OhioHealth Orthopedic Surgeon Helps Westerville Division of Police Patrol Officer and His K9 Partner Get back To Work After Achilles Injury

On November 11, 2023, the Westerville Division of Fire and Westerville Division of Police held a friendly flag football game, calling it their “Turkey Bowl.” During the game, Westerville Division of Police Officer Khyrell Baggoo took a hard hit. He heard and felt a pop in his right calf, initially thinking someone kicked his cleat. 

“I had mobility in my foot, but there was significant weakness. I stuck around for the remainder of the game, and then went to Ohio Health New Albany later in the evening, confirming the torn Achilles,” Officer Baggoo said.

Officer Baggoo is currently a patrol officer, assigned to the division’s K9 unit. He has been a police officer for seven years, and a patrol K9 handler for four years. His K9, Bruno, is a five-year-old Belgium Malinois imported from Germany. He is a dual purpose K9 which means he is trained in both patrol functions and narcotics detection.

After the game, Officer Baggoo knew he needed to see a doctor. He visited the OhioHealth New Albany Medical Campus, where he received a referral to seek medical care from Brian Steginsky, DO, an OhioHealth orthopedic surgeon.

“That night in the ER was tough, knowing that surgery would most likely be the solution which meant an extended time off of work,” Officer Baggoo said, “Additionally, it meant my high-drive K9 partner would also be off of work for an extended time.”

Even though he had a bit of worry, he scheduled a consultation with Dr. Steginsky on November 21, 2023.

“During the consultation, Dr. Steginsky explained the outcomes for both non-surgical physical therapy vs. a surgical procedure combined with physical therapy,” Officer Baggoo said, “Dr. Steginsky explained the newer technique which was performed on many well-known athletes such as Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins. Dr. Steginsky was very thorough in explaining re-rupture rates and the timeline for both options. Many times, in law enforcement, we are hesitant to disclose our career based on the climate towards police. Once I explained to Dr. Steginsky my role as an officer, additionally as K9 handler, knowing the fast-paced situations we are involved in and my age, we decided the surgical route was the best option.”

The surgery was an Achilles Midsubstance SpeedBridge repair. His surgery was exactly a week after his injury, on November 27. The first couple of days post-surgery were challenging for the officer, but overall, the surgery was a success. 

“The surgery was unexpectedly quick; I checked in around 6 a.m. and was at home eating Chick-Fil-A, preparing for a nap by 12 p.m.,” Officer Baggoo said, “The morning of the surgery, Dr. Steginsky checked in, confirmed the correct Achilles with me, and then left an autograph with a smiley face.”

 According to Dr. Steginsky, during the recovery process, he likes to have his patients walking by three weeks and in tennis shoes by seven to eight weeks.  

“My recovery process had its ups and downs, but between Dr. Steginsky and my physical therapist Dr. Urey, we remained on course,” Officer Baggoo said.

He stayed in constant communication with Dr. Steginsky and his other doctor Jessica Urey, P.T. DPT. NovaCare, which gave him even more confidence during the recovery period.

“By four weeks out, Christmas, I was weight bearing in the boot, January 18 I took my first steps in a shoe, still using crutches, and by January 25 I was walking without assistance,” Officer Baggoo said. 

In early March of 2024, he began running on the Alter-G (Antigravity treadmill) and by mid-April, he was running on a treadmill without assistance. 

Now, to this day, Officer Baggoo has a great bond with Dr. Steginsky and is grateful for the medical guidance he received from him. 

“I believe his calmness and assuring nature made the decision for surgery that much easier. He was really great at just being himself, and being a caring, subject matter expert before being "the doctor,” Officer Baggoo said. “Dr. Steginsky walked into each follow up appointment with a smile and made sure to let me know that he spoke with Dr. Urey., and that the two of them together were closely monitoring my progress.”

Both Officer Baggoo and Dr. Steginsky feel that a strong trusting relationship is an important component in every stage of healing for a patient, whether it's the initial visit or diagnosis, the surgery itself, the recovery and everything in-between.

“The fact that Dr. Steginsky was checking in on my progress outside of the routine scheduled appointments showed how much he cared about the recovery and physical therapy; ensuring I would be able to confidently perform in my career post recovery,” Officer Baggoo said. “Dr. Steginsky also helped with providing documentation to allow my agency to approve modified duty/light duty assignment, which meant K9 Bruno and I could start going into the office instead of being bored at home all day.

As the officer's recovery progressed, Dr. Steginsky lifted restrictions which meant he was able to resume small training activities with Bruno to prepare for their return to patrol duties. Without the frequent communication, and without his trust in Officer Baggoo to not overdo it, Dr. Steginsky confidently signed off on the paperwork.

“I truly believe Dr. Steginsky understood how much I enjoy my career, and wanted to help me get back to where I left off. In the same breath, we had in-depth conversations during the modified duty period regarding what my limitations were, and what he expected of me during that time,” Officer Baggoo said.

On August 16, Dr. Steginsky and Dr. Urey had the opportunity of doing a ride-along with Officer Baggoo and K9 Bruno. 

“The ride along went great,” Officer Bagooo said, “They were able to get a glimpse of what we do.”