08/26/2026
Debra Picciotti has always valued her independence. At 75, she enjoys living on her own, tending to her garden, and spending time knitting.
That independence was suddenly challenged on Mother’s Day 2025. While visiting a cemetery to place flowers on her mother’s grave, Debra was walking on uneven ground when she lost her balance and fell. She landed on her previously replaced left knee, fracturing her left femur.
After being referred to orthopaedic trauma surgeon Matthew Garner, MD, Debra learned there was a path forward that would allow her to regain mobility sooner than she expected. Following surgery at UPMC West Shore, she was able to bear weight on her injured leg the very next day.
After three days of recovery, Debra was transferred to Helen M. Simpson Rehabilitation Hospital, which had recently opened at UPMC West Shore. During her two-week stay, she participated in physical therapy focused on strengthening her legs and improving her balance.
Throughout her recovery, Debra was grateful for the care she received.
"I love UPMC because I’ve never had a problem," she says. "Everybody has been so kind and caring that it’s a pleasure to go there, if you have to."
More than a year has passed since her surgery, and Debra describes her life as "excellent."
"I can go wherever I want and do whatever I want, without a cane, walker, or anything," she says. "I don’t have any pain."
In addition to being thankful for the outcome of her surgery, Debra says the connection she built with Dr. Garner made a lasting impression.
"It’s just his personality," she says. "He doesn’t act like a doctor. He doesn’t come in wearing a white coat and act stiff. He just talks to you like a human being, like you’re talking to your brother or something.
"We just got along wonderfully."
