HONESDALE, PA — Maureen McHale, 63, had a total ankle replacement at Wayne Memorial Hospital. She became the first patient ever to have that procedure performed at the Honesdale-based facility.

McHale said she was “walking around on broken bones for months” before she found board-certified foot-and-ankle surgeon Glenn Woodley. Dr. Woodley also repaired two other fractured bones in McHale’s left ankle with bone grafts taken from an upper part of the same leg.

It all began when McHale slipped and fell in her Tafton home in January 2022, causing her to break her left ankle. Intense pain sent her to another surgeon, who, according to McHale, “fixed one bone but left two other broken bones untouched.” She followed advice that it could take a long time to heal, but the pain did not let up—and again, the pain sent her to the doctor, but this time to Dr. Woodley.

“She had two broken bones that had not been repaired or healed, which we repaired with the aid of bone graft, and severe arthritis in her ankle joint,” said Dr. Woodley, who explained that the arthritis resulted from the breakdown of the cartilage cushion between bones. “That meant bone was rubbing against bone—very painful.”

 Dr. Woodley said he and McHale also discussed an ankle fusion alternative to the replacement, but noted that fusion would limit her ability to bend.

“The patient chose replacement, because it preserved motion at the joint, so she could perform tasks such as walking on uneven ground and going up and down stairs.”

Almost five months after the surgery, McHale, who has a barely visible scar on her ankle, is on her feet and walking in normal shoe gear with no pain. “I take my dog out for a walk three times a day and some of the path has inclines,” she said, “but it’s no problem.”

The ankle replacement surgery at Wayne Memorial involved inserting a metal implant in the patient’s ankle; the implant is expected to last approximately 10-15 years.

“I’m very happy with my surgery at Wayne Memorial and the progress I’m making,” said McHale, “I’m glad I did this!”

Dr. Woodley, who was raised in northeast PA, has advanced training in orthopedics, limb salvage and reconstruction. He opened his practice in Honesdale in 2021 and can be reached at 570/228-2990.

Wayne Memorial Hospital offers general and specialty care in surgery, orthopedics, nephrology, gastroenterology, pulmonology/sleep medicine and neurology. In addition, Wayne Memorial Ancillary Services has two Honesdale locations that provide physical, occupational and speech therapy.

Visit www.wmh.org for more.

Story contributed by Wayne Memorial Hospital.