From Chronic Pain to College Lacrosse: Ella’s Journey Back to the Field

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Andrew Pao, MD

Dr. Andrew Pao is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon at Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists (ONS).

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The Injury

Ella was a standout high school athlete from upstate New York, playing soccer in the fall and lacrosse in the spring. Yet every year between seasons, she found herself in a walking boot, shutting down all sports activity due to persistent ankle pain. Early in high school, she was diagnosed with a stress reaction in her left fibula—the bone on the outside of her ankle—an overuse bone injury that can progress to a stress fracture. Despite consultations with several physicians, multiple rounds of rehabilitation and physical therapy, and extended periods of rest, she continued to experience pain without finding a lasting solution.

The Solution

Ella continued to push through the pain and eventually earned a prestigious spot on the Cornell University women’s lacrosse team. But after completing her first college season, she began to worry that the stress reaction in her ankle could eventually lead to a more serious, potentially career-ending injury.

In May 2023, she sought out Dr. Andrew Pao, a foot and ankle surgeon at Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery Specialists, after a friend who had been treated at ONS recommended him. Dr. Pao performed a comprehensive evaluation, including imaging of Ella’s uninjured right leg to compare it with her left—an approach she said no other surgeon had previously taken.

“It was eye-opening compared to appointments with other doctors for my ankle. Dr. Pao was so friendly and excited to hear my story, to learn who I am as a person,” Ella recalled.

With Ella’s goal of continuing her lacrosse career in mind, Dr. Pao recommended surgery to stabilize the fibula stress reaction with an intramedullary nail, a small rod carefully inserted across the area of the stress reaction. Confident that she was in the right hands, Ella decided to move forward with surgery.

The Results

Dr. Pao performed the surgery in June 2023. Ella spent the summer recovering at home while working with a physical therapist on her rehabilitation. She initially started walking with a boot and worked her way out of the boot with therapy. By September, she had returned to running, and in December—just six months after surgery—she was cleared to return to play. Ella went on to play her sophomore lacrosse season in the spring of 2024, gradually learning to trust her ankle. By the end of the season in June, she had not only remained injury-free but was also free from the chronic pain that had affected her for years.

“I thought, wow, I am so glad I did the surgery,” Ella recalled. “Normally I’d be feeling terrible. Instead, I could do all the training and conditioning I wanted. I could go on a long walk with my family. It was amazing to feel that relief. Finally finding a solution was such a weight off my shoulders.

In the Surgeon’s Words

“Every patient is unique,” Dr. Pao shared, “and that means every treatment needs to be tailored to the individual. It was important to me to understand not just Ella’s injury and pain, but her goals as an athlete as well. It was incredibly gratifying to watch her conquer her rehab and recovery and get back to being a major contributor for her lacrosse team. After surgery, her mother told me that we had brought back the smile to her daughter’s face again. Those words have stayed with me ever since, and they are something I will never forget.”

From the Patient’s Perspective

For Ella, the experience extended beyond the surgical procedure itself. She remembers the time Dr. Pao took to discuss her options and help her understand the path forward.

“Dr. Pao called after my first appointment to review my options,” Ella said. “It was a 45-minute phone call, on the Sunday night before Memorial Day. It was awesome to see how much he cared, and how much he wanted me to find success. That he would spend the time to talk it through to find a solution was very comforting.”

Looking back on her experience, Ella emphasized the importance of finding a physician who is the right fit. “Find the right fit. It is so worth it in the end to find the right doctor.”