Take a Knee

Take a Knee
Patients at Inova Fair Oaks Benefit from the Latest in Knee Surgery Treatments

Richard Loos moves with ease, thanks to total knee replacement surgery on both knees.

	Not Feeling His Age Full Knee Replacement Surgery Gives Years Back to Retiree's Joints
	Since Richard Loos, 75, got both his knees replaced last year, "I feel like a teenager," the retiree says. He doesn't even notice the joints, he remarks. "They just feel fine. It's like when I was young." It was a different story, though, before he had surgery. It was excruciating for him to walk. "I was bent over like an old man," he explains. A former golfer, his knees started acting up about two years before he had the surgery. He had to stop playing golf and couldn't work in his yard. The surgery and recovery were not difficult, he notes. He spent three days in the hospital. After coming home, he used a machine to strengthen his legs and relied on a walker for about five days. Physical therapist Beena Nair, PT, DPT, worked with him through 10 weeks of therapy for both knees. "Considering it's a total knee replacement, I was fully mobile within two to three months," he says. He gushes with compliments about his surgeon, Brent Ain, MD, who gave him a two-hour seminar about the surgery before he had it. "He laid out the whole plan, rather than just doing the operation and leaving us to wonder what was going to occur," he notes. Karen Luke, Dr. Ain's assistant, was also available if Loos had questions, along with patient care navigator Linda Cordero. Loos, who retired from the computer business in 1998, is back working in his yard. He also has no qualms about hopping in his car and going where he likes, including to a national battlefield. He is writing a story about his family history — his great-grandfather was in the Civil War. "All of those activities I could not have done," he says. "Now I can do all of them."

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital is
staying in step with the most up-
to-date developments in knee
replacement surgery. Just last
year, it received The Joint
Commission's Gold Seal of
Approval™ for Joint Replacement.
The distinction recognizes the
hospital's excellence in
providing care to knee and hip replacement patients. Inova Fair
Oaks' comprehensive knee
replacement program offers
candidates options ranging from
partial to full knee replacement
surgery.

Partial Knee Replacement

Years ago, full knee replacement
was the only option for patients
who needed knee surgery. That
is not the case anymore. When
damage is limited to a portion of
the knee, a patient may want to
consider partial knee
replacement surgery.

One new approach to partial
knee replacement is known as
MAKOplasty^®, a robotic-assisted
partial knee resurfacing
procedure. This surgery can be
performed on an outpatient
basis, resulting in a shorter
hospital stay than a typical total
knee replacement. Patients who
have early- to mid-stage
osteoarthritis can benefit from
MAKOplasty.

By selectively resurfacing the
part of the knee damaged by
osteoarthritis, a surgeon can
retain the healthy cartilage,
bone and ligaments that are not
affected.

"The procedure is less invasive,
requiring a smaller incision than
a typical knee replacement, and
offers a faster recovery time,"
notes James Reeves, MD. "There
is also the benefit of a more
natural-feeling knee following
surgery."

During MAKOplasty, the surgeon
is able to position the implants
precisely, thereby restoring the
alignment and mechanics of the
knee. The result is a more
natural-feeling knee.

Knee Replacement Options

While partial knee replacement works in some cases, when knee cartilage has worn away to the point where bone meets bone, full knee replacement may be the only option. During full knee replacement, surgeons involve the entire knee and replace damaged cartilage and bone.

Knee replacement surgery is an evolving art at this time. Procedures such as partial knee replacement or total knee replacement and newer techniques, such as computer navigation and robotic-assisted surgery, are actively discussed and considered by joint replacement surgeons. "The overall goal is to relieve pain, improve motion, correct deformity and allow an individual to resume a more comfortable, active lifestyle," Brent Ain, MD, says.

	Gold Star Inova Fair Oaks Hospital's Spine and Joint Replacement Surgery programs in 2010 earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ for healthcare quality. The Joint Commission awarded the hospital "Disease-Specific Care Certification" for its Cervical and Lumbar Spine Surgery, and Knee and Hip Joint Replacement Surgery Programs.

The Tune-Up
Mechanic Welcomes Pain Relief from Partial Knee Replacement Surgery

Back at the wheel: James Garcia finds
it easier to work as a mechanic now
that he has had partial knee replacement surgery. He also can walk up and down stairs without pain, and has resumed the recreational activities he enjoys.

James Garcia, 52, waited as
long as he could to receive
partial knee replacement
surgery. His knee troubles
started back in high school
when he was a star wrestler
and tore the cartilage in both
his knees. Several years and
surgeries later, the pain
became unbearable.

"When I got to 51, I couldn't
take it anymore," says Garcia,
a mechanic who restores old
cars. "I had problems going
down and up steps. The
arthritis was throbbing; Motrin
wasn't helping anymore."

Garcia, who is married with
four grown children, sought
out orthopedic surgeon James Reeves, MD, who performs MAKOplasty®, a partial knee replacement surgery. Since Garcia
had arthritis on the outer part of his knees only, he was a
good candidate for the surgery, which removes the damaged
cartilage and preserves the healthy ligaments and tissue.

"MAKOplasty is ideal for those who have early- to mid-stage
osteoarthritis," Dr. Reeves says. "Because James had arthritis
that was limited to a single compartment within his knees,
he was an excellent candidate for MAKOplasty and benefited
from this less-invasive procedure."

Garcia underwent MAKOplasty on both knees during the same
operation in February. After a short hospitalization, he was discharged home. "My knees got 100 percent better," says
Garcia, who enjoys hunting and fishing. "I'm doing everything
I've ever done before. I can swim. I can ride a bike." He adds,
"It's the best thing I could have done."

Know Your Options
To find out if you are a candidate for knee replacement surgery, talk to a medical professional. For questions about options, contact patient care navigator Linda Cordero at 703-391-4555.