Rick D. Jones

“My new ankle is life-changing. I’ve had such marvelous results! If you are going to have a total ankle replacement, you can’t get a better surgeon than Dr. Koldenhoven!”

Gillette, Wyoming resident Rick Jones loves to hunt birds and elk. His passion for hunting even affects his choice of pet. Rick and his wife raise, train and show upland hunting dogs called Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, which occupies a lot of their time. Professionally, Rick is a heavy equipment operator.

As a young man, Rick was happy to have a carpentry job. Until the day he accidentally stepped off some scaffolding, fell off a building, and badly fractured his ankle. Rick had surgery to repair his ankle, and he felt pretty good for a while. “In my 20’s I played softball and hockey, but after I turned 30, the pain in my ankle starting becoming very uncomfortable. After a hard hockey game, I would have a difficult time walking for a week.” Rick sought treatment again and had an arthroscopic procedure on his ankle to “clean it up.” This helped for a couple of years, but then the pain returned with a vengeance. “If I was active and then sat down for a little while, I couldn’t get back up. The pain with the first couple steps was so bad it would bring tears to my eyes.” Rick knew he needed to take control of his life, so he started researching the internet.

“I found Dr. Koldenhoven online, and he had done so many successful total ankle replacements. It was very compelling. I scheduled an appointment and hoped I was a candidate for surgery.” Rick was relieved when Dr. Koldenhoven reviewed his x-rays and told him he was absolutely a good candidate for total ankle replacement. “I knew I liked him from the minute I met him. Dr. Koldenhoven is upfront, professional, and pleasant to visit with. He is swamped, but he took the time to answer my questions. At the end of every appointment, he would always ask me if I had any more questions, and I really appreciated that.”

Rick stayed overnight in the hospital. He used a wheelchair, a walker, and crutches for several weeks after surgery. He took pain medication for a few days and then switched to Tylenol. Rick also completed a round of physical therapy appointments to rehabilitate his new ankle.

Rick was bound and determined to return to work. To go back, he would need to pass a physically demanding fitness test that included carrying 50 pounds up a ladder, climbing multiple flights of stairs, and shoveling sand. Three months to the day after surgery, he was back on the job.

“My new ankle is life-changing. I’ve had such marvelous results! I wake up in the morning and can hardly believe it. After all those years of dealing with the pain, and now it’s totally gone! If you are going to have a total ankle replacement, you can’t get a better surgeon than Dr. Koldenhoven!” Rick is enjoying life again and is back to hiking and hunting. He can even keep up with the dogs now!