After suffering a fall on his icy driveway approximately 10 years ago, Michael Wirtz experienced years of shoulder pain before undergoing shoulder replacement surgery with Dr. Steven Chudik in April 2021. Over time, Michael also developed problems with his other shoulder, eventually requiring a second shoulder replacement in April 2024.
As a business owner, Michael was unable to take extended time away from work and continued working throughout both recoveries. While one shoulder recovered within six to seven months, the other took more than a year to fully improve.
Today, Michael is back to enjoying many of the activities he loves, including golfing and swimming. Having always maintained an active lifestyle through sports and exercise, he continues working to rebuild his upper-body strength.
After a positive experience with Dr. Chudik and his team during his first surgery, Michael felt confident returning for his second procedure. Reflecting on the care he received, Michael shared:
“I will say that all the staff is very professional and knowledgeable when seeing you as a patient, and they all take the time to listen when asking you questions. That to me is very important to the complete treatment of any patient.”
Michael also emphasizes the importance of following postoperative instructions and staying committed to rehabilitation. His advice to others facing a similar recovery is:
“My advice to anyone getting any kind of surgery is to LISTEN to what they tell you, and DO the rehab you’re told to do. And Not just do it at the rehab facility, but do it every day to get yourself back to where you need and want to be.”
— Michael R. Wirtz Jr., Dr. Chudik’s Patient