The following are reviews from patients of Dr. Antkowiak
“My name is Clay and I am currently a Varsity volleyball player at Saint Ambrose University. Since my sophomore year of high school I have had knee pain, starting with very minimal pain and then increasing all the way to debilitating pain. For years and years the athletic trainers, chiropractors, family physicians and even specialists just keep telling me, I simply had “knee tendonitis”. Through high school and until my sophomore year in college I attended physical therapy to supposedly correct the tendonitis by stretching and exercises along with icing for two hours each day. Certain exercises seemed to work for a few days, but the pain always returned. Around my senior year of high school (club volleyball season) the pain was so intense at times even multiple painkillers didn’t help. Some nights I would end up on the floor clenching my knee, massaging it and doing everything possible to get some type of relief. Sitting in cars for extended periods of time became a challenge and at times I could hardly even walk. But of course I continued to play volleyball because I love the game and everyone I had seen told me "it was just tendonitis". Finally my father found and recommended OAK Orthopedics. I expected the same answer as always and a simple cortisone shot, but after the X-ray and MRI as it turned out I had calcific tendonitis. Over the years a bone had "formed" behind my patellar tendon which was causing the terrible pain. I was sent immediately over to consult with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom Antkowiak. After my evaluation we decided it was best to remove the bone formation and have it perform through a knee scope. The surgery was scheduled within two weeks and it went great, no problems. Within 3-4 weeks of surgery I was able to squat my body weight fairly easily and within 2-3 months I had made a full recovery and resumed strength training. I’m 5 months post-op and my quad is nearly back, bigger and better than before. There is no pain or any other associated problems. I am extremely thankful for the efforts of all specialists and surgeons at OAK Orthopedics, especially Dr. Antkowiak”
– Clay
“On Fathers Day, I pretty much destroyed my collarbone. It was in multiple pieces and was also displaced, which means that the chunks of bone weren't where they belonged and my arm was dangling like a lead weight. Only a surgery would fix this. The next day, I was sent to see Dr. Antkowiak. I liked him immediately. His enthusiasm was infectious. Rather than taking the somber, serious and mostly negative approach that doctors usually use to scare you to death with when you're seriously hurt or sick, he was upbeat and confident. Dr. A looked at the damage and said, "Wow. You weren't messing around, were you? This break is a bit trickier than average but I've done worse. We should be able to fix you right up!" Next, I dealt with his assistant, Amanda. She was equally upbeat and energetic. The displacement was causing me intense pain, so she pulled strings, jumped through hoops and moved mountains to get me the earliest possible surgery date. My operation took a lot longer than expected. It was only later, following conversations with my therapist and some other medical professionals, that I figured out why. A collarbone is bow-shaped. For the patient to have a successful recovery, the surgeon needs to get the arc just right but also must get the two ends properly aligned. Carpenters say, "Measure twice, cut once. Dr Antkowiak obviously subscribes to this same theory. I'd really done a number on myself and some doctors might have taken the attitude that whatever repair they managed to throw together would be way better than what I'd walked in with, Not Dr. Antkowiak. He wasn't punching a clock in that operating room. Instead, he was trying to win the surgery. Perhaps this dedication to perfection comes from his being so involved in sports medicine but one thing is for sure. You want a surgeon with an attitude like this screwing your bones back together. My surgery was a complete success. At the first post-operation appointment, Dr A was delighted to see my X Rays, commenting, "YES! Nailed it!" Clearly, this man was proud of the work he'd done to my skeleton. Because I was anxious to get back to my job and hobbies, and since I was very concerned about healing to less than 100% mobility, I approached my therapy with aggressive caution. I did everything I was told to do, exactly as I was told to do it and made it my job to be the perfect patient. Dr. A had won the surgery so I made it my goal to win the therapy! My biggest fear was to overdo it and ruin Dr. Antkowiak's masterful repair, but by following the doctor's instructions to the letter, I healed up perfectly. Four months later, I'm living my life exactly as I did before the injury. I can work and play just as hard as I ever could previously. I'd like to think that it was divine guidance which brought me to a doctor who is an enthusiastic perfectionist. Throughout my recovery, Dr. A and his entire staff treated me like the most important person in their care. I'd recommend Dr. Antkowiak and his team to anyone. While I pray that I'll never be busted up enough to need him again, you can bet that Dr. A will remain my go-to guy in orthopedic surgery.”