Patient Stories

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Basilar Thumb Arthritis - Susan Kurtz - January 2015

Back in 2000, I worked at a newspaper and was keyboarding almost 8 hours a day. My fingers starting tingling and then my thumb lost all its strength. I had carpal tunnel surgery and what I called ‘thumb reconstruction’. My hand, wrist and lower arm was in a hard cast for 8 full weeks. It took over a year for the hypersensitivity of my skin to abate so I could even put lotion on! Fast forward to October, 2014 and that same thumb started hurting again. After wearing a thumb spica for a few months, I realized it just wasn’t going to get better and I was referred to Dr. Izadi - ‘Hand Specialist.’ 

Dr. Izadi performed my thumb surgery on January 29, 2015 and on April 24, 2015; I had my final visit with him. This surgical experience was totally different from my first. Dr. Izadi removed bone fragments that were affecting my mobility, did a new attachment between my forefinger and thumb (not sure what the medical term for this is), and also removed some arthritis. I was in a full cast for only two weeks, and then put into a custom made removable long cast and allowed to wash my thumb in warm water and massage it daily. It felt so good to give comfort and attention to my scar! Two weeks later, another cast was made that was basically just a thumb cast and I had the freedom to start flexing my wrist and also began seeing an occupational therapist twice a week. I looked forward to the paraffin hand baths and gentle massages along with helpful exercises. I NEVER experienced any of the hypersensitivity I had before and this whole experience from beginning to end could almost be called pleasant.

My thumb is almost as good as new. I’m still working to strengthen my thumb muscles and I wear my little brace on busy keyboarding days. It’s been a total of 3 months and outside of paying attention to how I am using it, I am thrilled with the results. I highly recommend Dr. Izadi and his team of ‘hand’ professionals.
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Distal Radius Fracture - Jo Ellen Leifert - August 2014

While playing basketball with my grandsons in Kansas, I took a hard fall and ended up in the emergency room with a compression fracture of the lower back and a radial fracture in my left wrist. Not a happy day! I was advised to see an orthopedist when I returned to Omaha the next day and luckily Dr. Izadi fit me in. He put a cast on my wrist, but a week later it was determined that I would need surgery and a plate to stabilize the fracture. Dr. Izadi and his staff were so kind, professional and competent. Surgery for me is never fun, but thanks to the nursing staff my overnight stay at Health West was as pleasant as could be expected. And now, less than three months later, thanks to Dr. Izadi's expertise and several P.T. sessions with "Beth" my wrist is totally pain-free and I am able to do all the things I could do before. I can garden, bake and decorate cookies, and play the piano. I will probably not be playing basketball if I can get out of it, though. Thank you, Dr. Izadi. You are amazing. I really never thought my wrist would look or feel this great.

Carpal Tunnel - Kevin Pederson - April 2014

I am a jazz keyboard player and after 35 years of playing, the dreaded carpel tunnel decided to make an appearance. It was so bad in both hands that it was waking me up at night and I could barely get through a musical piece without pain and numbing. I was recommended to go see Dr Izadi and boy am I glad I did. One week after the operation, I was back playing the piano again like I was 20 years old. It feels great to be pain free. Thank you Dr. Izadi and your great staff for giving me a second wind in my music. ​

Carpal Tunnel - Sharon Meegan - April 2014

The pain in my hands was so intense that it would wake me up several times in the night. I knew it was time to look into carpel tunnel surgery. I am so glad I found Dr. Izadi! Everything was clearly explained to me and all my questions were answered before each surgery. His nursing staff was extremely pleasant and helpful. I was fully awake during the surgeries and very comfortable. I am happy to say that today my hands feel like new. There is no numbness or tingling and no more sleepless nights. I would highly recommend Dr. Izadi to anyone. Thank you so much!

Carpal Tunnel - Jean Peckham - December 2013

After suffering with carpal tunnel syndrome for over 20 years, an article in the Methodist magazine, The Meaning of Care (Spring 2012) changed my life. It featured a story about Dr. Kayvon Izadi, at Methodist Physicians Clinic Orthopedics, performing carpal tunnel release surgery without anesthesia and completed in under one hour. I had been waiting a long time for someone to develop this procedure without anesthesia and here it was! It actually took me over a year to contact their office as I was caring for my father, who was a cancer patient, but that article stayed on my desk just waiting for its turn. This fall I saw Dr. Izadi and he confirmed I needed surgery for my now moderate carpal tunnel and both hands were completed within four weeks. No more wearing splints, tingling or pain! And the only medication I needed after the surgery was over the counter pain medication. What a change from my friends' surgeries - they couldn't believe that I was out to dinner with my husband two days after surgery with only a small bandage covering the incision. No post surgical splints; no ugly incisions or staples; no anesthesia or hospital stay. I can't say enough good things about Dr. Izadi, his staff and his surgical team. Thank you!

