After injuring my knee during a Strongwomen competition it was highly recommended by powerlifting friends to see Dr. Chams and his team. The result of the injury was a torn ACL for which I had to have ACL reconstruction surgery. I couldn’t be happier with Dr. Chams and his team they made sure all my questions were answered and they understood the importance of me getting back to competing. They took great care of me from the start. I’m back to competing and in my first competition back I won nationals. I’m so thankful for Dr. Chams and his team for giving me the best care to get back competing at the level I was before injury.
After 7 knee procedures which included three ACL replacements, multiple cartilage “clean-ups” and living with chronic knee pain for the last 15 years, Dr. Chams recommended MACI, a fairly new procedure that would use my own cells to repair my damaged knee cartilage and potentially avoid knee replacement surgery.
I am 50 years old now and 1 year out from the MACI procedure and I have absolutely no pain! Thanks to Dr. Chams and his staff, this was the best decision I made to get me back to my active lifestyle.
Keira with the pin in Oklahoma at the Lady Outlaws Holiday National Duals just 5 1/2 months after surgery.
Having had successful rotator cuff surgery with Dr. Chams, there was no question who I wanted to see when I tore my ACL. Given my age at 74 many orthopedic doctors might have hesitated to do the surgery; however, Dr. Chams did not. He understood the active lifestyle I lead and the negative impact this would have on me if I couldn’t continue. Having had the knee surgery I am back to playing tennis and skiing. I am grateful he did not write me off and appreciate his outstanding orthopedic skills. He is the go to guy for shoulders and knees. I cannot recommend
him enough.
Dr. Chams,
I just wanted to say thank you for helping me after injuring my knee and needing surgery in May. As I continue my recovery, I just wanted to say thank you because I am going to walk for the fourth consecutive year in the Walk to End ALZ.
Dear team Dr Chams,
Emi has been back on her horse for a while and resumed showing at competitions in June.
Currently spending 3 weeks near Traverse city in Michigan doing nothing but riding.
On Sunday she competed in the USHJA National Hunter Derby and we just wanted to send you “ 1 year post right shoulder surgery” pics.
thank you again!
Shoulder Surgery
Having already had a shoulder surgery prior to my new injury, I was skeptical in the stability and strength of my shoulder. Playing football requires both and they were not there when I tore my labrum for a second time. I was questioning my ability to play the sport that I loved but thankfully, Dr. Chams and the rest of the staff gave me the opportunity to play football again. They have done an outstanding job and truly make me feel like it is a family. Dr. Chams is a sincere human being that truly cares about his patients and wishes the best for them. I will forever be grateful for the people at IBJI and Dr. Chams for what they have done for me.
Knee Surgery
After already having surgery done with Dr. Chams, I knew he was the person I wanted to go to when I tore my ACL. I was beyond impressed my first surgery and was even more my second time. I have had nothing but positive experiences with Dr. Chams and the rest of the staff. He is one of the few doctors that have made me feel like I was genuinely cared for. I have extreme confidence in him that whenever I need his help, he will be able to help without any worries. The staff was also extremely helpful in their efforts as well. They were kind, personal individuals that always gave the office a positive personality.
Dr. Chams’ patient care is of the highest quality. When swimming, I am now completely pain-free and could not be more thankful. As a Division 1 athlete it was extremely important that I returned to the pool just as strong, if not stronger than before. Dr. Chams understood this and worked closely with me after both my labrum repair and bicep tendoesis to allow me to do just that. I could not be more thankful for the professionalism and knowledge that Dr. Chams and his staff bring. It is truly because of them that I am still able to swim at the competitive level I am accustomed to
Dr. Chams,
Thank you for successfully repairing my torn rotator cuff. It has been 38 weeks since the surgery. I have completed my physical rehabilitation and feel great. I wanted to take this opportunity to recap my experience.
I was able to make my initial appointment to see you quickly. Your diagnosis was fast and, as confirmed by MRI, extremely accurate. As you may recall, you got me in to have the MRI the same day as my initial visit. This was an unexpected surprise, saved me time and expedited the scheduling of the surgery.
