The lifelong athlete was suffering from hip pain for for a long time until she found orthopedic surgeon David Sedory, MD.
Kelsey King has always led an active lifestyle and participated in sports, so minor injuries are nothing new to her. That’s why she just tried to ignore the pain in her hip when it first started a few years ago. The pain lingered and got progressively worse, but Kelsey did her best to push through.
She was swim coach at the Savannah College of Art in Design, where she had been a member of the swim team and graduated from in 2013. “When I was coaching, I was always on my feet so I would really be hurting then,” she recalls. “But because I knew I would probably need surgery, I kept putting off seeing anyone about it.”
Finally, in January of 2019, Kelsey realized it was time to get help. She was on a walk with a friend and had to stop after just one mile. “I was in so much pain I just couldn’t go any farther,” she said. “That’s when I decided I’d had enough and needed to see a doctor.”
She researched doctors online and ultimately chose to see David Sedory, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon from Optim Orthopedics who specializes in sports medicine.
“I picked Dr. Sedory based on his reviews and especially his background,” said Kelsey. “He had been in the military and was an Army hospital surgeon so I knew he was experienced in working with active people.”
Kelsey explained that her goal was to get back to a level appropriate for an active 28-year-old. “I didn’t want to just walk again,” she said. “I wanted to be back in the gym and doing everything I used to do.”
At her first visit with Dr. Sedory, Kelsey knew she had made the right choice. “I was super impressed,” she said. “He has a great personality and was very open to answering any of my questions. Sometimes when you visit a doctor it feels like they’re in a hurry or they don’t explain things in terms people can understand. Dr. Sedory listened to all of my concerns and made me feel comfortable.”
And while Kelsey had been hoping that injections or therapy would provide relief, she soon learned from Dr. Sedory that in her case, surgery was her only option. Her hip pain was caused by a condition known as hip impingement, which is which is when the ball and socket of the hip don’t fit together properly.
Dr. Sedory treated Kelsey’s condition using a procedure called a hip arthroscopy. During a “hip scope,” the orthopedic surgeon inserts an arthroscope through a small incision. The camera on the scope allows the surgeon to examine and treat the inside of the hip joint.
Fortunately for Kelsey, Dr. Sedory is one of the most skilled arthroscopy practitioners in our region, having completed advanced training in the procedure at Duke University and J.W. Thomas Byrd in Nashville.
Kelsey underwent the minimally invasive procedure in May 2019. She had the surgery at 9:30 a.m. and was home by 5 p.m. that same day. Two months later, she’s feeling great. “I have no limitations at this point,” she said. “I’m not doing anything too crazy, but I can swim, walk my dog and just get back to my normal activities. I have no problem walking more than a mile at this point.” She still goes to physical therapy and is comfortable on the treadmill, elliptical and doing squats.
If she could go back and do anything differently, Kelsey said she would have seen a doctor much earlier. “I definitely wouldn’t have put it off as long,” she said. “I was walking around with hip pain for so long that when I finally went and got answers, it was a relief.”
And she makes sure to tell anyone who has similar problems to go see Dr. Sedory. “He has such a great personality. He’s super cool.”
Kelsey King 
Kelsey with Gus (left) and Mia Kelsey and husband William (Billy) King
