Lieutenant Jimmy Dirkes of the Roaring Fork Fire Rescue Authority knows Valley View well. As a firefighter-paramedic, he’s often there transporting patients or getting the occasional burn checked out.

He never expected he’d need surgery there — but an elbow injury on the job changed that.

“I get bumps and bruises all the time on the job, so I didn’t think much of it at first,” Jimmy says. “I tried to nurse it back to health and hoped it would improve.”

When the pain didn’t go away, he knew it was time to seek care.

Jimmy went to see Tito Liotta, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at ValleyOrtho. Given his background in health care, Jimmy is thoughtful about where he goes for treatment—but choosing Dr. Liotta was easy.

“Everyone I talked to had great outcomes and highly recommended Tito,” he says. “I didn’t even shop around — I knew he was the guy.”

Jimmy was diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow—an overuse injury that affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow. While often associated with sports, tennis elbow is a common injury among those in physically demanding jobs.

After a course of physical therapy sessions to exhaust non-surgical options, Jimmy and Dr. Liotta agreed it was time for surgery. He underwent what’s called an epicondyle debridement and repair, a procedure that removes damaged tendon tissue and reattaches the healthy tendon to restore strength and function.

The surgery took less than an hour and Jimmy was out the door before he knew it.

“From the front desk staff to Dr. Liotta and his entire team, everyone at Valley View was great and so dialed in,” he says. “The whole experience felt seamless.”

After surgery, Jimmy continued his recovery at Valley View’s physical therapy clinic in Carbondale, working with physical therapist Spencer Christensen. Jimmy put in the work to get the most out of his therapy, attending regular sessions from October through March.

His commitment paid off. Now back to full duty, Jimmy tested his arm in early June while responding to the Spring Creek wildfire in Thomasville—without pain.

Jimmy’s next planned visit to Valley View will mark a major life milestone: the birth of his first child in December.

When Should You See a Doctor for Elbow Pain?

Early treatment — including rest and physical therapy— can often prevent symptoms from worsening. However, additional treatment for tennis elbow may be considered when patients experience:

• Pain that persists for several weeks despite rest, ice and over-the-counter medication
• Pain that interferes with daily activities or job duties
• Weak grip strength or difficulty holding objects
• Pain with simple movements, such as lifting or turning the wrist
• Little to no improvement after conservative treatment, including physical therapy, bracing, medications or injections

Next Steps and More Resources

Dr. Liotta is currently seeing patients at ValleyOrtho clinics in Glenwood Springs, Willits and Eagle. Visit ValleyOrtho or call 970.384.7140.

Treatment for elbow conditions

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