Dennis D.

After 36 years of teaching at Porterville High School, Dennis Durbin was looking forward to enjoying retirement with family and enjoying his favorite activities. But when he returned to karate, an art he studied for more than 25 years, the pain in his left hip threw him off balance.

“It was interfering with walking, karate, and I knew it was only going to get worse. I had to take care of it,” said Dennis.

In December 2016, Jason Mihalcin, D.O., a Visalia orthopedic surgeon, replaced the 68-year-old’s left hip at Kaweah Health Medical Center.

“I was pleased and surprised I recovered so quickly,” said Dennis. Less than three months after his hip replacement, Dennis was cleared to return to his dojo to resume karate.

“My hip replacement went very well. I’m as happy as I can be about it,” Dennis said.