Patient Stories
Sutter Orthopaedic Institute
Alan – Finally Finding a Doctor Who Could Help
Jill* knew something was wrong. Despite two doctors who called it “growing pain”, Jill was certain her son needed specialty medical care for his ankle. “It’s not right to see your 10-year-old walking like an old man. His pediatrician and an orthopedic doctor both chalked it up to something that would pass,” Jill said. “We lived with it for a few years. But when it got worse, I demanded to be referred to an orthopedic pediatrician. That’s how we met Dr. Rubin.”
Thankfully, Dr. Roy Rubin with Sutter Orthopaedic Institute was able to quickly diagnose Jill’s son, Alan*, and come up with a treatment plan. “I couldn’t believe it,” Jill said. “Dr. Rubin guessed Alan had Tarsal Coalition within five minutes of meeting him. He sent Alan for an MRI and that confirmed he was right.”
Tarsal Coalition is a rare condition in which the tarsal bones in the foot are abnormally fused together – preventing normal movement and causing pain. Present since Alan was a baby, this condition became worse as he grew and his bones became bigger.
Dr. Rubin performed surgery on Alan’s foot at Sutter Davis Hospital. The operation was a success. “The people at Sutter Davis were excellent,” Jill said. “Everyone was so nice and very caring.” Alan was able to go home to recuperate the day of his surgery, but he had a significant recovery period in front of him.
For seven weeks, Alan had to use crutches. After that, he was in a walking cast for three weeks. “It was hard on him,” Jill said. “He is very active and plays sports, even though his foot bothered him.” Today, five months after the surgery, Alan is back to competing on his swim team. “Even though he wants to, I’m not going to let him play soccer for a few more months,” Jill says. “He should be 100 percent better by then. And both of us can’t wait for that day!”
Jill is thrilled that Alan’s foot problem will soon be in his past, and she is grateful to Dr. Rubin for diagnosing and helping him. “I just wish we had found Dr. Rubin earlier,” she says. “I hope by telling our story that Tarsal Coalition becomes more easily recognized, so others don’t suffer for as long as Alan did. And I hope they are lucky enough to find a specialist as wonderful as Dr. Rubin.”
*names changed to protect family privacy