One Thousand. One. Zero. Zero. Zero. It’s an impressive figure, but more so when you’re talking about innovative and successful surgical techniques. In the case of Dr. Michael Crovetti , reaching the milestone of the 1,000th surgery at his Coronado Surgical Center and Recovery Suites this week – the importance of hitting that 4-digit number highlights two very important elements of his medical career: Credibility and perseverance.
Dr. Crovetti has spent a lot of time swimming against the tide, so to speak. As he relates, “In the beginning, there was a lot of pushback from medical and State regulatory agencies about creating this environment,” referring to his innovative surgical and recovery suites .”But I knew that it would increase the odds enormously for my patients – in surgical and recovery outcomes, costs, and overall health and quality of life.”
He continues, “There’s definitely power in numbers – and 1,000 makes a strong case for this approach to patient care.” Now, others in his field are taking a closer look, and he’s excited about that. “It’s not just ‘one thing’ that we’ve changed – it’s a team effort to put the patient’s needs first, and from that, everything else naturally falls into place. With our innovations and hands-on approach – healing and recovery time is shortened, infection rates are 1/10th of hospital averages, and patients get their lives back to normal faster. There are literally no drawbacks, and that is enormously satisfying.”
You’ll get no argument from Walt Hawkins on that score. As “Patient 1,000”, he’s in complete agreement that Dr. Crovetti and his methods completely hit the mark.
“The energy level here just makes you heal faster,” Walt remarks. Only hours after his surgery, he’s referring not only to Dr. Crovetti’s confidence and enthusiasm, but how that same attitude permeates throughout his entire team. “They clearly love what they do, and it shows.”
Walt didn’t come to Dr. Crovetti by chance. “I had been dealing with hip pain for 3-4 years already,” he reveals. Always active – whether biking, golfing or visiting the gym – the pain and loss of mechanical function were problems that loomed larger every day for him. “Because it happens gradually over time, you don’t realize the magnitude of change. But the day I couldn’t lean over to tie my left shoe was a turning point. I knew it was time to address it.”
While he knew of Dr. Crovetti by name and reputation, Walt still performed his due diligence. Interviewing several surgeons, he found some that seemed competent – but other things just didn’t ‘click.’ “I was looking for the right fit for me,” he explains. ” In my experience, the staff reflects the doctor, and I didn’t always like what I found in that regard. I was beginning to think maybe I was asking too much – but then I met Dr. Crovetti. I was immediately taken with his qualifications and confidence, and even more with his high energy and how he communicated with me. When I saw the same traits in his staff – that just sealed the deal.”
Recovering in his private suite, Walt is confident he made the right choice. “I was up and moving with the physical therapist after only 3 hours, and Dr. Crovetti has been here to check on me several times today. It’s really what I call a ’boutique surgical experience’ – personal and one-on-one. There’s just no comparison to my previous hospital surgeries. It’s a world of difference.”
Dr. Crovetti’s philosophy: “If you believe in what you’re doing and believe in great outcomes, then you should be talking about them . . . the complications, the failures, and the successes. Our record is an open-book; our studies show proven techniques and supported conclusions – confirmed by the Western Institutional Review Board. And 1,000 surgeries later, our patients are living proof of that, too.”
Once again, Walt concurs. After all, when your surgeon stops in 5 times a day, the physical therapist is on-call, and the nurse brings 6 menus from local restaurants to order in your meals from the comfort of your private recovery suite . . . who is he to argue with being treated like a rock star?