WYOS Surgeon Strives To Educate Patients On All Their Options

Sixty-year-old Dan Holden has played hard his whole life. From football and basketball when he was younger to riding horses and working hard day-to-day, he’s maintained an active lifestyle—something he says his body is now paying for.

“My body took a beating,” Dan said. “Five years ago, I got to the point my left knee wasn’t working well anymore.”

So, Dan sought out the professionals at Wyoming Orthopedics & Spine (WYOS) and board certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. Stanford Israelsen. Even during the first appointment, Dan knew he had made a good choice for knee surgery.

“He’s a very quiet guy and treats you like a person, and not a number,” Dan said. “His office manner is very cordial.”

Most importantly, Dr. Israelsen took the time to answer all of Dan’s questions and address any of his concerns.

“He’s very knowledgeable and straightforward with you,” Dan said. “He’s very informative and I like that about him. He just goes above and beyond.”

Dr. Israelsen said it’s an important part of his practice to make sure patients understand their options, and especially if that means surgery, that they have all the information they need about the procedure and recovery.

“I really want to educate the patients on their condition,” said Dr. Israelsen. “I want to meet or exceed my and their expectations.”

Dan’s knee surgery four years ago went well and when Dan started having problems with his other knee, there was only one doctor he wanted to see–Dr. Israelsen.

“Recovery has been good and really successful,” Dan said. “Eight weeks out and I was doing just about everything I wanted to do.”

Now that Dan is on the road to recovery, his wife Jacque is working with Dr. Israelsen on her knee pain. Unlike Dan’s prognosis that surgery would provide the best outcome, her diagnosis and treatment is a little different.

“He’s got her doing physical therapy right now because nothing showed up on the x-ray and MRI,” Dan said. “Dr. Israelsen doesn’t just jump to surgery.”

While it’s not yet determined what the treatment plan will be for Jacque going forward, Dan says he knows she’s in good hands with Dr. Israelsen.

“He’s just a good doctor,” Dan said. “I’m in good shape because of him.”

Expert Orthopedic & Spine Care In Gillette, Wyoming

Dr. Stanford Israelsen is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Wyoming Orthopedics & Spine in Gillette, Wyoming. The physicians at WYOS take an innovative and comprehensive approach to the treatment of acute and chronic orthopedic pain. Have your procedure in our modern operating rooms at Campbell County Memorial Hospital or Powder River Surgery Center.

For a consultation, call 307.686.1413 or visit www.wyomingorthospine.com.

Article written by Kim Phagan-Hansel, Wyoming freelance writer