You could say Chuck Doell is an avid golfer – but it might be an understatement.
“I have been playing golf for 56 years,” Chuck said. “I play in a golf league every Tuesday at Twin Hills Golf Course and I’m the oldest guy in my league that still walks the course because I enjoy the exercise.”
In 2011, Chuck had extensive problems with his left knee and the lower left side of his back. After Michael Klotz, MD, and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Unity Hospital, took X-rays of his knees, Chuck said he was told that he had a little deterioration – but it was typical for someone his age.
“Then he X-rayed my hips and he says, ‘Here’s your problem,’” Chuck said. “I went in and I had my hip replaced. My knee pain went away completely and three-quarters of my back pain went away completely.”
Five years later, Chuck returned to Dr. Klotz’s orthopedics practice because his other hip was starting to give him a problem.
“I knew I had to something with it, but it was just a question of getting it done,” Chuck said. “I didn’t put it off as long as I did my first one.”
“Many of our patients have had more than one joint replacement,” Dr. Klotz said. “Often when they’ve had a first joint replacement that’s been quite successful, they become very motivated to have other painful arthritic joints replaced because they understand the impact it can have on their life.”
“Being a golfer, I am amazed at how much better I can pivot during my golf swing,” Chuck said. “I’m actually driving the ball at least 20 yards farther than I used to because I can pivot through the ball much better.”
“Without the hip replacements, I would hopefully still be golfing, but I know I wouldn’t be golfing as comfortably as I am right now and I doubt very much that I would be walking the golf course.”
“Some version of our golf league has existed for 50 years,” Chuck said. “Nobody’s ever had a hole-in-one in our league before. And I was lucky enough to get the first one.”
“Skill gets you hopefully on the green or somewhere near it. Luck makes the ball fall in the hole. I’m not going to pretend that I knew it was going to go there. I did a triple take when I looked into the cup. There was the ball laying in the bottom of the cup, and sure enough, it’s the first hole-in-one of my life and 56 years of playing golf!”
“There’s a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction and gratification at seeing patients take control of their lives again and be thrilled to be back to their desired activities,” Dr. Klotz said.
“My experience at Rochester Regional Health was excellent,” Chuck said. “Definitely the hip replacement has helped me.”
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