Patient Stories

Patient Stories

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  • Featured Story

    Nurse Becomes First Patient of Hoag’s Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss Program

    The weight gain happened slowly, following a back injury that benched the soccer-loving Lori Zaccari at the age of 31. Then health issues started to creep in – rising cholesterol levels and blood pressure, borderline diabetes. By the time Lori Zaccari was 44, her appearance and health had undergone a troubling transformation. She stopped posing … Read More

  • Neuroscience

    Nurse ‘Navigates’ Her Father to Pain-Free Living

    When Charlotte Davis’s dad complained about his back, the Hoag Spine Center nurse navigator knew two things: 1. The pain must be really bad for her active father to mention it and 2. Burak Ozgur, M.D., would be able to help. “We were at dinner, and I told her I was scared to death of … Read More

  • Surgery

    Rapid Recovery From Joint Replacement Surgery

    Hip pain can often discourage people from pursuing their daily activities, as well as stop them from enjoying favorite pastimes. Fear of surgery and the unknown can also be significant deterrents to getting a needed joint replacement procedure. Surgery to treat hip pain has often been assumed to be a long, painful route for relief. … Read More