A Champion’s Second Chance: How Hip Arthroscopy Saved Easton Renwick’s Career

A Champion’s Second Chance: How Hip Arthroscopy Saved Easton Renwick’s Career

A decade after surgery he’s still competing professionally – and winning championships.

As a Division I golfer at West Virginia University, Easton Renwick was on the rise. But behind the stat sheets and the long drives his hip was breaking down. The pain was sharp, constant and unforgiving. It wasn’t just slowing his swing – it was threatening to end his career. 

“I thought I was done,” Easton remembers. “I was ready to have a total hip replacement and say goodbye to golf.”

That’s when West Virginia’s sports medicine team referred him to Dr. John Christoforetti, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon with The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics (CAO).

The Turning Point

Dr. Christoforetti specializes in hip, knee and shoulder surgery with deep expertise in sports medicine. As President of the International Society for Hip Arthroscopy (ISHA), he has spent his career pushing the boundaries of what’s possible for athletes who once faced only one option: joint replacement.

“Hip arthroscopy gives us a way to address injuries without burning the bridge to future function,” says Dr. Christoforetti. “For younger athletes especially, it’s often the difference between continuing a career and ending it prematurely.”

Instead of a hip replacement, he recommended a hip arthroscopy – a minimally invasive surgery that uses tiny incisions and a camera to repair damaged cartilage, reshape bone and restore smooth joint motion. The procedure avoids the larger incisions, longer hospital stays and higher complication risks of open replacement surgery.

Why Hip Arthroscopy Works

For athletes like Easton, arthroscopy offers several clear advantages:

• Faster recovery: Most patients return to daily activities in 3–6 months compared to 6–12 months for a hip replacement.
• Lower risk of complications: Studies show hip arthroscopy has a significantly lower infection and blood clot rate compared to replacement surgery.
• Joint preservation: Instead of replacing the joint with artificial components that wear out over time, arthroscopy preserves native bone and cartilage, protecting long-term mobility.
• Proven outcomes: A meta-analysis published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine found that more than 80% of athletes return to sport after hip arthroscopy – at their previous competitive level.

Back in the Game

Easton placed his trust in Dr. Christoforetti and the CAO team. The procedure was a success. His pain subsided, his swing returned and so did his confidence.

“I would absolutely recommend this procedure over a full replacement surgery,” Easton says. “If I had undergone a replacement, my career would have ended when I was 24.”

Ten years later, he’s still playing professional golf. His most recent highlight? Winning the Pittsburgh Open.

Easton’s love of the sport stems from more than winning championships; it’s about giving back and training the next generation of aspiring athletes. He founded the Renwick Golf Academy at Pine Creek Golf Center, a cutting-edge facility that blends the latest technology and precision analytics with the human touch and personal mentorship to help young golfers reach their full potential.

Leading the Way 

Dr. Christoforetti, alongside fellow CAO hip specialists Dr. Scott Faucett and       Dr. Asheeh Gupta, has performed thousands of hip arthroscopies. Together they’re setting the standard for joint preservation surgery in the U.S. and internationally.

Their mission goes beyond repairing joints – it’s about restoring possibility. Whether it’s a college golfer fighting for his future or an active parent trying to keep up with their kids, hip arthroscopy is rewriting what recovery looks like.

And Easton’s story is proof: with the right surgeon, the right plan and the right procedure, athletes don’t just get back in the game – they can keep winning.