driver is now back at work with new shoulders -- and without pain.
As a nurse on the orthopedic floor at Clara Maass Medical Center, Hazel knows that lifting patients comes with the territory. But while she was helping other patients recover from surgery, the physical stress she experienced on her job was slowly wearing away her own shoulder joints.
Hazel began experiencing pain in first her right shoulder, then her left shoulder, caused from torn rotator cuffs, a system of muscles and tendons that attach the arm to the shoulder joint and enable it to move. When the time came to see a doctor, see didn’t have far to look.
“I knew his reputation just from working in the unit,” Hazel explained. “I was able to see first hand the kind of doctor he is.”
Repairing the Damage
Hazel’s pain was so severe that she had trouble doing even the simplest functions, like combing her hair, or dressing herself.
Hazel had arthroscopic surgery first on her right shoulder and shortly after on her left shoulder. Dr. Ducey was able to repair the damage through minimally invasive techniques. She had a speedy recovery and returned to work three months after each surgery.
“Dr. Ducey is not only a very good surgeon, he is pleasant, explains everything, and was so encouraging during my recuperation. I tell people that Dr. Ducey is the best.”
When Desmond, a programming manager for Mandee Shops, twisted his knee shoveling in his back yard, he knew it wouldn’t bode well for his running avocation. This was troublesome, considering he ran six days a week and trained year-round for running events like the Boston Marathon.
A runner since 1982 and president of the Essex Running Club, Desmond was soon unable to run and the pain became worse. His primary physician advised him to find a good orthopedic surgeon. As luck would have it, he found Dr. Ducey on the Lacrosse field, where both his son and Dr. Ducey’s son were competing on the school team.
Running Again
In his office, Dr. Ducey carefully explained how he would arthroscopically repair the torn meniscus, a piece of cartilage that absorbs shock inside the knee joint. By using the arthroscope, the repair could be made quickly and with minimal pain. Desmond had the surgery and was running again in five weeks. Within three months he was training for his next marathon – without any pain. “I feel very lucky because I have full mobility in my knee,” Desmond explained. “I have a friend who had the surgery last year and is still suffering.”
Desmond ran the Boston Marathon at an impressive 3 hours and 33 minutes, and will continue to challenge himself, thanks to the expertise of Dr. Ducey.
A Bloomfield police officer for 17 years, Michael of West Caldwell was no stranger to trauma.
On-the-job accidents over a period of five years, including a fall through a roof and fall at a gas station had wreaked havoc on his shoulders, leaving him in desperate need of pain relief.
Like so many patients in search of good medical care, Michael found himself paging through lists of potential doctors, unable to work and experiencing relentless pain. Thankfully, he soon heard about Dr. Ducey through colleagues in the police department who knew of his expertise in arthroscopic surgery.
Another Accident
Dr. Ducey sucessfully performed Michael’s left shoulder arthroscopic surgery. However, no sooner had Michael returned to work than the patrol car he was riding in spun out of control on a patch of ice and crashed, resulting in injury to the right shoulder.
This time Michael didn’t waste any time calling Dr. Ducey, who performed right shoulder arthroscopy. All along, Dr. Ducey was there to help and encourage Michael.
“I hadn’t had much luck with other doctors, I thought they were disrespectful,” Michael remembered. “Dr. Ducey’s demeanor is very compassionate, he doesn’t let you leave the office until all your questions are answered. He’s a special guy,” he said.
