Class – that’s the way that Gerard Lee and his wife Dianne like to describe Dr. Jennifer Leighton following his hip replacement.
Gerard received an anterior hip replacement, a surgery that Dr. Leighton is the only surgeon in the province completing. Dianne describes it best, saying “it’s more complex for the Doctor, but it’s
easier on the patient and bottom-line that’s who they are looking out for. A lot of people can’t believe
that he had this done and was able to walk out of the Hospital.”
Gerard thought for years that he had issues with his back, causing him pain and distorting his posture. This extreme pain eventually led him to consult medical professionals and discover that it was
actually his hip that was causing him the issues.
“I had severe arthritis and pain every day before the good doctor Jennifer Leighton did my hip replacement. Now I am pain-free, and I can walk straight up. Before I used to walk with a hunch. I
had pain going in, and my hip was bad. I came out of the surgery pain-free. I used a walker for about
a week and the cane for maybe three weeks, and now I’m walking pain-free without any assistance.
It’s life-changing for me.”
The care he received at the Dartmouth General Hospital extends beyond the medical care. Gerard
was impressed with the personal touches he and his family received.
“The staff at Dartmouth General are exceptional and very professional. Dr. Leighton explained the
procedure to me from start to finish. Her bedside manner was wonderful, she’s unbelievable. I know
she’s an outstanding doctor. She actually called my wife and my son after the surgery which I thought
was class.”
Now, Gerard is able to get back to what he loves, like golfing and taking walks with his wife. He likes
to joke that “I guess one leg was shorter than the other, so I went in 5’7” and came out 6’2”!”
Amazing care like this is standard at the Dartmouth General Hospital, and we are always looking for
ways to make patient experiences easier, and how we can innovate to best serve the people in our
community.
One of these innovations is an Orthopedic Robot the DGH Foundation is currently fundraising for.
This robot will allow a greater degree of precision when conducting orthopedic surgeries, and result
in fewer corrective or adjustment surgeries for patients in the future.
“Please donate if you can. I consider my surgery a 100% success, if the robot can make things even
more precise, and I could feel even better than this, that would be remarkable.”