Elbow Fracture Dislocation - Mary Bissen - September 2013

I fell in Jamaica and dislocated my elbow and broke my radius head in 5 places. I saw Dr.Izadi on a Wed. morning as an emergency visit. He was very thorough, courteous and knowledgable. He was able to clear his schedule for the afternoon and perform the 4 hr surgery. The recovery, therapy and check-ups took 6 months. I am now completely recovered and have full use of my arm and elbow. There is no doubt in my mind I would not have had such success without Dr. Izadi's expertise.

Thumb Injury - Blair Floyd- August 2013

On June 4th, Dr. Izadi repaired my ulnar collateral ligament in my right hand. It was an older injury, so there was a risk that it would have to be reconstructed rather than repaired, but Dr. Izadi was able to repair it. (Which I was very thankful for!) I am a surgical tech and have worked with many different hand and orthopedic surgeons, including Dr. Izadi. When I found out that surgery was needed I didn't think twice about who I would have repair it. His work in surgery is phenomenal, along with his bedside manner. He truly cares about the outcomes on all of his patients and does everything he can to improve their quality of life.

Prior to my surgery, it was difficult for me to pick objects up that hardly had any weight to them at all, because my thumb would not support them and I would almost always drop them. It has now been 12 weeks since my surgery and I am returning to work full time tomorrow. I am able to pick up almost anything (unless it is very heavy) with no problems at all. I have been very pleased with Dr. Izadi and the work that he has done and would highly recommend him to anyone that needs a hand operation.

Carpal Tunnel - Linda Miller - March 2013

I had carpel tunnel surgery 2 wks ago. My left hand was numb, I waited too long. Dr Izadi asked if he could try something new, I said yes. He did the surgery, then put dissolvable stitches inside and glued the incision. I had normal restrictions, but was able to get it wet after 2 days. I had tenderness, but on the 2 week mark, my hand was back to what is supposed to be normal. A friend of mine had the same surgery done by Dr. Izadi at the first of the year, when I told her mine had been glued and how wonderful it was, her comment was I wish I would have had it done that way. I will need surgery on my right hand, I will not wait as long as I did with my left and Dr. Izadi will be the surgeon. I had a wonderful experience and wish I would have done it sooner. :)

Rotator Cuff Tear - Jeff Eckersley - February 2013

I was in a motorcycle accident on the interstate in August of 2012. I had a complete tear of rotator cuff as well as a complete tear of my bicep muscle. I thought I might not be able to return to work as a correction officer. Dr. Izadi repaired both. My incision looks great. Now 6 months later I feel no pain, like the accident never happened. Dr. Izadi explained everything and took the time to answer all of my questions. If I ever need another surgery I will go back to Dr. Izadi. Excellent staff and a excellent job done! Thank you for helping me!

Thumb Arthritis - Scott Wendel - January 2013 ​

I suffered for almost two years with arthritic pain in my left thumb. I tried a brace. I tried injection. Neither gave me relief. So I opted to undergo surgery with Dr. Izadi because of my intense trust in him as not only a doctor but as a medical professional who listens and cares. I had the surgery four months ago (August 2012), and I would do it again in a heartbeat. If in the future I need the same procedure on my right thumb, I wouldn't hesitate to have Dr. Izadi for the same procedure. If you're at the point where you can't button a button or zip up a zipper and are tired of the 24/7 chronic pain, you need to make an appointment.

Thumb Arthritis - Sarah Wurtz - January 2013

I had terrible pain in hand and thumb due to arthritis for many years. I finally had my thumb surgery on Aug 16, 2012. Best thing I ever did for myself! Now, I am able to help calving, drive semis, tractors and pickups without being in terrible pain. Although my hand often gets sore, it does not stop me from doing my work and daily chores. Thank you Dr. Izadi!

Rotator Cuff Tear - Dale Polak - January 2012

It has almost been 1-year since my rotator cuff repair surgery (February 22nd 2011). Surgery was the best thing I decided to do and it was a great success. I had very little pain, the pain was worse during PT. If you follow the PT's advice you will not even know you had a problem in the first place. I am back to bowling, golfing, and building with no pain or restrictions. Thank you for the great job you did Dr. Izadi. ​

Dupuytrens Disease - Dan Koziol - January 2012

I was refered to Dr. Izadi by my physician because my left pinky finger had a bump just above the palm of my hand. After Dr. Izadi gave it a look, he said it was called Dupuytren’s disease. My finger was curling inward toward my palm and wouldn't straighten out. He discussed the options with me very throughly. Together we decided that surgery was my best bet to repair the finger. Surgery only took 45 minutes and I had very little pain if not any. After some therapy (two days a week for four weeks) my finger is straight and working just fine. Dr Izadi did a remarkable job and would recommend him for any surgery. Nice job Doc!!!!

