Smooth Ride

Smooth Ride
Knee Replacement Surgery Helps Patients Hit Their Stride

Mabel and Fred Hart can be seen back on the trail after undergoing minimally invasive knee replacements. They were surprised how fast they could move again following the surgeries.

Knee replacement surgery can be life-changing. Just ask Fred and Mabel Hart, both 77, who both received partial knee replacement surgery with the use of the new MAKOplasty^® technology.

Journey of Recovery

An important way you can ensure a successful surgery is to protect your knee replacement and your general health after your return home from the hospital. Take these easy steps to get the best possible results from your surgery:

Listen up. Follow your surgeon’s post-op instructions as closely as possible.
Stay active. Most patients start physical activity the day after
surgery and resume normal
activities within three to six weeks. To restore full range of motion in your knee, your physical therapist will give you gentle exercises to do. Stay away from high-impact
exercise such as running, jogging
or jumping.
Avoid falls. Talk to your surgeon
and physical therapist about using
a cane, crutches, a walker, hand rails, or have someone help you navigate stairs and even flat surfaces during the first few weeks after surgery.
Talk to your dentist. Tell your
dentist you have a knee replacement. You should have antibiotics before dental surgery.
Get checkups. See your orthopedic surgeon once a year for a routine exam.

Fred was amazed at how quickly he was up and about following surgery. “My surgery was in the morning, and that afternoon they had me in a chair and I was up and down the halls in a walker,” he remembers. “The next morning they had me climbing a flight of stairs.” Having had the surgery last May, Fred, who now has two knee replacements, is back to playing tennis on a regular basis.

As for Mabel, her friends couldn’t believe how fast she was moving after surgery. These days, she goes to the gym three times a week and shops often with friends. “They couldn’t believe how fast [my partial knee replacement] healed in comparison to their surgery,” she says. “Most of my friends have had the complete surgery and it took a lot longer.”

Better Quality of Life

Thanks to partial and full joint replacement surgery, worn-out joints do not have to signal an end to enjoyable activities. According to the National Institutes of Health, joint replacement is successful in more than 90 percent of people who undergo surgery, and if complications do occur, most of them are treatable.

“For people who’ve tried other treatments, such as medications and assistive devices, and weren’t able to find relief, having a replacement at Inova is a safe, effective option,” says orthopedic surgeon Tony Aram, MD.

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital’s Joint Replacement Surgery program earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval™ in 2010 for healthcare quality. The program combines top-ranked orthopedic surgeons, advanced orthopedic diagnostic equipment and a compassionate, caring staff to provide the best possible outcome for each individual patient.

Knee Surgery Options

For people with early- to mid-state osteoarthritis, one new option for partial knee replacement is known as MAKOplasty. A minimally invasive surgery, it involves resurfacing only the diseased portion of the knee, saving as much of the original knee as possible. Surgeons perform the surgery with robotic technology, which results in more rapid patient recovery and a shorter hospital stay when compared to traditional knee replacement surgery.

But when osteoarthritis — a disease that occurs when the cartilage in the knee wears down, leaving no cushion between the bones in the joint — has reached an advanced stage, full knee replacement may be necessary. People may also need full knee replacements when other forms of arthritis are present, or to treat injuries such as fractures, torn cartilage or ruptured ligaments.

“When nonsurgical treatments such as medications and walking supports no longer curb pain and help you engage in daily activities, you may want to consider joint replacement surgery to regain your quality of life,” according to orthopedic surgeon Robert Dombrowski, MD, Co-Medical Director, Inova Fair Oaks Joint Replacement Program.

Dombrowski performed knee replacement surgery on Robert DiPalma, a retired Navy captain. DiPalma’s knee problems began when he was in the Navy and he tore the cartilage in his knee joint known as the meniscus. One day in October 2006, the 76-year-old Herndon resident stepped down from a sidewalk and experienced severe pain in his right knee. Medication was not enough to keep the pain at bay so he opted for total knee replacement surgery. Less than three years later, his left knee was replaced as well.

These days, DiPalma lives a full, active life and enjoys helping others who are going through the same procedure he did. DiPalma speaks regularly at the Fair Oaks Hospital “Joints in Motion” class where he shares what happens when a patient leaves the hospital after joint replacement surgery.

His best advice? “If it must be done, don’t wait too long because you can get on the mending process sooner rather than later,” DiPalma says.

Coming Home
Losing Weight Is About Awareness,
Patient Learns

Some temporary adjustments may help your return to home post-surgery. Here are a few helpful hints:

Prevent falls. Remove area rugs and cords that you could slip on.
Make things easy to reach. Stow those things you use most often at waist and shoulder height so you don’t need to reach up or bend down to retrieve them.
Outfit your bathroom. Install helpful items like a
shower chair, handrails in the shower or bath, or a raised toilet seat.
Create a recovery center. Set up a room equipped
with everything you need for the first few days at
home, including a phone, television, radio, tissues, books and magazines, medications and a pitcher of water.

Joint Solutions
If you have questions about knee or other joint problems, contact our Patient Care Navigator at 703-391-4555.