From Double Shoulder Surgery to Double-Digit Goals: Hockey Player's Recovery
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Lyn Photography
Hockey players are tough, so it was telling when Myles Hilman found himself thinking, “Oh, that’s not good.”
Hilman was working toward his future and had responsibilities on the ice, so he chose to continue playing. His symptoms came and went until they finally reached a crescendo at the end of this 2022-23 season with the Waterloo Black Hawks.
Eventually, it become too much. Hilman was sent to Rafael Serrano, MD, at UnityPoint Clinic Orthopedics in Waterloo. A sports medicine expert, Dr. Serrano also serves as the team’s orthopedic surgeon.
Hilman had suffered several dislocations between both of his shoulders over the course of a year. With Dr. Serrano’s help, he managed the pain and helped the Black Hawks finish a strong season.
Surgery After Multiple Shoulder Dislocations
Finally, Hilman had his labrum arthroscopically repaired in each shoulder. He then did three months of physical therapy, which beat the original timeline. With help from the Black Hawks’ athletic trainer Todd Klein and strength and conditioning coach Spenser Popinga, Hilman was back on the ice for the Black Hawks by October without any lingering issues. Through last week, the forward had a healthy total of 10 goals and five assists.
Surgery went well, but that wasn’t what made the biggest impression on Hilman. Instead, it was Dr. Serrano’s flexibility to help him finish the season.
“Towards the end of last year, I knew something was really wrong, but we had a really good team, and we were going to make a good playoff push,” Hilman says. “I wanted to be a part of that. So, I didn’t want to do surgery and miss out. (Dr. Serrano) was like, ‘You’re not going to make it much worse, and we can give you an injection to get through the year.’
Accelerated Physical Therapy Gets Hockey Player Back on the Ice
“I was super impressed with how willing he was to work with me. He understands that I’m an athlete, he gets it. He used to work with the Penguins and Steelers and stuff, too, so he’s kind of been there and knows you can push your body a bit more when you’re younger and you heal a little quicker.”
When the season ended, Hilman had surgery the next day, and the second shoulder was repaired six weeks later. He then ramped up with three months of meticulous physical therapy aimed at regaining range of motion and increasing strength. He started with skating, then began hitting a puck before joining his teammates for non-contact practice.
“He is a true athlete,” Dr. Serrano says. “He worked really hard to get back. He was able to cut down, in a safe manner, every single phase of his rehab to return to play sooner. We had aimed for four months after the second surgery. It ended up being three.”
Sports Medicine Expertise Leads to Speedy Recovery
“I’m thankful for Dr. Serrano for just being a phenomenal human,” Hilman says. “He’s a great surgeon, too. My shoulder has never felt better. But the big thing is he’s just such an approachable guy. He’s at our games telling us to see him between periods, was always checking up on how I’m doing, asking about the family."
“In our sports medicine clinic, we take care of every single part of the puzzle,” Dr. Serrano says. “We understand the importance of prompt diagnosis, a treatment plan and execution of that plan to safely bring the athlete to their pre-injury level as quickly and safe as possible.”