Dr. Ram Saran Setia, MD

I was one of Dr. Setia's early arthroscopic meniscus repair and cartilage removal surgeries on my right knee after warming up at a Olympic wrestling qualifications match in the summer of 1976. I had torn ligaments, meniscus, and torn cartilage earlier that year and being an Olympic year didn't want to be down for the major surgery old school knee surgeries were with long recovery times. So I would get the fluid on the knee aspirated whenever needed wore knee braces on top of being wrapped and tapped. But as luck had it, as I was warming up practicing throws with wrestlers 4 weight classes above me as I lifted a wrestler above my chest, my right foot slipped on a patch of sweat as the rest of my body was going in the opposite direction and the full weight of the 200lb wrestler put too much pressure on that knee. Not pretty and unbelievably painful! An hour later I was met in the Hackensack Hospital ER where Dr. Ram Setia met me showed me the damage on my X-RAYS and said I… needed to have that surgery. In pain and thinking I can't be out of competition now, initially resisted. My coach and trainers talked with Dr. Setia and broke the bad news and reality that my wrestling season and Olympic hopes for 1976 we're gone. Coach then trying to cheer me up said "Look on the bright side, the surgery is on the AAU's dime, being performed by one of the best knee surgeons in the country." Coach as always was right, and not only was Dr. Setia's surgery done well, it for decades seemed stronger than my healthy left knee. I can only imagine that Dr. Setia has forgotten more than most surgeons will ever know and over the years his wisdom to stay on top makes him even more incredible. That was 43 years ago and of all the hundreds (literally) of doctors I've sought care from in dozens of countries around the world, I still remember him by name whenever I look and think of that small faded incision scar. Thanks again Dr. Setia