Education

• Medical School
  University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 
• Undergraduate
  Northwestern University, Evanston, IL

Training

• Fellowship
  Adult Joint Reconstruction and Revision, Central DuPage Hospital/Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
• Residency
  Orthopedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN

Board Certifications

• Board-Certified Orthopaedic Surgery
  Board-Certified, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Knee

• Total Knee Replacement MAKO Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgery
• Revision Knee
• Knee Arthroscopy

Hip

• Total Hip Replacement
• Hip Replacement

Patient Educational Videos

• Dr. Paul Nourbash: The Difference Between Hip and Back Pain.(opens in a new tab)

“I Love My New Hip!”: Lon’s Hip Replacement Surgery Helps Him Stand Tall and Enjoy Life In Guam

In this interview, Lon tells us about living with chronic hip pain, coming stateside for his procedure, his amazing experience with Dr. Nourbash at BOS, and how his new hip has changed his life for the better.

Hello Lon! Describe how chronic hip pain affected your life before your surgery. What were your most disruptive symptoms? How did they intrude on your life?

I had constant severe pain that limited everything I did. I could only walk with a cane over short distances and that with a hunched posture. The pain kept me from sleeping well. Essentially, I was limping from chair to chair or chair to car and back.

7,000 miles is a long way to travel for surgery! How did you hear about Barrington Orthopedic Specialists all the way in Guam, and what made you choose Dr. Nourbash as your surgeon?

I had originally planned to have my hip replaced in Japan but COVID closed the country to non-Japanese. The constant pain made it clear that I could not wait. I started to do internet research on options on the US mainland, especially in the Chicago area where I have family.

My mom knew of several people that had their hips replaced at St. Alexius Hospital and were very pleased with the results. I decided to concentrate on Northwestern and St. Alexius and researched the surgeons that worked there. Dr. Nourbash stood out in my searches for patient satisfaction over both the surgery results and how the patients felt that he treated them personally.

Describe your experience with Dr. Nourbash and the team at BOS. How did they help you before and after your procedure?

My experience with Dr. Nourbash and BOS [was] uniformly positive. I was pleased with the initial consultation, the procedure, and the follow-up meetings. I appreciate Dr. Nourbash’s good humor and positive attitude throughout the process and especially just before and after the surgery. Dr. Nourbash was also very kind to my wife just before and after the procedure and personally called her to let her know immediately post-surgery that everything went well. I think that my rapid recovery, limited incision, and ability to limit pain pills to Tylenol three days after the procedure speaks to his surgical skills.

The staff at BOS were great throughout, especially in dealing with the vagaries of communication and internet in the Western Pacific. They were able to work around obstacles and help me to provide the required documents and to answer questions that I had.

How’s it going with your new hip? In what ways has it improved your life?

I love my new hip! I especially appreciate that I no longer have constant pain in my life. I can walk where I want to, after not being able to walk on uneven surfaces for over a year. My posture is back to normal, and I get a lot of comments on how people forgot I was this tall. Finally, people keep telling me that I look younger now that I no longer have the constant severe pain in my face. I am looking forward to continuing [to gain] strength so that I can safely get back to freediving and spearfishing over the reef here in Guam.

If you could say anything to someone considering a hip replacement, what would it be?

Do not delay. You will not regret going through with the procedure and will be surprised how quickly you will recover.