[Alpharetta, GA] – [September, 2, 2025] – For Phil Wilks, a former head football coach at Maryville College in Tennessee, a routine knee replacement surgery spiraled into a life-altering crisis. The procedure left Wilks with a chronically infected wound that would not heal, and traditional medical approaches offered little hope. Amputation of the leg or fusion of the joint were considered the best-case scenarios by the specialists in his area.
“My doctors in Tennessee told me I needed to go somewhere where there’s an orthopedic surgeon, a plastic surgeon, and an infectious disease specialist that works together,” Wilks said.
Desperate to save his leg, Wilks’ brother, a retired radiologist at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, called in a favor to a former colleague, renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. John David Mullins. Mullins had previously been successful in using SoftWave therapy to regenerate tissue and save the limbs of numerous patients who, at the time, were told amputation was their best option.
“Phil basically had a hole in his knee and the knee prosthetic had been removed,” said Dr. Mullins. “With full discussion and disclosure to the patient, I said let’s try SoftWave and work to clean this up. It was a Hail Mary moment.”
Dr. Mullins utilized SoftWave to promote soft tissue healing, applying the treatment aggressively, at least once a week. This innovative approach allowed Wilk’s wound to close and become stable enough for a second, successful knee replacement.
“Without the SoftWave treatment, Phil would likely have required an amputation or a fusion of the joint. One of the two would’ve been the treatment of choice because he would've never been able to have hardware put back in his knee,” stated Dr. Marvin Royster, Wilk’s surgeon at Peachtree Orthopedics in Atlanta.
Wilks’ credits the SoftWave treatment as crucial, expressing gratitude that Dr. Mullins had this treatment available at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. “He’s on the cutting edge,” Wilks said. “It’s an amazing instrument and I do not know why every doctor doesn’t have it.”
About SoftWave Tissue Regeneration Technology
SoftWave TRT, a Alpharetta, GA-based company, has been at the forefront of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) since its inception in 2004. With a reputation for German engineering excellence, SoftWave is trusted by leading medical research centers in the United States and around the globe. The efficacy of the company’s technology is backed by hundreds of published studies. SoftWave’s devices have received FDA 510(k) clearance for connective tissue activation, chronic diabetic foot ulcer treatment, acute second-degree burn management, pain reduction, and improved blood supply.
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