One day in 1993, Tara Rodoni simply stepped off a porch. It proved to be a fateful step that would leave her plagued with orthopedic problems for decades. Her ankle, already weakened from a bad sprain seven months prior, fractured in multiple places that day, and to say her road to recovery since has been arduous would be putting it very mildly. 

Following her injury, Tara had a surgical repair in California and spent six months in a wheelchair. Eventually, her ankle healed, albeit not without complication. Nearly thirty years later, arthritis in her damaged ankle became so severe that she couldn’t even walk around the block. No longer able to disregard or self-manage the pain, Tara had no choice but to seek a new orthopedic specialist, one who would hopefully provide her with better results and lasting relief.

Second Surgery for a Broken Ankle

This time around, Tara left nothing to chance. She did her due diligence to ensure that her latest doctor was the very best she could find - a search that led her straight to Dr. Julie Neumann and the Bone and Joint Clinic of Baton Rouge.

“My doctor at the Baton Rouge Clinic recommended Dr. Julie Neumann, but I still did a ton of research,” says Tara. “I even called Duke! Everyone I spoke with highly recommended her.”

In hopes of preventing the need for another surgery, Dr. Neumann and Tara agreed to begin her ankle arthritis treatment with injections. However, four months into the regimen, it was clear that another operation was going to offer her the best results. While deciding to go back under the knife wasn’t necessarily an easy choice, Tara now recognizes that trusting Dr. Neumann with her care was “the best choice [she’s] ever made,” noting that every doctor who examines her x-rays commends Dr. Neumann’s amazing work. After a decades-long battle with a faulty ankle, Tara had finally achieved relief.

Finding Solutions for Orthopedic Pain

Given her resounding success with Dr. Julie Neumann and great interactions with all the Bone and Joint Clinic staff she encountered, Tara opted to continue her orthopedic treatment with other physicians in the practice. Since initially seeing Dr. Neumann, she has had a bevy of other treatments. Dr. Mathew Mazoch scoped her shoulder and repaired her rotator cuff. Dr. Chambliss Harrod performed a spinal fusion, and Dr. Neumann’s own brother, Dr. Matt Neumann, helped her manage her pain. Throughout each of her encounters, she notes that one crucial factor has stayed consistent - The doctors’ willingness to take her own wishes into account.

“They are all open to hearing, talking, and understanding where you’re coming from,” Tara says. “Take Dr. Mazoch, for instance. He really took my lifestyle and goals into account when it came to deciding whether or not to have shoulder surgery. As a patient, that’s a critical piece, and I love that he discussed that.”

Being a doctor’s daughter herself and having worked in a medical-related field, Tara expects a lot from her physicians. She expects them to be skilled, experienced, attentive, and completely upfront about her conditions, treatment options, and risks. These are tall orders to be sure, and not ones so easily filled. Fortunately, at the Bone and Joint Clinic, she has been able to fill them all. More than once.