The surgery was indeed successful. My post-op experience was relatively pain free. I experienced no meaningful pain after the first 36 hours. In addition, I found the video of the surgery to be extremely helpful. I especially appreciated your real-time commentary as you performed the surgical procedure. It helped me understand the true nature of my injury and how you fixed it. I referred to it often during my recovery.
I appreciate your knowledge and surgical skills. In addition, your entire staff, especially Paul Ziemba, represent you well. They are skilled professionals that are both friendly and accessible.
I recommend you to anyone I encounter who is experiencing shoulder issues. Please feel free to share my contact information with any prospective patient that would like to know more about my experience with you.
I recently had a shoulder replacement done. I can not tell you the level of appreciation that I have for Dr Chams and his entire staff. I have been pain free since day one (post surgery) and everyday is better than the last. Mobility is coming back ahead of schedule. Dr Chams and his staff bring a level of professionalism and knowledge that is 2nd to none. I can not say thank you enough for the new outlook on life. There is no other option. Dr Chams would be the only Dr I would allow to work on my shoulders. I would highly recommend him to everyone!!
Dr. Chams and his team are dedicated, knowledgeable and truly caring professionals. I found his team to be exactly what I needed after bilateral knee injury from a snowmobile accident. They repaired, encouraged and motivated me to achieve 100% physical activity within 6-7 months of surgery. Biking, running and skiing again is possible because of Dr. Chams!
Dr. Chams performed both my shoulder surgeries entailing repairs of the rotator cuff and labrum. His phenomenal orthopedic skills in conjunction with his regimented physical therapy are the reason I’m back on the job. Each follow up visit during my rehabilitation built a patient /doctor relationship that fostered compassion, understanding, and above all, trust.
Dr. Chams is a highly compassionate individual who has devoted countless hours serving as the Team Physician for Vernon Hills High School. I have worked closely with Dr. Chams since Vernon Hills High School opened in 1999 to provide the highest quality orthopedic care for our athletes, staff and community. His success as a premier orthopedic surgeon as well as a kind, compassionate person is evident when watching his interactions on and off the field with athletes, parents, coaches, staff and the community of Vernon Hills.
Dr. Chams and his team are the best. As a young athlete trying to compete at the collegiate level has always been a goal. Despite two operations on my left shoulder and a meniscus repair on my right knee, the team at Illinois Bones and Joints, worked together to help me get back to a competitive level. They understand the mentality of an athlete and works closely with the physical therapist to make your return to your sport at the appropriate time. Balancing the need to let the body repair with one's desire to get back on the field. Simply the best from my perspective.
Dr. Chams has been the Team Physician for the 10 years I've been working as one of the Athletic Trainers at Vernon Hills High School. He has undoubtedly played a vital role in providing excellent healthcare to our student athletes. With the heavy patient load Dr. Chams sees on a weekly basis, he still is always accommodating when it comes to getting one of our athletes in for an evaluation. His commitment to service to not only our athletes, but to the community alike is one of the reasons why Dr. Chams stands out among his peers. If one were to have just met and have a conversation with him, because of his down-to-earth, easy-going, friendly personality, they would not know they were talking with one of the top orthopedic surgeons around. I look forward to continuing and building on our professional relationship in the years to come.
My golf swing is now completely pain-free and I couldn't be happier. I am 65 years old now and last week I shot my lowest score in 20 years and I have even hit a few drives around 220-240 yards. I am just smokin' that ball. Feels so good. I can't thank you enough for giving me this fine shoulder where I can now painlessly do the things that used to hurt me so much, like putting on my jacket, reaching for my wallet, swimming and of course, my backswing in golf. I hope that you continue to help people like me get their quality of life back the way you did me. Thanks again and say hi to Paul.
PS. I know you told me to take it easy on my golf swing and I am really trying to do that, but sometimes I just can't help myself. My shoulder is that strong and good. Not even a hint of pain when I am playing golf or the next day. I feel like a kid again. God bless.
It has truly been an honor to have Dr. Chams as our volunteer team orthopedic physician since 1999. I could not have wished for anything more than the extremely high level of dedication and service Roger has provided to our families here at Grayslake Central High School. In all my years as a certified athletic trainer, I have never met or worked with a better office of individuals than I have with Roger, his staff and colleagues at IBJI. Roger is simply the best orthopedic surgeon I have ever met! And I can pay no higher compliment than to tell everyone that he is the only orthopedic I would ever take my own kids to see. Thank you my friend!!!
I had sent a note to Dr. Chams expressing my thanks acknowledging his expertise for my shoulder surgery on Feb 06. I had also mentioned the excellent physical therapy group as I deal with them weekly. I may have left you people out, if so, I didn’t mean too. It’s difficult to remember everyone’s name and title, but I do believe you are also among those who have attended me. Paul has seen me the most and I appreciate his thoroughness and explanatory answers. I do appreciate all you do and think you have terrific careers and serve them well. IBJI staff’s focus is the epitome of how a highly professional yet courteous and attentive facility should be managed. I did reply to a general questionnaire online with my utmost respect and complements previously, but wanted to thank you in a more personal manner. Please give a mention to all the other staff that makes the facility go… the receptionists, and others also. Anytime I’ve had questions before or after surgery they have been the best! Keep up the good work and I/we (wife Donna, also has been a patient) wish you the best!
I just wanted to send a note of thanks to Dr. Roger Chams. He performed shoulder surgery on me one year ago tomorrow. I went through the prescribed rehab with Tara and am happy to say that I willl be competing in Ironman Texas in less than three weeks. I have been successfully training nearly 20 hours per week and swimming over 10,000 yards per week with quite a few 5,000 yd days...with zero pain!! I am quite sure I will set a PR and if I make the podium, I owe it all to Dr. Chams! Great experience!
My mom (Beth Hook) recently went to see Dr. Chams, who did two knee surgeries on me back in '05 and '06 for meniscus tears while I was in high school at Grayslake Central. While at her appointment, she shared that I have taken his advice (which he gave from day one when I saw him) to remain active--- and recently completed IronMan WI in September of this past year. Attached are some of the pictures from the event.
Ironically, I hear all the time people saying that they have "bad knees" and can't be active as a result. I love to tell them that I too have bad knees- but have always been encouraged by my physician to remain active. Outside of IronMan, I also recently completed the NYC marathon, LA Marathon and Houston Marathon (all with my mom) as part of Team Ritter to raise awareness about aortic health.
I guess you can say I am living proof that Dr. Chams is right--- please send him my best and let him know my very active knees are still holding out.
The day that I catastrophically injured my shoulder last May was one of the hardest days of my life; I still remember vividly how I could barely move without crying out in pain. See, in the year and a half before that I had dedicated my athletic life to lifting heavy weights, and I was finally set to have a killer showing at two national level competitions. It was an exciting time for me, but I didn’t even realize that an injury from my high school hockey days was ready to rear its ugly head. The constant instability of my shoulder had become a fact of life, one that I never thought twice about, but that made me work harder to get stronger so that I could compensate for it. When my labrum and bicep tore, I didn’t know what to do or where to turn. Thank God I was sent straight to you.
You took my pain very seriously, and you quickly learned what my long-term athletic goals were so that you could recommend the exact right treatment for me. You knew I wanted to get back to lifting heavy weights over my head, and your treatment plan respected that desire. Somehow, I left your office that first day feeling confident that my strongman career was not over, and that you would get me back on track. To be fair, there is a great amount of credit that goes to your caring support staff as well. Not only were they compassionate, but they were funny, honest, and authentic people. It was as if I had been pulled into this cozy nest of support and I was surrounded by genuine warmth and care.
So we operated and fixed the tear. You never shied away from telling the truth about what was happening or what was going to come next. You let me cry in front of you. You let me rejoice in front of you. And you knew just when I needed to hear, “You’re so strong!” Thank you for all of that.
We are now 9 months out from surgery and I just competed for the first time since the injury. Going back to my favorite sport has brought me so much joy, and guess what…I’m stronger than I was before. Did you do something while you were in there to make me stronger? It’s ok, you can keep your secrets on that one. I’m already qualified to go to nationals in June, and it’s looking pretty good for me to be a solid competitor while I’m there.
Thank you for everything, to you and your staff. I’ll make you proud come June…promise.
I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Chams' patients for the past 22 years. I am very impressed with the quality of his surgical cases as well as his attention to quality rehabilitation that he expects for all of his patients, whether they require surgery or can be managed conservatively. Dr. Chams' patients have excellent functional outcomes, and this makes my job easier in our current data-driven healthcare environment. It's a pleasure working with him and his excellent clinical team. I have referred many of my friends and family members to Dr. Chams, and I look forward to future opportunities to work with him and his staff.
I’m writing to detail my history and experience with Dr. Roger Chams. My relationship with Dr. Chams started as a clinical colleague working in the care of his patients. Working in the operating room for many years gave me a unique look at the care and compassion that surgeons administered to their patients when their patients aren’t aware of what is happening because they are asleep. The saying that comes to mind is, "You will know the measure of a man by the choices he makes when no one is watching." What I learned about Roger Chams was that the measure of his skill, care, compassion, and expected excellence was un-matched in all my years. So naturally when I needed expert care myself, there was no one else I’d turn to.
In 2011 I suffered an devastating sports knee injury that changed my life forever. Think of any ligament in your knee, I shredded it. Also I tore through both meniscus and my soleus muscle. So yeah, when I say I blew out my knee, I mean it. The recovery was arduous and came in dribs and drabs, but ultimately I didn’t get back to 100%. I had multiple follow up arthroscopy procedures to clean up re-injuries to cartilage and meniscus. Then in 2013 I tore my other ACL and started down that path too. From 2013 until 2016 I spent my time being fairly active but never pain free. I was resigned to the fact that I’d live my life with knee pain and limited flexibility until I was old enough to have total knee replacements.
In late 2016 I found myself back in the office with Dr. Chams exploring options to mitigate my symptoms. I have young kids and I wanted to be able to run in the backyard or at the park with them. We discussed that my ligament health was superb and the grafted reconstructions were strong, but what I was suffering from was severe osteoarthritis coupled with cartilage defects. Dr. Chams counseled me that there was this new option we could try to transplant cartilage cells to attempt to cover the severe defects. This new surgical procedure, coupled another standard procedure would represent our dual surgical plan to attempt to repair both weight bearing and non-weight bearing cartilage surfaces. Being a former clinician and now an University academic, I took his counsel and embarked on my own research of the outcomes of the dual surgical procedure. Ultimately pursuant to my research, I elected to proceed with the procedure.
After I made the decision to proceed, I was met with multiple obstacles from an insurance prospective. I wasn’t surprised that when the difficulties and denials came, Dr. Chams and his team were lock step with me fighting the battle to advocate that this procedure was medically essential for my quality of life. It even took a personal provider appeal wherein Dr. Chams had to present the details of my case to the medical doctor employed by my insurance carrier. Needless to say the procedure was finally approved and was carried out in August 2017.
I was cautiously optimistic as I had been down the knee surgery road before, yet I was anxious that this time might actually work for a longitudinal solution. As I write this today I can tell you I have never felt better! My knee is pain free and more flexible than ever before. I’ve been vigilant with my physical therapy protocol and focusing on realizing progress over the right amount of time. While I have a few goals still left unattained, I’m confident that I will conquer them in the near term.
For anyone that is reading my story and isn’t sure how to proceed with the care of an injury, I would implore you to seek out Dr. Roger Chams and his team. They have never let me down and I’m confident they’ll do the same for you. While my competitive sports days have long been over, the fight still lives inside me and I’ll be eternally grateful that Dr. Chams and his team have given me the opportunity to be more physically active in the lives of my children.
Play Ball!
My mom (Beth Hook) recently went to see Dr. Chams, who did two knee surgeries on me back in '05 and '06 for meniscus tears while I was in high school at Grayslake Central. While at her appointment, she shared that I have taken his advice (which he gave from day one when I saw him) to remain active--- and recently completed IronMan WI in September of this past year. Included are some of the pictures from the event.
Ironically, I hear all the time people saying that they have "bad knees" and can't be active as a result. I love to tell them that I too have bad knees- but have always been encouraged by my physician to remain active. Outside of IronMan, I also recently completed the NYC Marathon, LA Marathon and Houston Marathon (all with my mom) as part of Team Ritter to raise awareness about aortic health.
I guess you can say I am living proof that Dr. Chams is right--- please send him my best and let him know my very active knees are still holding out.
Corresponding picture was taken less than one year after Dr. Chams' repair of completely torn quad tendon.
My wife (Robin) and I just returned from a 3-week road trip to Utah and Colorado. We visited seven National Parks, five in Utah (Zion Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Capital Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches) and two in Colorado (Mesa Verde and Great Sand Dunes). It was an absolutely amazing trip and ALL of you were a large part of it.
Because of the excellent pre-op, surgical, post-op, recovery, and rehab work you provided for me, with my left quad re-attachment (pre-op in June 2018, surgery in July 2018, and post-op, recovery, and rehab all the way through the end of February 2019), I was able to accomplish many things for the first time in my life:
- Completed numerous hikes, with most being on dirt & rock trails, two of these over two miles each and one of these having the following attributes: over 100 feet of increased elevation, all on the rim of a 2,000 foot mountain, no guard rails (one of my primary phobias!), and many stone stairways with steps up to 16 inches in height.
- Used two trekking poles and carried a 12-15 pound backpack on all hikes.
- On average, hiked/walked a total of approx. 3-5 miles during each of the seven days we were in the five Utah National Parks (the two Colorado parks were on the way home and I was pretty darned worn out by then, so we just drove through those parks, stopping along the routes, seeing the sites, and taking pictures).
I was also able to drive and ride, very comfortably, over the 4,000 miles of the trip – no discomfort in my left knee at any time!
By the way, the excellent work many of you did in 2015-2016, on my major right shoulder "re-construction", was also a key element to me being able to accomplish all of the above.
Please note this trip was something Robin had been dreaming of us taking for many, many years. She loves the outdoors and nature, but, until now, my inclinations were towards more "soft", indoor, and lazy types of vacations. However, we still stayed in hotels (I’ve only camped out three nights of my life, once when I was 13 at summer
camp, and the other two times when I was an adult leader for our son Adam’s Boy Scout troop – I was miserable each of those three nights, so that’s where I draw the line! LOL).Being able to do this for Robin was one of the most rewarding things I’ve been able to do for her during our 36+ years of marriage!
My sincere appreciation for being such an integral part of this experience for the both of us!
Prior to having shoulder surgery, I wasn’t able to play to my full potential out on the field. Post surgery has been great, I am coming back bigger, faster, and stronger ready for the 2019 season with the Chicago Blitz!
I've been a patient of Dr. Chams for nearly 15 years. He's performed rotator cuff surgery on each of my shoulders, and replaced both of my knees. In each case, the outcome has been everything I could ask. Thanks to Dr. Chams, my activity level and capability are significantly higher than I could have reasonably expected.
Dr. Chams and his staff are outstanding. When I heard the diagnosis of a torn ACL in March, I was crushed – being a competitive skydiver, a 6-8 month recovery would have put me out for the entire upcoming season with a difficult re-entry to follow. When Dr. Chams heard my goal was to compete, he tailored a plan to get me back in the air in 4 months. In this video, my exit & landing are exactly 4 months post-surgery – my first day back in the air!! – and the middle is my favorite clip from training this summer. With his expertise, Dr. Chams helped me return immediately to the standard 6-14 jumps per training day, and he helped make sure I met my goal: I did compete in the 2020 championships (virtually this year), and even snagged a silver medal. A huge thank you, Dr. Chams and to your team, for how you really listen to your patients and deliver the highest quality of care to get us up & soaring again!