Football Coach, Former Patient, and a big fan of Saint Vincent Hospital

Bruce Pinto, a football coach for David Prouty High School in Spencer, MA, knew that he was destined to have hip surgery decades ago.  When he was just 24 years-old, his doctor diagnosed him with hip dysplasia and told him that he would probably have to undergo surgery before he was 60.

Bruce didn't give it much thought until he hit his mid 40s and he he started to experience persistent pain. Like many people who don't like the thought of surgery, Bruce lived with the pain for several years. Realizing he couldn't endure this forever, he finally took action and asked several nurses and physical therapists he knew, "Who would you recommend?" Their unanimous answer: Saint Vincent Hospital.

"Before I consulted with the surgeon, Dr. Balcom, I did a lot of background research," Bruce explains. "I looked into where he did his internship; whom he worked with and for. I discovered that he used to serve on the medical staff for the New York Yankees, the San Francisco Giants, as well as other sports teams. I figured if he worked for the Yankees, he must be good!"

Bruce went on to have surgery on each of his hips one year apart, followed by aggressive rehab.

"Dr. Balcom told me to avoid being sedentary. The more I could endure pain, the quicker I would recover. I liked that approach a lot. I also appreciated the attentive and compassionate nature of the entire staff. They were there for me—even before I hit the buzzer."

Now fully recovered from his two surgeries, Bruce sees some similarities between his experience at Saint Vincent Hospital and football coaching.

"In football, players have to ignore what they see on TV and trust that their coaches will teach them how to play the game well. In surgery, you have to choose experienced doctors, to trust that they know what they're doing, and to follow their advice. And because I did exactly that, I recovered from my surgeries faster and got back to doing what I love to do."

Learn more about the Musculoskeletal Services at Saint Vincent Hospital.