“I had a slip and fall in my yard at work, causing me to fall onto the right side and hit my right arm and my right shoulder. Shortly thereafter I had extreme pain,” says Brampton, Ontario resident Patrick Doran. “I couldn’t do anything with my right arm for about six months. I had to stop playing hockey, playing golf, and working out. All the things that I enjoy I couldn’t do anymore.”
Patrick is a safety manager at a trucking company. At 66 years old, he is very active. However, he was forced to give up his passions due to the extreme and constant pain he was in, following his accident in January, 2023.
He visited a chiropractor and a number of other medical professionals but nothing worked.
“My family doctor kind of indicated that surgery might be needed, but he couldn’t say anything definitively until the MRI came in,” says Patrick.
Patrick was in too much pain and didn’t want to wait for the MRI results. This is when a friend of his recommended Patrick visit Eterna Health in Mississauga, Ontario.
Regenerative Physician Dr. David Smith, a Specialist in Diagnostic Ultrasound & Musculoskeletal Cellular Treatment treated Patrick.
“Patrick had a full thickness rotator cuff tear of the supraspinatus tendon. In the past, this would typically have been treated with surgery,” says Eterna Health’s Dr. Smith.
However, Dr. Smith was certain that the Mini Fat Graft with PRP Growth Factors procedure would help heal Patrick and that he wouldn’t require surgery.
“We harvested fat via a mini liposuction and the fat was broken up into smaller and smaller fragments. That’s why it’s called microfragmented adipose tissue. After the microfragmented adipose tissue was prepared, it was combined with platelet rich plasma (PRP) growth factors,” says Dr. Smith.
The microfragmented adipose tissue was then placed into the area of the tendon full thickness tear defect and gradually expanded the tendon tissue. This was done so it would recreate a normal tendon shape that was allowed to heal over time.
Patrick received the procedure this past December.
“Dr. Smith recommended four months of doing nothing with my right arm [following the procedure]. I took his advice. I’m happy to say I’m back at the gym, I can play hockey and I can do many many other things that I couldn’t enjoy prior!” says Patrick.
After Patrick reported significant improvement, he also visited Eterna’s Chiropractor and Neuro Functional Sports Practitioner Dr. Sunny Gandhi who assisted in the healing process with shoulder rehabilitation and physiotherapy. At Eterna Health it’s a one stop shop when it comes to your health!
“I like to be active. I like to be busy. I enjoy getting up in the wee hours in the morning to get to the gym because when you feel good, you look good and life is great,” says Patrick.
Patrick says he’s very thankful to the Eterna Health team and is recommending our clinic to his family and friends!
