Knee Surgery Gets UNI Athlete Back on Track, Pain-Free
A second opinion gave Kaylin Lacher a second chance to make a good impression. Kaylin’s lingering hip injury resolved in time for spring season. And the result was pure joy.
Hip Problems Trigger Knee Pain While Running
Lacher, a member of the University of Northern Iowa’s track team struggled with hip issues, and overcompensation during training led to knee pain her freshman year.
“It was really, really hard,” says Lacher, now a junior. “You know, I think I fell out of love with the sport for a little bit just because I was running in pain and not performing well or being able to travel with teammates. That's a big part of the sport.”
Her mother encouraged her to get a second opinion, so Lacher connected with Rafael Serrano, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at UnityPoint Clinic Orthopedics – United Medical Park.
Second Opinion Leads to Surgery
Lacher’s road to redemption started where she first blew a flat. Mired in a frustrating sophomore year, she continued to work with athletic trainers until seeking the second opinion.
“Dr. Serrano took X-rays and said surgery was an option,” Lacher recalls. “He gave me a couple options to choose from. We decided to go with the less invasive one, and it wound up working.”
“We did a chondroplasty, which is a procedure to replace nonviable cartilage,” explains Dr. Serrano. “Along with that, we performed a microfracture of her kneecap to allow her body to stimulate new cartilage growth.”
Melissa Stueve, MS, LAT, ATC, who worked with UNI’s track and field team and Lacher previously, had since transitioned to Dr. Serrano’s office. She attended Lacher’s post-operative appointments and served as a liaison between Dr. Serrano and the UNI athletic trainers.
Life After Chondroplasty, Microfracture Knee Surgery
Lacher worked hard after surgery to regain her muscle. Rehab consisted of a lot of stationary cycling and hydro-works (an underwater treadmill at UNI). She returned to running on ground in August and was able to do some modified training in the fall. Finally, in November, Lacher started putting together good workouts and coaches noted she wasn’t limp running anymore.
“Up until then, I didn't know if the surgery and rehab had really worked,” she says. “But once I started stacking up those good workouts and could walk away basically pain-free, then I was like, ‘OK, I think this was a success.”
Full Recovery, New Personal Best
Less than a year later, Lacher is hitting her stride again and rolling into the outdoor season pain-free. In February, she posted the eighth-fastest mile in the history UNI women’s track and field and her personal-best 4:55.87 time clocked in Ames, Iowa.“My teammates and coaches ran up to me and gave me hugs,” Lacher says with a big smile while remembering how she broke a 5-minute mile at the Iowa State Classic. “It was just a long road, because for so long I kind of convinced myself I wasn't good anymore. I didn't think I'd ever be that competitive anymore. So, it was just such a surreal and grateful feeling to be able to run good times again.”
Comprehensive Athletic Care at UnityPoint
Her story also underscores the importance of seeking a second opinion. Dr. Serrano estimates half of the patients he sees are seeking second opinions.“Dr. Serrano was just awesome,” Lacher says with a smile. “I think it’s just the way he explains it to you. You could tell he's so knowledgeable, and yet he kind of puts it in a way for you to understand. And I'm from Arizona, and so being here and having to make all these decisions by myself was a little scary.
“He was so great about reaching out to my mom and just making sure she was in the loop and always checking in to see how I was doing. That showed that he cared.”
“Getting back to sports – and to an even greater level – is truly remarkable and could have not been achieved without the help of certified athletic trainers, therapists and coaches,” says Dr. Serrano.
“Knowing the adversity Kaylin has gone through in her colligate athletic career, I’m very happy she was able to recover from surgery and compete again at a high level,” says Stueve. “I couldn't be happier for Kaylin for finding that love and passion for running again.”