Hemophiliac’s Knee Pain Led Her to Dr. LaButti

In a long list of orthopedic surgeons that hemophiliac Kortney Breshears visited, Dr. LaButti was the first able to treat her.

Kortney Breshears had difficulty finding an orthopedic surgeon who was comfortable treating her due to her ­hemophilia, until being referred to Dr. LaButti.

Kortney Breshears, 19, of Antlers, Oklahoma, has ­hemophilia, a blood clotting ­disorder. In July of 2010, she ­dislocated her right kneecap. “I first saw an orthopedist in McAlester, but because I had hemophilia, he was afraid to touch me,” Kortney says. “He told me that since surgery was not required, I could live with a crooked knee.”

Nearly a year later, Kortney was experiencing dislocations from even the slightest of ­movements. Kortney contacted her hematologist and was ­connected with an orthopedist in Oklahoma City. “This ­orthopedist wasn’t knowledgeable about hemophilia,” Kortney says. “She didn’t see anything wrong with my knee and didn’t know why I was experiencing pain. I did twelve weeks of ­physical therapy under her care, but without a lot of results. At that point, she wanted to do ­surgery to reconstruct the left side of my knee. I decided to look for another orthopedist.”

A clinic in Paris, Texas directed Kortney to a specialist in Dallas. Finally, a friend referred her to Dr. LaButti. “Dr. LaButti welcomed me and my hemophilia, which was a huge relief,” says Kortney. “At my first appointment, he had enough familiarity with hemophilia to ask me which deficiency I had. My comfort level rose, and although Dr. LaButti hadn’t worked with a hemophiliac before, he welcomed the ­challenge.”

Dr. LaButti identified the problem with her knee ­immediately, Kortney says. “My knee was not tracking correctly because my kneecap was out of place. He also discovered laxity in my ligaments that was adding to the problem.”

They discussed therapy and how it hadn’t worked, then ­elected to do surgery.
Dr. LaButti worked with Kortney’s hematologist to create a treatment plan to control Kortney’s bleeding before, ­during and after surgery. In September, 2011, Kortney underwent a tibial tubercle osteotomy. Kortney’s tibia was shaved near the joint, the shaved piece was moved and fastened with two screws, her kneecap was moved to align correctly, and the laxity in her ligaments was alleviated.

“I was very concerned because this was my first surgery, but Dr. LaButti was great at calming my fears,” Kortney says. “He worked closely with me and let me call any time I had a ­question, no matter how silly it was. And he explained the ­procedure so well.”

Prior to the surgery, Kortney had experienced ­arthritis pain and grinding in the knee. “A few days after surgery, I began to feel less pain than I had before the surgery. I spent almost ten weeks with my leg in extension. Every time I visited Dr. LaButti, the staff was so encouraging, which really helped me get through it. Getting out of my brace felt like my greatest accomplishment.”

Kortney has finished her recovery, and says her experience with Dr. LaButti was entirely positive. “My knee has healed completely, with no problems and very little pain throughout the process. I have very little arthritis pain now and no ­grinding. My physical therapist was impressed with how well aligned it was and how much better I was already walking.
He says he’ll recommend
Dr. LaButti to any of his patients who need a great orthopedist.”

For more information on Dr. LaButti or knee or hip replacement surgery, visit www.hipandkneedoc.com.

For more information, contact

Dr. Ronald S. LaButti

www.hipandkneedoc.com