After Meeting Shoulder Surgeon Dr. Bruce Steinberg, Connie Lahey Rennie Has Regained Full Functionality of Her Arm and Has No Pain
Retired educator Connie Lahey Rennie describes herself as a “type-A personality” who has been treated by Bruce Steinberg, M.D., for three different problems at various times: numbness and tingling of her hands, a broken left wrist, and pain and weakness of her right shoulder. Mrs. Rennie believes that her active lifestyle, which includes intense exercise such as running, Pilates and weight training, has contributed to some of her injuries. During her workouts she always pushes her body to do more. However, after suffering these injuries, her quality of life was greatly diminished. “It got to the point where enjoying simple pleasures, such as a steak dinner out with friends, was impossible.”
Over the years, Mrs. Rennie has undergone multiple procedures, including a right-sided endoscopic carpal tunnel release and surgery for a left wrist comminuted fracture. In each case she followed Dr. Steinberg’s post-operative instructions, recovered quickly, and was able to get back to her normal active lifestyle.
Mrs. Rennie’s most recent surgery for a tear of the right shoulder rotator cuff was preceded by pain and loss of function. “There was no specific point to which I could attach a place and time to the injury, but I consider it a pretty good guess that it was in the gym, lifting from a weight machine. Eventually, I could only raise my arm about a quarter of the way. I had to use my left hand to put the right arm in various positions.” Finding a comfortable sleeping position was difficult. Mrs. Rennie blamed the situation on overwork and thought that rest and limiting exercise would help. After about a month she realized that she was not improving and scheduled a consultation with Dr. Steinberg.
Upon examination and testing, Dr. Steinberg diagnosed a rotator cuff tear and performed a right shoulder arthroscopy. As with Mrs. Rennie’s other surgeries, her improvement did not end in the operating room. She undertook a ten-week course of physical therapy and credits the extraordinary rehabilitation division of JOI for her complete recovery. Her therapist was committed to helping her to achieve maximum usage of and comfort for her shoulder. Mrs. Rennie admits that she wanted to do more and push herself harder, but her therapist guided her at a constant and appropriate rate that led to yet another successful outcome. At this point, Mrs. Rennie has regained full functionality of her arm and has no pain. She can now sleep in any position, including on her back. “This has been a life saver in disguise as I have developed sleep apnea, and it is best for me to sleep this way.”
“Dr. Steinberg’s ability to take a human body part and put it back into working order is well documented. I understand he has been called upon to teach other surgeons, which speaks volumes.” In fact, Dr. Steinberg was recently selected to serve as a Master Instructor in shoulder arthroscopy, where he teaches advanced arthroscopic techniques to orthopedic surgeons from around the world at the prestigious Orthopaedic Learning Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
As an individual dedicated to fitness who wants to understand how her body works, Mrs. Rennie appreciates that Dr. Steinberg has consistently been forthright in their conversations. She always understood what would occur with her surgeries and what would be required for her recovery. “He is not condescending, but speaks straight forward with all the facts.” Furthermore, Mrs. Rennie feels that Dr. Steinberg is attuned to what she required as a patient. “He is sympathetic to the needs of the individual and exhibits a delightful sense of humor. I cannot imagine that my three operations and consequent recoveries would have been the same with another surgeon. I have joined the ranks of many, many people who are thankful to Dr. Steinberg and his dedicated staff.”
– Connie Lahey Rennie