• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search magnifying glass icon
Close Search X icon
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
0096 Greergattuso Ochsner Saints

Patient Story: Athlete on the Move Again After a Hip Arthroscopy

May 24, 2017 |
By Misty Suri, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Diagnosed at birth with sickle cell disease—a hereditary condition affecting the red blood cells—Shawn Smith learned at an early age how to live with limits.

“You really have to watch yourself,” says Smith, 18, whose symptoms included dizziness, exhaustion and pain. “I loved to play sports, but I had to pace myself.”

Sample Photo

Need an Orthopedic Surgeon?

Schedule an appointment with Dr. Misty Suri or another Ochsner specialist today!

The New Orleans resident explored his passion for a variety of athletics, playing quarterback (“I’ve got a great arm!” he says) and other positions that didn’t require him to run too much. In his freshman year of high school, Smith hurt his leg during a baseball game, but given his increased tolerance for pain, he says he didn’t think anything of it. His physical state worsened over the next two years, however—and leg pain, fatigue and decreased mobility finally sent him to his doctors at Ochsner in 2015.

Smith’s injury had resulted in reduced blood circulation to his leg and deterioration of his hip joint. His orthopedic specialist referred him to Dr. Misty Suri, Senior Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at the Ochsner Sports Medicine Institute.

“Dr. Suri was great to talk to,” Smith says. “He got to know how I was feeling, answered my questions and made decisions based on my needs. It’s wonderful to have such personal care.” Dr. Suri ultimately performed a hip arthroscopy, which was followed by six months of physical therapy at Ochsner Hospital – Elmwood. In September 2016, Dr. Suri performed an arthroscopic surgical femoroplasty and labral repair, a specialized operation that involved reshaping the malformed femoral head of the hip joint.

An expert in advanced orthopedic procedures, Dr. Suri is world renowned in his field. His fellowship training with leading sports surgeon Dr. Richard J. Hawkins at the prestigious Steadman Hawkins Clinic of the Carolinas, as well as other international study fellowship opportunities, gave him the knowledge and experience to perform these complicated surgeries. “When you have been fortunate enough to have been trained by the best in the world, you get to offer that expertise to your patients,” says Dr. Suri. “It’s very valuable for patients and sets us apart here at Ochsner.”

For his part, Smith credits all the members of his care team for the exceptional treatment he received. “It’s a cool environment at Ochsner. You can talk to the doctors in a relaxed way, but we always get down to business,” he says. “They don’t say things just to make you feel better; they tell you the truth, and that makes me feel better.”

“Our patients receive the best care on the planet,” says Dr. Suri. “That goes from surgical and nonsurgical care to physical therapy as well. Here, it is always a team effort.”

Although Smith had to miss some of his senior year of high school recovering from the hip arthroscopy, he graduated and is now majoring in accounting at Southern University at New Orleans.

“I’ve always felt that you have to make the best of the hand you’ve been dealt,” Smith says. “This was just another hurdle I had to get over to achieve my goals and make myself even stronger.”

Tags
hips

You may also be interested in:

Thinkstockphotos 519369740 Sports Nutrition
Food & Fitness
August 9, 2022

Nutrition for Sports Performance

Saints Director of Nutrition Jamie Meeks breaks down 8 essentials of sports nutrition.
By Jamie M. Meeks, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN
Doctor Pointing At Acupoints On Human Model
Food & Fitness
August 9, 2022

New Study to Help Treat Pain in Football Players

Keeping professional football players healthy and in the game is an area of key focus for coaches and their trainers. But in the physically demanding game of football, injuries are very common.

email envelop icon Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok

Healthy living tips newsletters, delivered to your inbox.

Sign Up

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

newsletter icon

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

newsletter icon

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition
newsletter icon

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:
newsletter icon

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
magnifying glass icon
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide