I’ve been a patient of Dr. Eberhart’s since I moved here from Augusta in 2007. I had degenerative knee issues dating back to my high school football days, and was considering a knee replacement.

Dr. Eberhart won me over right away with his conservative approach. He did not rush to pick up the knife, but instead explored other options after asking about my activities and quality of life issues. I appreciated this, and the fact that he is so engaging, communicative and such a good listener.

Eventually, when I did need surgery on that knee, Dr. Eberhart believed that a right half-knee replacement could be as effective as a full knee. He was correct – my recovery and the subsequent results were marvelous. He carefully explained the options and was a total realist, never overpromising and letting me know about any possible limitations. We both love to bike, so I felt that I was working with someone who really understood my goals.

After that, I had a problem with my right index finger that Dr. Eberhart corrected with great success, again delaying the option of surgery for over a month and giving me time to really think things over and understand the pros and cons. After careful deliberation, we decided a corrective operation was in order.

Then my other knee started acting up. His criterion is: if you have to ice your knee before you can go to sleep at night, it’s time to intervene. So this past January, I had a total left knee replacement, and I was back to work a week later. After 8 weeks, I was hiking with micro-spikes at Sugarloaf Mountain.

Prior to my surgeries, my knees would give out. My goal was regain structural stability, and I have not had any problems since.

Dr. Eberhart and his staff are true professionals. Other doctors often talk over you and really do not listen - I’ve never had that experience at Sports Medicine Atlantic Orthopaedics. It’s so refreshing to be treated so well; I didn’t see the need to go to Boston for “better” care as many of my friends have tried to talk me into – I found the best care for me right here in Portsmouth!.

I met Dr. Eberhart when he rebuilt my knee about 20 years ago, and I’ve been referring patients to him for years. I’m a GP, and feel very comfortable referring shoulder, knee and hand problems that I see in my practice.

I also have Dupuytren’s Contracture in both hands (a thickening of the fibrous tissue layer underneath the skin of the palm and fingers) that was impacting my quality of life: I couldn’t clap, hold my wife’s hand, or put on a pair of gloves. And the mosquito always got away! It was also interfering with my work as a doctor.

Dupuytren’s Contracture is a progressive disease with a strong genetic component, and mine had started some 30 years ago. I considered surgery but surgery is a one-time thing, and then you are dealing with scar tissue. Surgery also requires a significant amount of healing and time out of work.

I was delighted to take advantage of Xiaflex injections – a non-surgical treatment with relatively few side effects – that is now offered locally by Dr. Eberhart. The injection breaks the fascial band that has thickened and shrunk, and frees the joint. You are not dealing with scar tissue, stitches or sutures. Also, the physical therapy involved in follow-up treatment is minimal compared to surgery.

However, this treatment requires very special management on the part of the orthopedic surgeon, and I had great confidence in Dr. Eberhart as a highly skilled, experienced hand surgeon.. He’s also very down to earth, an athlete, and someone who completely understands my lifestyle goals. I can now play golf, hold a snow shovel, and button my own shirt.

Dr. Eberhart performed carpal tunnel surgery on both of my hands, using a minimally invasive, endoscopic technique instead of open surgery. He only needed to make two tiny incisions through which he inserted a camera to guide him. The result was very precise surgery with a fast recovery time and no long scar that had to heal.

The surgeries were about three weeks apart, and Dr. Eberhart was very willing to work around my schedule in order to minimize the impact on my life. In fact, he first explored some non-surgical treatment options including cortisone injections to buy me some time. He brought balance to the entire process. I had to fit my treatment into a busy work schedule, a new baby, and triathlon training, so I really appreciated the fact that Dr. Eberhart took the time to put a good plan in place that also did not make me wait too long and risk permanent damage.

The work I do at the hospital involves very fine motor skills. For example, surgical knot tying requires constant wrist motion and repetitive movement. The median nerve damage in my hands was so severe that it would keep me awake at night. It was searing pain combined with burning numbness that would flair up at work and at home.

Since the surgeries, I’ve had no symptoms, no tingling, no numbness and no pain. I can do my activities with no restrictions, including swimming where wrist motion is critical.

In the local medical community, Dr. Eberhart is known as the authority in hand surgery. I appreciate his skill as a surgeon, and I’m grateful for his willingness to create an individualized treatment plan that worked so well for me.

I’ve known Dr. Eberhart for over 30 years. He is exceedingly well trained and has a well-deserved reputation for his skills in diagnosing an orthopedic problem and then correcting it, either surgically or non-surgically.

He’s also an accomplished athlete who understands the issues for people who want to stay active and enjoy in their favorite sports. I had two carpal tunnel surgeries when the pain got to the point of waking me up at night. I was able to play golf again within two months.

Dr. Eberhart also did a knee arthroscopy procedure to clean out bone chips that were giving me problems – again, with fine results.

He’s a terrific guy and a highly skilled doctor. I appreciate his conservative approach and his intellectual honesty.

Dr. Eberhart had taken care of meniscus problems in my knees three different times, but then the pain got to the point where I decided to have both knees replaced. I wanted to do this while I was still young enough to take full advantage of the results.

My knees were so painful that not only was sleeping a problem, but my ability to do my job was being impacted. I work in retail and I’m on my feet all day, so this was getting to be an issue I had to deal with.

The results have been fabulous! The pain factor is totally gone, and it’s like having my original knees back again.

Dr. Eberhart makes me feel at ease. He’s always asking me questions, and never seems in a hurry. Some doctors just breeze through appointments, but Dr. Eberhart has always taken the time to make sure I’m comfortable and understand everything.

For me, he goes a step beyond being a good doctor to someone who goes out of his way to make that personal connection. You feel like you’re talking to someone who really cares about you as a friend.