Patient Stories  

Betty Polk

Betty Polk's knee pain was making it nearly impossible for her to do her job. Polk always loved working as a nursing home aide in Fairburn. But the pain in her left knee had become bad she would nearly cry when climbing the stairs to the linen closet or even walking the hallway to check on patients. In October 2008, she had total knee replacement surgery at Georgia Orthopedic Institute at Southern Regional. Read more about Betty's story.

Lee Dooley

Lee Dooley, a police officer, husband and father of four young daughters, was in so much pain he had to go on light duty at work and couldn't play with his children. Finally, he turned to Southern Regional and the team at South Atlanta Neurosurgery. They treated Dooley using a new minimally-invasive technique known as AxiaLIF. "When I woke up from the surgery, I didn't feel any pain other than some tenderness where they made the incision," he said. Read more about Lee's story.

Tonya B

Tonya, a 43-year-old married mother of two, weighed 320 pounds-her heaviest weight ever-when she had LAP-BAND surgery at Southern Regional. But the past is all behind her now. She has not only undergone surgery, but also learned a whole new approach to a healthy lifestyle through guidance and counseling from the team of experts at Southern Regional's Bariatric Center. And there's no turning back. Read more about Tonya's story.

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