​​de Quervains Tendonitis - Nancy Paulsen - January 2012

I had tendonitis and Dr. Izadi did a fantastic job repairing years and years of wear and tear so that I could once again enjoy all the things I love to do, like quilting and getting on the computer, and working around the house. He was very professional and used humor and compassion when doing my surgery. I highly recommend him to anyone needing this type of surgery. Thank you Dr. Izadi for fixing my wrist. ​

Pregnancy Induced Carpal Tunnel - Rachel Beaudoin - December, 2011

Thank you so much for fixing my carpal tunnel during the 8th month of my pregnancy. I thought I would share with you the cause of it! We love him  so much! Thank you again for making it possible for me to enjoy my little love.

Ganglion Cyst - Dallas Morrison - October, 2011

I was referred to Dr. Izadi by my primary care physician for what he believed was a Ganglion Cyst (my primary Dr. also had this and was treated by Dr. Izadi) Dr. Izadi was able to get me in to see him the very next day and I had surgery the day after that. I was very reluctant to have surgery at first do to my job. I'm a UPS driver and I figured having wrist surgery would keep out of work for months. Dr. Izadi explained I would be back to work in 10 days with no restrictions. The surgery and recovery went great. I had no pain at all and was only in a splint for two days. I was back to work in 10 days and have absolutely no pain or loss of motion in my wrist. I can't recommend Dr. Izadi enough. He was the friendliest, most professional Dr. I've ever had. Thank you Dr. Izadi & staff.​

​Meghan and Troy A. - June 2011

​Hello. My name is Meghan A. My husband, Troy, and I are ranchers in south central Nebraska. I am going to share with you our amazing experience with Dr. Izadi. Our story began in late January 2010. Troy cut his hand on an auger as he was welding on a feed mixer, a piece of farming machinery used to deliver feed to our cattle.<br><br> 

Initially we believed he would need only stiches, but it was much worse as he severed the tendon that moves his right ring finger. The surgeon that did the first surgery was not Dr. Izadi, but did a great job sewing the tendons back together. However as the year went by, Troy developed a lot of scar tissue, which restricted the movement in his finger. He was having trouble with many common tasks ranchers do on a daily basis. Riding a horse and roping a calf proved difficult, as was using a tagger (a simple tool to put a tag in a calf’s ear for identification purposes). His finger didn’t have a full range of motion and we were afraid he would get his finger caught when he was performing an easy task and a big accident would occur.

Our first impression of Dr. Izadi was one of complete satisfaction in knowing that this doctor was not only a great physician, but one with great compassion. He came into the room acknowledging my husband and I as though we were close and dear friends. We have never had such a "connection" with a doctor.

Troy had two surgeries performed by Dr. Izadi. The first was in late December 2010 and the second in February 2011. The first surgery went really well. Dr. Izadi spent nearly 5 hours working on Troy’s hand. After having limited use of his finger for nearly 7 months, a massive amount of scar tissue needed to be removed. Troy’s finger healed up remarkably well. We were so thrilled when he had a full range of motion after the surgery! Unfortunately the tendon broke about 5 weeks after surgery. We were absolutely heartbroken.

Modern medicine gives patients so many options to fix injuries. Dr. Izadi explained what our options were and he assured us he was dedicated to fixing Troy’s hand so he would have full use. Troy and I went into the second surgery prepared to handle whatever God gave us. Unfortunately it wasn’t what we expected and Dr. Izadi and I made the tough decision to amputate his finger. Troy and I had discussed several scenarios in the week before surgery. We decided for the sake of getting through calving, branding calves and everything Mother Nature throws at farmers and ranchers during the spring months, that if his finger couldn’t be fixed in this surgery, to go ahead and amputate his finger. There aren’t many people like my husband. He would rather just have no finger, then have more surgeries and therapy appointments to get his hand 100% healed.

Amputating his finger was the best decision we made. Troy and I are so happy with Dr. Izadi and the wealth of information he gave us when we prepared to make that decision. There is a saying “God doesn’t give you what you can’t handle, he helps you handle what you are given.” I firmly believe this to be true. We have made the most of the situation and are so happy with Dr. Izadi and his staff.

I am attaching a few pictures of Troy working on our ranch just a few weeks after his surgery. He was so happy the finger that had been nagging him for the past year was no longer hindering his ability to do work around our ranch. Just simple tasks like saddling a horse were so much easier!

If you are checking this website and the patient testimonials because you are thinking of making an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, please do yourself a favor and call for an appointment to see Dr. Izadi. You won’t find another doctor in the Omaha area with whom you would have a better experience.

Sincerely,
Meghan and Troy A.