August 1, 2012

After traumatic injury, farmer can return to work

Patient Stories | Trauma

When we zip through drive-thrus, sit down for a family meal or enjoy a snack while at work, we often only think of the immediacy of obtaining our food and neglect to reflect where it came from and who made it possible for us to eat. We owe much of our gratitude to farmer’s like OrthoIndy patient, Jack Maloney.

Jack is a fourth generation farmer from Brownsburg, Indiana. He grew up on a farm and wanted his future to be at the farm as well. He is a man that values hard work and understands that his job doesn’t only impact him, but hundreds of people in his community.

Jack is very cautious and safe when operating his machinery. However, he was performing a routine clean on a screw conveyor one day when co-workers accidentally triggered the machine to power. Horror rushed through Jack and he screamed instantly indicating a traumatic injury occurred. He ordered his co-workers, one being his son, to call 911 and to call his wife because he immediately needed to get to a hospital.

Shoulder surgery

OrthoIndy physician, Dr. Timothy Weber, saw Jack to evaluate his traumatic situation. There was a chance that Jack would need his entire arm removed but, with the help of the OrthoIndy’s team, Jack had an amputation to rebuild his arm just below the elbow.

“In the world of prosthetics, having an elbow is huge,” said Jack.

OrthoIndy physician, Dr. Scott Linter, also helped Jack by performing shoulder surgery to repair what had been severely damaged. Jack was humbled by the OrthoIndy physicians and knew his life was in good hands.

“My physicians’ backgrounds and expertise is just unbelievable. I think I’m good at what I do, but these guys… I haven’t got a clue!” said Jack.

Recovering from a traumatic injury

Jack, being very self-motivated and dedicated to what he does, had one primary focus: to return to work.

With the help of modern medicine and surgery, Jack was able to use a prosthetic arm. He also participated in an intense rehabilitation program at OrthoIndy to start the process of returning to his lifestyle.  Without the care he received, he wouldn’t be back at his trade.

“The team at OrthoIndy  was a major part of my recovery and one of the major reasons I’m back at work today,” said Jack.

Learn more about hand, wrist and elbow treatment at OrthoIndy.

Schedule an appointment

Your well-being is important to us. Click the button below or call us to schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic specialists. If your injury or condition is recent, you can walk right into one of our OrthoIndy Urgent Care locations for immediate care. For rehabilitation and physical therapy, no referral is needed to see one of our physical therapists.

Schedule an Appointment Call OrthoIndy 317.802.2000

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