[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/08\/joanns-story-orthopaedics\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/08\/joanns-story-orthopaedics\/","headline":"Orthopaedic Expertise Close to Home: Joann\u2019s Story","name":"Orthopaedic Expertise Close to Home: Joann\u2019s Story","description":"

<\/p>","datePublished":"2025-08-19","dateModified":"2025-10-22","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","name":"UPMC Orthopaedic Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/orthopaedic-surgery\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-1989293229-e1755284521477.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-1989293229-e1755284521477.jpg","height":866,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/08\/joanns-story-orthopaedics\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Orthopaedics"],"wordCount":835,"articleBody":"Joann A., 68, of Kennedy, N.Y., had been feeling shoulder pain for more than two years when she realized she finally needed to do something about it.Daily tasks, such as carrying groceries and putting away dishes, were becoming too painful. Babysitting her grandchildren twice a week was proving difficult. She even needed to use a step stool just to lower her grandchild into the crib.\u201cThe pain got worse quickly,\u201d Joann says. \u201cI had to bend over to put on or take off a blouse. I had trouble sleeping and living \u2014 I couldn\u2019t do it anymore.\u201dAt first, Joann\u2019s primary care physician referred her to physical therapy (PT) sessions. After months of PT, however, her condition wasn\u2019t improving as much as they\u2019d hoped. That\u2019s when shoulder replacement surgery came into the conversation.\u201cI did the max PT sessions, and I wasn\u2019t feeling much relief, so I was ready for the surgery \u2014 anything to bring pain relief,\u201d Joann says.Ready for Surgery but Missing Something ImportantThere was only one small problem Joann faced. The two surgeons at her local UPMC hospital, UPMC Chautauqua, were both retiring at the end of the year and booked solid until then. By the time Joann needed surgery, there wasn\u2019t a shoulder surgeon available in her community.That\u2019s when Brian Mata, MD, at Lakeshore Orthopedics & Sports Medicine GLPP, which is affiliated with UPMC Chautauqua, told Joann about a colleague who was coming into town soon: James Boniface, MD. Having recently moved from Youngstown, Ohio, Dr. Boniface had more than 30 years of experience in orthopaedic surgery and was just getting settled in Joann\u2019s town.Joann considered having her shoulder replacement surgery in spring 2024 when Dr. Boniface first arrived. However, her travel plans were too extensive. A fun summer full of family visits and trips out west put surgery on hold until August.\u201cI could live with the pain a little longer to make some good summer memories first,\u201d Joann says with a laugh.Another Issue Needs AttentionDuring discussions about her shoulder surgery, Joann brought up another condition that needed surgical attention \u2014 carpal tunnel and trigger finger issues on her right hand. Years of typing and writing while working in banking had caused her pain for more than eight years.Though the pain wasn’t as bad as it was in her shoulder, Joann still hoped to get the hand problems addressed as well. Because surgery couldn\u2019t happen for both areas at the same time, she chose to have her shoulder replaced first.Dr. Boniface performed outpatient shoulder replacement surgery in August 2024. Right afterward, Joann felt relief.\u201cI was immediately pain-free,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was amazing. I couldn\u2019t believe I had put off the procedure for so long!\u201dShe wore a sling for two weeks before returning to the doctor to have her stitches removed and receive her postsurgical rehabilitation exercises. She chose to do her rehab on her own and went home with a list of exercises and repetitions.\u201cI like to exercise, so it was no big deal to me,\u201d Joann says. \u201cBut if you need motivation, you should definitely go somewhere for physical therapy. It\u2019s a life changer.\u201dJoann is a good example of a person who followed her doctor\u2019s postoperative orders precisely. She could feel herself recovering quickly.\u201cYou don\u2019t just want to be pain-free,\u201d she says. \u201cYou want your strength and range of motion. So, you must keep moving.\u201dBack Again for SurgeryA few months later, in December 2024, Dr. Boniface performed carpal tunnel and trigger finger release surgery on Joann’s right hand.\u201cAgain, the pain was gone right away,\u201d Joann says. \u201cI had a bandage on my hand on a Friday, and by Monday, I was at my checkup and getting the bandage off. It was so easy.\u201dToday, Joann is completely pain-free in both arms. She enjoys having a full range of motion that keeps her picking up her grandkids, completing her chores, and traveling as much as she wants.\u201cEveryone on Dr. Boniface\u2019s team was awesome,\u201d Joann says. \u201cI never felt rushed or hurried, even with my long list of questions. They take their time with you.\u201dDr. Boniface did such a great job that Joann referred two very important people \u2014 her parents \u2014 to him for orthopaedic surgery. Her father recently received a total knee replacement at age 94 and was walking within a week. Her mother, 89, will receive the same carpal tunnel and trigger finger release surgery as Joann this summer.That\u2019s a testament to Joann’s trust and appreciation for Dr. Boniface\u2019s expertise.\u201cI don\u2019t know why anyone would go out of town for surgery when we have such amazing, capable, friendly, caring doctors and nurses that live and work right here in our community,\u201d Joann says. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason to go anywhere else.\u201dEditor's Note: This article was originally published on August 19, 2025, and was last reviewed on October 22, 2025.Sources"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2025","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Orthopaedic Expertise Close to Home: Joann\u2019s Story","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2025\/08\/joanns-story-orthopaedics\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]