By: Sheryl Sowell | Category: Health & Fitness | Issue: February 2010
Billie Stone of Coweta says that her total hip replacement was successful thanks to her “wonderful” surgeon, Dr. Ronald S. LaButti.
Billie Stone is living her life to the fullest as a retiree in Coweta, Oklahoma. But things were not always so great for Billie. For several long months, she felt a constant, unbearable pain in her hip. She visited her son, a chiropractor in Poteau, but the problem had become too large. Billie made an appointment with her primary care physician, who recommended she call Dr. Ronald S. LaButti, orthopedic surgeon with Central States Orthopedic Specialists. When asked to describe Dr. LaButti, Billie uses one word again and again – “wonderful.”
“Dr. LaButti is a wonderful surgeon,” says Billie. “I was amazed at how thorough he is. He made 100 percent sure I was healthy enough for the surgery. I recovered from breast cancer, and when Dr. LaButti found a suspicious spot, he ordered a complete bone scan. I also have an irregular heartbeat, and he had me get a cardiogram before approving to do the surgery. Everyone I saw had only the best things to say about him.”
Billie had her total hip replacement surgery in September, 2009. “I was so excited, because my hip was always hurting, and it was a searing pain. It felt like a hot iron on my hip. After the operation, the pain was completely gone.” Billie spent three days in the hospital, and Dr. LaButti came in to check on her every day. “He would check my chart, but he would also ask me how I was doing. I have never heard of a doctor doing anything like that. It was wonderful!”
At her three-month checkup, Billie’s recovery was right on track, and she no longer needed to use a walker. “Soon after I started using a cane, I could walk on my own again. Now, six months later, I can walk, take stairs and lie down on my hip without it hurting.”
Billie says she would highly recommend Dr. LaButti to anyone in need of an orthopedic surgeon. “Dr. LaButti is truly a professional. He doesn’t use a lot of flowery language – he explains to you exactly what you need to know and what you need to do, before and after, to have a successful operation.”
“When I was in high school,” Billie says, “everyone around me wanted to do one thing, but I thought that would be too boring; I wanted to do everything!” And she has come very close to achieving that goal. Billie’s career included being an elementary school teacher, and she worked for an airline company, giving bus tours of attractions in the United States and Europe. “I’ve enjoyed all the work I have done. I was lucky; I got paid for doing what I love – talking and entertaining,” she laughs. Retired since 1996, Billie now enjoys spending her time playing the piano (“by ear”) and singing with two choral groups.
Billie Stone’s experience with Dr. LaButti was “wonderful,” and she believes that if you’re in a similar situation, yours would be wonderful as well. Dr. LaButti is fellowship trained in total joint replacement and reconstruction. To learn more, go online to www.hipandkneedoc.com.
Sheryl Sowell was born and raised in Tulsa, OK. She graduated from Will Rogers High School and received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Northeastern State University in 2007. She has worked for Value News as editor, writer and advertising copywriter since 2008. She enjoys meeting and interviewing people for Value News articles, learning about their backgrounds, and helping to promote their businesses and local events. In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new recipes and crafts from Pinterest, attending concerts and sporting events, and spending time with family and friends. Sheryl lives in Tulsa with her fiancé Paul, their daughter Scarlett, and their two dogs, Gunner and Boo.
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