Putting Hip Pain on Ice: How One Former Hockey Player Found Relief

After months of persistent pain in her left hip, 37-year-old Andrea Cole of Lee’s Summit finally found answers thanks to Megan N. Mayer, MD, and Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists. 

“I went to my primary care provider about hip pain, and he referred me to a sports medicine specialist,” Andrea says. “But after eight months of physical therapy and cortisone injections, nothing was working, so they referred me to Dr. Mayer to get to the bottom of it.” 

Dr. Mayer is a fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeon with specialties in hip and knee pain and subspecialty training in hip arthroscopy, which she performed to treat Andrea’s issue. During a hip arthroscopy, a surgeon makes a small incision around the joint and inserts a camera to address tears, impingement, inflammation, and other damage. Dr. Mayer identified a tear in Andrea’s labrum, a ring of cartilage supporting the hip joint, and performed a hip repair surgery to correct it.

Tears like Andrea’s aren’t always apparent at the time of injury. An avid hockey player through high school, Andrea maintained her active lifestyle through adulthood with regular walks and exercise. But by the time she met Dr. Mayer, those activities had become impossible to manage without anti-inflammatory and pain medication. Although the injury took her by surprise, Andrea was happy to have a clear answer for her pain. 

“Dr. Mayer said my labrum was most likely aggravated when I was young and kept wearing down over time,” Andrea says. “Growing up as a hockey fan in Colorado, I knew torn labrums were common for hockey players, but it never crossed my mind as a cause for my pain.” 

Andrea had her hip labral repair surgery in March 2024, and she would recommend the procedure to anyone struggling with hip pain. “It’s an intense recovery, but it’s well worth it,” Andrea says. “You may be off your feet for a while, but the outcome is incredible. I’m stronger now than I was before the surgery.” 

Today, Andrea is back to her active lifestyle—but don’t expect her to pick up a hockey stick anytime soon. “Thirty-seven is a little old to get back into hockey,” Andrea says. “But I am a season ticket holder for the Kansas City Mavericks, so I get my hockey fix in the stands.” She credits Dr. Mayer for getting her back to a pain-free life, and although she hopes to maintain her hip strength for years to come, she knows who to call if anything changes. 

“Dr. Mayer was fantastic,” Andrea says. “I trusted her from the very beginning and knew she had my best interest at heart. If I ever need another surgery, I won’t go anywhere else.”

Rockhill Orthopaedic Specialists has delivered high-quality orthopedic care to the Kansas City region for more than 70 years. Rockhill is affiliated with Saint Luke’s East Hospital and includes 17 board-certified and board-eligible orthopedic surgeons and physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians with a combined 200 years of experience treating a full range of conditions.