“My name is Mike Stautner and I have been an active basketball player, runner, dancer and bicycle rider through high school, college, the Air Force, my work life and continue all of these in retirement. Thirteen years ago, at age 53 I herniated a disk, L5 S1, and did not have surgery. This started a decline in the functioning of my right foot, creating a “drop foot” condition that has become increasingly bothersome. Falling on your face was not fun, and basketball & softball performance suffered drastically and I was not feeling good about me.”
“My new internist and I discussed alternatives and he suggested a brace of some sort. I visited a foot/ankle doctor and he prescribed a brace. He suggested POA and recommended Mr. Sander Nassan who he described “…as the best in the valley…” and I believe he is.”
“I was fortunate to quickly get an appointment due to a cancellation. I was totally impressed with the experience at POA Scottsdale from the time I arrived until I left an hour and half later with a brace. The staff was welcoming, Mr. Nassan is absolutely outstanding and the results perfect. He listened to the problems, asked outstanding questions, and proposed two specific solutions and then we tried them out. I did some running without the braces and then with them and he discovered that I had one leg that was shorter and then adjusted the brace to compensate for that. Finally, some more running and experiencing new and different feelings. I went out the door looking forward to seeing the results.”
“Over the last 4 weeks I have re-experienced the joy of faster side way movements, jumping, and walking and running with increasing confidence. I have played basketball with the same group for the last 6 years and my ability to block shots and jump had gone to zero but now it is coming back. I was able to stop one of the players and blocked several shots and that used to be a normal occasion and it is coming back. He is not looking forward to the changes.”
“I am now in the process of strengthening some muscles that have not been used much and also learning to not compensate for the weak right foot/ankle. These new minor aches are a pleasure, the fun is back in the game, it’s time to get back in great shape.”
“Thanks to Mr. Nassan and POA, I am getting ready to go to the Y for open basketball starting in January. I might not have a 32 inch vertical anymore but old age and experience can overcome a lot. I am determined: you don’t get old and quit playing, your quit playing and get old.”
~Mike Stautner – 1943
“What a blessing today was for my Mom, Dad and me. Thank you for your incredible gift to get Mom in to see Debra. She was so wonderful; she was able to click with Mom and Dad. Her grace and knowledge came across and she was able to make a difference in Mom’s ability to be more comfortable and to accept her circumstances in wearing the had brace. To give you an idea of your blessing; once Debra had fit the girdle and made the adjustments to the brace, you could see the relief on my Mom’s face. She looked at Debra and in tears said that she had been crying out to God to help her with this painful brace and do something to make it better, and she said, He did. Your generosity brings me to tears! You have been a gift from God know that He has used you and your company to answer the cries of my Mom to the heart of God.”
~ Lynn Greenwood
“When I first presented myself to Sander Nassan at Prosthetic Orthotic Associates (POA), in the fall of 2009, I was in very bad shape. I was still recovering from 2nd, 3rd, and 4th degree burns (mostly lower extremities) incurred in my house fire in January 2008, from which equinocavovarus contractures had developed in both fee (30 degrees on the left and 20 degrees on the right). In addition I had been poorly served for months by another orthotic vendor with AFO’s which were ill-fitting, very painful, poorly constructed, and caused ulcerations, abrasions and ingrown toenails on both feet.
From my very first visit to POA, their outstanding customer service, attention to detail, courteous and attentive staff, attitude, and quality work were evident. Since I was having to pay out of pocket for each AFO, Sander also went out of his way to retrofit and re-use my existing AFO’s before creating new ones. Even though I was getting pressure at the time from several orthopedic surgeons to have a triple arthrodesis (bone fusion) on both feet, Sander felt from day one that foot and ankle range of motion improvement would be possible non-surgically, by using a combined orthotic & physical therapy protocol involving successive AFO’s on each foot, each one a little more neutral/plantigrade than the previous, which turned out to be absolutely right. Sander’s sense of humor, focus, out of the box thinking, and empathy also make him a pleasure to work with. I went from a prognosis of not being able to walk when I first saw him, and feeling close to suicidal about my prospects for regaining even a semblance of my former active life (I was a runner, hiker, and avid tennis player prior to the fire) to feeling empowered, hopeful, and positive about my future prospects for lower limb movement and improvement.
Over a period of only four months, Sander and the team at POA have enabled me to walk again, which none of my doctors thought possible prior to seeing Sander, and have turned my mental attitude around 180 degrees as well. My left foot is almost neutral now, and my right foot has an improvement of over 10 degrees toward nuetral. Thanks to Sander’s orthotic strategy, I’m now able to walk again!!! I still need to use a cane for ambulation, but my overall lower body strength, range of motion, balance, coordination, posture, and stamina have been hugely improved, thanks to the AFO’s which POA has provided, for which I’m most grateful and appreciative.
