I’ve been a patient of Dr. Eberhart’s since I moved here from Augusta in 2007. I had degenerative knee issues dating back to my high school football days and was considering a knee replacement. Dr. Eberhart won me over right away with his conservative approach. He did not rush to pick up the knife but instead explored other options after asking about my activities and quality of life issues. I appreciated this, and the fact that he is so engaging, communicative, and such a good listener. Eventually, when I did need surgery on that knee, Dr. Eberhart believed that a right half-knee replacement could be as effective as a full knee. He was correct – my recovery and the subsequent results were marvelous. He carefully explained the options and was a total realist, never overpromising and letting me know about any possible limitations. We both love to bike, so I felt that I was working with someone who really understood my goals. After that, I had a problem with my right index finger that Dr. Eberhart corrected with great success, again delaying the option of surgery for over a month and giving me time to really think things over and understand the pros and cons. After careful deliberation, we decided a corrective operation was in order.
Then my other knee started acting up. His criterion is: if you have to ice your knee before you can go to sleep at night, it’s time to intervene. So this past January, I had a total left knee replacement, and I was back to work a week later. After 8 weeks, I was hiking with micro-spikes at Sugarloaf Mountain. Prior to my surgeries, my knees would give out. My goal was to regain structural stability, and I have not had any problems since. Dr. Eberhart and his staff are true professionals. Other doctors often talk over you and really do not listen – I’ve never had that experience at Sports Medicine Atlantic Orthopaedics. It’s so refreshing to be treated so well; I didn’t see the need to go to Boston for “better” care as many of my friends have tried to talk me into – I found the best care for me right here in Portsmouth!