Lina Giamberardino’s world had become smaller and more difficult as walking became more painful. But thanks to the care she received from the orthopaedic team at Trillium Health Partners (THP), including surgeon Dr. Rashid Jinnah and physiotherapist Nirmala Kodali, Lina now has two new hips and a whole new lease on life.
Her parents emigrated from Italy to Cooksville in the 1950s, now part of Mississauga, and raised their three children there. While continuing to live in Cooksville, Lina became a Certified General Accountant and enjoyed success in a series of companies.
Over the years, she watched as her aging parents struggled with mobility issues. Her father had spinal stenosis, which happens when the spaces inside the spine narrow and create pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots, and eventually needed a wheelchair. Her mother had rheumatoid arthritis that made walking and stairs difficult. Having witnessed the mobility challenges that afflicted her parents, Lina worked hard to avoid the same fate. Staying physically fit and healthy eating was a way of life for her. She enjoyed travelling and cheering on the Toronto sports teams.
Despite her active lifestyle, Lina’s first sign of trouble was in 2015, at just 57 years old, when she developed sciatica, a type of pain in her lower back that radiated back down into her legs. Scans revealed she had arthritis up and down her spine, a bulging spinal disc and osteoporosis in her sacroiliac joint (where the spine connects to the pelvis). Climbing stairs became increasingly difficult and, to accommodate the pain, she began to walk hunched over with a “waddle.” Embarrassed, she limited her activities outside of the house and then, in April 2021, decided to retire from work to focus on her physical health.
After visiting her family physician for the first time since the pandemic, her doctor was astonished to see how much she struggled to walk and referred her to the Hip and Knee Rapid Access Clinic at THP. There, specially trained physiotherapists evaluate whether patients will benefit from surgery or another form of treatment. At her November 29, 2021 appointment, the physiotherapist asked Lina, “You’ve got so many issues going on, how do you walk?” and immediately referred her for a surgical consult.
Asked if she had a preference for a surgeon, Lina asked for Dr. Jinnah who had cared for a family member. When he saw her just a few weeks later, he recommended surgery as soon as possible for both hips, one after the other, but COVID pushed back her dates. She had total replacement surgery for her right hip on June 13, 2022, with a titanium hip and socket. Lina recalls how scared she was but was quickly comforted when she met the Surgical Team the morning of the surgery.
Dr. Jinnah and team performed the operation at the Orthopaedic Surgery Centre at Queensway Health Centre at 8 a.m. Lina was using a walker to get to the washroom by 4 p.m. and was discharged the next day. A few months later her left hip was replaced. “The operations were life changing and I can’t say enough about Dr. Jinnah and his whole team – they were just impeccable and so comforting.”
Lina had rehab with Registered Physiotherapist Nirmala Kodali after both surgeries. “She was amazing, really knew her stuff, and she provided life-changing exercises for all of my mobility issues. She was the epitome of what professional care should be. Now I have no hip pain, no groin pain and can go up the stairs.”
Lina has postponed her retirement, returning back to work and driving again. She continues to use a cane when walking for now but remains optimistic. Lina looks forward to all the things that life has to offer: family celebrations, travelling and especially, cheering the Canadian soccer team during the 2026 World Cup in Toronto.
“I was truly blessed to have the level of care that THP provides,” she says. “My experience has been life changing.”
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