New Directions

This past August, at age 61, Nancy Weiman of Takoma Park won a gold medal for synchronized swimming in solo competition at the World Masters Aquatic Championships in Goteborg, Sweden. It was a feat made more remarkable because, just months before the competition, she had hip replacement surgery at Suburban Hospital. 

Synchronized swimming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance, and gymnastics that requires—among other skills—great strength, endurance, and flexibility. Swimming was popular in Minnesota, where Weiman grew up, and she learned to swim when she was barely a year old. At 9, friends introduced her to water ballet and she began competing in the sport on the state level. She continued through college and after she was married, becoming ever more involved in the sport. In 1975, she helped write the rules that would give synchronized swimming a place in the World Masters Aquatic Championships, taking place every two years around the world.  

When Weiman began experiencing groin pain, she worried that it would sideline her from her passion. At the time she was advised to wait to have surgery because she’d have to have her hip replaced again... sooner... if it was done too early. Her pain was due to degenerative joint disease, or osteoarthritis, a condition that affects many millions of Americans. She continued to swim, but she began to use a cane to help her walk. Her range of motion was deteriorating and her pain was increasing; because of this she was referred to Dr. William J. Sadlack. He performed Weiman’s surgery at Suburban Hospital’s Joint Center in November 2009.

The rest, as they say, is history. At a post-op check up, Weiman showed

Dr. Sadlack the video of her swimming for the gold medal. Through his smile, he said, “This is a woman who is determined to do well and she is doing well.” Dr. Sadlack says he is seeing very active people just like Weiman choosing to have joint replacements younger. He says today’s surgical implants create a far better and stronger joint than the injured or deteriorating one being replaced. In retrospect, Weiman says she went through too many years of pain she needn’t have endured. Just several months after performing Nancy Weiman’s hip replacement surgery, Dr. Sadlack underwent hip replacement surgery. Read about it in Why Suburban? on page 12. 

To see video of Weiman’s winning competition, go to YouTube.com and search for NancysSolo2010.

To learn more |Go to   suburbanhospital.org/orthopedics.