When John Keenan got hit on his motorcycle, his jacket, helmet and gloves did their job. He was broadsided with enough force to launch him 15 feet into the air. But he had no major injuries—except for his leg. "OK, I'm not paralyzed," he said to himself after he landed, "the rest of me seems all right, but my leg is hanging away from me at 45 degrees."

Within minutes, Keenan arrived at the SFGH trauma unit, where the news was bad. When he was broadsided, his leg was caught between the car and his motorbike. The bone was smashed so badly and circulation was so poor that he was warned the leg would probably have to be amputated.

But Keenan was lucky. He had been injured just a few minutes away from one of the best trauma centers in the country, and the doctors and nurses immediately got to work saving his leg.

"The impact of the crash had cracked the engine block of my motorcycle," says Keenan, "and my leg didn't do much better. It looked like strawberry mush. On the X-ray the bone looked like it had been smashed with a hammer."

Orthopedic trauma surgeon Ted Miclau stabilized the fracture with a titanium rod and pins, allowing the bone to heal. "Miclau drove the whole experience," says Keenan, "he took special care to make sure there was no infection. I was impressed with his confidence, integrity and honesty."

Keenan spent five weeks at SFGH, and another two weeks in a rehabilitation hospital. While at SFGH, he underwent several surgical procedures, including two 14-hour operations to graft skin and muscle from his back and abdomen to his badly damaged leg.

Keenan's accident occurred on March 25, 2005. He was back at home in May, back at work in August, and able to walk without crutches by Thanksgiving. "My leg is no thing of beauty, but it's back 80 percent. I can walk the dog, do Yoga, and ride a bicycle—but at age 53, no more motorcycles."

"I was really afraid I would lose my leg," say Keenan as he reflects on his experience, "but thanks to Dr. Miclau, it didn't happen. If I had to have a serious accident the SFGH trauma center was the place to go. The whole experience was quite amazing. The staff was professional and the nurses remarkably kind and caring. I was in the best place in the world."

Source: Michael Barnes