MIAMI — When it comes to sports injuries, the goal is simple: get the patient back in the game and feeling good.
For one South Florida tennis player, that meant finding a surgeon who truly listened and was willing to think outside the box.
Jane Forman, 63, can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a tennis racquet in her hand.
She played the sport her entire life, competed on the professional tour in the 1980s and now runs her own tennis academy and tennis management company.
“I’ve always loved tennis. I’ve always thought it was the most beautiful sport. I’ve always been athletic, but was drawn to tennis. Tennis has basically defined me,” Forman said.
But decades on the court took a toll.
Repetitive injuries caused cartilage in her ankle to deteriorate, eventually leaving her with misaligned bones pressing on each other and constant pain. Several orthopedic specialists told her a total ankle replacement was the only option — a surgery that would limit her activity.
Forman kept searching until she met Dr. Thomas San Giovanni of Baptist Health Medical Group.
“You’re not just an x-ray, you’re not just a MRI. It’s trying to match what we are able to do with that person’s life,” San Giovanni said.
He believed her treatment needed to reflect her lifestyle as a lifelong athlete. Instead of replacing the ankle, he performed an osteotomy.
“I ended up doing an osteotomy which is basically re-aligning the bone at two levels so I could get the bone alignment that I precisely needed for her to get pain relief,” he said.
San Giovanni essentially rebuilt her ankle, stabilizing and straightening it. Forman then faced months of recovery.
“I was non weight bearing for 11 weeks .. meaning I was on a scooter. I had a tennis racquet in my hand and was on the scooter.” she said.
She committed to physical therapy with the same intensity she brought to the court.
“I did that for six months and so today, I feel as though I never had surgery,” she said.
Forman’s experience underscores a message many health advocates share:
Patients should take an active role in their care. If a diagnosis or treatment plan doesn’t feel right, experts encourage seeking second opinions and finding providers who listen.
Studies show empowered patients often have better outcomes.
For Forman, that persistence helped her return to the sport that shaped her life.
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