I have since had input from several orthopedic surgeons, who not only have been amazed by the degree of improvement in both feet over such a short time, but are no longer suggesting a triple arthrodesis, nor possible amputation, thanks to POA! My amazing success story would not have been possible had it not been for Sander’s involvement, conviction and persistence in pushing for a therapeutic rather than a quick-fix surgical approach to my burned limbs’ recovery. Sander’s dedication and attention to my case has been both remarkable and outstanding.
I would recommend POA to anyone looking for the most comprehensive, proactive, technologically advanced orthotic devices available, in combination with a great team approach evidenced by the entire POA support staff (Hilda, Juan, Lindsey, etc.) The POA approach is focused on making a difference in people’s lives, and in creating hope for improvement, so kudos are well deserved for Sander in having built a truly dedicated and committed team approach focused on excellence, and in enabling patients to make their lives more positive and fulfilling.”
~ George Lombard
“I am walking better today than 1975! Thank you POA!”
~Bobby Deveaux
“I have been an RN and healthcare administrator for 30 years, however, my professional experience did not prepare me for the experience of bilateral mastectomy followed by the reconstruction process.”
“One of my biggest frustrations came after the reconstruction surgery was completed and I was ready to again wear a bra. The implants used to form reconstructed breasts flatter than natural breasts, making it very difficult to find a bra that fits without puckering. I asked my plastic surgeon for information, only to have him tell me “I have no idea, I don’t do a lot of bra shopping!” After many unsuccessful attempts, both in department stores and online, I was fortunate to stumble into a wonderful resource in Debra Wagner. She is a certified prosthetist/orthotist with Prosthetic Orthotic Associates in Mesa. She scheduled a private consultation with me and fitted me for bras and breast forms. When the order was received, she again met with me privately so I could try them on to ensure the fit. In addition, her assistant Rhona contacted my insurance company and obtained authorization for payment. They both have been very kind and professional and I am forever grateful.”
“I hope that reconstructive surgeons will realize that the surgical procedure is not the end stage for women and how important finding a good fitting bra is at the end of this long process. Just providing information would be extremely helpful.”
“I highly recommend Prosthetic Orthotic Associates and I say thank you very much.”
~ Donna Feeney
“I started going to POA in the summer of 2007. I already had a prosthetic leg which I had received from another facility but it left me sore a lot. I had spent over a year getting that leg to the point where was only miserable.”"After going to POA they spent the better part of a year on and off reworking my socket until they had it right they refused to give up until it was what it was supposed to be.”
“I have been very happy with my treatment and my prosthesis is successful beyond my wildest expectations.”
~Frank Smith
“Sander is a nice guy, and when I needed a new leg after having it amputated, he was there for me. I lost my leg in 1966, and I’ve been seeing him for repairs, etc., since 1986. I think he has a great tableside manner to him. I would definitely give him high ratings, and he’s always looking out for his patients. When I first met him, he called me shortly after a visit around 10 p.m. one night and said, “I think I can come up with something that will work even better. Come by the office tomorrow, and if it works, great, if it doesn’t, we’ll go back to the drawing board.”
~Bill Harding
“The following is my success story for POA”:
“My first visit to POA was the Summer of 2004. I was sent there by my podiatrist of about 17 years to get a brace made for my right foot. I had a partial tear of a tendon and was under the impression I would be wearing the brace permanently. I was not pleased about this but at least the brace Sander made kept me pain-free so I wore it daily.”
“Sander also made me a deep orthotic for my left foot and I liked the increased stability it offered very much. During the Spring of 2006, Sander began to think that the tendon on my right foot could be healed and that I would do well in a deep orthotic for that foot too. Not wanting the expense of an MRI, I called my podiatrist and asked for his opinion. He said to “do whatever Sander suggests.” It was the highlight of that otherwise very medically challenging year to find that indeed I could do without the brace I had thought I would wear until the day I died.”
“At first there were days when my ankle still felt like it needed some additional support and I wore my brace. Sander encouraged this. Now 5 years after my first visit to POA, I am minus one brace and plus two deep orthotics.”
“I continue to need orthotic revision due to arthritic changes in my feet and Sander is more than equal to the challenge. He is a man gifted in his craft. He is that rare combination of an intellectual medical professional with a very broad knowledge of his field, and that practitioner who has honest concern and compassion for his clients. He keeps me walking and working and I am grateful beyond words for that!!!”
~Shelley A. Smith
“I would recommend Sander to anyone, because he is so compassionate. When my wife had her leg amputated, Sander took a great deal of time to speak with us. He made sure to explain the various options that were available to us before making her prosthesis. I was so impressed by him and the way he spoke to both me and my wife, that I decided to pay him a visit myself. I’m on my third piece now with Sander. He really knows his stuff and what he is doing. I believe he has a great knowledge of his field.”
~ Bill Delahay