Delaney was training for the Pittsburgh Marathon in early 2023 when she noticed a worsening pain in the front of her hip.
“It was getting increasingly worse with every run,” she says.
When the pain became severe, Delaney visited multiple medical providers in the Pittsburgh region. She didn’t have luck initially, so she started researching hip specialists.
Her research led her to Craig Mauro, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and head of the Hip Preservation Program at UPMC Orthopaedic Care.
“When I read Dr. Mauro’s credentials, I knew I needed to see him,” Delaney says.
Delaney’s team of specialists at UPMC soon diagnosed her with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) with labral tears in her left and right hips.
This condition caused her bones to rub against each other during movement, resulting in pain and making it difficult for her to do something she loves — running.
Since that first visit in mid-2023, Delaney has had three hip surgeries with Dr. Mauro. She credits his “top-notch, knowledgeable surgical team” with quickly identifying the cause of her pain and working to fix it with no time wasted.
“That’s why I have gone back three times now to have hip surgeries,” she says. “I ended up going back after my first surgery since I started having similar pain in my other hip. He didn’t waste any time getting my workup done and discovering a new, underlying labral tear and scheduling me for surgery right away.
“They treated me like a person who was in real pain and took the time to find out what was causing the problem,” she adds.
Delaney participated in physical therapy before and after her surgeries at the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute as recommended by Dr. Mauro. She healed well each time.
“If it wasn’t for Dr. Mauro and his team, I would probably still be trying to fix my hips,” she says. “Running is a huge part of my life, and even though this is cliche, Dr. Mauro and every single person in his office gave me my life and freedom back.”
A Kind, Welcoming Experience
Hip injuries can be complex, but Delaney never felt alone during her journey.
“The staff at UPMC were incredible,” she says.
Delaney says her physical therapist, Michaela Golden Hughes, DPT, made her feel “genuinely supported” even before she met Dr. Mauro.
“Not only is she a running specialist, but she works hand in hand with Dr. Mauro’s patients,” she says. “While she was rehabbing me at my very first appointment, she knew I needed to be evaluated for possible surgery and sent me right to Dr. Mauro. She was the first to recognize that I needed more than just rehab.
“She never rushed my progress, even though I was healing quickly, and answered every single question I had about my rehab,” Delaney adds.
If Delaney could describe her time with UPMC in one word, it would be “easy.”
“They took all the guesswork out of it for me,” she says. “UPMC’s Hip Preservation Program knew exactly what I needed from my first phone call.”
Expert, Compassionate Orthopaedic Care
If you have hip problems — whether they’re congenital, developmental, sports-related, or post-traumatic — the Hip Preservation Program at UPMC Orthopaedic Care can help.
Our goal is to help you preserve your hips while making them function the best they can. We think holistically about hips and how they affect other areas of your body.
Doctors, surgeons, and therapists work together to help you understand your hip injury or condition, prevent further injury, and return to your active lifestyle.
The specialized team:
- Brings together top experts who treat active people of all ages with a broad range of hip disorders.
- Offers assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation for many hip conditions.
- Seeks to preserve the hip while optimizing its function.
The Hip Preservation Program team includes:
- General surgeons.
- Orthopaedic surgeons.
- Physician assistants.
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians.
- Physical therapists.
- Primary care sports medicine physicians.
- Radiologists.
- Rheumatologists.
Call 412-784-5770 to make an appointment at the specialized Hip Preservation Program in Pittsburgh.